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…

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,…

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…

For patients age 50 and younger, the risk of premature death after aheart attack has dropped significantly, but their risk is still almost twice as high when compared to the general population, largely due to heart disease and other smoking-related diseases, according to new research…

The economic crisis and austerity are having an unexpected consequence: more young men striving for gym-fit, photo-perfect bodies that they use to create a social media brand.That’s according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA), which suggests traditional routes to success and…

Watching cartoons through video glasses during dental treatment could help lessen children’s anxiety and distress as well as reducing disruptive behaviour, according to a randomized controlled trial published in Acta Odontologia Scandinavica.Anxiety about visiting the dentist and during treatment is common in children. Estimates suggest…

Experiencing financial difficulties and worrying about debt at university increases the risk of mental health conditions such as depression and alcohol dependency, according to new research from the University of Southampton and Solent NHS Trust.The research, published online in the Community Mental Health Journal, found…

New research published in Diabetologia shows an increased risk of childhood obesity at age 9–11 years when the mother has had gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Childhood obesity has increased dramatically in both developed and developing countries. It has been suggested that prenatal, perinatal and postnatal…

Heart failure patients fitted with biventricular defibrillators (CRT-D) fared no better with remote monitoring (RM) of their condition compared to those whose devices were monitored during in-clinic visits, according to results of the MORE-CARE study.The study, presented during a Hot Line session at ESC Congress…

People who drive cars as their main form of transport are on average heavier than those who cycle, according to an ongoing Europe-wide study.Researchers have so far monitored 11,000 volunteers in seven European cities, asking them how they move around the city, which mode of…

Combining virtual reality and treadmill training helps prevent falls in older adults better than treadmill training alone, according to a new randomised controlled trial published in The Lancet. The authors say that the intervention, which combines the physical and cognitive aspects of walking, could potentially…

A lack of access to nearby stores selling fresh food may increase residents’ risk of developing the signs of early heart disease, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.“The lack of healthy food stores may help explain why people in these…