The way forward. Possible new challenges for a surviving primary care
Francesco Carelli Professor of Family Medicine, University of Milan and Rome EURACT Council, Director of Communications Family doctors are better placed than other professions to see what is wrong with all parts of healthcare and better placed to recognise the value of collaborative solutions. Most…
How Have HPV Vaccines Affected Cervical Cancer Screening?
A new review looks at cervical cancer screening in the era of HPV vaccination. The review notes that trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of vaccines against HPV infection, but the complete effect of HPV vaccination as a cancer prevention strategy may not be…
Does stress lead to lengthier periods of sick leave?
The duration of a person’s unfitness for work is determined by more than his/her primary diagnosis. Patients often report psychological problems and a feeling of being burnt out. Antonius Schneider and colleagues analyzed whether an association exists between such psychological symptoms and the length of…
Infections, other factors raise risk of pregnancy-related stroke in women with preeclampsia
Urinary tract infections, chronic high blood pressure and bleeding or clotting disorders may increase the risk of pregnancy-associated stroke in women with preeclampsia, a high-blood pressure disorder unique to pregnancy, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke.
Long-Term Use of Aspirin Doesn’t Lower Risk of Stroke in Some Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
A new study by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City found that using long-term aspirin therapy to prevent strokes among patients who are considered to be at low risk for stroke may not be effective as previously thought.The study…
Statins: no increase in muscle-related side effects in patients who are unaware they are taking the drug, analysis finds
When patients were unaware they were taking statins there was no reported increase in muscle-related symptoms. But, when patients knew they were taking a statin, they were more likely to report symptoms, a finding consistent with the nocebo effect.
Newly prescribed sleeping pills increase risk of hip fracture
Older people newly prescribed sleeping pills like benzodiazepines and ‘Z-drugs’ have over double the odds of a hip fracture in the first two weeks compared with non-users, according to a new study by researchers at Cardiff University and King’s College London.
Energy drinks linked to more heart, blood pressure changes than caffeinated drinks alone
Drinking 32 ounces of a commercially available energy drink resulted in more profound changes in the heart’s electrical activity and blood pressure than drinking 32 ounces of a control drink with the same amount of caffeine – 320 milligrams (mg), according to new research in…
Symptoms of cystitis probably caused by bacterial infection, even when tests are negative
The majority of women suffering with pain when urinating, or needing to urinate often or urgently probably do have a bacterial infection, even when nothing is detected by standard urine testing.Symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI) such as cystitis are common in women but,…
Night-time urination reduced by cutting salt in diet
Nocturia – which affects most people over the age of 60 – is related to the amount of salt in your diet, according to new research presented at the European Society of Urology congress.
Mathematicians predict delaying school start times won’t help sleep deprived teenagers
Insufficient sleep during the week, and attempts to catch up at the weekend lead to ‘social jet lag’, study finds.Delaying school start times in the UK is unlikely to reduce sleep deprivation in teenagers, research from the University of Surrey and Harvard Medical School has…
Spiritual retreats change feel-good chemical systems in the brain; May prime for spiritual experiences
More people than ever are turning to spiritual, meditative and religious retreats as a way to reset their daily life and enhance wellbeing. Now, researchers at The Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University show there are changes in the dopamine and serotonin…