Medical News

• share
• favorite_border

Although a goal of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act was to provide Medicaid patients with a source of nonemergency care outside of hospital emergency departments (EDs), researchers suggest that these newly enrolled patients will likely continue to look to EDs for treatment of chronic diseases and other nonemergency issues, despite state attempts to impose fees on ED visits. Health policy researchers suggest in a new Perspective published in the New England Journal of Medicine that patient-centered medical homes may be more effective in reducing the number of Medicare patients seeking nonemergency care in EDs than increasing the cost of the visits.

• share
• favorite_border

Melanoma patients with high levels of a protein that controls the expression of pro-growth genes are less likely to survive, according to a new study.

• share
• favorite_border

Scientists from the Weizmann Institute and the University of Bergen have found that a hereditary autoimmune disease (autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1), thought to be very rare, may have a less severe form that affects at least one in 1,000 people. The results suggest that other autoimmune conditions may be tied to mutations in a single gene.

• share
• favorite_border

Men with an elevated, genetically inherited risk for prostate cancer could be routinely identified with a simple blood or urine test, scientists at UC San Francisco and Kaiser Permanente Northern California have concluded, potentially paving the way to better or earlier diagnosis. The study, which included 7,783 men with prostate cancer and 38,595 without the disease, is available online and will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Cancer Discovery.

• share
• favorite_border

Metastatic colorectal cancer patients tend to live longer when they respond to the first line of chemotherapy their doctors recommend. To better predict how patients will respond to chemotherapy drugs before they begin treatment, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine conducted a proof-of-principle study with a small group of metastatic colorectal cancer patients. The results revealed two genes that could help physicians make more informed treatment decisions for patients with this disease.

• share
• favorite_border

Patients with acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis responded well to therapies similar to those used to treat autoimmune diseases, suggesting that autoantibodies may play an important role in patients with acute exacerbations of IPF, a devastating lung disease.

• share
• favorite_border

Early age at menarche, or first menstrual cycle, could play a role in the disproportionate incidence of estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancers diagnosed among African-American women, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

• share
• favorite_border

A genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis (NF) causes benign tumors to grow on the brain, spinal cord, and other parts of the nervous system. There are no effective drugs to prevent or reverse NF.

• share
• favorite_border

Physicians have a responsibility to provide recommendations to families of dying patients, a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine critical care physician writes in the journal Chest.

• share
• favorite_border

Now research conducted in fruit flies, rats and monkeys by scientists at Johns Hopkins, UC San Diego, and other institutions reveals that levels of a protein called vinculin increase with age to alter the shape and performance of cardiac muscle cells — a healthy adaptive change that helps sustain heart muscle vitality over many decades.

• share
• favorite_border

In a finding that furthers the understanding of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), researchers from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles discovered two locations where a single difference in HIV’s genetic code altered the way the virus infected the cell, thereby influencing the progression of the disease.

• share
• favorite_border

Brain surgery is famously difficult for good reason: When removing a tumor, for example, neurosurgeons walk a tightrope as they try to take out as much of the cancer as possible while keeping crucial brain tissue intact — and visually distinguishing the two is often impossible. Now Johns Hopkins researchers report they have developed an imaging technology that could provide surgeons with a color-coded map of a patient’s brain showing which areas are and are not cancer.

• share
• favorite_border

Higher consumption of dietary trans fatty acids (dTFA), commonly used in processed foods to improve taste, texture and durability, has been linked to worsened memory function in men 45 years old and younger, according to a University of California, San Diego School of Medicine study published online on June 17 in PLOS ONE.

• share
• favorite_border

Today AACC released a position statement endorsing efforts within the healthcare community to improve patient outcomes by personalizing medical care. The statement emphasizes the central role that innovative laboratory tests play in precision medicine, and stresses the need for policymakers and insurers to adopt policies that ensure access to and appropriate reimbursement for these tests so that patients can benefit from targeted treatments.

• share
• favorite_border

Infants and children who are given prescription acid-reducing medications face a substantially higher risk of developing Clostridium difficile infection, a potentially severe colonic disorder.

• share
• favorite_border

For those wishing to lose weight and keep it off, here’s a simple strategy that works: step on a scale each day and track the results.

• share
• favorite_border

The first comprehensive national review of breast-conserving therapy (BCT) shows that over the last 13 years rates of this treatment modality for early-stage breast cancer have increased at a steady pace. However, the review also highlights important demographic factors that impact which patients have access to BCT.

• share
• favorite_border

Diabetics who exercise can trim waist size and body fat, and control blood glucose, even if they don’t see cardiorespiratory benefits, new research by UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiologists shows.

• share
• favorite_border

As many begin to spend long summer days outside, it’s crucial to have the right information about skin protection and the dangers of sun exposure. Today, Montefiore dermatologist Dr. Holly Kanavy debunks many widely-shared myths regarding skin care and offers accurate information to help people enjoy the outdoors this summer while preserving their skin.

• share
• favorite_border

An NIBIB-funded researcher has developed a new technique that creates digital pictures of a tissue’s chemical composition using light and a computer. The technique replaces the need for dyes or stains, which can be costly and require significant time and effort to apply.