Gale Scott

Secondhand smoke exposure in utero and in childhood puts people at higher risk of having atrial fibrillation later in life, San Francisco researchers found.

New Jersey physicians have been the slowest in the nation to switch to electronic health records (EHRs) according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A New Jersey pharma company has won a round in its fight to advertise a fish oil pill for a non-FDA approved use. Critics, writing in the NEJM say that puts the nation's drug safety monitoring at risk.

The largest case series to date of outcomes in patients with herpetic meningoencephalits (HME) shows early diagnosis and treatment is critical if the damage is to be held in check. Rapid treatment is common in the US, but globally, a Turkish researcher found, delays of days or even a week are not uncommon.

An observational study of 657 people at high risk of getting HIV infections found that Gilead's Truvada taken daily has prevented them from getting the virus. The CDC is promoting the drug regimen in a campaign called PrEP, for pre-exposure prophylaxis.

The US Food and Drug Administration today announced it will permit Quest Diagnostics' Focus Diagnostics division to market a genital swab test for herpes simplex virus type 2.

New York City-based researchers reported that a leadless cardiac pacemaker (Nanostim/St. Jude Medical) implanted non-surgically via a catheter through the femoral vein had a better safety record than conventional devices. But it has other limitations.

The Sanofi/Regeneron PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab (Praluent)- approved in July in the US - lowered cholesterol in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia to levels "unreachable with statins" researchers said at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in London, UK.

The EXAMINATION trial showed a second generation drug-eluting stent did better than a bare-metal stent, researachers reported at ESC 2015 in London, UK.

Close relatives or friends often serve as surrogate decision-makers for patients in intensive care units. Physicians are usually comfortable answering their medical questions. But what happens when spiritual or religious issues arise in the context of end-of-life decisions?

In heart failure patients with diabetes and/or chronic kidney disease, a new, non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist called finerenone was no more effective than the currently approved MRA eplerenone in reducing the heart failure biomarker N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide. But it had other benefits.

Researchers in Scotland found that in a trial involving more tha n 7,000 patients, the rates of adverse cardiac and other negative outcomes were about the same whether these patients took NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors.

The US Food and Drug administration today issued a warning that the type 2 diabetes medicines sitagliptin (Januvia/Merck) linagliptin (Tradjenta/BI), and alogliptin (Nesina/Takeda) "may cause joint pain that can be severe and disabling."

Reproducing study results can be difficult in any scientific field, but a study in the journal Science showed that confirming research in psychology is particularly challenging.

The US Food and Drug Administration last night announced it has approved evolocumab (Repatha/Amgen), an injectable drug for some patients who are unable to get their LDL cholesterol under control. Statins are a cheaper and generally effective treatment, but the new class of drugs is expected to help people who cannot tolerate them, for whom they do not work, and for people with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved a new glycemic control treatment for type 2 diabetes for adults, a combination product made of empagliflozin (Jardiance/ Boehringer Ingelheim) and metformin hydrochloride. It will be marketed as Synjardy in a joint venture with Eli Lilly.

The debate over whether state Medicaid programs are violating federal law by restricting access to pricey new hepatitis-C drugs is getting hotter. The While House is under new pressure to step in.

With a rallying cry of "Hands off Our Legs" protestors are due to picket the US Department of Health and Human Services over a proposed Medicare rule change that would affect amputees.

To keep their minds sharp, older people are often advised to take vitamins or other dietary supplements and to engage in regular exercise. Two studies in JAMA show those practices had no effect on cognitive function.

Severe headaches in pregnant women can be a red flag for physicians. A five-year Bronx study looked at 140 pregnant women who presented with acute headaches.

The FDA today approved flibanserin, the first drug to treat a form of sexual dysfunction in premenopausal women.

Weill-Cornell researchers looking into genetic differences in high-grade gliomas made an unexpected finding: while both boys and girls live longer when their visible tumors are completely removed, the girls lived almost six years longer post-surgery.

Does the use of electronic cigarettes, known as "vaping" lead teens to become smokers? A California team reports teen users are more likely to later try combustible tobacco, but say it is not clear whether they would have become smokers anyway.

A whole new segment of the population, particularly elderly patients are now eligible for a lifesaving cardiac procedure with the development of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement or TAVR.

In the past surgery for the treatment of epilepsy involved a complicated craniotomy procedure. Now, thanks to laser technology some of the most severe patients can get relief from their symptoms and be on their way home the next day.

Atrial fibrillation is a growing problem and new techniques and technologies are being developed to treat the condition. One new device has been developed as a new surgical option for doctors to consider.

As the Cleveland Clinic opens a new facility in Abu Dhabi the things that have made it a success in the United States have made it one of the elite medical options in the country and around the world.

Patients fly to Cleveland Clinic from all over the world-bypassing many centers of excellence. Why is that? MD Magazine visited the renowned Ohio hospital and got some answers.

Patients with plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have seen their treatment options increase in recent years. Thanks to more research on the topic they could see even more options in the years to come.

Postmenopausal women who took high doses of Vitamin D showed no improvement in bone mineral density, muscle function, muscle mass or frequency of falls, Wisconsin researchers found. In a study reported in JAMA Internal Medicine high-dose cholecalciferol therapy increased calcium absorption "but the effect was small and did not translate into beneficial effects," Karen Hansen, MD and colleagues wrote.