10 May 2012
Abstract: Chronic insomnia is often associated with substantial socioeconomic and medical ramifications and requires treatment over a prolonged period. However, the long-term use of hypnotics is a matter of intense debate. Evidence suggests that the risks linked to chronic use of hypnotic medication outweigh the benefits. A recent matched cohort study also reports increased mortality [...]
Posted in Basic Sciences, Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Medicine, Mental Health, Neurology, Patient Care, Pharmacology, Psychiatry, Psychology0 Comments
27 April 2012
ABSTRACT: Earlier studies have hypothesized an association between inter-arm difference in blood pressure (BP) and peripheral vascular disease. Various guidelines, including those stipulated by the American Heart Association, advocate screening inter-arm BP difference during a patient’s first visit. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis further supports the usefulness of monitoring systolic blood pressure differing by [...]
Posted in Cardiology, Chest, Internal Medicine, Medicine0 Comments
18 April 2012
ABSTRACT: The Forrest Committee report on screening for breast cancer concluded that mammographic screening could be beneficial in prolonging the survival of women ≥50 years of age. Comprehensive systematic reviews conducted on various randomized trials have reported that mammography contributed to a 15-16% reduction in breast cancer mortality. A recent study that updated the modelling [...]
Posted in Medical Technology, Medicine, Oncology, Women's Health0 Comments
30 March 2012
New percutaneous therapies with materials that mimic the composition of native structural and biochemical matrix are suggested as promising strategies to treat myocardial infarction (MI) and heart failure. A recent preclinical trial published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, highlights that transendocardial injection of an in situ gelling material in the rat [...]
Posted in Basic Sciences, Biotechnology, Biotherapeutics, Cardiology, Medicine, Microbiology0 Comments
22 March 2012
ABSTRACT: The introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in 1986 has revolutionized the strategies for early detection and management of prostate cancer. However, a substantial burden of overdiagnosis and over treatment has been attributed to the wider adoption of PSA screening. Evaluation of various parameters in conjunction with PSA level has been suggested to reduce [...]
Posted in Dental Science, Medical Technology, Medicine, Oncology, Urology0 Comments
21 March 2012
First-in-human testing of a wireless drug delivery microchip reports successful results in administering daily doses of a drug for osteoporosis treatment in lieu of injection.
Posted in Drug Delivery, Medical Devices, Medical Technology, Medicine, Pharma0 Comments
10 February 2012
A research team from the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis has provided evidence to substantiate that chemotherapy plays a role in the relapse of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) through the acquisition of new mutations and clonal evolution.
Posted in Basic Sciences, Biotechnology, Chemotherapeutics, Genetics, Medicine, Molecular Biology, Oncology0 Comments
01 February 2012
Various psychological therapies have been suggested as adjuvant treatment in managing symptoms of psychosis. Among these, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has been shown to be effective, especially for persistent positive symptoms such as delusion. A recent longitudinal study, purported to be the first of its kind, has demonstrated neural changes in the form of reduction [...]
Posted in Medicine, Mental Health, Neurology, Psychiatry0 Comments
10 January 2012
The association between physical activity and genetic susceptibility to obesity has already been established by several studies. Now, a recent meta-analysis reiterates the role of physical activity in reducing the association of fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) risk allele with the odds of adult BMI and obesity by 27%. The study, published in the recent [...]
Posted in Basic Sciences, Consumer Health, Diet, Exercise, Genetics0 Comments
07 January 2012
The introduction of clinical decision rules (CDRs) has contributed to substantial improvement in the diagnostic work-up of suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) patients. A recent study, touted to be the first one to directly compare the effectiveness of the four CDRs (Wells rule, simplified Wells rule, revised Geneva score [RGS], and simplified RGS) in combination with [...]
Posted in Cardiology, Chest, Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Medicine, Pulmonology0 Comments
Added on 27 September 2011
