http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (Medical Xpress)—When cigarette taxes rise, hard-core smokers are more likely than lighter smokers to cut back, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-cigarette-taxes-heavy.html Health Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:08:50 EST news273488913 (Medical Xpress)—A team of French and British researchers has found that brain region activity for coma patients is markedly different than for healthy people. In their paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes the differences found when comparing fMRI scans of people in a coma with healthy volunteers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-brain-hub-coma-patients.html Neuroscience Tue, 27 Nov 2012 06:20:01 EST news273218611 Uninsured patients who undergo surgery to remove a brain tumor could be twice as likely to die in the hospital as those who have the same operation but are privately insured, new Johns Hopkins research suggests. In teaching hospitals, where most neurosurgical procedures take place, those with government-subsidized insurance in the form of Medicaid were found in the same study to have rates of survival closer to those who are privately insured. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-uninsured-brain-cancer-patients-die.html Surgery Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:00:18 EST news272541170 Scientists at Indiana University and international collaborators have found a way to link two hormones into a single molecule, producing a more effective therapy with fewer side effects for potential use as treatment for obesity and related medical conditions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-hormone-combination-effective-safe-obesity.html Medical research Tue, 13 Nov 2012 10:05:21 EST news272023408 The tremendous potential public health benefits of research with blood samples left over after routine newborn screening must not be lost amidst controversy and litigation, say medical and bioethics experts in a commentary published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-scientific-casualty-health-privacy-debate.html Other Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:00:09 EST news271508304 (HealthDay)—Postmenopausal women should not use hormone replacement therapy to prevent chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, according to updated recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-panel-hrt-chronic-disease.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 22 Oct 2012 17:30:02 EST news270144785 The number of patients dying from upper gastrointestinal bleeding has decreased over the past two decades, a result researchers attribute to the advances in medical and endoscopic therapies introduced over the past 20 years, according to a report unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas. One example of how such advances are impacting patient care is described in a separate case report also presented today on the first use of Hemospray™ (Cook Endoscopy) that saved the life of a pediatric patient with life-threatening internal bleeding. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-death-gi-decreased-states-decades.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:01:21 EST news270118868 A new study suggests that when prescribed by physicians in routine practice and used appropriately by patients, treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could reduce blood pressure in men with hypertension. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-treatment-obstructive-apnea-blood-pressure.html Sleep apnea Sat, 13 Oct 2012 04:53:08 EST news269322758 An SGH study has revealed that considering all osteoporotic patients as having simple osteoporosis and treating all of them alike by putting them on potent long term medication without finding out the cause of their osteoporosis may be ineffective and in most cases downright harmful. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-secondary-osteoporosis-eye.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:46:28 EST news269001983 (Medical Xpress)—Headache? Back pain? At the first sign of pain, you might reach for a pain-relieving medicine to sooth your bodily woes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-analgesics-linked-loss-women.html Medications Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:59:43 EST news266669949 New research shows that people who have bariatric surgery to treat obesity report an overall improvement in quality of life issues after surgery, from their relationships to their medical conditions. Arizona State University researchers will present their findings at the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-weight-loss-surgery-results-positive-social.html Overweight and Obesity Sat, 18 Aug 2012 09:30:01 EST news264499533 (Medical Xpress) -- Patients who have three or more chronic medical conditions are half as likely to receive depression treatment in primary care practices that use electronic medical records as they are in practices that use paper-based records, a new University of Florida study has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-depression-overlooked-physicians-electronic-medical.html Health Thu, 16 Aug 2012 18:12:29 EST news264359532 Computer and web-based weight management programmes may provide a cost effective way of addressing the growing problem of obesity, according to a team of seven researchers who undertook a Cochrane systematic review. The researchers, from Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, USA, found that delivering weight loss or weight maintenance programmes online or by computer helped overweight and obese patients lose and/or maintain weight. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-online-obesity-treatment.html Overweight and Obesity Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:00:01 EST news264166226 A sedentary lifestyle is a common cause of obesity, and excessive body weight and fat in turn are considered catalysts for diabetes, high blood pressure, joint damage and other serious health problems. But what if lack of exercise itself were treated as a medical condition? Mayo Clinic physiologist Michael Joyner, M.D., argues that it should be. His commentary is published this month in The Journal of Physiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-doctors-lack-medical-condition-mayo.html Health Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:45:23 EST news264091400 Despite a twenty-five year old law that bans "patient dumping" the practice continues to put uninsured Americans at risk, according to a national team of researchers led by a professor at the George Washington School of Public Health and Health Services. Patient dumping is the practice of turning away or transferring uninsured patients with emergency medical conditions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-critically-ill-uninsured-americans-hospitals.html Health Mon, 06 Aug 2012 16:00:10 EST news263487314 (Medical Xpress) -- A protein essential for metabolism and recently associated with neurodegenerative diseases also occurs in several brain-specific forms. This discovery emerged in the course of a research project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the findings of which have now been published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics. The scientists working on the project discovered a large new region in the genetic code of the protein PGC-1alpha. Previously unknown variations of the protein, which can be found specifically in the brain, are produced from this region. This discovery may provide tissue-specific starting points for the development of new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington's, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-brain-variants-protein-huntington-neurodegenerative.html Genetics Mon, 23 Jul 2012 07:30:14 EST news262247400 (HealthDay) -- People who have certain chronic medical conditions, such as type 1 diabetes, are even more susceptible than most to the ill effects of alcohol, though they may not be aware of how potentially dangerous alcohol can be. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-alcohol-poses-diabetes.html Diabetes Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:30:01 EST news262003376 Expediting primary health care for chronically ill inmates soon after release from prison results in fewer visits to hospital emergency departments, a Yale study has found. The study is published in the American Journal of Public Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-health-prisoners-high-emergency-department.html Health Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:28:02 EST news261995271 As part of the Affordable Care Act, hospitals and medical centers are required to report their quality-of-care and risk-standardized outcomes for stroke and other common medical conditions. But reporting models for mortality that don't consider stroke severity may unfairly skew these results. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-hospitals-stroke-care-markedly-severity.html Health Tue, 17 Jul 2012 16:00:10 EST news261750250 A study of patients with stroke admitted to English National Health Service public hospitals suggests that patients who were hospitalized on weekends were less likely to receive urgent treatments and had worse outcomes, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Neurology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-poorer-outcomes-patients-hospitalized-weekends.html Neuroscience Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:00:18 EST news261066506 (Medical Xpress) -- Researchers led by a team from the University of Glasgow and Oslo University Hospital, Norway have discovered that while changes in the emotions of adolescent females are directly related to age those from young males are influenced by the changing patterns of reproductive hormones that occur as individuals become more sexually mature. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-emotionality-adolescent-males-driven-hormonal.html Medical research Wed, 04 Jul 2012 07:12:42 EST news260604743 (HealthDay) -- Men with severe gum disease, known as periodontitis, are at greater risk for impotence, according to a new study that finds young men and the elderly at particular risk. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-severe-gum-disease-impotence-linked.html Dentistry Mon, 21 May 2012 14:31:16 EST news256829465 Neuropathic pain, caused by nerve or tissue damage, is the culprit behind many cases of chronic pain. It can be the result of an accident or caused by a variety of medical conditions and diseases such as tumors, lupus, and diabetes. Typically resistant to common types of pain management including ibuprofen and even morphine, neuropathic pain can lead to lifelong disability for many sufferers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-drug-resistant-chronic-pain.html Neuroscience Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:10:01 EST news255009100 People with multiple chronic medical conditions are helped by medical interventions that target personal risk factors and/or their ability to perform daily activities. Interventions aimed at general case management or enhancing teamwork among a patient’s care providers are not as effective, finds a new review in The Cochrane Library. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-personalized-interventions-people-multiple-chronic.html Health Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:08:42 EST news253958896 (HealthDay) -- At least one in 10 U.S. adults is estimated to have chronic kidney disease, but whether screening and monitoring people in the earlier stages of the disease provides a benefit just isn't clear, a new review of the available clinical trials revealed. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-role-screening-early-kidney-disease.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:00:01 EST news253881510 Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found that intrauterine devices (IUDs) containing progesterone are a safe and effective means of birth control and support its use as a treatment option for medical conditions like pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding, and to prevent uterine cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-iuds-contraception-conditions.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:40:53 EST news253518041 Does the growing number of psychiatric disorder diagnoses have an effect on people with mental illnesses? According to a new study, as definitions of mental illnesses become broader, people who show signs of depression and other common mental illnesses are less likely to evoke a supportive response from friends and family members as are people with other severe mental disorders. This new study was released in a recent issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-psychiatrists-desensitizing.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:06:10 EST news253206362 An anecdotal observation of a possible link between sleep apnea and post-surgical delirium has been measured and confirmed by a team of researchers at the Duke University Medical Center. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-apnea-patients-delirium-surgery.html Sleep apnea Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:37:54 EST news252074248 (HealthDay) -- Hormonal changes are a major reason women are far more likely than men to have migraine headaches, research suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-hormonal-trigger-migraines-women.html Health Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:31:06 EST news251731853 (HealthDay) -- Mothers of children with autism and autism spectrum disorders earn significantly less than what mothers of children who have no health limitations earn, a new study has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-mothers-kids-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:10:41 EST news251367026