Pills of the Future: Nanoparticles
Drugs delivered by nanoparticles hold promise for targeted treatment of many diseases, including cancer. However, the particles have to be injected into patients, which has limited their usefulness so far.
Physician Entrepreneurs Are Key Contributors to New Medical Devices
Startup companies founded by physician entrepreneurs are an important source of patents used in developing innovative new medical devices, suggests a study in the May issue of Medical Care. “Device manufacturers gain more from the patents of physician-founded firms than from those of non-physician-founded firms…
Pharmacist-Directed Anticoagulation Service Can Impact Patient Satisfaction
As hospitals look for ways to improve patient satisfaction and boost their Medicare reimbursement, a Henry Ford Hospital study found that an inpatient pharmacist-directed anticoagulation service (PDAS) might be an unexpected opportunity. In a survey of 689 patients who received inpatient anticoagulant therapy, patient…
Pertussis Vaccine Only ‘Moderately Effective’ During Outbreak
Tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and reduced acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccines are only moderately effective against pertussis in adolescents and adults, according to a BMJ case-control study that includes data from the large California outbreak of 2010.
Q Fever in Malta
The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate has been informed of a farm where animals have tested positive for Q fever. We are in the process of screening possible exposed persons working in the farm. This is being sent for your information.
Metoclopramide in Pregnancy: More Reassuring Safety Data
A new study in JAMA adds to the growing evidence that metoclopramide may be safely used to treat severe nausea in pregnancy. Examining Danish registries, researchers matched some 40,000 pregnancies in which metoclopramide prescriptions were dispensed to roughly 150,000 unexposed pregnancies. The incidence of overall…
Metformin for Breast Cancer Less Effective at Higher Glucose Concentrations
A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published online this month in the journal Cell Cycle shows that breast cancer cell growth, motility and aggression is promoted by excess glucose, as experienced by patients with diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The study also showed that patients…
Men with Restless Legs Syndrome May Be at Higher Risk of Early Death
Men who experience restless legs syndrome (RLS) may have a higher risk of dying earlier, according to research that appears in the June 12, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The disorder is characterized by an irresistible…
Nearly One in Four Women Newly Diagnosed with Breast Cancer Report PTSD Symptoms
A study by researchers at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, has found that nearly one in four women (23 percent) newly diagnosed with breast cancer reported symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) shortly after diagnosis, with increased…
Music Therapy Reduces Anxiety, Use of Sedatives For Patients Receiving Ventilator Support
Among intensive care unit patients receiving acute ventilatory support for respiratory failure, use of patient-preferred music resulted in greater reduction in anxiety and sedation frequency and intensity compared with usual care, according to a study published online by JAMA. The study is being released early…
Musculoskeletal Conditions, Injuries May Be Associated with Statin Use
Using cholesterol-lowering statins may be associated with musculoskeletal conditions, arthropathies and injuries, according to a report published Online First by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. While statins effectively lower cardiovascular illnesses and death, the full spectrum of statin musculoskeletal adverse events (AEs) is…
Multivitamins with Minerals May Protect Older Women with Invasive Breast Cancer
Findings from a study involving thousands of postmenopausal women suggest that women who develop invasive breast cancer may benefit from taking supplements containing both multivitamins and minerals. The new research, published today in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, found that the risk of dying from…