Latest The New England Journal Stories
Clinical study in over 4,000 subjects finds blood TMAO levels linked to increased risk of heart disease, even in the absence of known cardiovascular risks A microbial byproduct of intestinal bacteria contributes to heart disease and serves as an accurate screening tool for predicting future risks of heart attack, stroke and death in persons not otherwise identified by traditional risk factors and blood tests, according to Cleveland Clinic research published today in The New England Journal...
Study details SCCA's plan to honor both patients' wishes and voters' mandate By the end of 2011, most of the 255 Washington residents who received a prescription for lethal medication to end their lives under the state's Death with Dignity Act had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Of those, 40 were patients at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, part of the Pacific Northwest's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Because several states are considering...
Earlier therapy enhances restoration of CD4+ T-cell counts Patients who are started on antiretroviral therapy for HIV-1 infection within four months of estimated infection date — and who have higher counts of CD4+ T-cells at the initiation of therapy — demonstrate a stronger recovery of CD4+ T-cell counts than patients in whom therapy is started later, a new study shows. The report, to be published Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine, is co-authored by physicians of UT...
Preventing postoperative delirium may improve recovery of cognitive ability in cardiac patients Older patients undergoing cardiac surgery often experience changes in cognitive function, such as memory problems or an inability to focus, in the days immediately following their operations. While these changes are usually temporary, for unknown reasons, a significant number of cardiac patients will encounter long-term cognitive problems, lasting as long as a year after their surgeries. Now,...
A multicenter study involving a UT Southwestern Medical Center urogynecologist will eliminate some of the guesswork physicians face about whether to use a sling during vaginal prolapse repair to prevent urinary incontinence. The clinical investigation from eight medical centers across the U.S. provides the first surgical outcome evidence on the benefits and risks of midurethral slings for women with vaginal prolapse who show no symptoms of urinary incontinence before surgery. One in...
A new analysis of popular bone-building drugs by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could prompt millions of women to rethink their use of such drugs, even though the agency fell short of issuing specific recommendations. The FDA said doctors need to reassess which women are likely to benefit from bisphosphonates such as Fosamax, Actonel and Reclast, given the lack of concrete evidence that taking them over long periods really helps them and the possibility that they can put some...
A new topical gel now available by prescription significantly decreases the amount of time needed to treat actinic keratosis, a skin condition that is a common precursor to skin cancer, according to a multi-center trial led by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The gel, called ingenol mebutate, is applied to the skin for just a few days, making it quicker and even more effective as current therapies require weeks to months to apply. The Phase III study results of the trial are...
The cost of medications through Medicare's subsidized prescription drug program varies from region to region across the United States largely due to the use of more expensive brand-name drugs and not because of the amount of drugs prescribed, according to a study led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH). The authors said that more efficient prescribing practices could have saved the Medicare program and its beneficiaries $4.5 billion. The...
Norovirus VLP vaccine is first ever to demonstrate significant protection against acute norovirus gastroenteritis in Phase I/II study LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that its experimental vaccine provided significant protection against norovirus infection and related gastrointestinal illness collectively known as acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Norovirus infection, sometimes referred to as "the stomach flu" is one of the most common causes of severe nausea, vomiting, abdominal...
Offers Guidance on Risk Factors, Possible Causes and Interventions to Help Prevent Sudden, Unexpected Death in Epilepsy Over time, epileptic seizures can lead to major health issues, including significant cognitive decline and even death, warns Orrin Devinsky, MD, professor, Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgeryand Psychiatryat NYU Langone Medical Center. In a review article in the November 10, 2011 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Devinsky addresses the magnitude of...
