Professional Medical News from Leading Journals

02/06/2006

Biomarkers Signal Progression of Alzheimer Disease

A combination of two cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers have a high sensitivity and specificity for incipient Alzheimer disease, Swedish researchers report in the Feb. 6 online edition of The Lancet Neurology.

02/06/2006

Shared Decision Making Not Always Positive Experience

Shared decision making (SDM) is not necessarily perceived as a positive experience by doctors and patients, according to a study published in the January/February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

02/06/2006

Maternal Obesity Linked to Birth Defects

Obese women have double the risk of having an infant with neural tube defects or other serious congenital defects, according to a position paper of the Public Affairs Committee of the Teratology Society, published online Feb. 3 in Birth Defects Research (Part A).

02/06/2006

Practice-Based Research in U.S. May Involve Community

While not yet meeting the classical definition of community-based participatory research (CBPR), some practice-based research networks (PBRN) have established mechanisms for involving community members and patients, according to a study published in the January/February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

02/03/2006

Bone SPECT Can Target Back Pain Treatment

Diagnostic imaging with bone single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can identify patients with lower back pain who will benefit from facet joint injections and indicates the sites where the injections should be given, Houston researchers report in the February issue of Radiology.

02/03/2006

Low-Fat Food Popular When Schools Cut High-Fat Foods

Cutting down on high-fat entrees served during school lunch increases the popularity of low- and moderate-fat food, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

02/03/2006

More Vending Machines If Schools Get Cut of Profit

The number of vending machines selling so-called "competitive foods" may be partly determined by whether a school gets a percentage of the profits, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

02/03/2006

Out-of-Pocket Health Costs Strap Millions of U.S. Families

Out-of-pocket health care spending increased 35% between 1996 and 2002 in the United States while average family income increased less than 20%, placing a strain on millions of families, according to a report published Feb. 1 by The Commonwealth Fund.

02/02/2006

Better Access to Primary Care Helps Depressed Patients

A large multi-specialty group in Minneapolis that made major improvements in their patients' access to primary care in the year 2000 found that it resulted in better quality care for depressed patients, according to a study published in the January/February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

02/02/2006

Anticholinergic Drugs Linked to Mild Cognitive Impairment

Elderly patients who use anticholinergic drugs have an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment but not of dementia compared to those who don't use the drugs, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in BMJ.

02/01/2006

Casts Below, Above Elbow Equally Effective in Children

In children with fractures of the distal third of the forearm, plaster casts either above or below the elbow are equally effective and have similar complication risks, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

02/01/2006

Fifty-Year Study Shows MS Rates Up in Norwegian County

A new study shows that the incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a Norwegian county has more than tripled in 50 years, in contrast to previous studies showing fluctuating rates. The results, published in the January issue of Neurology, suggest that either exogenous factors or the way studies are conducted may be responsible for changes in MS incidence.

02/01/2006

Mild Cognitive Decline Seen Decades After Brain Injury

An average of 30 years after a traumatic brain injury, men's cognitive function declines, while women and younger patients maintain or improve their cognitive level, researchers report in the Jan. 24 issue of Neurology. In contrast, semantic memory improves after injury.

02/01/2006

Interleukin-12 Helps Shrink Neuroblastomas in Mice

Interleukin 12 (IL-12) can promote tumor regression and increase survival in mice with neuroblastoma, according to a study in the Feb. 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

02/01/2006

Multiple Sclerosis Progression is Slower Than Thought

Multiple sclerosis (MS) progresses to disability more slowly than previous studies have suggested, and neither being male nor an older age at onset is associated with worse disease outcome, Canadian researchers report in the Jan. 24 issue of Neurology.

01/31/2006

Statins Eliminate Rheumatoid Arthritis Cells In Vitro

Statin drugs help kill rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial cells in culture by triggering apoptosis and may provide for a new strategy for treating RA, according to a report in the February issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

01/31/2006

Orf Virus Infection Associated with Handling Sheep or Goats

Four cases of human orf virus infection occurred in the United States in 2004 and 2005, all in adolescents or adults who had handled goats or sheep, according to a report in the Jan. 27 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The parapoxvirus infection typically presents as skin lesions on a finger or hand and it is usually self-limiting, but can mimic life-threatening zoonotic infections, such as tularemia or cutaneous anthrax.

01/31/2006

Specific Brain Areas Activated When People Lie

Fourteen areas of the brain are activated when an individual lies while only seven take center stage when the person is telling the truth, researchers report in the February issue of Radiology. The finding suggests that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) might be used either alone or in conjunction with polygraph testing to weed out liars, the authors say.

01/31/2006

Public Health Surveillance Urged at Mass Gatherings

Public health surveillance at mass gatherings could allow early detection and intervention in disease outbreaks, bioterrorism and other health emergencies, according to a report in the Jan. 27 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. For example, a surveillance system was set up in July 2005 to monitor 43,000 youths and adults at a 10-day outdoor camping event in Virginia, and helped prevent an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness.

01/31/2006

Unplanned Smoking Cessation Effort More Likely to Succeed

Unplanned efforts to stop smoking are more likely to succeed than planned smoking cessation efforts, according to research published online Jan. 27 in BMJ.

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