Combing optical coherence tomography (OCT) with another advanced imaging technology may more accurately identify coronary artery plaques that are most likely to rupture and cause a heart attack. In a report being published online in JACC Cardiovascular Imaging, investigators from the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) describe the first use in patients of a catheter-based device utilizing both OCT and near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) imaging.
Culture
March 9, 2016 - Transplantation of the periorbital tissues--the area surrounding the eyes--is a "technically feasible" alternative to protect a functioning eye in some patients being considered for facial transplant, according to a study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery--Global Open®, the official open-access medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Globally declining fish populations are a frequently cited ecological and commercial calamity, but relatively little attention has been paid to the specific threats faced by fish that gather and spawn in large groups, says Yvonne Sadovy, writing in an article for BioScience. The marine scientist, affiliated with the University of Hong Kong and Science and Conservation of Fish Aggregations (SCRFA), outlines the challenges unique to these populations.
March 9, 2016 - What's the best approach to mental health treatment for refugees with posttraumatic symptoms? One clinic with extensive experience in managing traumatized refugees recommends a medical approach combining psychoactive medications, long-term psychotherapy, and screening and treatment for associated health issues, according to a paper in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice, published by Wolters Kluwer.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - In the past two decades, the Chinese economy has undergone drastic reforms in an effort to compete more effectively on the international market. These reforms included the creation and proliferation of a Chinese stock market. Since China is largest creditor for the U.S., the two nations' economies are tightly intertwined, with positive or negative effects from either economy affecting the other.
In a study published online by JAMA Cardiology, Fred H. Edwards, M.D., of the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville, and colleagues developed a statistical model to predict risk of in-hospital death after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), based on more than 13,000 patients who underwent this procedure.
John A. Dodson, M.D., M.P.H., of the New York University School of Medicine, and colleagues conducted a study that included 31,951 U.S. veterans with atrial fibrillation, 75 years or older, who were new referrals to Veterans Affairs (VA) anticoagulation clinics (for warfarin therapy) between 2002 and 2012. The study was published online by JAMA Cardiology.
HOUSTON - (March 8, 2016) - Approximately 25 percent of Texans say they lack confidence in understanding some of the most basic terminology about health insurance plans, according to a new report released today by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF). The report found uninsured, low-income and Hispanic Texans were least likely to understand health-plan terms like "premium," "copayment" and "provider network."
WHAT:
HANOVER, N.H. - March 8, 2016 - Black young adults not only have substantially more student loan debt than their white counterparts (68.2 percent more) but are not nearly as protected by their parents' wealth as their white counterparts, according to a study recently published in Race and Social Problems. (A pdf of the study is available upon request).
Bioengineers and physicians at the University of California, San Diego have developed a potential new therapy for critical limb ischemia, a condition that causes extremely poor circulation in the limbs and leads to an estimated 230,000 amputations every year in North America and Europe alone to prevent the spread of infection and tissue death. The new therapy could prevent or limit amputations for a condition that affects more than 27 million people and is a manifestation of advanced peripheral arterial disease.
Tampa, Fla. - The current issue of Technology and Innovation, Journal of the National Academy of Inventors has a special section devoted to presentations from the Fourth Annual Conference of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) held March 19-20, 2015, at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California.
A new Pacific-Rim trade agreement threatens future access to affordable medicines in the United States and abroad. Buried in 6,000-plus pages of text, annexes, and side letters, there are multiple provisions—complex in their articulation, but simple in their effect: they dramatically increase monopoly protections for the transnational originator pharmaceutical industry.
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Antidepressants, commonly used to treat anxiety, pain and other disorders, may play a role in dental implant failure, according to a new pilot study by University at Buffalo researchers.
The research found that the use of antidepressants increased the odds of implant failure by four times. Each year of antidepressant use doubled the odds of failure.
While these drugs are often used to manage mood and emotions, a side effect decreases the regulation of bone metabolism, which is crucial to the healing process.
BUFFALO, N.Y. - The best time to identify signs of obstructive sleep apnea may not be at night while snoozing in bed but, instead, while sitting in the dentist's chair.
According to a new study led by University at Buffalo orthodontic researcher Thikriat Al-Jewair, dentists are in the unique position as health care professionals to pinpoint signs of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep due to blocked upper airways.