Study shows patients prefer iPads to doctors when discussing surgery
Often patients undergo procedures without real informed consent being achieved due to technical language, jargon and time pressure, with up to half of patients finding it difficult to understand what their doctor tells them. Now a group of Australian doctors has prepared patients for surgery…
Ultrasound during active labour best predictor of C-section needs
Midwives need more than fingers to figure out who the C-section candidates are. Small, tablet-sized ultrasound devices may be the key.For over a hundred years, midwives and doctors have used their fingers to check on delivery progress. But predicting which women will need to give…
Vascular Disease after Age 80 Associated with Greater Risk of Dementia
Increased longevity also increases risk for age-related dementiaPeople who reach their 80s without cardiovascular disease are more likely to suffer from the effects of dementia than a heart attack or stroke, according to a study today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology….
Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Lower Breast Cancer Risk in Postmenopausal Obese Women
Omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal obese women, according to researchers.The protection likely comes from the fatty acids’ anti-inflammatory effects, said Dr. Andrea Manni, professor and division chief of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, Penn State College of Medicine.Obesity is…
Family-based counselling increases physical activity and improves diet quality in children
A recent Finnish study showed that individualised and family-based lifestyle counselling helps 6-8-year-old children increase their physical activity levels and improve their diet quality during a two-year follow-up. The results of the study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland were recently published in Preventive…
Healthy heart equals healthy brain
A healthy heart may have major benefits for preventing the decline in brain function that sometimes accompanies aging, according to new research inJournal of the American Heart Association.Researchers studied a racially diverse group of older adults and found that having more ideal cardiovascular health factors…
Agricultural fertiliser could pose risk to human fertility, sheep study finds
Eating meat from animals grazed on land treated with commonly-used agricultural fertilisers might have serious implications for pregnant women and the future reproductive health of their unborn children, according to new research.The study by British and French scientists from the universities of Nottingham, Aberdeen (UK)…
Clinical trial confirms safety of inducing mothers aged 35 and over to avoid stillbirth and other complications
A large clinical trial to assess the benefits or otherwise of inducing labour in pregnant women of 35 years or older has found there was no significant effect on the rate of caesarean sections and no adverse effect on the mother and newborn baby.The large,…
Zika virus might cause Guillain-Barré syndrome
Analysis of blood samples from 42 patients diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) during the Zika virus outbreak in French Polynesia provides the first evidence that Zika virus might cause GBS, a severe neurological disorder, according to new research published in The Lancet today. Based on…
Type 1 diabetes associated with increased risk of some cancer types
New research reveals that type 1 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of various cancer types including cancers of the stomach, liver, pancreas, endometrium, ovary and kidney, but a reduced risk of other cancer types, including prostate and breast cancer. The results derive from…
Digging into the DNA for a successful diet
Genes are the latest trend in nutrition, at least going by the burgeoning legion of Internet companies offering diets tailored to our genetic make-up. These services are relatively affordable and simple to use.Fees are typically around 100 euros, and all you need to do is…
Doctor, Patient Expectations Differ on Fitness and Lifestyle Tracking
With apps and activity trackers measuring every step people take, every morsel they eat, and each symptom or pain, patients commonly arrive at doctor’s offices armed with minutely detailed data they’ve been collecting about themselves.Yet health care providers lack the capacity or tools to review…