http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (HealthDay)—Over the last decade, the number of American children who die each year awaiting an organ donation dropped by more than half, new research reveals. And increasing numbers of children are receiving donor organs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-kids-donor-gaps-persist.html Pediatrics Wed, 22 May 2013 16:13:55 EST news288458021 On May 22, JoVE will publish details of a technique to measure the health of human genetic material in relation to a patient's age. The method is demonstrated by the laboratory of Dr. Gil Atzmon at New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Atzmon hopes that the dissemination of this technique will lead to the development of a "genetic thermometer" to assess a patient's health in relation to other individuals of the same age. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-healthy-age.html Medical research Wed, 22 May 2013 09:50:48 EST news288435037 Considered the "silent killer," high blood pressure affects approximately one billion people worldwide, including one in three adults in the United States. From May 15 – 18, 2013, members of the medical community from across the globe gather at the 28th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension (ASH) in San Francisco to discuss the epidemic. During the conference, more than 200 new studies about hypertension will be shared, with the goal of increasing the understanding of hypertension and one day curing it altogether. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-lowers-blood-pressure-cell-salt.html Health Wed, 15 May 2013 11:29:28 EST news287836160 When it comes to a cancer diagnosis, timing can be everything – the sooner it's found, the more treatable it is. But when and how often should someone get screened? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-gaps-decision-aids-cancer-screening.html Cancer Fri, 10 May 2013 12:23:14 EST news287407277 (HealthDay)—With the number of home births rising, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a policy statement on the practice that includes a recommendation that there be a caregiver who's present solely to take care of the newborn. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-pediatrician-group-issues-home-birth.html Pediatrics Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:10:01 EST news286459076 In interviews with nearly 6,000 residents of five U.S. cities, African-Americans were more likely than other racial and ethnic groups to express an interest in participating in medical research, even if studies involved providing blood or genetic samples. The findings appear online ahead of print in the American Journal of Public Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-african-americans-keen-medical.html Health Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:30:35 EST news284196626 A study from the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University Center for Aging Research has found that many older adults are hesitant to halt cancer screenings even when the screenings may no longer be beneficial or may even be potentially harmful. The study is among the first to explore older adults' perceptions of recommendations to halt screenings for breast, prostate, colon and other cancers as they age. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-older-adults-views-cancer-screening.html Cancer Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:00:08 EST news282226391 Health care transition (HCT) services help young people with special health care needs such as asthma or diabetes move from pediatric to adult health care. However, youths with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have less access to these services, which are designed to prevent gaps in care and insurance coverage. A University of Missouri researcher recommends that the medical community develop HCT services for individuals with ASD as a way to ensure consistent and coordinated care and increase their independence and quality of life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-youths-autism-spectrum-disorder-transitioning.html Autism spectrum disorders Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:50:26 EST news279899406 In a study to be presented on February 14 at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in San Francisco, California, researchers will report findings suggesting an increased risk of early (less than 35 weeks) preterm birth when intra-amniotic debris is present in nulliparous women with a short cervix. The babies born to women with debris had worse outcomes than those born to women without debris, likely due to the earlier delivery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-presence-intra-amniotic-debris-early-preterm.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:10:09 EST news279799802 In a new study published today in JAMA Pediatrics (formerly Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine), Kaiser Permanente researchers found that 49 percent of children ages 2-24 months did not receive all recommended vaccinations or did not get vaccinated according to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices schedule. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-children-years-age-vaccinations-late.html Health Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:00:01 EST news277987127 Researchers have found clear, identifiable factors that signal whether an athlete will experience concussive symptoms beyond one week. The researchers sought to identify risk factors for prolonged concussion symptoms by examining a large national database of high school athletes' injuries. Previous concussion studies were limited in scope, focusing only on male football players. The information from this study applies to male and female athletes from a number of different sports. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-factors-prolonged-sports-concussion-symptoms.html Health Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:17:48 EST news277575460 (Medical Xpress)—We know high-fat, high-sugar foods cause obesity and promote heart disease, but most people don't realize that sugar and fat also contribute to conditions like osteoporosis by weakening bones. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-fruit-holiday-stocking-bones-strong.html Health Mon, 24 Dec 2012 06:40:01 EST news275551835 A large European consortium has joined forces in the Coordinating Action Systems Medicine – CASyM, supported by the FP7- Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, to develop a road map outlining an integrative strategy for the implementation of systems medicine across Europe. This consortium combines extensive experience from its twenty-two partners, including research, higher education and health care organizations, SMEs and pharmaceutical companies, funding bodies as well as research clusters and project management agencies from France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-road-medicine.html Other Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:04:10 EST news275133844 (Medical Xpress)—New research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing reports that parents present during a child's more invasive procedures reported higher levels of comfort, more procedural understanding and less emotional distress – while clinicians reported parent presence did not affect their technical performance, therapeutic decision-making, or ability to teach. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-clinicians-parents-invasive-procedures.html Health Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:03:39 EST news273834208 A new e-health tool that could help reduce the number of drug-related deaths in Europe will be launched in Brussels today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-software-overdose-drug-users.html Medications Thu, 29 Nov 2012 07:12:02 EST news273395513 (HealthDay)—People suffering from heart failure may have a nearly 60 percent higher risk of developing cancer, a preliminary study suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-heart-failure-patients-higher-cancer.html Cardiology Wed, 07 Nov 2012 15:50:01 EST news271523192 State physician health programs (PHPs) play a key role in helping doctors with substance abuse problems. But the current PHP system is inconsistent and prone to potential conflicts of interest and ethical issues, according to a review available as publish ahead of print content from the December 2012 issue of Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-addiction-doctors-pose-ethical-issues.html Addiction Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:02:44 EST news269517756 At the center of a recently released study is an abbreviation that has been around since the 1800s, but many people have no idea what it means, or whether or not it matters. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-bmi-national-standard-piece-weight-loss.html Health Wed, 26 Sep 2012 04:50:01 EST news267851416 A medical record review study of 97 patients with the fatal, degenerative brain disorder sporadic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease (sCJD) suggests that a correct diagnosis of the disease was often delayed by a variety of misdiagnoses, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Neurology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-misdiagnosis-sporadic-jakob-creutzfeldt-disease.html Neuroscience Mon, 24 Sep 2012 16:00:07 EST news267704801 People suffering from asthma or other chronic lung problems are typically only able to get a measure of their lung function at the doctor's office a few times a year by blowing into a specialized piece of equipment. More frequent testing at home could detect problems earlier, potentially avoiding emergency room visits and hospitalization. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-app-lung-health-smartphone.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:50:49 EST news267180632 Each year, hundreds of thousands of X-rays are performed across the country to help detect and treat common cardiovascular conditions such as coronary artery disease, valve disease and other heart problems. However, concern is growing within the medical community about the potential risks of radiation exposure from this imaging technology. Now, researchers at Mayo Clinic have been able to dramatically cut the amount of radiation that patients and medical personnel are exposed to during invasive cardiovascular procedures. The solution: targeted modifications to the use of standard X-ray equipment, coupled with intensive radiation safety training. The efforts are detailed in a paper published online Aug. 20 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-cardiologists-patient-exposure-x-rays.html Cardiology Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:30:02 EST news264692148 Children with trisomy 13 or 18, who are for the most part severely disabled and have a very short life expectancy, and their families lead a life that is happy and rewarding overall, contrary to the usually gloomy predictions made by the medical community at the time of diagnosis, according to a study of parents who are members of support groups published today in Pediatrics. The study was conducted by Dr. Annie Janvier of the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center and the University of Montreal with the special collaboration of the mother of a child who died from trisomy 13, Barbara Farlow, Eng, MSc as the second author. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-children-trisomy-families-happy.html Pediatrics Mon, 23 Jul 2012 04:22:32 EST news262235977 Like a lot of Americans, Amalie Drury has grown very attached to her smartphone. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-electronic-screens-night-linked-loss.html Health Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:50:01 EST news261221176 (Medical Xpress) -- To provide elderly, hospitalized patients with the best care possible, the medical community needs to reevaluate its reliance on medical technologies, says Bruce J. Naughton, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University at Buffalo and a specialist in geriatrics, which deals specifically with the problems of aging. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-elderly-patients-intervention-geriatrics-specialist.html Health Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:31:19 EST news253776647 A new study by researchers at Tufts Medical Center provides unique insight into factors that affect Medicare decisions on whether to pay for medical technologies. The study, published online by the journal Medical Care, underscores that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has incorporated evidence-based medicine into its decision making, highlighting the importance of the strength and quality of the supporting clinical evidence. Further, the research provides important insight into the "reasonable and necessary" criteria, illustrating the significance of the availability of alternative therapies, while suggesting that CMS accounts for value in coverage decisions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-factors-underlying-medicare-decisions-coverage.html Health Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:42:35 EST news248355745 A proposal to use new diagnostic criteria for autism has roiled the US medical community, with many experts concerned that the move could exclude children affected by some forms of the disorder. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-autism-diagnostic-criteria-roils-medical.html Autism spectrum disorders Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:49:55 EST news247675789 In Europe, the number of seniors aged 70 and over will increase by 40% in the next 20 years, while those aged 80 and over will more than double. Health authorities and the medical community expect a corresponding increase in the number of people suffering costly and debilitating age-related chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, arthritis, heart and lung diseases and dementia. The significant increase in the numbers of people suffering age-related chronic diseases is expected to have serious social and health-economic repercussions across Europe – unless effective prevention strategies are put in place. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-simple-cost-effective-strategies-healthy-aging.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:21:37 EST news247465246 (Medical Xpress) -- Earlier this year, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced recommendations that surprised the medical community: Healthy men should no longer have the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test to screen for prostate cancer. An article published in the Dec. 6, 2011, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded that PSA tests resulted in little or no reduction in the number of prostate cancer deaths.  http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-prostate-cancer-urologist-common-myths.html Cancer Fri, 23 Dec 2011 07:50:01 EST news243847524 The health care system in the United States faces numerous challenges: how to bring innovation from the laboratory to the bedside, how to ensure more equitable use of medical services and, in a time of increasing financial strain, how to pay for that care. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-journal-supplement-strategies-health-delivery.html Other Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:08:56 EST news242568519 US biotech firm Gilead Sciences announced plans Monday to acquire rival Pharmasset, a group specializing in treatments for AIDS and hepatitis, for $11 billion. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-gilead-pharma-rival-pharmasset.html Medications Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:49:48 EST news241094980