News

A 3-dimensional COPD identification and progression tracking technology has been granted 510k status by the US Food and Drug Administration.

New research indicates that an over-the-counter supplement doesn't raise testosterone levels but a widely used class of prescription drug may lower them.

Although some meta-analyses have called into question the efficacy of antiviral treatment, the Centers for Disease Control recommends empirical use of antiviral medications patients with symptoms suggestive of influenza.

Investigators from Queen Mary University of London found vitamin D consumption reduced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patient's moderate or severe exacerbations by up to 40%

A recently conducted comprehensive report had found that a combination treatment for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is more beneficial than using only one of the drugs.

While there have been great strides taken in combating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), World Health Organization (WHO) researchers suggested wider access to care is integral in eradicating the disease.

Young baseball players experience alarming rates of arm pain and are often encouraged to play through it, according to findings published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

A recent clinical trial, published in The Lancet, involving a 6-week course of a combination of 3 direct-acting oral drugs was found to cure 38 of 40 individuals with hepatitis C virus infection (HCV).

Community-wide programs to help residents reduce their risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) have had sporadic success. In rural Maine, however, such an effort has had sustained results lasting over a 40-year period, N. Burgess Record, MD and colleagues report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important goal in population health. But according to American Heart Association guidelines on primary prevention of CVD, recommending that all healthy people take aspirin to do that is not the way to go. In a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, however, Ravi Hira, MD and colleagues find that not all physicians have gotten the message. The researchers looked at the National Cardiovascular Disease Registry's Practice Innovation and Clinical Excellence registry. Of 68,808 patients, 11.6% were taking aspirin inappropriately, the team found.

Aspirin can prevent heart attacks. But it carries risks and new studies show it is being used inappropriately. HCPLive went to NYU Langone Medical Center in Manhattan to discuss the issue with cardiologist Jeffrey Berger, MD

Over the counter or on a physician's advice, millions of people take aspirin prophylactically. Cardiologist Jeffrey Berger, MD, from NYU Langone Medical Center in Manhattan, discusses the pitfalls and potential benefits of daily aspirin.

An excess of long isoform nitric oxide synthase 1 adaptor protein, or NOS1AP, may be a cause of schizophrenia development, according to findings from Rutgers University.

A novel target therapy for the treatment of multiple sclerosis may be semaphoring 4D and was effective in animal models, according to research from Vaccinex, Inc.

A blood test can identify which rheumatoid arthritis medications may not work for particular patients, saving time and money.

In Part 2 Lea Ann Chen, MD, discusses some potential issues associated with Fecal Matter Transplantation.

Tuberculosis (TB) kills 1.43 million people annually. Effective TB treatment is challenging, due to the mycobacterial cell wall's unusual structure and chemical composition -- the wall repels drugs efficiently and renders many antibiotics ineffective. An article in Science Translational Medicine describes a drug that may have potential to alter host response to TB: the antidiabetic agent metformin.

Surgical management of colon and rectum diseases changes quite quickly. Noting that many changes have been suggested in just the last year, 2 surgeons from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, assembled a review of the most significant. This paper appears in the January 2015 issue of Current Opinions in Gastroenterology.

MRI scans are a viable testing option for early indicators of Alzheimer's disease, according to research from Northwestern University.

Fragmentation -- a lack of care continuity when disparate healthcare professionals provide care without integrated access to clinical information -- is a public health focus. It's a concern for surgeons when patients undergo complex procedures that require lengthy periods of recovery. Fragmentation is especially troubling when patients are elderly.

In part one of our interview with Lea Ann Chen, MD, from NYU Langone Medical Center she discusses the practical aspects of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation.

Following 2 recent studies published in Gastroenterology, researchers reported that a 24-week course of sofosbuvir and ribavirin could eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in two-thirds of patients who undergo liver transplantation.

Surgeons from several leading medical schools in the United States gathered expert witness guidelines among major surgical societies for review. They looked for gaps in the standards to stimulate discussion about areas for improvement. Their review provides an educational look at the surgeon's role in the judicial system.

DUOPA (carbidopa and levodopa) enteral suspension for the treatment of motor fluctuations for people with advanced Parkinson's disease is administered via portable infusion pump that delivers carbidopa and levodopa directly into the small intestine for 16 continuous hours.

Suneva Medical, Inc., announced The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a novel acne scar treatment, Bellafill, the sole dermal filler currently on the market to aid the marring skin condition.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Savaysa (edoxaban tablets), an anti-clotting drug, to treat patients afflicted with atrial fibrillation prone to stroke and severe blood clots, not caused by a heart valve problem.

Four separate cases of fatal anaphylaxis, all within days of each other, vividly illustrate both the extreme difficulty of avoiding known food allergens and the potential consequences of any given exposure.

The spread of hepatitis C infection through the health care system continues to be a public health concern and is the subject of a review study that appeared in the December 14 issue of World Journal of Gastroenterology.

A review of current literature by researchers from Korea examines the effects of cigarette smoking in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The battle over prescription exclusivity of new hepatitis C drugs continued recently when CVS Caremark revealed a new agreement with drug maker Gilead Sciences to list only Harvoni and Sovaldi on its formularies.