On the HCPLive news page, resources on the topics of disease- and specialty-specific medical news and expert insight can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on health care research, treatment, and drug development.
Antipsychotics Worsen Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease Psychosis
October 7th 2015Research shows that treatment with atypical antipsychotics appears to significantly increase the risk of mortality and severe adverse events among patients with Parkinson's disease psychosis (PDP), when compared to patients with PDP who did not receive antipsychotics.
What Can Retinal Abnormalities Tell Us About Major Depressive Disorder?
A recent study showed that retinal abnormalities detected through objective electrophysiological measurements may help identify the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder and possibly other psychological conditions.
Filtered Sunlight is Safe and Noninferior to Phototherapy in Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia Patients
The use of filtered sunlight is both safe and noninferior to conventional phototherapy for the treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. This is important because severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia can lead to fatal complications, and because in some cases, existing guidelines for managing neonatal hyperbilirubinemia explicitly discourage the use of sunlight for the treatment.
Spinal Cord Injury Locomotion Improvement with Lysophosphatidic Acid
The hallmark degenerative process in spinal cord injury may be caused by lysophosphatidic acid, the lipid that acts as a signal between various cells, according to findings published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
Study: "Obesity Paradox" in Cardiovascular Disease Does Not Exist
The "obesity paradox" suggests that patients with excess weight are associated with better survival among individuals with cardiovascular disease -a mysterious and confounding phenomenon that has been demonstrated in many clinical studies.
Ann Romney Releases Memoir Detailing Battle with Multiple Sclerosis
Ann Romney, wife of 2012 Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney, released her memoir discussing her marriage, her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis (MS), her faith, and other inspirational stories of overcoming adversity
Neuropathic Pain: This Drug Could Reduce the Need for Opioids
October 2nd 2015Pharmacologic approaches are still "the most widely used therapeutic options to ameliorate persistent pain," according to this overview from UpToDate. But with growing awareness of the potential negative outcomes associated with long-term opioid therapy, a newly discovered approach may be just what the doctor ordered.
How Effective Are Pain Specialists in Improving Quality of Life?
October 1st 2015Chronic pain affects around 100 million Americans and treatments can range from prescription drugs to genetic engineering. While pain is typically the primary complaint among patients, their quality of life is often times negatively impacted as well. Beyond treating a patient's pain symptoms, is there anything else a physician can do to make a positive impact on a patient's quality of life?
Compromised Areas of the Brain May Explain Psychopathy
Hemodynamic activity and neural coupling within the salience network are disrupted in psychopathy, and that the effects of psychopathy on moral evaluation are influenced by attentional demands, according to a study in Translational Psychiatry.
Treating Patients with Resistance to Thyroid Hormone
October 1st 2015Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) occurs in rare patients and its clinical presentation is considerably different than that seen in the usual hyperthyroid patient. Patients with this inherited condition produce inordinate levels of thyroid hormone because their negative feedback loop at the pituitary gland is metaphorically snipped. Concurrently, they have normal levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone.
Stay Tuned: Nonpharmacologic Treatment for Long-Term Neck Pain
A Swedish study is set to analyze the effect of massage and exercise therapy on subacute and long-lasting neck pain, according to an article in Trials. While both massage and exercise therapy are widely used for neck pain, there is little clinical evidence on the effectiveness of these treatments. Even where outcome measurements are available, the results have been conflicting.