Culture

Burdens related to poor sleep may put men with sleep apnea at increased risk of erectile dysfunction.

In a study of 713 male patients who visited Seoul National University Hospital for snoring and/or daytime sleepiness from 2006 to 2014, depressive symptoms and a low quality of life due to sleep problems were clearly linked to erectile dysfunction.

The findings suggest that psychological interventions may improve the sexual health of men with sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea may increase the risk of developing gout, a new study shows.

Among 9865 patients with newly-diagnosed sleep apnea and 43,598 comparators of similar weight, investigators identified 270 new cases of gout over one year of follow-up, resulting in incidence rates of 8.4/1000 and 4.8/1000 person-years, respectively. The increased risk of gout was 60% higher among patients with sleep apnea.

In recent years hospitals have been rapidly acquiring physician practices, a trend that could potentially lower health care spending--for example, through better coordination of inpatient and outpatient care--or increase spending by increasing prices or use of profitable hospital-based services.

Health care providers must have detailed discussions with their older adult patients to better determine their true life expectancy, as older adults do not accurately predict their own prognosis, a key factor in making decisions about future health interventions, according to researchers at UC San Francisco and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Their research letter appears online Oct. 19, 2015, in JAMA Internal Medicine.

New research from a team led by a psychologist at the University of Kent suggests that humans, like other species, can perceive certain scents as threatening.

Dr Arnaud Wisman, of the University's School of Psychology, found that putrescine, the chemical produced by decaying tissue of dead bodies, can produce a fight-or-flight response in humans.

In four different experiments, people were exposed consciously and non-consciously to putrescine.

Nanoparticles are ubiquitous in industrial applications ranging from drug delivery and biomedical diagnostics to developing hydrophobic surfaces, lubricant additives and enhanced oil recovery solutions in petroleum fields. For such nanoparticles to be effective, they need to remain well dispersed into the fluid surrounding them. In a study published in EPJ B, Brazilian physicists identified the conditions that lead to instability of nanoparticles and producing aggregates.

Excessive alcohol use continues to be a drain on the American economy, according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Excessive drinking cost the U.S. $249 billion in 2010, or $2.05 per drink, a significant increase from $223.5 billion, or $1.90 per drink, in 2006. Most of these costs were due to reduced workplace productivity, crime, and the cost of treating people for health problems caused by excessive drinking.

Climate variability is one of the major forces in the rise and fall of agrarian states in Mexico and Peru, according to a team of researchers looking at both climate and archaeological records.

"We are arguing that the climate information in both areas is good enough to establish that climate is playing some role in the rise and fall of these city states," said Douglas Kennett, professor of environmental archaeology. "Now we need to further refine the archaeological data."

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- In recent years, Florida State University College of Medicine researchers Angelina R. Sutin and Antonio Terracciano have found that people who experience weight discrimination are more likely to become or remain obese, to develop chronic health problems and to have a lower satisfaction with life.

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Young Latinos living in rural areas say they face discrimination when they obtain health care services - a factor that could contribute to disparities in their rates for obtaining medical care and in their health outcomes, a new study from Oregon State University has found.

Perceived discrimination is considered a barrier to obtaining health care services for underrepresented populations, including Latinos, according to lead researcher Daniel López-Cevallos, associate director of research for the Center for Latino/a Studies and Engagement at OSU.

PHILADELPHIA - Penn Medicine has performed more than 1,200 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacements (TAVR) on patients with severe aortic stenosis. Today, at the Transcatheter Cardiac Therapeutics conference in San Francisco, Howard C.

Patients newly diagnosed with cancer were less likely to participate in clinical trials if their annual household income was below $50,000, according to an article published online by JAMA Oncology.

Joseph M. Unger, Ph.D., of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, and coauthors used data from a survey of adult patients with new diagnoses of breast, lung or colorectal cancer. All patients were enrolled prior to making a treatment decision and then followed for six months to assess whether they participated in a clinical trial.

ATLANTA--State merit-based scholarships reduce the likelihood a student will earn a degree in a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) field, according to researchers at Georgia State University and Oklahoma State University.

Their study, published in the Journal of Labor Economics in October, examined the effect of state merit-based financial aid programs, such as Georgia's HOPE Scholarship, on students' choice of major.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - A new emergency department study from the University of Michigan Injury Center looks deeper at risk and protective factors among teenagers who report dating violence and alcohol use.

Patients ages 14 to 20 that came to the U-M emergency department seeking care were asked to complete a survey on alcohol use, peers, mental health and dating violence.