The overall mortality in patients suffering non-neonatal tetanus is high. Efforts to reduce mortality in one sub-Saharan African intensive care unit (ICU) by implementing a standard tetanus protocol did little to change mortality rates, although they shifted causes of deaths, researchers have now reported in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Tetanus is a vaccine-preventable neglected disease […]
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Mongrel Mob gang opens up to New Zealand researchers for the good of their health
Studying the liver health of a high-risk, hard-to-reach gang population certainly came with challenges and a few surprises, a University of Otago academic says. The research, published today in Royal Society Open Science, assessed the hepatitis prevalence, knowledge, and liver health risk factors of 52 Mongrel Mob members, affiliates and extended family. Associate Professor Michael […]
Effects of deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson’s disease: Improved effects on motor function and fewer side effects possible
Researchers from Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin have studied motor and cognitive effects of deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Their results show that the adverse cognitive effects of deep brain stimulation are linked to a different neural pathway than that responsible for the treatment’s desired motor effects. This finding will help optimize treatments […]
How low is too low? Study highlights serious risks for intensive blood pressure control: Kaiser Permanente study finds aggressive blood pressure control efforts can lead to falls and fainting, especially in elderly patients
Kaiser Permanente research published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found if patients with hypertension taking prescribed medications experience unusually low blood pressures — systolic blood pressure under 110mmHg — they are twice as likely to experience a fall or faint as patients whose treated blood pressure remains 110mmHg and above. This research […]
Novel technology may enable more efficient atrial fibrillation monitoring and detection
Despite increasing awareness about atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke continues to be the first manifestation of AF in some patients. Therefore, early detection and regular heart monitoring are important for such patients. Current monitoring technology devices can be cumbersome, some are limited in duration and others are invasive, and many usually require a trip to the […]
New aid to help identify and manage patients with diabetes at increased risk of fracture
Fragility fractures are a serious yet neglected complication of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, with increased risk of fragility fractures in people with diabetes extending across the life span. This is a concern as, globally, the prevalence of diabetes in adults is expected to increase from almost 425 million today, to approximately 629 […]
Exercise shown to improve symptoms of patients with chronic kidney disease: Leicester’s Hospitals and University of Leicester lead research into CKD
Just 12 weeks of aerobic and strength-based exercise reduces symptoms and levels of fatigue in patients with chronic kidney disease, a study in Leicester has found. The study was carried out by Leicester’s Hospitals and University of Leicester Kidney Lifestyle Team, led by Professor Alice Smith. The researchers randomly divided 36 non-dialysis patients with chronic […]
Can radar replace stethoscopes? Procedure for touch-free monitoring of heart sounds
In conjunction with researchers at Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU) in Cottbus and the Department of Palliative Medicine at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, electronic engineers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have developed a procedure for reliably detecting and diagnosing heart sounds using radar. In future, mobile radar devices could replace conventional stethoscopes and permanent touch-free monitoring of patients’ […]
Men take care of their spouses just as well as women (new research suggests)
Men respond to their spouse’s illness just as much as women do and as a result are better caregivers in later life than previous research suggests, according to a new Oxford University collaboration. The study, published in Journals of Gerontology, Series B, is good news for our increasingly stretched adult care services, which have become […]
Over-the-counter drugs, dietary supplements and their effect on lab test results: Patients’ reluctance to disclose OTC drug use can lead to inaccurate test results
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and dietary supplements are widely used and popular, with US households spending an average of almost USD 350 annually on OTC products. In 2006 an average of EUR 67.50 was spent per person on OTC products in Germany. The use of various OTC drugs and dietary supplements is highly prevalent in Europe […]