Anti-osteoporotic medication is not an effective means for preventing hip fractures among the elderly, concludes a study recently published in the BMJ. According to Professor Teppo Järvinen from the University of Helsinki, who heads the research group, the prevalent assumption that brittle bones cause hip…

Using drugs for impotence does not increase the risk of malignant melanoma, researchers from Umeå University in Sweden conclude in a publication in JAMA, a top US medical journal. These results contradict previous research indicating such an association.Last year, a research team from Harvard University…

Weight-conscious consumers are often drawn to foods whose packaging suggests that they promote fitness. But according to a new study in the Journal of Marketing Research, such “fitness branding” encourages consumers to eat more of those foods and to exercise less, potentially undermining their efforts…

U-M study shows higher rate of sepsis within 90 days of hospitalization, especially after care that’s likely to alter the balance of microbes in the gut Can a routine hospital stay upset the balance of microbes in our bodies so much that it sets some…

Study compares treatments for women who had the common diagnosis DCIS Anastrozole provides a significant benefit compared with tamoxifen in preventing recurrence after a lumpectomy and radiation therapy in postmenopausal women ages 60 years or younger who had DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), a common…

Untreated high blood pressure, or hypertension, wreaks havoc on the body, leading to heart disease and stroke. New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham published in the journal Stroke shows that, although HBP medications are beneficial, it is as risky to wait for…

Largest-ever prospective study adds to evidence that HDL function is more important than HDL level HDL is the “good cholesterol” that helps remove fat from artery walls, reversing the process that leads to heart disease. Yet recent drug trials and genetic studies suggest that simply…

Many have recently questioned the efficacy of the most common antidepressant medications, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The conclusion that these drugs are ineffective is however partly based on a misinterpretation of the outcome of the clinical trials once conducted to demonstrate their efficacy….

Canisius study finds increased stress in lower-functioning children with autism Researchers at the Institute for Autism Research at Canisius College have found that functional level appears to play a critical role in the stress levels of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Specifically, lower-functioning children…

An analysis of the use of computerized clinical decision support systems regarding orders for advanced diagnostic imaging found that the systems failed to identify relevant appropriateness criteria for the majority of orders, according to a study in JAMA.Computerized clinical decision support (CDS) systems that match…

An analysis of approximately 3.8 million pregnancies finds that use of antidepressants late in pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), according to a study in the June 2 issue of JAMA. However, the absolute risk…

Use caution when considering anticoagulants, especially for older adults If a person over age 75, and taking an anticoagulant, the old standard may be the gold standard, Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have determined.In a study released online in April in the BMJ, a team…