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Most emergency department 'super-frequent users' have a substance abuse addiction

DETROIT – A vast majority of so-called "super-frequent user" patients who seek care in the Emergency Department (ED) have a substance abuse addiction, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

A patient is considered a super-frequent user who visits the ED at least 10 times a year.

ED physicians have long theorized that patients who frequent the ED for their care have a substance abuse addiction. Few studies have actually measured the rate of addiction of these patients.

The study's key findings:

RELAX-AHF: Poor diuretic response associated with worse clinical outcomes

Athens, 17 May 2014: Poor diuretic response is associated with worse in-hospital and post-discharge clinical outcomes, results of the RELAX-AHF trial reveal. The study also found that serelaxin has a neutral effect on diuretic response.

RELAX-AHF and PROTECT studies find targeting WHF may reduce readmissions and save lives

Athens, 17 May 2014: Worsening symptoms and signs of heart failure (WHF) in patients admitted to a hospital is a common sign of treatment failure and can lead to long-term consequences for the patient, including longer length of hospitalization and a higher risk for readmission and death, according to a late-breaking study (RELAX-AHF, PROTECT) presented in Athens at the ESC's Heart Failure Congress 2014

Negative iron balance predicts acute heart failure survival

Athens, 17 May 2014: Negative iron balance predicts survival in patients with acute heart failure, according to research presented for the first time today at the Heart Failure Congress 2014 in Athens, Greece. The Congress is the main annual meeting of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology.

Biomarker test for Peripartum Cardiomyopathy could help reduce death after giving birth

Athens, 17 May 2014: Cardiologists have discovered biomarkers that can be used to develop a screening test to detect Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a life-threatening disorder that is the primary cause of mortality in pregnant women in developing countries. The results, which can lead to the immediate treatment of PPCM in new mothers and a significant reduction in mortality, were presented at Heart Failure 2014, which opened the World Congress on Acute Heart Failure in Athens the 17 to the 20 May.

Sleeping pills increase CV events in heart failure patients

Athens, 17 May 2014: Sleeping pills increase the risk of cardiovascular events in heart failure patients by 8-fold, according to research from Japan. The study was presented today at the Heart Failure Congress 2014, held 17-20 May in Athens, Greece. The Congress is the main annual meeting of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology.

Non-invasive lithotripsy leads to more treatment for kidney stones

DURHAM, N.C. – When it comes to treating kidney stones, less invasive may not always be better, according to new research from Duke Medicine.

In a direct comparison of shock wave lithotripsy vs. ureteroscopy – the two predominant methods of removing kidney stones – researchers found that ureteroscopy resulted in fewer repeat treatments.

The findings were published May 16, 2014, in the journal JAMA Surgery, coinciding with presentation at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association.

Ataluren Phase 3 trial results in nonsense mutation cystic fibrosis

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ – May 16, 2014 – PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTCT) today announced that the results of a Phase 3 study of ataluren in patients with nonsense mutation cystic fibrosis (nmCF) were published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine. The results demonstrated positive trends in both the primary endpoint, lung function as measured by relative change in % predicted FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in one second) and in the secondary outcome measure, rate of pulmonary exacerbations.

Tiger moms: How Asian American mothers motivate their children

An article titled "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior," published in The Wall Street Journal in 2011, has continued to provoke a cultural debate among parents after self-proclaimed 'tiger mother' Amy Chua asserted that Asian American parenting methods produce more successful children. Researchers at Stanford University delved deeper into Chua's 'tiger mother' approach, and their research sheds light on key fundamental differences in parenting methods between Asian Americans and European Americans.

Ground breaking hip and stem cell surgery in Southampton

Doctors and scientists in Southampton have completed their first hip surgery with a 3D printed implant and bone stem cell graft.

The 3D printed hip, made from titanium, was designed using the patient's CT scan and CAD CAM (computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing) technology, meaning it was designed to the patient's exact specifications and measurements.

The implant will provide a new socket for the ball of the femur bone to enter. Behind the implant and between the pelvis, doctors have inserted a graft containing bone stem cells.

US foreclosures drive up suicide rate

HANOVER, N.H. – May 16, 2014 – The recent U.S. foreclosure crisis contributed significantly to the nation's jump in suicides, independent of other economic factors associated with the Great Recession, according to a study by Dartmouth and Purdue professors publishing Monday.

The study, publishing in the June issue of the American Journal of Public Health and available online now, is the first to ever show a correlation between foreclosure and suicide rates.

Male infertility linked to mortality in study led by Stanford researcher

STANFORD, Calif. — Men who are infertile because of defects in their semen appear to be at increased risk of dying sooner than men with normal semen, according to a study led by a researcher at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Men with two or more abnormalities in their semen were more than twice as likely to die over a roughly eight-year period as men who had normal semen, the study found.

Walking may have profound benefits for patients with kidney disease

Washington, DC (May 15, 2014) — For individuals with kidney disease, walking may help prolong life and reduce the risk of needing dialysis or a kidney transplant. That's the conclusion of a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

'Physician partners' free doctors to focus on patients, not paperwork

Primary care physicians already have enough administrative duties on their plates, and the implementation of electronic medical records has only added to their burden. As a result, they have less time to spend with their patients.

2 JAMA Ophthalmology studies focus on glaucoma medication adherence

Electronic monitoring to measure medication adherence by patients with glaucoma documented that a sizable number of patients did not regularly use the eye drops prescribed to them.

Topical medications for glaucoma lower intraocular pressure and can delay or slow the progression of the eye disease. Medication adherence is important.