Culture

CHICAGO – Among patients with stable cardiovascular disease who have a genetic variation that diminishes the response to the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel, tripling the standard daily dosage of this medication resulted in improved platelet reactivity, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being released early online to coincide with its presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

With three people on the kidney transplant list dying in the UK every day, should doctors encourage their patients to put themselves at risk for the benefit of others? Two experts debate the issue on bmj.com today.

Associate Professor Walter Glannon from the University of Calgary argues that, although living kidney donation is relatively safe, "this does not imply that doctors should encourage healthy adults who are their patients to donate a kidney to a stranger."

Prior to the 1984 passage of a uniform drinking-age limit of 21 years in the U.S., many states permitted the legal purchase of alcohol at age 18. These lower drinking ages have been associated with several adverse outcomes such as higher rates of suicide and homicide among youth. A new study of individuals who were legally permitted to drink before the age of 21 has found they remain at elevated risk for suicide and homicide as adults, particularly women born after 1960.

CHICAGO – Among patients who experienced an ischemic stroke, systolic blood pressure levels of less than 120 mm Hg, or higher than 140 mm Hg, were associated with an increased risk of subsequent stroke, according to a study appearing in the November 16 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on cardiovascular disease. This issue is being released early online to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

A blood-based gene expression test was found to be more effective for ruling out obstructive coronary artery disease in stable symptomatic patients than myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), a common test that uses a radioactive agent to evaluate the blood flow and function of the heart.

Study results were presented today at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2011 conference in Orlando, Fla.

Does the use of housing vouchers lead to crime?

What are the odds of victimization within prison populations?

These and other research topics will be presented by University of Cincinnati criminal justice faculty at the Nov. 16-19 American Society of Criminology Meeting in Washington, D.C. In all, UC – which houses one of the nation's top-ranked criminal justice programs – will present 41 papers or posters.

University of Cincinnati researchers have examined calls for police service from apartment complexes, rental units, extended-stay hotels/motels and shopping centers in several Ohio communities in order to identify geographic areas most in need of assistance and suggest programs to reduce call volume.

For instance, in Middletown, Ohio, the researchers initially analyzed police calls for service to determine whether residents in Section 8 housing required a disproportionate amount of police resources.

Oprah got this one right; consumers like being told what to buy, at least when it comes to pleasurable products or services, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. However, banks and insurance agencies should mind their manners.

Consumers who believe they are making progress toward their goals are motivated by limited product variety, unlike people who think they are further from their goals, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Certain emotions are heightened when we view ourselves from a first-person perspective, while others amplify when we observe ourselves from the outside, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Community rehabilitation interventions for stroke patients have not had a great track record of delivering measurable improvements. But new research from New Zealand focused on Maori and Pacific populations shows how a cheap and simple intervention that puts the patient and families in charge can make a difference to their quality of life. The study can be found in the journal Clinical Rehabilitation, which is published by SAGE.

Sophia Antipolis, 15 November 2011: People taking anti-psychotic drugs and anti-depressant drugs have a much higher risk of dying during an acute coronary event of a fatal arrhythmia than the rest of the population, finds a Finnish study published in the European Heart Journal.1

The study showed that the combined use of both antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs was associated with an even greater risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) during a coronary event.

A new study published in the Journal for Healthcare Quality reveals that a multifaceted quality initiative can significantly reduce adverse obstetric outcomes, thereby improving patient safety and enhancing staff and patient experiences.

Led by Adiel Fleischer, MD, Chairman of Ob/Gyn at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center, researchers designed a program to improve perinatal safety initiatives.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- In patients whose bad cholesterol is very well-controlled by statins for a long time period, the addition of high-dose, extended release niacin did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke.

That is the finding being reported today (Nov. 15) at the American Heart Association annual meeting by the study's co-principal investigator, University at Buffalo professor of medicine William E. Boden, MD; the results are also being published as the lead article in today's New England Journal of Medicine.

Spanish researchers have uncovered clear links between erectile dysfunction (ED) and peripheral neuropathy, according to a paper in the December issue of the urology journal BJUI.

"Up to now the impact of damaged nerves in the peripheral nervous system on ED has been underestimated" says lead author Dr ConsueloValles-Antuña, from the Department of Neurophysiology at the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias in Oviedo.