http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (HealthDay) -- Cancer patients with an unsuspected pulmonary embolism (UPE) do not have an increased mortality risk and have a similar risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) to those with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism (PE), according to research published online July 27 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-unsuspected-pe-mortality-cancer-patients.html Cancer Mon, 06 Aug 2012 17:22:51 EST news263492565 Higher levels of physical activity were related to lower risk of death in patients with diabetes, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-physical-death-patients-diabetes.html Diabetes Mon, 06 Aug 2012 16:12:16 EST news263487916 Children undergoing liver transplantation are at greater risk of graft loss and death from adult organ donors who are severely obese according to research published in the August issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. The study, funded in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), found that pediatric donor body mass index (BMI) did not increase mortality risk in this pediatric population. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-obese-donors-death-pediatric-liver.html Other Wed, 01 Aug 2012 14:07:33 EST news263048834 Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Montefiore Medical Center have found that people with a form of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease, have twice the risk of dying compared with cognitively normal people. Those with dementia have three times the risk. The findings are being presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Vancouver this week. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-amnestic-mild-cognitive-impairment-death.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:00:01 EST news261672990 An evaluation of national data by UC Davis researchers has found that extra weight is not necessarily linked with a higher risk of death. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-above-normal-weight-short-term-death.html Health Fri, 06 Jul 2012 18:43:28 EST news260818998 (Medical Xpress) -- Obesity increases the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) following cardiac surgery, according to a Vanderbilt study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-obesity-linked-kidney-injury-heart.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 03 Jul 2012 07:40:01 EST news260518973 Compared to another popular drug, three widely used diabetes medications are associated with a greater risk of death, a large new analysis finds. The results will be presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-common-diabetes-drugs-death.html Diabetes Mon, 25 Jun 2012 09:50:01 EST news259835547 According to the United States Census Bureau, approximately one in seven American adults live alone. Social isolation and lack of social support have been linked to poor health outcomes. Now a new study at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) shows that living alone may be a risk factor for death, especially death due to cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack and stroke. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-people-heart-problems-death.html Cardiology Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:00:02 EST news259249140 According to a study presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are prescribed biologic treatments have a significantly lower mortality risk (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.61) than those just treated with traditional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).The study also found the mortality was similar irrespective of the method of action of biologics (anti-tumour necrosis factor drugs [anti-TNFs] or rituximab). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-disease-biologic-treatment-life-ra.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Thu, 07 Jun 2012 08:10:01 EST news258273747 (HealthDay) -- In stable kidney transplant recipients, kidney function, as determined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), is independently associated with cardiovascular (CVD) events and death, according to research published online May 17 in the American Journal of Transplantation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-post-transplant-egfr-impacts-cardio-independently.html Cardiology Wed, 30 May 2012 16:30:01 EST news257612037 (HealthDay) -- For U.S. veterans with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), being overweight or obese at time of diagnosis correlates with improved survival, according to a study published online May 29 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-obesity-overweight-diagnosis-ups-b-cell.html Cancer Wed, 30 May 2012 13:10:01 EST news257591076 Scientists know that Vitamin D deficiency is not healthy. However, new research from the University of Copenhagen now indicates that too high a level of the essential vitamin is not good either. The study is based on blood samples from 247,574 Copenhageners. The results have just been published in the reputed scientific Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-vitamin-d-unhealthy.html Health Tue, 29 May 2012 09:50:03 EST news257503783 (Medical Xpress) -- Antidepressive drugs reduce the mortality rate of schizophrenic patients, while treatment with bensodiazepines greatly increases it, especially as regards suicide. Giving several antipsychotics simultaneously, however, seems to have no effect at all. This according to a new study examining different drug combinations administered to patients with schizophrenia. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-suicides-antidepressive-treatment-schizophrenia.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 08 May 2012 06:20:57 EST news255676847 In the study, all-cause and CVD mortality risks were found to be significantly higher among study participants that didn't exercise compared with active participants at all blood pressure levels. Moreover, the excess mortality risks of physical inactivity, when converted into a "blood pressure equivalence of physical activity" measurement, revealed that physical inactivity was similar to a rise in mortality risk equivalent to an increase in blood pressure of 40-50 mmHg. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-death-cardiovascular-disease-people-high.html Cardiology Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:54:15 EST news254022848 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 New research from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) suggests that seemingly small changes in summer temperature swings—as little as 1°C more than usual—may shorten life expectancy for elderly people with chronic medical conditions, and could result in thousands of additional deaths each year. While previous studies have focused on the short-term effects of heat waves, this is the first study to examine the longer-term effects of climate change on life expectancy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-summer-day-to-day-temperature-variations-mortality.html Health Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:00:07 EST news253186902 New research funded by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 20.1 million individuals were infected with hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotypes 1 and 2 across 9 world regions in 2005. According to findings available in the April issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, there were 3.4 million symptomatic cases, 70,000 deaths, and 3,000 stillbirths from HEV that year in countries throughout Asia and Africa. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-million-individuals-infected-hepatitis-asia.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:10:02 EST news252065381 New research shows increasing disparity in mortality among candidates with and without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are on the waiting list for liver transplantation. The study available in the April issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, found that liver cancer patients are less likely to die on the wait list than non-HCC candidates, prompting transplantation specialists to suggest a reevaluation of current allotment criteria for those with HCC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-liver-cancer-patients-die-candidates.html Cancer Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:00:01 EST news251631955 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 Women with chronic heart failure survive longer than their male counterparts, according to a large analysis of studies comprising data on more than 40,000 subjects. The analysis represents the largest assessment of gender and mortality risk in heart failure - and provides evidence which many randomised trials have failed to do because they have been dominated by male patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-death-heart-failure-women-men.html Cardiology Thu, 08 Mar 2012 04:20:01 EST news250401661 Greater access to features of high-quality primary care -- comprehensiveness, patient-centeredness and extended office hours -- is associated with lower mortality, according to a new national UC Davis study. Published in the January-February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine, the research is the first to link the availability of three specific attributes of primary care with reduced risk of death. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-death-linked-access-key-attributes.html Health Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:42:49 EST news245428962 (Medical Xpress) -- A new study led by University at Albany School of Public Health Distinguished Professor Emeritus Edward L. Hannan finds a link between higher mortality rates and incomplete revascularization procedures for patients suffering from multivessel disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-multivessel-mortality.html Cardiology Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:50:01 EST news244359475 Wine consumers, especially in comparison with spirits drinkers, have been shown to have higher levels of education and income, to consume a healthier diet, be more physically active, and have other characteristics that are associated with better health outcomes. However, epidemiologic studies have been inconsistent in showing that, after adjustment for all associated lifestyle factors, consumers of wine have lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality than do consumers of other beverages. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-differences-mortality-wine-consumers-alcoholic.html Health Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:10:05 EST news243605388 Body Mass Index (BMI) appears to be associated with 30-day mortality risk following surgical procedures, and patients with a BMI of less than 23.1 appear to be at highest risk of death, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-body-mass-index-short-term-mortality.html Other Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:00:14 EST news241102813 New research shows that women undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as angioplasty, exhibit more co-morbidities and cardiovascular risk factors than men. Risk-adjusted analyses have now indicated that, in the contemporary era, gender is not an independent mortality predictor following PCI according to the study now available in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-women-pci-greater-co-morbidities-men.html Cardiology Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:48:54 EST news239341727 A paper from the National Institutes of Health in the United States has evaluated the separate and combined effects of the frequency of alcohol consumption and the average quantity of alcohol drunk per occasion and how that relates to mortality risk from individual cancers as well as all cancers. The analysis is based on repeated administrations of the National Health Interview Survey in the US, assessing more than 300,000 subjects who suffered over 8,000 deaths from cancer. The research reports on total cancer deaths and deaths from lung, colorectal, prostate, and breast cancers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-association-quantity-alcohol-frequency-consumption.html Health Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:21:26 EST news238328477 Consuming dietary supplements, including multivitamins, folic acid, iron and copper, among others, appears to be associated with an increased risk of death in older women, according to a report in the October 10 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/2011-10-dietary-supplements-death-older-women.html Health Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:00:04 EST news237465917 New research shows that exposure to stressors in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is associated with alterations in the brain structure and function of very preterm infants. According to the study now available in Annals of Neurology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, infants who experienced early exposure to stress displayed decreased brain size, functional connectivity, and abnormal motor behavior. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-preterm-infants-exposed-stressors-nicu.html Neuroscience Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:38:32 EST news236921898 New research shows liver transplantation candidates without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) derive a greater survival benefit from a living donor liver transplant (LDLT) than waiting for a deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT). The study now available in the October issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, reports that survival benefit from LDLT remains significant across the range of model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores, but this benefit was not apparent for low MELD candidates with HCC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-donor-liver-transplantation-survival-deceased.html Other Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:02:56 EST news236336564 Phytoestrogens are plant compounds which, in the human body, can attach to the receptors for the female sexual hormone estrogen and which are taken in with our daily diet. A number of findings have attributed a cancer protective effect to these plant hormones. At DKFZ (Germany), a team headed by Prof. Dr. Jenny Chang-Claude summarized the results of several studies in a meta-analysis last year and showed that a diet rich in phytoestrogens lowers the risk of developing breast cancer after menopause. Now the Heidelberg researchers wanted to find out whether phytoestrogens also have an influence on the course of breast cancer. Prior investigations on this topic had provided contradictory results. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-compound-breast-cancer-mortality.html Cancer Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:27:54 EST news235139226