As you sit and read this at your desk, fluid is slowly leaking out of the porous cartilage in your knee into a membrane-walled cavity between your upper and lower leg bones.Cartilage is filled with fluid — about 80% of the volume of the cartilage…

Flu season is fast approaching, but because of the nature of the virus, it is difficult for experts to determine when the season will peak and how severe and long it will be. Though flu seasons are unpredictable, experts agree that early vaccinations are the…

Lowering systolic blood pressure below the currently recommended target can reduce the risk of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), the most common complication of high blood pressure, according to new research.The study, led by Elsayed Z. Soliman, M.D., director of the Epidemiological Cardiology Research Center at…

Preventing drug use from becoming addiction would have health and financial benefits Brief interventions in primary care clinics could curb patients’ drug use, UCLA study shows.  Preventing drug use from becoming addiction would have health and financial benefitsA few minutes of counseling in a primary…

In a study conducted to inform American Cancer Society, breast cancer screening guidelines, UC Davis researcher Diana L. Miglioretti reports a screening mammogram once every two years is safe for postmenopausal women at average risk of breast cancer.Published online in the Journal of the American…

Study finds increased bleeding, low usage of new anticoagulantsPatients with acute coronary syndrome who have undergone angioplasty have a reduced risk of all-cause in-hospital mortality but an increased risk of bleeding when given glycoprotein 2b/3a inhibitors (GPI) after the procedure, according to a study published…

Having a high stress job may be linked to a higher risk of stroke, according to an analysis of several studies. The meta-analysis is published in the October 14, 2015, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.“Having a lot…

A large, randomized study led by a UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher found that vitamin D and calcium supplements do not reduce the risk of colorectal adenomas, which are benign tumors that can evolve into colorectal cancer.The results, which were published in the New…

New dental tool creates stronger bonds for fillings Dental composites are the synthetic resins or mixtures dentists use to restore teeth to their original hardness and rigidity. Made of amalgams—mixtures of mercury, silver or tin, or composites such as silica, ceramic or plastic compounds—longevity and…

Anxious patients heading into surgery often receive medication to ease their fears, but a few calming words from their physicians might actually be more effective medicine. In fact, “conversational hypnosis” as the approach is known, may do a better job than pills for relaxing patients…

Patients who stop taking cholesterol medications before surgery are following outdated recommendations, and significantly increasing their risk of death if they don’t resume taking the medications within two days after surgery, according to a study of more than 300,000 patients being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY®…

Most healthy women can skip the fasting and, in fact, would benefit from eating a light meal during labor, suggests research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting. Improvements in anesthesia care have made pain control during labor safer, reducing risks related to eating,…