News

Dementia is a terminal illness. However, people with advanced dementias often languish in skilled nursing facilities, far from the ministrations of specialists. And, with reasonable luck, they have directives that specify that they are not to be taken to the hospital in the event of a respiratory arrest. Consequently, most of us are not privy to the mechanisms of demise in such situations.

Rates of clostridium difficile are increasing in the outpatient setting, according to new research from the Mayo Clinic.

Migraine sufferers got some more bad news on Monday, when the results of a study determined that "sufferers are also more prone to splitting head pain after drinking too much."

I see dead doctors every day when I work as a Hospitalist at my local community hospital...

A recent study from Kaiser Permanente shows that women with diabetes face a 26% greater risk of also developing atrial fibrillation.

A new network from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) will create a national database that aims to see how rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients respond to different RA drugs, and then use that information to further personalize RA treatment.

Long-term exposure to cell phone electromagnetic fields could weaken bones, potentially affecting the outcomes of surgical procedures using bone grafts.

The American Academy of Dermatology recently released guidelines for the management and treatment of psoriasis using UV light therapy, including patient considerations and the use of UV therapy alone or in conjunction with other treatments.

In October 2009, the FDA approved the Gardasil vaccine to immunize men and boys against two strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus causes genital warts, though the primary concern with these strains is their relationship with cervical cancer. As Professor Jack Cuzick, head of the Centre for Epidemiology, Mathematics, and Statistics, at the Wolfson Institute in London, told attendees at the September ECCO-ESMO Congress, “It’s important to say up front that HPV is responsible for all cervix cancer. If you can eradicate the virus, the cancer will not appear.”

Additional analysis showed that reduction and long-term maintenance of normal serum urate levels also reduced risk of future gout flares.

The recent discovery of a gene signature that relates to autism could lead the way for new diagnostic and treatment options

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have identified new predictive factors in children that may correlate highly to an increased risk for substance abuse in adolescence.

In the midst of the news regarding swine flu vaccinations (or not) and healthcare reform (or not), I actually ran across snippets with regard to technology that might be of interest.

The Internet is filled with reports of remarkable cognitive enhancement with various nostrums. Many are not regulated, and the pages are typically associated with glowing testimonials and a link to sign up for uninterrupted (and uninterruptible) delivery of the miracle substance.

Remember, we have essentially 2 options; All we can do is pick the lesser of the evils. Example: Federal control is bad; corporate control is worse.

Latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection can alter mucosal immunity, thus potentially increasing the tendency of CMV-infected hosts to develop colitis.

Great for healthcare providers, but bad for patients?

The journal Arthritis Research and Therapy has recently published its 10th anniversary issue, “The Scientific Basis of Rheumatology: A Decade of Progress,” which includes 38 articles that review some of “the most important advances in rheumatology research from the past decade.

Researchers have developed the first mathematical model in cardiology and emergency medicine that enables clinicians to more quickly and reliably diagnose acute heart failure (AHF) in emergency room patients.

Sprint has started a new promotion whereby any subscriber paying at least $70 per month will now have unlimited calling minutes to any mobile phone on any network. Is this plan for you?

Researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill have discovered how the 22q11 gene deletion is associated with changes in brain development that affect how the circuit system in the brain is put together.

We have gotten exponentially better at detecting breast cancer. With the use of MRI, small lumps that once were undetected are being found. So what does this mean to the patient, the doctor, and the treatment plan? Over the past ten years we have seen the treatment pendulum swing.

At what age should women become aware of the risk of breast cancer and learn how to perform breast self-examinations?

The advances in cancer therapies and the growing number of people who get screened regularly for various cancers has led to better rates of overall survival in many solid tumors and hematological malignancies.

I was out of town on business and had a 'slip & fall.' After many tries and many hours on the phone, Oxford could not direct us to a plan orthopedist—hand surgeon? Yes; Foot and ankle? Didn't happen. Ironically (or was it?), that bureaucratic hurdle saved them a bundle.

Researchers have concluded that evidence from their study showed “aerobic capacity training combined with muscle strength training is recommended as routine practice in patients with RA.”

Lead guidelines author Robert G. Miller, MD, of the department of neurology at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and fellow of the AAN, said that although a cure has yet to be discovered, there are still methods “to make life easier and longer for people with ALS.”

As is the case with a number of chronic, progressive neurologic disorders, there is a long running debate about whether pharmacotherapy modifies the course of Parkinson's Disease.

Researchers have used mouse embryonic stem cells to create a patch made of cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts that may one day be used to repair tissue damaged by heart disease.

Breast cancer requires an interdisciplinary management plan, and at various points in treatment, care shifts between surgeon, medical oncologist, and radiation oncologist. In addition, radiologists and pathologists remain critical players in the appropriate diagnosis, work-up, and staging of the disease.