Use of clot busters for stroke increased from 2005 to 2009, but still low — American Heart Association rapid access journal report – The use of clot-busting drugs to treat acute ischemic stroke increased from 2005 through 2009 – but is still low, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Surgical removal of the tonsils and appendix associated with risk of early heart attack — But because of the young age of participants, the absolute risk differences were small – The surgical removal of the appendix and tonsils before the age of 20 was associated with an increased risk of premature heart attack in a large population study performed in Sweden. Tonsillectomy increased the risk by 44% (hazard ratio 1.44) and appendectomy by 33% (HR 1.33).
No pain, big gain — Treatment of chronic low back pain can reverse abnormal brain activity and function – It likely comes as no surprise that low back pain is the most common form of chronic pain among adults. Lesser known is the fact that those with chronic pain also experience cognitive impairments and reduced gray matter in parts of the brain associated with pain processing and the emotional components of pain, like depression and anxiety.
Reminding surgical staff of phlebotomy costs appears to affect utilization – Surgical house staff and attending physicians who are reminded about the charges for ordering daily blood drawing for routine blood work appear to reduce the amount of routine blood tests ordered and the charges for these laboratory tests.
Advanced-stage prostate cancer patients experience 20-year survival rates with surgery – Long-term survival rates for patients with advanced prostate cancer suggest they can be good candidates for surgery, Mayo Clinic researchers have found. Their study found a 20-year survival rate for 80 percent of patients diagnosed with cancer that has potentially spread beyond the prostate, known as cT3 prostate cancer, and treated with radical prostatectomy, or surgery to remove the prostate gland.
15 eggs is the perfect number needed to achieve a live birth after IVF – An analysis of over 400,000 IVF cycles in the UK has shown that doctors should aim to retrieve around 15 eggs from a woman’s ovaries in a single cycle in order to have the best chance of achieving a live birth after assisted reproduction technology.
Asthma pill more user friendly than inhalers — and no less effective – A rarely prescribed asthma drug is easier to use and just as effective as conventional treatment with inhalers, according to a new study led by the University of East Anglia (UEA).
Rate of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgeries Decreases Substantially – Between 2001 and 2008, the annual rate of coronary artery bypass graft surgeries performed in the United States decreased by more than 30 percent, but rates of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI; procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement used to open narrowed coronary arteries) did not change significantly.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves Zytiga for late-stage prostate cancer – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) in combination with prednisone (a steroid) to treat patients with late-stage (metastatic) castration-resistant prostate cancer who have received prior docetaxel (chemotherapy).
Bariatric surgery better than dieting for glucose control – Researchers have uncovered a new clue for why bariatric surgery is more effective than dietary remedies alone at controlling glucose levels. The study conducted at Duke University Medical Center and St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University.
Increase in Use of Evidence-Based Treatments is Followed By Decrease in Risk of Death Among Patients With Heart Attack – In an analysis of data from a coronary care registry in Sweden, between 1996-2007 there was an increase in the prevalence of use of evidence-based invasive procedures and pharmacological therapies for treatment of a certain type of heart attack, and a decrease in the rate of death at 30 days and one year after a heart attack for these patients.
ASPO announces 2011 award winners in pediatric otolaryngology research – The American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO) will recognize the outstanding achievements of researchers in the field of pediatric otolaryngology during their annual meeting, April_29 ? May_1, 2011, in Chicago, IL.
