Latest Conference Articles

New research presented at the American Heart Association 2012 Scientific Sessions reveals that although the number of cardiovascular-related deaths increases during the winter months in the US, the rate increase is consistent across climates.

M. Amin Karami, PhD, discusses study results presented at AHA 2012 that demonstrated the technical feasibility of using a piezoelectric energy-harvesting device to power a pacemaker.

Results from the UMPIRE study show that use of fixed-dose combination cardiovascular drugs improve medication adherence and improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels in patients.

Results from the OPERA trial presented at AHA 2012 show that short-term use of fish oil supplements does not decrease post-operative atrial fibrillation.

Men age 50 and older who take multivitamins every day gain no added protection against heart attacks, stroke, or cardiovascular death.

A new experimental device may be able to use converted energy from a patient's heart to generate enough electricity to fully power a pacemaker.

Study results presented at AHA 2012 indicate that revascularization using CABG in diabetic patients with multivessel disease provides better clinical outcomes than PCI and is more cost effective in the long run.

Results from a sub-study of the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) that focused on quality of life issues in patients who had previously suffered a heart attack and were treated with chelation therapy reveal no improvements in these patients' quality of life.

Randomized controlled trials remain the gold standard, but a researcher at Kidney Week 2012 says that new approaches and study designs are needed that reflect real-world drug use and account for confounding variables.

Patients with end-stage renal disease who live in the Midwest begin dialysis at an earlier stage than patients who live in other regions of the US.

Results from the TEMPO trial presented at Kidney Week 2012 show that treatment with tolvaptan slowed the increase in total kidney volume and the decline in kidney function in patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD).

Increasing numbers of people are on kidney transplant waiting lists. However, the number of potential living donors may shrink as more Americans qualify as pre-diabetic, making them less than ideal donor candidates.

Experts at Kidney Week 2012 discuss several treatment options for hyponatremia, including fluid restriction, loop diuretics, and the use of selective vasopressin V2-receptor antagonists.

A diet rich in highly alkaline fruits and vegetables helps reduce a marker of kidney injury and preserve kidney function in patients with chronic kidney disease.

The powerful immunosuppressive drugs used to prevent allograft rejection are associated with severe side effects. A "mixed chimerism" strategy in which patients undergo simultaneous bone marrow and kidney transplant from the same donor may improve transplant survival and reduce the need for these drugs.

Use of peritoneal dialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease is declining due to lack of physician training and awareness, financial disincentives, and other factors. However, with proper patient and provider education, it is possible to grow a successful peritoneal dialysis program.

Study results reported at Kidney Week 2012 reveal that patients with early-stage CKD fare better in the public health system, which also appears to produce fewer racial and ethnic health disparities in care delivered to this population.

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Physicians often do not follow treatment guidelines for health care-acquired pneumonia, resulting in nearly two-thirds of patients receiving antibiotics that conflict with established guidelines.

New guidelines discussed at AAP 2012 cover assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of urinary tract infections in children up to two years of age.

Specific spectrum of UV light can effectively kill drug-resistant VRE, c. diff, and other sources of serious hospital-associated infections.

However, researchers at IDWeek 2012 said that although the drug showed a biological and a clinical effect during a phase III study, it did not meet the primary efficacy outcome.

Researchers at IDWeek 2012 presented new information and guidance on the diagnosis and management of three of the most deadly infectious diseases: pneumonia, meningitis, and endocarditis.

Intestinal microbiota transplant is a viable option for patients with C. diff infection who have not responded to conventional treatment.

Researchers at IDWeek 2012 show that influenza can pose fatal health risks even to otherwise healthy children with no serious underlying medical conditions. They also revealed that children who were vaccinated at school were much less likely to get the flu, leading to fewer school absences.

Study results presented at IDWeek 2012 in San Diego show that the EMR use by hospitals does not curb high rates of medication errors involving the complex antiretroviral regimens used in HIV treatment.

Study results presented at IDWeek 2012 show that requiring flu vaccination for all employees at a large health care facility resulted in a significant drop in the employee absence rate during flu season.

Public health experts at IDWeek 2012 provided updates on new case reports, the CDC's efforts to contain the outbreak of fungal meningitis, information on assessing asymptomatic patients, and more.

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Click here for information about registration, scheduled events and speakers, and more at IDWeek 2012.