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.
Patients Who Experience Migraines with Aura Are at an Increased Risk for Ischemic Stroke
September 23rd 2009A study presented at the 14th International Headache Congress found that patients who get migraines with aura are at an increased risk for ischemic stroke when compared to patients who do not get migraines.
New Schizophrenia Drug Extends Time to Relapse and Treatment Discontinuation
September 21st 2009The results of a new clinical trial of the schizophrenia drug Saphris (asenapine) has shown that the drug is effective at significantly extending both the time to relapse or impending relapse and the time to treatment discontinuation.
Study Finds Incidence of Pediatric Strokes Higher Than Previously Thought
September 21st 2009A new study from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), shows that the rate of strokes in infants and children is actually higher than previously thought, which may be due to inaccurate counts of diagnostic codes, typing errors, or the misreading of keywords on radiology reports.
An Interview with ProCure Treatment Centers' Founder: John Cameron, PhD
September 18th 2009Proton therapy centers are being built around the country, and one of the companies leading this effort is ProCure, a company dedicated to improving the lives of patients with cancer by increasing access to proton therapy.
In "Getting Past Denial — The High Cost of Health Care in the United States," the authors observe, again, Jack Wennberg's (Dartmouth) dictum written about extensively at the end of the last century and earlier—the cost differences between regions and practices may be unwarranted.
5-FU Dose Optimization: Another Step toward Personalizing Cancer Care
Until the mid-90s, the only approved agent for treating this cancer was 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and although other agents are now readily available, 5-FU is commonly used as a backbone of combination chemotherapy.
Angina May Be More Prevalent among Stable CAD Patients than Physicians Suspect
September 17th 2009A study on the prevalence of angina among outpatients with coronary artery disease published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that nearly one-third of patients with stable CAD experienced angina at least once a week.
Does Pre-MI Angina Protect against Cardiovascular Complications in Hospitalized Patients?
September 17th 2009A case report notes that several studies have linked preinfarction angina with a lower incidence of complications in hospitalized patients, particularly in older patients and in patients with diabetes.
Depression Following a Coronary Event Increases Risk of Death
September 16th 2009Patients who suffer from depression in the first several weeks after being hospitalized for a coronary event and those patients whose depression does not improve over six months are at an increased risk of death compared to coronary patients who are not depressed.
New Genetic Test Will Enable Early Detection - and Treatment - of Psoriatic Arthritis
September 16th 2009A new genetic test that can detect the presence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) was launched on Tuesday, September 15, that may enable physicians to administer early treatment, lessening joint damage and decreasing inflammation, therefore reducing symptoms.
By Year End, Most Hospitals will be Smoke-free Facilities
September 16th 2009The Joint Commission's Health Services Research Department conducted a survey of nearly 2,000 hospitals and found that 45% have a smoke-free facility policy. This represents close to a 3% increase since 1992 when the Joint Commission required all of its accredited hospitals to ban smoking inside the hospital.
Obama Discusses Preventative Screening Tests for Colorectal Cancer
September 15th 2009President Obama addressed his goal to cover preventative screening tests last week saying that there is "no reason" for cancers, such as breast and colon, not to be caught before they become advanced, and bringing to attention the efforts of government officials to have these screening tests covered by public and private insurance companies.