American Thoracic Society Journal news tips for May 2005 (second issue)
...rst time, researchers have reported results from a prospective study directed at determining the predictive value of using noninvasive measures to monitor airway inflammation in children with asthma who have undergone inhaled corticosteroid medication reduction. British investigators showed that successful lower...Combined MRI and mammography more effective at detecting breast cancer in high-risk women
...ates: "Our results, taken with the two other major prospective studies, suggest that MRI screening is more effective than mammography in this high risk group, and combining the methods is very effective. Our study also showed that MRI is of most benefit in carriers of BRCA1 mutations." (Quote by e-mail; does not...Multiple views from CT scans may improve diagnosis
...nd chest CT scans of pediatric patients. For their prospective study, they reviewed 44 chest CT scans and 40 abdominal CT scans and compared reading time and accuracy of the views. Images in the sagittal and coronal planes, which present views that are similar to a physical exam, could be read more quickly becau...Presence of high-risk prostate cancer can be predicted without a biopsy, new study says
...riables collected prior to prostate biopsy. In the prospective study, they collected data on 1,699 men with a PSA of less than 10 ng/ml who underwent a prostate biopsy with a minimum of six samples. They analyzed the following variables: age, race, family history of prostate cancer, digital rectal exam, prostate...Breast tumor's biological traits guide hormone therapy
...cal School, said that until data is available from prospective randomized trials, this model might serve as a useful guide to clinicians as they evaluate their patients' treatment plans....Low-fat dairy foods may help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes
...and Women's Hospital (BWH) the first large-scale, prospective examination of a relationship between dairy intake and diabetes risk analyzes data from the HSPH-based Health Professionals Follow-up Study. "Our study found that men consuming higher levels of dairy products, especially low-fat dairy foods, had a ...Study backs effectiveness of thrombolysis after stroke
...for Stroke Effectiveness Study (CASES), a national prospective cohort study, was conducted to determine the safety and effectiveness of thrombolysis with alteplase in the real-world treatment of acute ischemic stroke. The study registry collected data for 1135 patients enrolled at 60 centres across Canada betwe...Fracture risk lower for black women than white women at all bone mineral density levels
...d risk, blacks have only recently been included in prospective studies of osteoporosis with measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture incidence." "An important issue is whether evidence about ethnic differences indicates a different threshold for treating patients with the same BMD based on differ...New prognostic markers help identify risk of relapse
...ug side-effects." The study's authors recommend a prospective clinical trial now be undertaken to test the value of these findings for clinical practice. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common cancer in children, accounts for about 30% of all deaths from childhood cancer in Australia. While almost...Study links cigarette smoking with progression of multiple sclerosis
...e progression of MS are known. This was the first prospective study that identified a potential intervention (quitting smoking) for reducing the risk of progression of MS." Analyzing over 2,000 medical records in the General Practice Research Database (GPRD), researchers identified 179 British patients who were...No improvement in overall survival with lymph node removal in treatment of advanced ovarian cancer
...on, describes the strengths and weaknesses of this prospective study of lymphadenectomy for advanced ovarian cancer. "This pivotal trial should be considered definitive, and the findings used to dictate clinical management," she writes. "As disappointing as the result may be to some gynecologic oncologists, the ...Heart valve ring reverses damage from congestive heart failure, easing symptoms
... the American Association for Thoracic Surgery. A prospective study of the first 25 patients who had surgery to install the ring shows that it reduced the leakage of blood back through the mitral valve, which leads to the heart's main pumping chamber. But it also changed the shape of that chamber, called the le...University of Kentucky physician publishes fibromyalgia study in Arthritis & Rheumatism journal
... core symptoms," said Crofford. "This is the first prospective study suggesting that Lyrica may be effective in improving the pain of fibromyalgia and some of its other symptoms such as sleep problems and fatigue." Pfizer Inc's Lyrica (pregabalin) significantly reduced the pain of fibromyalgia and improved sle...Blood test can accurately diagnose heart failure in emergency patients
... time of its launch, the PRIDE study was the first prospective American trial of NT-proBNP and the largest such study to study the test in patients with shortness of breath. About 600 patients who came to the MGH Emergency Department with shortness of breath were enrolled in the study. In addition to standard ...US service academies to collaborate with UNC, Andrews Air Force Base, Duke in knee injury study
...ng at their summer entry into the academies. The prospective cohort study will focus on human movement risk fac...ng male and female athletes. "This is the largest prospective cohort study put in place to address risk factors for ACL injury," said the study's principal invest...Newer imaging techniques may lead to over-treatment
...e," he added. Dr. Prologo recommends a large-scale prospective randomized study to determine if patients with small clots need to undergo anticoagulation treatment. "Today a great many more patients are being evaluated for pulmonary emboli with scanners that can detect very small clots. This is likely to result ......sually associated with rheumatoid arthritis. More prospective studies need to be carried out to investigate the incidence of skin disease in patients on therapy, but this study reveals clinically significant adverse effects of TNF-alpha blocking therapy....