Latest American Medical Association Stories

In the first nationwide study of stray-bullet shootings, Garen Wintemute, professor of emergency medicine and director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center, quantifies mortality and injury among victims of these unexpected events. His research is published as a letter in the August 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association."Stray-bullet shootings create fear and insecurity in many communities," said Wintemute. "People...

Study reported in Journal of the American Medical AssociationA new study shows that removing lymph nodes due to the presence of occult, or microscopic, cancer cells found in the sentinel lymph node "“ the one closest to the tumor -- has no impact on survival outcomes of women with early-stage breast cancer. The principal investigator of the study is Armando E. Giuliano, MD, of Cedars-Sinai, who already is renowned for his clinical expertise and for his seminal research on lymph node removal...

New study suggests lower calorie foods purchased in restaurants contain more calories than listedDisclosing the calories in restaurant foods to customers holds promise as a strategy to lower the nation's obesity rate. However, a new study of food items from national chain restaurants found that while stated calories on restaurant menus and websites were accurate on average, 19% of individual samples differed from laboratory measurements by more than 100 calories and lower calorie foods tended...

CHICAGO, July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the recognized leader in children's oral health, welcomes the attention and the awareness of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to improving access to oral health care, especially for the most vulnerable children. The mission of the AAPD is to promote optimal oral health for all children, and our members are the frontline providers of oral health care for the nation's infants, children,...

A multi-institutional report published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association sheds new light on how often, and at what age, a patient's family history of cancer should be updated to ensure he or she is appropriately screened and has the best chance of early detection.Through the Cancer Genetics Network, a United States population-based cancer registry, a team of statisticians, clinicians, oncologists and geneticists reviewed data on family history of cancer...

Updating histories particularly important for patients aged 30 to 50Among the most important determinants of an individual's risk of cancer is family history, and the details of that history "“ whether and at what ages close relatives were diagnosed with particular tumors "“ can affect recommendations for screening examinations such as colonoscopies and mammograms. In the July 13 Journal of the American Medical Association a multi-institutional research team reports that changes in family...

Journal of the American College of Surgeons study reports new growth is needed in supply of physicians, physician assistants and advance practice nurses to meet demands of health-care reformOne consequence of the expanded access to health care facilitated by health care reform will be a shortfall in the necessary numbers of physicians and other advanced medical professionals. According to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, the United States...

Researchers have found that women who stay fit, eat healthier, do not smoke, and maintain a healthy weight may have a greater chance of avoiding risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association, and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that each positive lifestyle choice was linked to the lower risk of sudden cardiac death, and when all factors were added together, the chance of SCD dropped...

In the first national study to examine care at critical access hospitals (CAHs) in rural areas of the U.S., Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that CAHs have fewer clinical capabilities, lower quality of care, and worse patient outcomes compared with other hospitals. The researchers found that patients admitted to a CAH for heart attack, congestive heart failure, or pneumonia were at greater risk of dying within 30 days than those at other hospitals. The study shows that...

NEW YORK, June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) joined the American Medical Association (AMA) in urging advertisers to promote healthy media images. The AMA, the largest association of physicians and medical students in the United States, voted yesterday to adopt a new policy to "encourage advertising associations to work with public and private sector organizations concerned with child and adolescent health to develop guidelines for...