Body

Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2014 – New cancer therapies, particularly agents that block vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling, have improved the outlook for patients with some cancers and are now used as a first line therapy for some tumors. However, almost 100% of patients who take VEGF inhibitors (VEGFIs) develop high blood pressure, and a subset develops severe hypertension.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – When children struggle with focusing on tasks, staying organized, controlling their behavior and sitting still, they may be evaluated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Clinicians, however, shouldn't stop there, according to a study to be presented Tuesday, May 6, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Researchers found that many children with ADHD also face challenges such as poverty, divorce, neighborhood violence and substance abuse among family members.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Turning the TV off during mealtimes to help prevent childhood obesity may need to start even before a child is born, according to a study to be presented Tuesday, May 6, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Research has demonstrated a link between screen violence and real-world aggression, both in traditional media like violent movies and in newer media including first-person shooter games. Minimizing exposure to virtual violence will not completely eliminate acts of aggression, but it is an important strategy to investigate, according to experts presenting a session on the topic Tuesday, May 7, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Annual Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Some children with autism appear to be developing normally when they are very young. They babble or even talk, make eye contact with their parents, and crawl and walk on schedule. Then suddenly, these skills seem to vanish.

Described as developmental regression, this loss of language, motor or social skills occurs more often in black and Hispanic children compared to white children, according to a study to be presented Tuesday, May 6, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

High caffeine consumption may lead to severe hypertension in patients taking monoamine oxidase (MOA) inhibitors for atypical depression and other disorders, according to a patient observation being published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

The authors reported a case of severe hypertension in a 56-year-old man taking an MAO inhibitor for major depressive disorder in increasing doses to 50 mg twice daily. In the days after his last dose increase, he began to have progressively severe headaches, difficulty concentrating, and his blood pressure exceeded 100/110 mm Hg.

A common practice for patients with multiorgan failure in intensive care units (ICUs) may actually increase the risk of patient death, according to research published today in the online issue of the Journal of Parenteral and External Nutrition (JPEN).

Researchers with the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group found that patients who received glutamine supplements either alone or combined with antioxidants had a significantly higher mortality rate than those who did not receive supplements.

An international team of researchers has, for the first time, identified an avian influenza virus in a group of Adélie penguins from Antarctica. The virus, found to be unlike any other circulating avian flu, is described in a study published this week in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

New studies provide fresh evidence that the same factors that lead to diabetes contribute to low milk supply in some new mothers.

In a study to be presented May 5, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center researchers discovered that problems with mothers' insulin metabolism may affect their milk production. The study found that women diagnosed with low milk supply were 2.5 times more likely to have experienced gestational diabetes compared to women seen at the clinic solely because their infants were having problems latching onto the breast.

Eczema caused by defects in the skin could reduce the risk of developing skin cancer, according to new research by King's College London. The immune response triggered by eczema could help prevent tumour formation by shedding potentially cancerous cells from the skin.

Boston, MA — In the first four years after Massachusetts instituted comprehensive health reform in 2006, mortality in the state decreased by 2.9% compared with similar populations in states that didn't expand health coverage, according to a new study led by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers. They estimated that Massachusetts' health reform law, which provided near-universal coverage, has prevented approximately 320 deaths per year—one life saved for each 830 people gaining insurance.

Certain strains of Salmonella bacteria such as Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) are among of the most common causes of food-borne gastroenteritis. Other strains of Salmonella such as S. Typhi are responsible for typhoid fever, which causes 200,000 deaths around the world each year. Ensuring food is clear of contamination, and water is clean are key to reducing the effects Salmonella can have, but we also need more effective ways to combat Salmonella once it's inside our bodies.

Hispanic seniors are 35 percent less likely to have prescription drug coverage despite the existence of the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan – also known as Part D – and the availability of assistance to help pay insurance premiums. That is the finding of a study released today in the journal Health Affairs.

Age and testing of hip bone mineral density (BDM) when postmenopausal women discontinue bisphosphonate therapy can help predict the likelihood of fractures over the next five years.

Karen Smith-McCune, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of California, San Francisco, writes: "The updated guidelines leave physicians and other clinicians with a question: is cotesting with Pap-plus-HPV testing truly preferred over Pap testing alone (the American Cancer Society/the American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology/the American Society of Clinical Pathology recommendation), or are the options equivalent (the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation)?"