http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. For years doctors have warned that too much salt is bad for your heart. Now a new McMaster University study suggests that both high and low levels of salt intake may put people with heart disease or diabetes at increased risk of cardiovascular complications. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-sodium-intake-guidelines.html Health Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:05:20 EST news241203899 Use of retail medical clinics located in pharmacies and other retail settings increased 10-fold between 2007 and 2009, according to a new RAND Corporation study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-retail-medical-clinics-fold-year.html Health Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:57:31 EST news241192634 Aging and health issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender baby boomers have been largely ignored by services, policies and research. These seniors face higher rates of disability, physical and mental distress and a lack of access to services, according to the first study on aging and health in these communities. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-lgbt-seniors-harder-age-national.html Health Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:24:43 EST news240668675 Doctors should consider the use of narrative -- in the form of patient stories and testimonials -- as a powerful tool for translating and communicating evidence-based policies to the public to buoy buy-in on important health issues such as cancer screenings and vaccination mandates, according to two physicians from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania writing this week in JAMA. They suggest two strategies: The use of so-called "counternarratives," which can play a role in neutralizing personal stories – often promoted by celebrities via the news media -- that support disproven theories, and narratives about the process of scientific study and discovery, to unmask the often hidden work of researchers and guidelines committees. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-story-science-physicians-patient-narratives.html Other Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:30:40 EST news239992231 Community health centers (CHCs) and primary care providers working in other settings will increasingly become America's obesity "first responders," needed to provide weight-related health services as the nation continues to implement the Affordable Care Act. In a paper released today, the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance identified a wide gap between the anticipated increase of people with weight-related conditions entering the health care system and a corresponding limited number of health professionals who are trained to help them. Considering the role CHCs may play in providing primary care to this newly-insured population, the Alliance worked to assess their readiness, and found ways that could improve obesity management services in the centers and other primary care settings. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-health-centers-america-obesity.html Health Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:28:47 EST news239974120 Current training programs may not effectively prepare firefighters for the range of scenarios they are likely to encounter, according to human factors/ergonomics researchers Michael R. Baumann, Carol L. Gohm, and Bryan L. Bonner. In their October 2011 Human Factors article, "Phased Training for High-Reliability Occupations: Live-Fire Exercises for Civilian Firefighters," the authors assess the value of current scenario-based training programs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-current-firefighters-combat-stress.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:24:26 EST news239473430 The main challenge to providing patient-centred health care is education, as many patients do know how to access the health care system, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-patient-centered.html Health Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:29:00 EST news239282929 Individuals who practice religion and spirituality report better physical and mental health than those who do not. To better understand this relationship and how spirituality/religion can be used for coping with significant health issues, University of Missouri researchers are examining what aspects of religion are most beneficial and for what populations. Now, MU health psychology researchers have found that religious and spiritual support improves health outcomes for both men and women who face chronic health conditions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-religious-spiritual-benefits-men-women.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:56:34 EST news238856185 Scientists who developed a novel mouse model mimicking human preterm labor have described a molecular signaling pathway underlying preterm birth and targeted it to stop the problem. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-therapeutic-strategy-combat-premature-birth.html Medical research Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:00:31 EST news238685082 Are words weighing down America's ability to improve its health? According to a group of weight and health experts assembled by the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, the answer is yes. There is a need for media and policymakers to more responsibly address weight-related health issues, the experts said, and remove the verbal barriers that are getting in the way of a more informed, responsible conversation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-experts-heavy-impact-words-policies.html Health Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:21:56 EST news238328507 Treating U.S. veterans with mental illness and substance use disorders is more expensive than caring for veterans with other medical conditions, costing more than $12 billion in 2007, according to a new RAND Corporation study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-mentally-ill-veterans-good-health.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:22:41 EST news238260151 Nearly one in six pregnancies end in miscarriage or stillbirth, but parents' losses are frequently minimized or not acknowledged by friends, family or the community. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-pregnancy-loss-internet-forums-women.html Health Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:27:46 EST news238238849 Canada needs to adopt a national suicide prevention strategy, and physicians can play a key role in the strategy, states an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-canada-national-suicide-strategy.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:23:26 EST news238072992 Scaling up mental health services in developing countries is an essential part of any plan to improve mental health worldwide. However recent data suggests while 1 in 3 people with a mental health problem in wealthy nations receive treatment (in itself a huge shortfall in care), in developing countries it can be as few as 1 in 50. The fourth paper in The Lancet Series on Global Mental Health looks at progress made since the Lancet's landmark 2007 Series on the same subject. The paper is written by Dr Julian Eaton, who works with CBM International and is based in Abuja, Nigeria, and colleagues from many other countries. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-scale-mental-health.html Psychology & Psychiatry Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:30:04 EST news237982242 Research clearly shows a dose-response relationship between alcohol and health issues such as cirrhosis of the liver. More recent research has shown linkages between greater drinking and greater problems such as interpersonal violence. A study of the impact that the larger, cultural context of drinking in several European countries may have on the relationship between drinking and harm has found that this relationship is stronger in the Baltic countries and Sweden than Italy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-link-alcohol-stronger-estonia-latvia.html Health Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:25:39 EST news237828305 Every year millions of babies and toddlers receive general anesthesia for procedures ranging from hernia repair to ear surgery. Now, researchers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester have found a link among children undergoing multiple surgeries requiring general anesthesia before age 2 and learning disabilities later in childhood. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-mayo-clinic-multiple-surgeries-anesthesia.html Other Mon, 03 Oct 2011 03:52:35 EST news236832745 What type of childcare arrangements do parents choose before their children are 18 months old? Does the choice of childcare affect children's language skills and mental health at the age of five? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-early-non-parental-childcare-children.html Health Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:28:30 EST news236338092 It's an ongoing debate: Should men over a certain age be treated for prostate cancer? Should these patients be submitted to treatments that may result in significant side effects if they may not live very much longer? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-elderly-patients-undertreated-prostate-cancer.html Cancer Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:09:00 EST news236275725 African-American women develop functional health challenges earlier than their fellow seniors, researchers say http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-african-american-women-functional-earlier.html Health Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:07:58 EST news236257672 (AP) -- World leaders have pledged to take wide-ranging action to prevent millions of deaths from cancer, diabetes, and heart and lung disease by tackling the key causes - smoking, excessive drinking, lack of exercise and unhealthy diets dominated by fast food. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-leaders-vow-deaths-chronic-disease.html Health Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:06:01 EST news235847150 UN leader Ban Ki-moon Monday accused big business of putting public health at risk "to protect their own profits" as he launched a summit on everyday diseases killing tens of millions each year. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-leader-accuses-big-business-health.html Health Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:36:33 EST news235661738 The European Society of Cardiology, through the European Chronic Disease Alliance (ECDA), has urged European heads of state "to show leadership" and long-term commitment to the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases at today's "high level meeting" of the UN General Assembly in New York. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-lifestyle-diseases-table-nations.html Cardiology Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:14:28 EST news235584384 Psychiatrist Fabian Almeida was stunned when the co-operative society next to his clinic outside Mumbai wrote to him complaining about his patients, who suffer from mental health issues. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-mental-health-disability-stigmas-india.html Health Wed, 14 Sep 2011 04:08:40 EST news235192087 Pediatric obesity ends up costing $3 billion annually in the U.S., but a significant amount of that could be saved by streamlining medical coverage to address health issues affecting young obese patients now rather than waiting to treat conditions they develop as they get older, according UCLA researchers and colleagues. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-payment-pediatric-obesity-money.html Health Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:29:14 EST news234520140 (Medical Xpress) -- Serious mental health issues in childhood may predict future youth violence, according to a UT Dallas study sponsored by a grant from the National Institute of Justice. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-links-mental-health-issues-youth.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:03:55 EST news234165730 New research from the University of Montreal shows that inattention, rather than hyperactivity, is the most important indicator when it comes to finishing a high school education. "Children with attention problems need preventative intervention early in their development," explained lead author Dr. Jean-Baptiste Pingault, who is also affiliated with Sainte-Justine Mother and Child University Hospital. The researchers came to their conclusion after looking at data collected from the parents and teachers of 2000 children over a period of almost twenty years. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-school-adhd-children.html Attention deficit disorders Mon, 29 Aug 2011 03:50:13 EST news233808595 Moderate to severe symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) - excessive concern about appearance that interferes with daily life - are found in 33 percent of patients seeking plastic surgery to improve the appearance of their nose, reports a study in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-plastic-surgeons-aware-patients-excessive.html Other Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:20:02 EST news231077323 Among Latinos living in the United States, acculturation is associated with sunscreen use, but not with use of sun-protective clothing, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Dermatology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-relationship-acculturation-sun-safe-behaviors-latinos.html Cancer Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:29:37 EST news230225352 In 1995, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent. Now, all but one does. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-obesity-states.html Health Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:38:23 EST news229257485 One in 10 women experience depression during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth. Although the problem has received increased attention in recent years, little is known about the causes or early-warning signs of pregnancy-related depression. In a study published in the June 2011 issue of Journal of Women's Health, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine offer new clues to help doctors identify at-risk patients and refer them to treatment early on. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-pregnancy-related-depression-linked-disorders-abuse.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:10:10 EST news227441395