Diagnosis is the act or process of identifying or determining the nature and cause of a disease or injury through evaluation of patient history, examination, and review of laboratory data.
Concussions not taken seriously enough: McMaster researcher – Despite growing public interest in concussions because of serious hockey injuries or skiing deaths, a researcher from McMaster University has found that we may not be taking the common head injury seriously enough.
Patients experiencing acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are more likely to receive tissue plasminogen activator on weekends than on weekdays. – Stroke patients admitted to the hospital on the weekend appear more likely to receive the clot-dissolving medication tissue plasminogen activator than patients admitted during the week. However, stroke death rates appear similar among weekend and weekday admissions.
Genetic variant associated with aggressive form of prostate cancer – Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues have identified the first genetic variant associated with aggressive prostate cancer, proving the concept that genetic information may one day be used in combination with other factors to guide treatment decisions.
UC Davis researchers identify autism clusters in California — Clusters are associated with areas of greater parental education – Researchers at UC Davis have identified 10 locations in California where the incidence of autism is higher than surrounding areas in the same region. Most of the areas, or clusters, are in locations where parents have higher-than-average levels of educational attainment.
Severity of H1N1 influenza linked to presence of Streptococcus pneumoniae – The presence of the Streptococcus pneumoniae in samples that can be easily obtained in clinics and emergency rooms may predict risk of severe disease in H1N1 pandemic influenza.
Study links restless leg syndrome with erectile dysfunction in older men – Erectile dysfunction was more common in older men with restless leg syndrome (RLS) than in those without RLS, and the magnitude of this association increased with a higher frequency of RLS symptoms, revealed by researchers.
Assessing lead time of selected ovarian cancer biomarkers – Concentrations of the biomarkers CA125, human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), and mesothelin began to rise 3 years before clinical diagnosis of ovarian cancer, according to a new study published online December 30 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Leprosy susceptibility genes reported in New England Journal of Medicine paper — Largest genome-wide association study of an infectious disease – In the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of leprosy and the largest GWAS on an infectious disease, scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and 26 institutes in China identified seven genes that increase an individual’s susceptibility to leprosy.
Toward a fast, accurate urine test for pneumonia – Scientists are reporting a discovery of the potential basis for a urine test to diagnose community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), a difficult-to-diagnose disease that is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
Women with breast cancer who consume soy food have lower risk of cancer recurrence – Although there is a concern regarding the safety of soy food consumption among breast cancer survivors, researchers have found that women in China who had breast cancer and a higher intake of soy food had an associated lower risk of death and breast cancer recurrence.
New figures on cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality but big variations — Large variations in mortality exist between countries and between men and women – New figures on deaths from cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality between the periods 1990-1994 and 2000-2004. Deaths from all cancers in the European Union (EU) between these two periods fell by nine percent in men and eight percent in women, with a large drop among the middle-aged population.
Fat around the middle increases the risk of dementia – Women who store fat on their waist in middle age are more than twice as likely to develop dementia when they get older, reveals a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy.
