A study of thousands of patients’ health records found that those who were prescribed cholesterol-lowering statins had at least double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The detailed analysis of health records and other data from patients in a private insurance plan in the Midwest provides a real-world picture of how efforts to reduce […]
First step towards a better prosthetic leg? Trip people over and over: Device to capture stumble response
Andrés Martínez strode briskly on the treadmill, staring straight ahead and counting backwards by seven from 898, a trick to keep his brain from anticipating the literal stumbling block heading his way: a compact 35 pounds of steel specifically designed to make him fall. Special goggles kept him from looking down. Arrows on an eye-level […]
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation in non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Benefit remains unclear
The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has investigated whether patients suffering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma have (better) chances of recovery when stem cells from another person are transplanted. In its final report now presented, the Institute concludes that it is not possible to make statements on the benefit of this high-risk […]
People with benign skin condition willing to trade time, money to cure disorder: New study highlights the substantial effect that condition has on quality of life
People with benign hyperpigmentation (the darkening or increase in the natural color of the skin), are willing to pay (WTP) nearly 14 percent of their monthly income and approximately 90 minutes a day to cure their condition. The study involved 85 adults with skin hyperpigmentation who were surveyed on the number of hours per day […]
What’s causing your vertigo? Goggles may help with diagnosis
Vertigo is a form of severe dizziness that can result in a loss of balance, a feeling of falling, trouble walking or standing, or nausea. There is more than one type of vertigo, each with a different cause, and sometimes requiring different treatment. Now a proof-of-concept study has found that special goggles that measure eye […]
Movement toward a stool test for liver cirrhosis
For the estimated 100 million U.S. adults and children living with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), whether or not they have liver cirrhosis, or scarring, is an important predictor for survival. Yet it’s difficult and invasive to detect liver cirrhosis before it is well advanced. In an effort to quickly and easily identify people at […]
Experts set out targets to eliminate tuberculosis within a generation: Tuberculosis can be treated, prevented and cured, yet it kills 1.6 million people a year, more people than any other infectious disease
A world free of tuberculosis (TB) is possible by 2045 if increased political will and financial resources are directed towards priority areas including providing evidence-based interventions to everyone, especially to high risk groups, and increasing research to develop new ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent TB. Funding this response will require substantial investments, and accountability […]
Older patients with Crohn’s disease benefit from new medications
Combining medications that suppress the immune system has been successful in treating young patients with Crohn’s disease, but some physicians have been reluctant to use this strategy in older patients because of concerns about safety. Now an Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics study indicates that older patients can be safely and effectively treated with such combined […]
Toilet seat that detects congestive heart failure getting ready to begin commercialization: Researchers developed the seats to measure biometrics during ‘natural’ processes
With 1 million new cases of congestive heart failure diagnosed each year, a revolutionary product is making it easier for hospitals to monitor patients with the condition in the comfort of their own homes. A toilet-seat based cardiovascular monitoring system created by a team of Rochester Institute of Technology researchers aims to lower the hospital […]
Deep brain stimulation provides sustained relief for severe depression
Patients suffering from severe, treatment-resistant depression can benefit not only acutely but also the long-term from deep brain stimulation, as researchers from the Medical Center — University of Freiburg and their colleagues from the University Hospital Bonn demonstrate in a current study. The team used thin electrodes to stimulate a deep seated part of the […]