American Thoracic Society Journal news tips for April 2005 (first issue)
...thambutol in many settings.) The second treatment choice was an 8-month regimen of a combination of these drugs, which a recent randomized clinical trial has shown to be "distinctly inferior to the 6-month regimen with rifampin throughout." The article about the remarkable history of tuberculosis treatmen...Six organizations vie for INFORMS 'science of better' innovation prize
...application has made Swift & Company a supplier of choice while providing a 200% ROI in its first year of production. The Edelman Award recognizes outstanding implemented operations research that has had a significant, positive impact on the performance of a client organization. The top finalist receives a ...ALLHAT findings are 'color blind' in showing diuretics work better for high blood pressure
...esting older, cheaper diuretics remain the drug of choice for both black and non-black patients in treating high blood pressure and reducing risk of heart disease. The analysis by race of the "Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial" (ALLHAT), confirms earlier findings th...Metabolic side effects of antipsychotics are known, but rarely monitored
...'t want to take it. I said you really don't have a choice to take nothing. It's awful having to present people with such difficult choices, especially when they're already stressed dealing with mental problems," he says. Noncompliance has long been a problem for schizophrenics, because of movement problems ...Diuretics best initial therapy for both black and nonblack patients in treating high blood pressure
Thiazide-type diuretics remain the drugs of choice for initial therapy of high blood pressure in both black and nonblack patients, according to a study in the April 6 issue of JAMA. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become the leading cause of illness and death worldwide, and elevated blood pressure (...Women with heart attacks benefit from stenting
...ested that stenting may be the preferred treatment choice for women with heart attack. "Stenting is the best alternative among excellent treatment options for women," she said. "There is no difference in the death rates between stenting and angioplasty, but stenting offers a substantial benefit by decre...'Nanoshells' simultaneously detect and destroy cancerous cells
...ke to locate the cells, be able to make a rational choice about whether they need to be destroyed and, if so, proceed immediately to treatment." To this end, Drezek and West collaborated to develop a new imaging and treatment method based on metal "nanoshells" - tiny spheres of silica coated with a thin lay...Study challenges current treatment for mild asthma
...ot to take daily medications may be okay, but this choice should be made in consultation with the patient's healthcare provider," said Elliot Israel, MD, co-leader of the study at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "People with more severe asthma must follow recommendations for daily medications, and a...Study shows symptom-driven therapy may be ok for some adults with mild persistent asthma
...spital in Boston and the co-lead author. "But this choice should be made in consultation with the patient?s healthcare provider. It's critical that individuals with more severe asthma follow recommendations for daily long-term control medications and that all asthma patients -- even those with mild asthma -...The Cochrane Library newsletter, 2005, issue 2
...rush with a rotating-oscillating head. "Toothbrush choice is as much about personal preference as anything else, and people tend to take affordability, availability and professional recommendation into account. However, it is important that consumers know how well their toothbrush will work before making a ...Kidney donation program may provide more matches for previously incompatible recipients and donors
...ey transplantation has emerged as the treatment of choice for medically suitable patients with end-stage kidney disease, according to background information in the article. More than 60,000 patients await kidney transplantation and are listed on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) recipient registry...Heart failure drug associated with higher risk of death
...t decision." With that in mind, he says, the first choice for treatment should be diuretics, which aren't perfect but which are effective and cost pennies in comparison with hundreds of dollars for nesiritide. And he questions the intermittent outpatient use of nesiritide, which is covered by Medicare in se...Electroshock therapy speeds improvement in schizophrenia patients
...irmed that antipsychotic drugs are still the first choice for schizophrenia treatment, they also showed that electroconvulsive, or shock, therapy clearly works, and combining both treatments can accelerate benefits to some patients, the review finds. Dr. Prathap Tharyan, head of psychiatry at Christian Medi...Institute of Medicine news: Changes needed in WIC program
... proposed by the report is the inclusion of a wide choice of fruits and vegetables in the food packages for women and children. WIC participants should be given vouchers or coupons for fresh produce totaling $10 per month for each woman and $8 a month per child. The amount corresponds to one to two servin...The relationship between clinical depression and chronic pain
... with chronic pain is likely to improve diagnosis, choice of treatment, and treatment efficacy." As this study affirms, prescribing a standard antidepressant medication will not necessarily relieve the suffering of a depressed patient whose pain is not only real but also intensely physical....Two studies offer clues about how alcoholic behavior is 'switched' on
...etic predisposition to prefer alcohol when given a choice between a 10 percent ethanol solution and pure water, comparing them with rats that had no prior preference for alcohol. Both sets of animals were treated with varying doses of "SB-277011-A," a known D3 receptor "antagonist" -- a chemical that binds ...Study evaluates Alzheimer's patients' ability to make decisions about treatment
...reatment for Alzheimer's and asking them to make a choice whether they would take the treatment. Then experts assessed whether they were competent to make the decision. Of the 48 patients, 19 were found to be competent in making the decision. The study found that scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination ...Molecular testing in patients with rare cancer predicts response to Gleevec
...00 Americans annually. Surgery is the treatment of choice for localized tumors, but in many patients the tumor recurs and spreads elsewhere, particularly to the liver. Without Gleevec, at this metastatic stage the disease is rapidly fatal because chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are ineffective in advanc...St. John's Wort only minimally effective in relieving major depression, review confirms
...s St. John's Wort should not be "a first or second choice for U.S. patients with moderate to severe major depression." At the same time, he says, the product remains a "reasonable option" for patients suffering from minor depression -- as long as they are able to locate "quality preparations." In their revi...UCLA researchers find common gastrointestinal condition keeps patients up at night
...diagnosed. It addressed the disease, lifestyle and choice of treatment through face-to-face interviews and a 100-item questionnaire. 1 Participants with GERD were identified from a random telephone screening of more than 200,000 households. Out of the 1908 participants, 984 were formally diagnosed by a p...