http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. In an analysis that included nearly 100,000 Medicare patients who had experienced a heart attack, the use of a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement used to open narrowed coronary arteries) was lower for patients treated in states with public reporting of PCI outcomes compared with patients treated in states without public reporting, with these differences being particularly large in the highest-risk patients, according to a study in the October 10 issue of JAMA. However, the researchers found that there was no difference in overall heart attack survival rates between states with and without public reporting. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-procedures-angioplasty-states-outcomes.html Cardiology Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:25:07 EST news269018695 There has been an increase in total knee arthroplasty (TKA; knee replacement) procedures over the past 20 years that has been driven by both an increase in the number of Medicare enrollees and increase in per capita utilization, according to a study in the September 26 issue of JAMA. There has also been a decrease in hospital length of stay for TKA, but increased hospital readmission rates and increased rates of infectious complications. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-usage-outcomes-knee-procedures-medicare.html Surgery Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:00:01 EST news267807463 In an analysis of the cost-savings achieved by an earlier pilot program, the Medicare Physician Group Practice Demonstration (PGPD), researchers found modest estimates of overall savings associated with the PGPD, but larger savings among the dually eligible patients (Medicare and Medicaid), with savings achieved in large part through reductions in hospitalizations, according to a study in the September 12 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-cost-savings-physician-group.html Health Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:00:05 EST news266597261 (Medical Xpress) -- Queensland research shows that a resurgence of whooping cough in babies has arisen due to the lack of effectiveness of the current vaccine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-vaccine-babies-whooping.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 01 Aug 2012 06:18:35 EST news263020703 An examination of the characteristics of persons born outside the United States diagnosed with HIV while living in the U.S. finds that, compared to U.S.-born persons with HIV, they are more likely to be Hispanic or Asian, and to have a higher percentage of HIV infections attributed to heterosexual contact, according to a study appearing in JAMA being published online. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-characteristics-factors-hiv-positive-persons-born.html HIV & AIDS Sun, 22 Jul 2012 15:23:42 EST news262189415 The percentage of HIV patients taking antiretroviral drugs who experienced the full benefit of the drugs jumped from 45 percent of 72 percent during the past decade, a figure that is lower than previous estimates. The findings, considered important for HIV prevention efforts, since patients whose virus is in tight control are less likely to transmit the infection to others, are published this week in JAMA by a team of researchers led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The issue's publication coincides with AIDS 2012, the annual international AIDS conference, being held in the United States for the first in over 20 years this week in Washington, D.C. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-benefits-hiv-drugs-previously.html HIV & AIDS Sun, 22 Jul 2012 15:12:22 EST news262188661 The elevated risk of cardiovascular disease seen in patients infected with HIV appears to be associated with increased inflammation within the arteries, according to a study that will appear in a special issue of JAMA published in conjunction with the International AIDS Conference. The report from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) found that levels of inflammation within the aortas of HIV-infected individuals with neither known cardiovascular disease nor elevated traditional risk factors were comparable to those of patients with established cardiovascular disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-cardiovascular-hiv-infected-patients-arterial-inflammation.html HIV & AIDS Sun, 22 Jul 2012 15:08:46 EST news262188517 Researchers with the UBC Hospital MS Clinic and Brain Research Centre at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia have published important data in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) about the impact of a common drug therapy on the progression of multiple sclerosis for people with the relapsing‑remitting form of the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-widely-multiple-sclerosis-treatment-disease.html Immunology Tue, 17 Jul 2012 16:00:06 EST news261750057 In studies examining the risk of adverse outcomes after receipt of the influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, infants exposed to the vaccine in utero did not have a significantly increased risk of major birth defects, preterm birth, or fetal growth restriction; while in another, study researchers found a small increased risk in adults of the nervous system disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome, during the 4 to 8 weeks after vaccination, according to 2 studies in the July 11 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-scientists-poor-birth-outcomes-h1n1.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:08:23 EST news261155250 Two studies that included adults with obstructive sleep apnea examined the effectiveness of reducing the risk of cardiovascular outcomes, including high blood pressure, by treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), according to the articles in the May 23/30 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-cpap-treatment-cardiovascular-outcomes-adults.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 22 May 2012 16:00:04 EST news256904839 Nursing homes that used a multicomponent intervention that included staff training and supportive materials for staff, residents and relatives had a lower rate of use of physical restraints such as bilateral bed rails and belts, according to a study in the May 23/30 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-multicomponent-intervention-linked-decrease-physical.html Health Tue, 22 May 2012 16:00:02 EST news256904931 In a study that included more than 72,000 very low-birth-weight infants, among those born in hospitals with recognition for nursing excellence (RNE), compared with non-RNE hospitals, there was a significantly lower rate of hospital infection, death at 7-days and severe intraventricular hemorrhage but not lower rates of death at 28-days or hospital stay mortality, according to a study in the April 25 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-low-birth-weight-infants-born-hospitals-nursing.html Health Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:38:06 EST news254504273 (Medical Xpress) -- Writing the first commentary for a new feature in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), called Viewpoint, Johns Hopkins cardiologists make the case for why a 55-year-old man with a 10 percent estimated risk of heart attack over the next 10 years should be offered statin medication. They were invited to debate a professor who argues against prescribing statins for “primary” prevention—for those who have not had a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack—even though they may be considered at “intermediate” risk because of elevated cholesterol or other factors. Readers are then invited to vote on which viewpoint they endorse. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-johns-hopkins-cardiologists-advocate-statin.html Cardiology Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:00:01 EST news253338630 Although observational studies have suggested that losartan, a drug used primarily for the treatment of hypertension, may be associated with an increased risk of death among patients with heart failure compared with other medications in the same class of drugs (angiotensin II receptor blockers [ARBs]), an analysis that included nearly 6,500 patients found that overall, use of losartan was not associated with increased all-cause death or cardiovascular death compared with use of the ARB candesartan, according to a study in the April 11 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-high-blood-pressure-medication-heart.html Cardiology Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:00:01 EST news253274204 Eating more red meat appears to be associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, but substituting other foods including fish and poultry for red meat is associated with a lower mortality risk, according to a study published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-red-meat-consumption-death.html Health Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:00:13 EST news250779632 Patients with epilepsy who underwent brain surgery soon after failing to respond to drug treatment, but who also continued to receive drug therapy, had a lower risk of seizures during the 2nd year of follow-up compared to patients who received drug treatment alone, according to a study in the March 7 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-surgery-failure-drug-treatment-epilepsy.html Neuroscience Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:00:03 EST news250269056 Treating pregnant women with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) appears to be associated with fewer depressive symptoms, reduced fetal head growth and a higher risk for preterm birth, but not with a delay in fetal body growth, according to a report published Online First by Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-maternal-ssris-depressive-symptoms-fetal.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:00:30 EST news250167446 Although some data have suggested a possible increased risk of intussusception (when a portion of the small or large intestine slides forward into itself, like a telescope) after administration of the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine in infants, an analysis that included almost 800,000 doses administered to U.S. infants found no increased risk of this condition following vaccination, according to a study in the February 8 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-rotavirus-vaccine-intestinal-disorder-infants.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:26:11 EST news247854353 UC Davis Health System dermatologists, using videoconferencing technology known as teledemedicine, have determined that live interactive consultations can improve clinical outcomes for patients because they usually involve beneficial changes in medical diagnosis and disease management that otherwise might not occur. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-dermatologists-telemedicine-effective-patient.html Health Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:10:02 EST news246103202 A survey of nurses and physicians in intensive care units (ICUs) in Europe and Israel indicated that the perception of inappropriate care, such as excess intensity of care for a patient, was common, and that these perceptions were associated with inadequate decision sharing, communication and job autonomy, according to a study in the December 28 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-perception-inappropriate-frequent-icu-workers.html Other Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:00:05 EST news244196864 The era of widely available next generation personal genomic testing has arrived and with it the ability to quickly and relatively affordably learn the sequence of your entire genome. This would include what is referred to as the "exome," your complete set of protein-coding sequences. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-power-direct-to-consumer-genome.html Genetics Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:24:23 EST news242410997 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 Consumption of 3 to 6 alcoholic drinks per week is associated with a small increase in the risk of breast cancer, and consumption in both earlier and later adult life is also associated with an increased risk, according to a study in the November 2 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-alcohol-consumption-small-breast-cancer.html Cancer Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:28:28 EST news239383692 Patients who have received a solid organ transplant, such as kidney, liver, heart or lung, have an overall cancer risk that is double that of the general population, with an increased risk for many different types of malignancies, according to a study in the November 2 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-recipients-transplants-broad-range-cancers.html Cancer Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:26:55 EST news239383608 Age alone no longer should be considered a defining factor when determining whether an older patient with blood cancer is a candidate for stem cell transplantation. That's the conclusion of the first study summarizing long-term outcomes from a series of prospective clinical trials of patients age 60 and over who were treated with the mini-transplant, a "kinder, gentler" form of allogeneic (donor cell) stem cell transplantation developed at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The findings are published Nov. 2 in JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-age-longer-barrier-stem-cell.html Cancer Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:26:21 EST news239383555 Between 1998 and 2008, heart-failure related hospitalizations declined substantially among Medicare patients, but at a lower rate for black men, according to a study in the October 19 issue of JAMA. Also, 1-year mortality rates declined slightly during this period, but remain high. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-hospitalization-heart-failure-medicare-patients.html Cardiology Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:22:59 EST news238173769 A UCSF study gives hope to those suffering from severe cases of bacterial corneal ulcers, which can lead to blindness if left untreated. The use of topical corticosteroids in a randomized controlled trial was found to be neither beneficial nor harmful in the overall patient population in the study. However, it helped patients who had more serious forms of bacterial corneal ulcers, according to UCSF researchers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-steroids-corneal-ulcers.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:25:28 EST news238163103 (Medical Xpress) -- New research shows that the likelihood of a medical school graduate becoming board certified is linked to age at graduation, race and ethnicity, and level of debt. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-age-debt-linked-docs-board.html Other Thu, 22 Sep 2011 06:10:25 EST news235890560 During the past two decades there has been a significant increase in the percentage of patients who have a high number of lymph nodes evaluated during colon cancer operations, but this improvement is not associated with an increase in the overall proportion of colon cancers that are node positive, according to a study in the September 14 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-large-lymph-nodes-colon-cancer.html Cancer Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:28:29 EST news235153698 Many U.S. adults believe that only extremely effective drugs without serious adverse effects are approved, but providing explanations to patients highlighting uncertainties about drug benefits may affect their choices, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The article is part of the journal's Less Is More series. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-aware-important-uncertainties-drug-benefits.html Medications Mon, 12 Sep 2011 17:00:11 EST news235064339