http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest news from Boston University Medical Center A new Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) study has found that low-income and minority parents may be more receptive to vaccinating their daughters against Human Papillomavirus (HPV), while white, middle-class parents are more likely to defer the vaccination. The findings appear online in the May issue of the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-explores-perceptions-parental-hpv-vaccination.html Cancer Tue, 14 May 2013 12:54:27 EST news287754860 A Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) study shows a mind-body class elective for medical students helps increase their self-compassion and ability to manage thoughts and tasks more effectively. The study, published in Medical Education Online, also discusses how this innovative course may help medical students better manage stress and feel more empowered to use mind-body skills with their patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-positive-impact-mind-body-well-being-medical.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 01 May 2013 16:20:01 EST news286643246 Results of a pilot study suggest that a virtual patient advocate (VPA) could help influence positive changes and help women have healthier pregnancies. Developed at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Northeastern University, "Gabby" is an innovative tool developed to deliver preconception care (PCC) to African-American women through interactive conversations online. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-virtual-patient-advocate-preconception-pregnancy.html Health Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:56:20 EST news286559773 Physicians from the Departments of Pediatrics and Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) are proposing that current pediatric guidelines and practices could be implemented within a Patient Centered Medical Home model to address social determinants of health. The article, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), also suggests that these guidelines could reduce socioeconomic disparities in health care for all patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-patient-centered-medical-home-social.html Health Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:05:37 EST news286113930 A study conducted by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) provides new evidence that longwave ultraviolet light (UVA) induces a protein that could result in premature skin aging. The findings demonstrate that aspects of photoaging, the process of skin aging by chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation, could be linked to genetic factors that accelerate the aging process when induced by the environment. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-reveals-mechanism-uva-contributes-photoaging.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:03:40 EST news286113750 Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have discovered that eating mushrooms containing Vitamin D2 can be as effective at increasing and maintaining vitamin D levels (25–hydroxyvitamin D) as taking supplemental vitamin D2 or vitamin D3. These findings will be presented at the American Society for Biochemistry and Microbiology annual meeting in Boston on April 22 and also concurrently appear in Dermato-Endocrinology on line open access. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-mushrooms-vitamin-d-supplements.html Health Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:30:01 EST news285849661 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have pinpointed a genetic signature for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from airway cells harvested utilizing a minimally invasive procedure. The findings provide a novel way to study COPD and could lead to new treatments and ways to monitor patient's response to those treatments. The study is published online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-approach-copd-treatment-efficacy.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:32:16 EST news284898718 Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have shown that using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure blood flow over atherosclerotic plaques could help identify plaques at risk for thrombosis. The findings, which appear in the March issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, offer a non-invasive application in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with atherosclerosis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-mri-blood-atherosclerotic-plaque-dangerous.html Cardiology Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:15:07 EST news284386406 A flame retardant removed from children's pajamas 30 years ago but now used in polyurethane foam is prevalent in office environments, especially in older buildings, where urine testing of workers turned up widespread evidence of its biomarker, a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-office-workers-biomarker-potentially-flame.html Health Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:34:04 EST news283437186 A new study involving researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) has identified barriers that clinicians face in correctly ordering appropriate laboratory tests and highlights some solutions that may simplify this process and improve patient outcomes. The study, published in the March 2013 issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, was led by Elissa Passiment, EdM, of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and James L. Meisel, MD, associate professor of medicine at BUSM. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-tackle-physician-correctly-laboratory.html Health Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:48:23 EST news283081697 Research from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) shows that improving vitamin D status by increasing its level in the blood could have a number of non-skeletal health benefits. The study, published online in PLOS ONE, reveals for the first time that improvement in the vitamin D status of healthy adults significantly impacts genes involved with a number of biologic pathways associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases. While previous studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk for the aforementioned diseases, these results go a step further and provide direct evidence that improvement in vitamin D status plays a large role in improving immunity and lowering the risk for many diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-reveals-potential-immune-benefits-vitamin.html Immunology Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:15:57 EST news283018521 Physician experts in health system issues propose a timely alternative process for harnessing and supporting physician-led innovations to rapidly address front-line health care delivery problems and improve health. Published as a Viewpoint article in the March 20th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the authors propose health systems adopt a strategy widely accepted in U.S. industries of "user-led" innovation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-health-effective-physicians-clinician-led.html Health Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:00:10 EST news282927173 Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that the use of Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filters for the prevention and treatment of venous thrombotic events (VTE) may result in poor outcomes due to mechanical filter complications—largely due to low filter retrieval rates and inconsistent use of anticoagulants—and high rates of venous thromboembolism. The study, which was conducted at New England's largest trauma center, Boston Medical Center (BMC), currently appears on-line in JAMA Internal Medicine and is believed to be one of the first to retrospectively review retrieval options of IVC filters. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-ivc-filters.html Cardiology Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:00:06 EST news282828673 Boston Medical Center pediatricians Laura Johnson, MD, MPH, Jenny Radesky, MD, and Barry Zuckerman, MD, the Joel and Barbara Alpert Professor of Pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine, have published a paper in the current issue of the journal Pediatrics that addresses how understanding the origins and goals of parenting behaviors can help pediatricians strengthen relationships with families, demonstrate cultural sensitivity, and more effectively offer guidance on the challenges of childrearing. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-cross-cultural-parenting-autonomy-interdependence.html Pediatrics Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:37:47 EST news282832653 New research from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) reveals that B cells regulate obesity-associated inflammation and type 2 diabetes through two specific mechanisms. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, indicates the importance of continuing to explore B cells as a therapeutic target to treat these diseases. Barbara Nikolajczyk, PhD, associate professor of microbiology at BUSM, is the study's senior author. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-reveals-therapeutic-inflammation-diabetes.html Inflammatory disorders Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:19:29 EST news282313161