Culture | Page 1776 | Science Codex

Screening for impaired vision in older adults

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has concluded that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for impaired visual acuity (clearness of vision) in adults age 65 years or older. The report appears in the March 1 issue of JAMA.

This is an I statement, indicating that evidence is lacking, of poor quality, or conflicting, and the balance of benefits and harms cannot be determined. An I statement is not a recommendation against screening but a call for more research.

Effectiveness of insulin regimens for patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes

In a study appearing in the March 1, 2016 issue of JAMA, John B. Buse, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, and colleagues compared the outcomes of once-daily injection of basal insulin (glargine) vs a once-daily injection of the combination of basal insulin degludec and the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist liraglutide in patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.

Combination injection improves glucose control for patients with type 2 diabetes

DALLAS - March. 1, 2016 - A multinational clinical trial led by UT Southwestern Medical Center and others found that injection of a new long-acting insulin combined with another drug improves glucose control in patients with Type 2 diabetes and, additionally, is associated with weight loss.

Youngest and oldest patients more likely to report pain, lower activity levels following

While all age groups report comparable improvement in range of motion following total knee replacement surgery (TKR), new research presented today at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that patients age 45 and younger, and those age 75 and older, report more pain and less activity following the procedure.

Drugs that treat osteoporosis also can cause small risk of thigh bone fractures

MAYWOOD, Ill. - Osteoporosis drugs have significantly reduced the risk of bone fractures for millions of people, but also have been linked to unusual fractures of the femur (thigh bone).

In the journal Current Geriatrics Reports, orthopaedic surgeons report the latest findings for treating these injuries, called atypical femur fractures.

The article is written by surgeons at Loyola University Medical Center and Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

One in two Americans have a musculoskeletal condition

An estimated 126.6 million Americans (one in two adults) are affected by a musculoskeletal condition--comparable to the total percentage of Americans living with a chronic lung or heart condition--costing an estimated $213 billion in annual treatment, care and lost wages, according to a new report issued today by the United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI).

Physician empathy a key driver of patient satisfaction

A study presented today at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), links patient-perceived physician empathy with improved outcomes and medical care satisfaction.

Whole-exome sequencing: A rational approach for 'diagnostic odyssey' patients

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- A new clinical study from the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine shows that whole-exome sequencing (WES) could serve as a viable diagnostic approach for identifying rare inherited diseases and providing a resolution for patients on a diagnostic odyssey. WES is a laboratory process that determines, all at once, the entire unique DNA sequence (i.e., the inherited genetic material) of an organism's genome.

Study: TXA safe and effective to reduce blood loss in joint replacement surgery

Blood loss and the need for a blood transfusion are major concerns in joint replacement surgery, but a new use for an old drug is proving effective in reducing blood loss and transfusion rates, according to a study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). The drug, tranexamic acid, or TXA, has been used for decades in heart surgery, to treat hemophilia and to stop excessive uterine bleeding.

New national study finds Crohn's disease diagnosis difficult to obtain and life altering

Philadelphia, March 1, 2016 - In a new national survey of Crohn's disease patients, Health Union reveals that it was not uncommon for patients to see multiple healthcare professionals (HCPs), have numerous office visits, and endure multiple diagnostic tests before receiving a diagnosis. Results demonstrate an impact on such things as the ability to work or exercise, but also on overall quality of life and social activities.

Doctor, patient expectations differ on fitness and lifestyle tracking

With apps and activity trackers measuring every step people take, every morsel they eat, and each symptom or pain, patients commonly arrive at doctor's offices armed with minutely detailed data they've been collecting about themselves.

Yet health care providers lack the capacity or tools to review five years of Fitbit logs or instantaneously interpret data from dozens of lifestyle, fitness or food tracking apps that a patient might have on a cell phone, according to new University of Washington research.

Risk of catching Ebola from survivor 'very low'

New research from the University of East Anglia shows that the risk of catching Ebola from a survivor is very low.

A study published today in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases shows that while the Ebola virus may persist for some considerable time in certain body locations, it is typically cleared from the blood within 16 days - meaning that the risk of infection from contact with a survivor is low.

A big exception to this however is transmission via sexual intercourse due to the virus' presence in semen for many months after a patient has otherwise recovered.

Study suggests lower income Ontario seniors less likely to access newly approved drugs

TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2016--Wealthier seniors in Ontario were prescribed a new blood thinner for a common heart rhythm abnormality 1.5 times more often than poorer seniors when the drug was first approved by Health Canada, a new study has found.

However, that inequity disappeared when the new drug, dabigatran (marketed as Pradaxa), was covered by the Ontario Drug Benefit Program 18 months later, followed by other provincial drug plans.

Childhood poverty, parental abuse cost adults their health for years to come

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Growing up in poverty or being abused by parents can lead to accumulated health problems later in life, according to research from Purdue University.

"Childhood disadvantage has long-term health consequences - much longer than most of us realize," said Kenneth F. Ferraro, distinguished professor of sociology. "A novel aspect of this study is that childhood disadvantage was linked to the onset of new health problems decades later."

NYU study defines social motivations of urban farms

Two thirds of urban farmers have a social mission that goes beyond food production and profits, finds new research led by NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

The study, published in the British Food Journal, shows that three of the four top reasons farmers grow in urban areas - food security, education, community building, and producing food for the market - have social motivations.