Journal of the American Medical Association

New clinical tool assesses health risks for older adults

A UC San Francisco team has developed a tool that can help determine – and perhaps influence – senior citizens' 10-year survivability rates.

Health created Mar 05, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Safe, long-term opioid therapy is possible

In a Clinical Crossroads article featured in the March 6, 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Dr. Dan Alford from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) ...

Medications created Mar 05, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Scarring of heart muscle linked with increased risk of death in patients with type of cardiomyopathy

Detection of midwall fibrosis (the presence of scar tissue in the middle of the heart muscle wall) via magnetic resonance imaging among patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (a condition affecting the heart muscle) ...

Cardiology created Mar 05, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Use of certain therapies for inflammatory diseases does not appear to increase risk of shingles

Although patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a disproportionately higher incidence of herpes zoster (shingles), an analysis that included nearly 60,000 patients with RA and other inflammatory diseases found that ...

Inflammatory disorders created Mar 05, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Study examines thinning of heart muscle wall among patients with coronary artery disease

Among patients with coronary artery disease referred for cardiovascular magnetic resonance and found to have regional myocardial wall thinning (of the heart muscle), limited scar burden was associated with improved contraction ...

Cardiology created Mar 05, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New guidance urges improved reporting of important outcomes for patients in trials publications

Clinical trials provide us with the best evidence to guide patient treatment and inform health policy. Yet, crucial information, on outcomes reported directly by patients such as their quality of life, is often left out of ...

Other created Feb 28, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Study finds small increase in incidence of advanced breast cancer among younger women

An analysis of breast cancer trends in the U.S. finds a small but statistically significant increase in the incidence of advanced breast cancer for women 25 to 39 years of age, without a corresponding increase in older women, ...

Cancer created Feb 26, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Long-term use of medication does not improve symptoms for heart failure patients

Among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, long-term treatment with the medication spironolactone improved left ventricular diastolic function but did not affect maximal exercise capacity, patient ...

Cardiology created Feb 26, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Frequency of surveillance scans for small aneurysms can be reduced for most patients

In contrast to the commonly adopted surveillance intervals in current abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening programs, surveillance intervals of several years may be clinically acceptable for the majority of patients with ...

Cardiology created Feb 26, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Bariatric surgery complications rates following restricting coverage to higher-quality centers

In an analysis of data on patients who underwent bariatric surgery 2004-2009, there was no significant difference in the rates of complications and reoperation for Medicare patients before vs. after a 2006 Centers for Medicare ...

Surgery created Feb 26, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Weight and mortality: Researchers challenge results of obesity analysis

(Medical Xpress)—In January, when the Journal of the American Medical Association published a meta-analysis of 100 studies that probed the relationship between body mass index and mortality—studies that found slightl ...

Overweight and Obesity created Feb 25, 2013 | popularity 3.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Opioids involved in most medical overdose deaths

(HealthDay)—Opioid analgesics are involved in the majority of pharmaceutical-related overdose deaths, frequently involving drugs prescribed for mental health conditions, according to a research letter published ...

Medications created Feb 21, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

The ethics of access: Comparing two federal health care reform efforts

Two major health reform laws, enacted 25 years apart, both try to meet an ethical standard to provide broad access to basic health care. Neither quite gets there—but it's not too late for modern health care reform to bring ...

Health created Feb 20, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Fraudulent data may have led to use of risky treatment in ICUs

(HealthDay)—Studies loaded with fraudulent data may have encouraged the use of a treatment for patients in intensive care units that now appears to do more harm than good, new research shows.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Feb 20, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Blame common colds on your chromosome 'Caps?'

(HealthDay)—Some people seem to catch a cold every few weeks while others appear immune. Now a preliminary study suggests that the protective "caps" on your chromosomes could partly explain the mystery.

Medical research created Feb 20, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast