Health News articles from April 2007

Health News archives from April 2007

Stalking vulnerable plaque: researchers are closing in: identifying this plaque would enable lifesaving preventive treatment.(CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE)
April 1, 2007... Coronary angiograms taken during cardiac catheterization clearly show the location of fatty plaques that interfere with blood flow to the heart muscle. But angiograms cannot discern whether plaques are soft or hard. It is only now that tests...

Improved stool test for colorectal cancer.(IN THE NEWS ...)
April 1, 2007... A new, noninvasive test, the Fecal DNA Test for Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening, had a higher sensitivity in detecting CRC compared to standard fecal occult blood testing, according to a study published in the January 2007 Clinical...

New RA predictor.(IN THE NEWS ...)
April 1, 2007... A new, easy-to-use paradigm may help doctors predict which rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients will need early, aggressive treatment. About a third of people with undifferentiated arthritis, a form of arthritis that doesn't meet criteria for a...

Hospital care with exercise speeds return home.(IN THE NEWS ...)
April 1, 2007... Hospitalized older adults who participate in a multidisciplinary program of care return to their homes sooner and incur lower costs than patients who receive standard care. Australian researchers reviewed nine studies in four countries,...

Caffeine may protect against heart disease in older adults.(IN THE NEWS ...)
April 1, 2007... People over the age of 65 may get some protection against death from heart disease by regularly drinking caffeinated beverages, according to a study published in the February 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical nutrition. More than...

Community-acquired infections: medical and public health sectors concerned: you could be a handshake away from a staph infection. But there are simple preventive measures you can take.(INTERNAL MEDICINE)
April 1, 2007... Most people have heard of hospital-acquired, or nosocomial infections. Caused by bacteria, viruses or fungal pathogens, they are transmitted via several routes, including invasive procedures such as intubation, dialysis, surgery, and...

Lower fat, lower your weight.(INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWSBRIEFS)
April 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Researchers at Arizona State university recently found that low-fat diets over an eight week period produced a five percent or greater loss of body weight. Coupled with increased physical activity, the diet/exercise...

Help for chronic tension headaches.(INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWSBRIEFS)
April 1, 2007... Swedish researchers recently examined whether acupuncture, relaxation training, or exercises that relax the neck and shoulder muscles could help 90 people who had chronic tension headaches. One group underwent acupuncture treatment for 30...

Meds hiatus won't hurt your hips: five years on, five years off: taking a break from Fosamax won't result in broken bones.(BONES & JOINTS)
April 1, 2007... Some women can take a "vacation" from their osteoporosis medication after five years, for up to five years, without increased risk, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the...

Mind over back pain?(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)
April 1, 2007... Hypnosis, biofeedback, relaxation, counseling and other psychological treatments may help alleviate chronic low back pain, says a review of 22 published studies in the January issue of the journal Health Psychology. Psychological...

Heartburn meds linked to hip fractures.(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)
April 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Taking heartburn drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPI), such as esomeprazole (nexium) and omeprazole (Prilosec), may increase your risk of sustaining a hip fracture, according to new research in the Journal of...

New labels for OTC painkillers.(BONES & JOINTS NEWSBRIEFS)
April 1, 2007... Next time you go pick up a bottle of your chosen painkiller, don't be surprised if the label is slightly different. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed new labels for acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory...

Exercise doesn't cause knee OA: it's OK to start or continue exercising to reduce your symptoms of knee osteoarthritis.(NUTRITION & FITNESS)
April 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Moderate exercise is not a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis (OA) in the knees of older adults, according to a recent study. The results showed no relationship between recreational walking, jogging, or other...

Shed weight without losing bone.(NUTRITION & FITNESS NEWSBRIEFS)
April 1, 2007... The way you lose that weight may also weaken your bones, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Weight loss through calorie-restriction often results in bone loss. To learn if dieters' bones could be...

Cloudy apple juice healthier than clear.(NUTRITION & FITNESS NEWSBRIEFS)
April 1, 2007... Apple juice that is "cloudy" or "pulpy" is healthier than "clear" juice, according to research published recently in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. Researchers in Poland compared the two types and found that the cloudy...

Curing prostate cancer--without major surgery: combo radiation therapies enable prostate retention, low risk of incontinence and impotence.(CANCER)
April 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A recent, 15-year follow-up study shows that 74 percent of prostate cancer patients treated with a combination of external beam radiation therapy and radiation seed (brachytherapy) implants were cured, indicating...

Breast shrinkage reduces breast cancer risk.(CANCER NEWSBRIEFS)
April 1, 2007... Breast cancer risk slows significantly around age 50, according to a recent article in the Journal of the national Cancer Institute. That may be linked to a natural process that causes breast milk-producing glands (lobules) to shrink (involute)...

New drug combo better for bone cancer treatment.(CANCER NEWSBRIEFS)
April 1, 2007... The first and largest trial to test the combination of bortezomib (Velcade) and lenalidomide (Revlimid) to treat bone cancer (multiple myeloma) has shown promise in heavily pre-treated relapsed patients with progressive and/ or...

Three factors can predict risk of self-neglect in older adults: memory, organization, and reasoning are measures of the capacity to care properly for oneself.(MIND & MEMORY)
April 1, 2007... Declining mental function in the areas of memory, organization, and reasoning among older adults can help doctors and caregivers accurately predict potential harm due to self-neglect, according to researchers at Sunnybrook Health Sciences...

Folic acid may improve memory, thinking.(MIND & MEMORY NEWSBRIEFS)
April 1, 2007... Daily 800-milligram supplements of folic acid taken for three years improved memory and cognitive function, according to a study conducted in The Netherlands and published in a recent issue of The lancet. The findings add to a growing body of...

QA.
April 1, 2007... Q I take acetaminophen to help with my arthritis pain. Is it okay for me to drink wine while I'm taking this medication? A A glass of wine shouldn't be a problem, but drinking several glasses, especially on a regular basis, might be. In...