Falls, bicycle crashes, burns, motorized vehicle accidents and near-drownings are the leading causes of hospitalization for American children during the summer, experts say. These types of incidents are both predictable and preventable, according to Dr. Kathy Nuss, associate medical director of trauma services at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and colleagues.  Read More →

A two-step procedure that uses nanoparticles to first scrub plaque out of arteries and then inserts stem cells to promote healing of those arteries may one day help individuals with atherosclerosis, new research suggests. “One of the problems of removing plaque [with current methods such as angioplasty] is that there is damage to the underlying wall,” explained Dr. Edward A. Fisher, director of the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular... 

A revolutionary medical dressing that can detect and treat infection in wounds is being developed by an international team of scientists. When the dressing detects infection-related bacteria, it will release antibiotics from tiny embedded capsules, the researchers explained. The dressing will also change color in order to alert health-care providers that there is infection in the wound.  Read More →

The ubiquitous virus linked to cervical, vaginal and throat cancers may also raise the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer, a new study suggests. The risk from human papillomavirus (HPV) seen in a new study was even higher if people are taking drugs such as glucocorticoids to suppress the immune system, according to new research by an international team led by Dr. Margaret Karagas of Dartmouth... 

New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, people with diabetes and coronary artery disease do not have fewer strokes or heart attacks when their blood pressure is maintained under 130 mm Hg.  Read More →

Adding to the ongoing debate on the usefulness of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test for prostate cancer, new research from Sweden finds the screen cuts lives lost to the disease by almost half. The argument over whether PSA screening saves men’s lives or merely leads to the overdiagnosis of very slow-growing cancers (with attendant worry and overtreatment) has bedeviled the medical world for years.  Read More →

New research published in the medical journal The Lancet has found that diabetes appears to double the risk of death from heart attack, stroke, or other heart condition.  Read More →

Many older men take testosterone supplements in an attempt to treat such medical conditions as low sex drive, and scientists say these men may be unknowingly compromising their health.  Read More →

Although diabetes raises the chances of developing heat illness, many people with the condition don’t know how to reduce their risk, a new Mayo Clinic survey reveals. “People with diabetes have an impaired ability to sweat, which predisposes them to heat-related illness, as do uncontrolled high blood sugars,” lead researcher Dr. Adrienne Nassar, a third-year medical resident at Mayo, said in a news release from the Endocrine Society.... 

Drinking coffee or tea in moderation reduces the risk of developing heart disease, and both high and moderate tea drinking reduces the risk of dying from the condition, according to a large-scale study from Dutch researchers. The study, led by physicians and researchers at the University Medical Center Utrecht, examined data on coffee and tea consumption from 37,514 residents of The Netherlands who were followed for 13 years.  Read More →

Extended antiviral treatment after a lung transplant may help prevent dangerous complications and organ rejection, a new study from Duke University Medical Center shows. A common cause of infection in lung transplant recipients is cytomegalovirus (CMV), which often causes mild effects but can be life-threatening for transplant patients. Standard preventive therapy involves taking the drug valganciclovir (Valcyte) for up to three months. But even... 

New research published in the British Medical Journal suggests that getting low-dose hormone replacement therapy through a skin patch reduces a woman’s risk of having a stroke.  Read More →

A new report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that while the number of Americans who have high blood pressure has not declined, more people who have the condition have it under control.  Read More →

Effective but expensive biologic drugs are less likely to be used by American rheumatoid arthritis patients who have inadequate health insurance or are struggling with medical co-payments, a new study reveals. Biologics, which alter immune system function, are sometimes used to treat rheumatoid arthritis when more conventional treatments don’t work.  Read More →

Title: Medical Devices Driving Up Heart Care Costs Category: Health News Created: 5/20/2010 4:10:00 PM Last Editorial Review: 5/21/2010  Read More →