News

Vitamin D levels that are either very low or very high are associated with cardiovascular death rates, a Danish study found. The question is whether than relationship is causal or just an association.

Researchers in Germany have figured out the process by which interleukin 4 (IL-4) inhibits inflammation, pointing the way toward a possible treatment for psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases.

Rheumatoid arthritis patient care costs can be reduced using the Attribution, Integration, Measurement, Finances and Reporting of Therapies (AIM FARTHER) model developed by researchers at Geisinger Health System in Central Pennsylvania.

Gut and urinary tract infections may prevent rheumatoid arthritis onset, according to research from the Karolinska Institutet.

Contrary to popular opinion, exercise programs may relieve joint and muscle stiffness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The medical marijuana program in Connecticut will expand to cover several additional conditions, including psoriatic arthritis.

myPath Melanoma, a new 23-gene signature test fromMyriad Genetics, could potentially differentiate between malignant melanoma and benign skin moles in nearly 15% of cases where histopathologic analysis is not considered straightforward.

Americans' low-fiber diets that tend to be rich in red meats put them at risk for diverticulosis, and by age 60, roughly half of Americans have or have had diverticulosis. It's not clear how many patients with diverticulosis go on to develop diverticulitis, but once diverticulitis develops, 10-25% of patients need surgery, often urgently.

Should drug sales reps be allowed to routinely tell doctors FDA warnings are groundless? Consumer Group Public Citizen is urging the feds to shelf a proposal to allow pharma companies "free rein" in what they say to providers about FDA warnings.

An article in Newsweek highlights a growing trend: travelling to a foreign country to undergo major surgery. Americans are flocking to countries such as Costa Rica, Mexico, India, Thailand, and Mexico, as well as European destinations such as Germany, for affordable surgical procedures.

Does bariatric surgery prolong life? Past research has shown that this surgery initiates sustainable weight loss, sends type 2 diabetes into remission, and reduces cardiovascular disease.

Researchers from Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School may have uncovered an explanation for why patients with diabetes are more likely to develop anxiety and depression than patients with other chronic conditions requiring similar levels of management.

The best time to treat children infected with the hepatitis C virus may be off in the future when newer, better drugs with fewer side effects are expected to be approved for pediatric populations.

A Philadelphia program operating in underserved neighborhoods found that residents chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus often lacked access to screening as well as treatment for the disease.

In a phase 3 clinical trial, Novartis's drug Gilenya (fingolimod) did not reduce disability in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Further understanding the stomach's immune response to Helicobater pylori (H. pylori) infection could potentially serve as a springboard for developing new therapies targeting stomach damage, according to new research published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

The association between depression and low back pain may be explained, at least in part, by genetic factors affecting both conditions.

Obese patients looking to lose weight or treat type 2 diabetes have often turned to gastric bypass or other stomach-shrinking surgeries, which have produced favorable results, decreasing cancer risks.

Researchers are monitoring swine influenza viruses as part of ongoing work to prepare for the next potential virulent strain of flu.

Using adjuvant systemic therapy in tangent with surgeries for localized gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) has been shown to significantly boost survival rates in patients.

Study results that may soon trigger sweeping changes to pediatric nutrition guidelines indicate that sustained consumption of peanuts over the first 5 years of life dramatically lowers the risk of peanut allergies, even among high-risk children who begin with mild sensitivity to peanuts.

Emulsifiers and food additives have been reported to alter the gut microbiota composition, triggering inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) development and metabolic syndromes.

Rheumatoid arthritis can potentially be treated by targeting the super or stretch enhancer regions, according to research results published in Nature.

Treatments for women in pain must differ from men's treatment, and often is, according to a study by the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

A simple CHADS2 score, along with records about ongoing use of certain medications, may help physicians predict the risk that individual patients will develop atrial fibrillation after thoracic or vascular surgery.

Study results indicate that the extent of a patient's physical recovery from celiac disease does not affect that patient's long-term risk of developing atrial fibrillation or ischemic heart disease.

Eating a vegetarian diet has been linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancers.

The National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention is rolling out a free 24/7 information hotline called Stronger Hearts where callers can get referrals to care and information about heart failure. The program, which has funding from Novartis, began in February, 2015 as a pilot in San Bernardino County, CA. Its backers hope to expand the concept to other markets where demographics indicate a high prevalence of heart failure patients.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved Cresemba (isavuconazonium sulfate), a new antifungal drug product used for invasive aspergillosis and invasive mucormycosis treatment in adults.

FDA approves device to help kidney failure patients with dialysis-related-amyloidosis. Known as the Lixelle Beta-2 microglobulin Apheresis Column, the device is already in use in Japan, where it is manufactured.