http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Results of the PARTNER Cohort A QOL study demonstrate that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) results in improved quality of life compared with surgical valve replacement, but only when performed via the transfemoral approach. The results of the study were presented today at the 23rd annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-quality-life-benefits-transcatheter-aortic.html Cardiology Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:00:14 EST news240166803 Healthcare that implements a person-centred approach not only make care more efficient, but also yields more satisfied patients. A study carried out at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that if there is an active partnership between the patient and healthcare professionals, the patient's hospital stay can be reduced by one-third. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-shorter-hospital-person-centered-healthcare.html Health Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:10:35 EST news239382625 In times of stress, we're often encouraged to pause for a moment and simply be in the 'now.' This kind of mindfulness, an essential part of Buddhist and Indian Yoga traditions, has entered the mainstream as people try to find ways to combat stress and improve their quality of life. And research suggests that mindfulness meditation can have benefits for health and performance, including improved immune function, reduced blood pressure, and enhanced cognitive function. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-dont-happy-ndash-mindfulness-meditation.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:04:16 EST news239292211 Men with prostate cancer are twice as likely to commit suicide, but a method where they put intrusive thoughts into words may reduce this risk, reveals research at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-suicide-men-prostate-cancer.html Cancer Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:38:04 EST news239290673 Assessing the quality of life experienced by cancer survivors is becoming increasingly important, say researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. Such an assessment has a number of important applications when doing research on cancer survivorship, but just how to measure quality of life for cancer survivors is still being developed. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-cancer-survivorship-quality-life.html Cancer Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:13:20 EST news239019185 E-counselling can significantly lower blood pressure, improve lifestyle and enhance quality of life, says Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher Dr. Robert Nolan. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-e-counselling-results-lowering-blood-pressure.html Cardiology Sun, 23 Oct 2011 06:35:26 EST news238570517 When children are facing a life-threatening illness, bringing in palliative medicine specialists can help both the child and family improve the child's quality of life, for however long he or she lives. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-experts-pediatric-palliative-discuss-emerging.html Other Sat, 15 Oct 2011 06:17:48 EST news237878261 A new study has found that processes that control heart rate play an important role in the quality of life experienced by patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study, which was published in the journal Respirology, indicates that heart-related treatments may improve the wellbeing of some individuals with COPD. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-heart-health-impacts-wellbeing-patients.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:32:09 EST news237807114 Although exercise is often prescribed as a treatment for migraine, there has not previously been sufficient scientific evidence that it really works. However, research from the Sahlgrenska Academy has now shown that exercise is just as good as drugs at preventing migraines. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-good-drugs-migraines.html Health Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:31:33 EST news237483069 (Medical Xpress) -- A new University of Michigan study finds that the most convincing exercise message emphasizes immediate benefits that enhance daily quality of life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-rebranding-quality-life-longer.html Health Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:27:12 EST news236417217 Research supported by the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (ATN), demonstrating that symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity worsen quality of life for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), was presented today at the Society for Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Researchers Parul Vora, M.D., developmental-behavioral pediatric fellow at Nationwide Children's and Darryn Sikora, Ph.D., Director of the Autism Program at Oregon Health Sciences University, used data exclusively from the ATN Registry to examine whether the presence of symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might have additional impact on the adaptive functioning and quality of life of children and adolescents with ASD. After reviewing measures of attention and hyperactivity, and measures of quality of life, for over 2,000 children and adolescents with ASD, they found that over half of this group had symptoms of either attention or hyperactivity problems. More than a third had significant symptoms of both. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-adhd-symptoms-worsen-quality-life.html Attention deficit disorders Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:43:44 EST news235644189 An innovative approach to treating neonatal feeding problems at Nationwide Children's Hospital has allowed infants who were struggling to feed orally to be discharged earlier and without feeding tubes, subsequently saving millions of annual healthcare charges. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-neonatal-infant-disorders-infants-lifetime.html Health Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:50:17 EST news234539393 Going back to work after the holidays is a nightmare for many. Can you improve your health by remembering the past in a positive way? A study by the University of Granada (UGR) reports that people's attitude to past events, present experiences or future expectations, influences their perception of health and their quality of life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-negatively-worsens-health.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:52:35 EST news234525140 Children in low and middle income countries should be given vitamin A supplements to prevent death and illness, concludes a study published in the British Medical Journal today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-vitamin-supplements-children-year.html Health Fri, 26 Aug 2011 04:42:37 EST news233552538 Life expectancy is increasing all the time due to better quality of life and better health care. Despite this, increases in life expectancy can be patchy, with some sources reporting that the gap in life expectancy between rich and poor is getting bigger as time goes on. However, BioMed Central's open access journal International Journal for Equity in Health is pleased to report that the life expectancy for people living in deprived areas in Campinas, Brazil, is catching up, rising at three times the rate of people living in more affluent areas. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-life-success-story.html Health Fri, 26 Aug 2011 04:41:55 EST news233552505 The Sinonasal Outcome Test-16 (SNOT-16) appears to be effective in assessing how well treatments improve the disease specific quality of life (QOL) of adult patients with acute rhinosinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses), according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-tool-effectively-quality-life-patients.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:11:52 EST news232647099 (Medical Xpress) -- Cancer patients may benefit from sessions with trained music therapists or from listening to music. A new Cochrane systematic review shows using music can reduce anxiety in cancer patients, and may also have positive effects on mood, pain and quality of life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-music-anxiety-cancer-patients.html Cancer Wed, 10 Aug 2011 03:00:01 EST news232162787 Constant bitterness can make a person ill, according to Concordia University researchers who have examined the relationship between failure, bitterness and quality of life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-blaming-people-sick.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:50:01 EST news232105067 One decade after receiving implants that stimulate areas of their brains, patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) appear to sustain improvement in motor function, although part of the initial benefit wore off mainly because of progressive loss of benefit in other functions, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-deep-brain-effects-years-patients.html Neuroscience Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:20:01 EST news232031065 Research published in The Cochrane Library found that the risk of death and cardiovascular disease, such as stroke, was unchanged whether glucose control was intense or conventional. They did find, however, that when aiming to keep blood glucose levels at the lower intensive level, the chance of damaging small blood vessels in the body, potentially leading to damage in the eyes and kidneys, is reduced. But aiming for this lower level with the more intensive glucose control substantially increased the risk that a person's blood glucose could drop too low, potentially resulting in loss of consciousness or even death if untreated. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-diabetes-intensive-conventional-blood-glucose.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:50:01 EST news231413393 The introduction of legislation that restricts unhealthy food, for example by reducing salt content and eliminating industrial trans fats, would prevent thousands of cases of heart disease in England and Wales and save the NHS millions of pounds, finds research published on bmj.com . http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-laws-healthier-lifestyles-nhs-money.html Health Fri, 29 Jul 2011 04:10:01 EST news231130089 Approximately 60 million people across the globe have chronic kidney disease, and many will need dialysis or a transplant. Breakthrough research published in the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN) indicates that patients' own kidney cells can be gathered and reprogrammed. Reprogramming patients' kidney cells could mean that in the future, fewer patients with kidney disease would require complicated, expensive procedures that affect their quality of life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-patients-kidney-cells-disease.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:10:03 EST news230986664 Depression affects 121 million people worldwide. In can affect a person's ability to work, form relationships, and destroy their quality of life. At its most severe depression can lead to suicide and is responsible for 850,000 deaths every year. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine compares social conditions with depression in 18 countries across the world. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-global-depression-statistics.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 26 Jul 2011 03:37:10 EST news230870199 Patients who underwent endoscopic testing prior to surgery for lung cancer had significantly better quality of life at the end of the staging process, with no significant difference in costs between the two strategies, according to data presented at the 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer in Amsterdam, hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-endosonography-surgical-staging-quality-life.html Cancer Thu, 07 Jul 2011 06:49:56 EST news229240175 Although women generally have worse knee function and more severe symptoms before undergoing surgery for knee replacement than men, they recover faster after the operation. Men take longer to recover but, after a year, they catch up with women and there are no differences in surgery outcomes at that time. These findings by Thoralf Liebs, from Hassenpflug University of the Schleswig-Holstein Medical Center in Germany, and colleagues, are published online in Springer's journal Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-men-post-op-catch-up.html Other Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:05:55 EST news228567939 Health disparities between black Americans and the rest of the nation have been well-documented in medical journals. But one study shows that blacks who identify as members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church actually report a better quality of life than the average American. Researchers point to certain lifestyle behaviors as a possible explanation for the difference. The research was conducted at Loma Linda University as part of the Adventist Religion and Health Study (ARHS), a study of nearly 11,000 Adventists, including more than 3,400 black Adventists. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-black-members-adventist-church-defy.html Health Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:57:22 EST news228412629 Schizophrenia is a complex and chronic mental disorder affecting more than 2 million people in the United States. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-antidepressants-schizophrenia.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:42:35 EST news228025502 (Medical Xpress) -- Offering Multiple Sclerosis sufferers emotional support through group therapy sessions could improve their quality of life and save the NHS almost £500 per patient, a study at The University of Nottingham has discovered. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-group-therapy-ms-cope-depression.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:40:23 EST news227176811 Sufferers of the sleep disorder obstructive sleep apnoea could benefit from following a low energy diet to lose weight, finds research published in the British Medical Journal today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-low-energy-diet-disorder.html Health Thu, 02 Jun 2011 06:39:52 EST news226215528 For patients with severe heart failure, an implanted mechanical pump known as a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) can be a life-sustaining treatment. Even though the technology involves risks, few patients and their families tend to talk explicitly about the "what ifs" before surgery takes place. In the June issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, a team of Mayo Clinic researchers found that careful discussions at the bedside about patients' end-of-life preferences brought relief to families and eased subsequent medical care. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-mayo-clinic-discussion-end-of-life-heart.html Health Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:11:22 EST news226149069