Expecting the worst increases side-effects in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant hormone therapy
A study of women receiving hormone therapies such as tamoxifen as part of their treatment for breast cancer has found that the number and seriousness of side-effects they experienced were influenced by their expectations.The study, which is published in the leading cancer journal Annals of…
New Guidelines for Managing Hyperthyroidism and Other Causes of Thyrotoxicosis Published
New evidence-based recommendations from the American Thyroid Association (ATA) provide guidance to clinicians in the management of patients with all forms of thyrotoxicosis including hyperthyroidism. Appropriate treatment of thyrotoxicosis requires an accurate diagnosis, and the 124 recommendations presented in the new Guidelines help define current…
2% Testosterone Solution Improves Sex Drive and Energy Levels in Men with Hypogonadism
Long-term treatment safe and effective, according to a new study in The Journal of Urology®For men with hypogonadism, a condition in which the body does not produce enough testosterone, low sex drive and fatigue are common symptoms. For these men treatment with a 2% testosterone…
Disruptions to sleep patterns lead to an increased risk of suicides
The link between sleep problems and suicidal thoughts and behaviours is made starkly clear in new research from The University of Manchester, published in the BMJ Open.In this study, conducted by researchers from the University’s School of Health Sciences alongside the University of Oxford, 18…
Folic acid fortified food linked to decline in congenital heart defects
Food fortified with folic acid, a B vitamin required in human diets for numerous biological functions, was associated with reduced rates of congenital heart defects, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.“Our study examined the effect of folic acid food fortification…
Recommended blood pressure targets for diabetes are being challenged
The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare recently raised the recommended target blood pressure for patients with diabetes. This may lead to more patients suffering from stroke or heart attack, according to a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy. The new study is the…
How safe are our tattoos and permanent makeup?
Tattoos are becoming ever more popular. In the EU, the number of people with tattoos has increased from 5% in 2003 to 12% in 2016 (60 million people in the EU-28), with at least half of them having more than one tattoo. A new JRC…
Late-onset asthma linked to increased heart disease, stroke risk
People who develop asthma as adults (late onset asthma) may also be at greater risk of developing heart disease and having a stroke, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.“Though…
Diets avoiding Dry-Cooked foods can protect against diabetes
Simple changes in how we cook could go a long way towards preventing diabetes, say researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. A new randomized controlled trial, published online July 29 in the journal Diabetologia, found that obese individuals with signs of…
DANISH No Overall Survival Benefit with ICDs in Non-Ischemic Heart Failure
Placement of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in patients with non-ischemic systolic heart failure did not improve overall survival compared to usual clinical care – although a secondary outcome, risk of sudden cardiac death, was halved with ICD placement, according to new research reported here.Results of…
i-Pad apps as effective as sedatives on children needing anaesthesia, with higher parent satisfaction
New research presented at this year’s World Congress of Anaesthesiologists (WCA) in Hong Kong (Aug 28 – 2 Sept) shows that allowing children to use iPads to distract them before surgery requiring general anaesthesia is as effective at lowering their anxiety as conventional sedatives. Furthermore,…
5-year study reveals patients operated on at night twice as likely to die as patients who have daytime operations
New research presented at this year’s World Congress of Anaesthesiologists (WCA) in Hong Kong shows that patients who have surgery during the night are twice as likely to die as patients operated on during regular working hours. Patients operated on later in the working day…