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Cardiologists define new heart failure symptom: Shortness of breath while bending over

DALLAS – March 18, 2014 – UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiologists have defined a novel heart failure symptom in advanced heart failure patients: shortness of breath while bending over, such as when putting on shoes.

The condition, which UT Southwestern cardiologists named "bendopnea" (pronounced "bend-op-nee-ah"), is an easily detectable symptom that can help doctors diagnose excessive fluid retention in patients with heart failure, according to the findings published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Heart Failure.

MU study uses video-game device with goal of preventing patient falls

Technology used in video games is making its way to hospital rooms, where researchers at the University of Missouri hope to learn new ways to prevent falls among hospital patients.

Between 700,000 and 1 million people each year fall in U.S. hospitals, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Hospitals nationwide are looking for ways to reduce that number.

An end to animal testing for drug discovery?

DALLAS, March 18, 2014 — As some countries and companies roll out new rules to limit animal testing in pharmaceutical products designed for people, scientists are stepping in with a new way to test therapeutic drug candidates and determine drug safety and drug interactions — without using animals. The development of "chemosynthetic livers," which could dramatically alter how drugs are made, was presented at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.

First guidelines for patients with pulmonary hypertension in sickle cell disease

(Boston) –Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) physicians have helped create the first set of clinical guidelines for treating patients with pulmonary hypertension in sickle cell disease. Elizabeth Klings, MD, director of the pulmonary hypertension inpatient and education program at BMC and associate professor of medicine at BUSM, spearheaded the development of these guidelines, which are published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Computer analyzes massive clinical databases to properly categorize asthma patients

PITTSBURGH—So many variables can contribute to shortness of breath that no person can keep them all straight. But a computer program, capable of tracking more than 100 clinical variables for almost 400 people, has shown it can identify various subtypes of asthma, which perhaps could lead to targeted, more effective treatments.

Researchers change coercivity of material by patterning surface

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found a way to reduce the coercivity of nickel ferrite (NFO) thin films by as much as 80 percent by patterning the surface of the material, opening the door to more energy efficient high-frequency electronics, such as sensors, microwave devices and antennas.

Democrats, Republicans see each other as mindless -- unless they pose a threat

We are less likely to humanize members of groups we don't belong to—except, under some circumstances, when it comes to members of the opposite political party. A study by researchers at New York University and Harvard Business School suggests that we are more prone to view members of the opposite political party as human if we view those individuals as threatening.

Simulations predict blast scenarios, have crossover animation appeal in Disney's 'Frozen'

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Simulation-based engineering science (SBES) allows researchers to predict the effects of building explosions and analyze the response of building materials to those threats. Using a $400,000, five-year CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation, researchers at the University of Missouri developed the Material Point Method (MPM) a computer-generated tool that not only creates blast scenarios that informs blast and impact resistant materials and design, but also is crossing over into Hollywood animation—most recently, Disney's Oscar-winning animated film, Frozen.

In IBS, non-GI issues are more powerful than symptoms in patients' health perceptions

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Social relationships, fatigue and other coexisting medical problems have a stronger effect on how patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) rate their overall health than the severity of their gastrointestinal symptoms, a University at Buffalo study has found.

Global problem of fisheries bycatch needs global solutions

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (March 17, 2014)—Whenever fishing vessels harvest fish, other animals can be accidentally caught or entangled in fishing gear as bycatch. Numerous strategies exist to prevent bycatch, but data have been lacking on the global scale of this issue. A new in-depth analysis of global bycatch data provides fisheries and the conservation community with the best information yet to help mitigate the ecological damage of bycatch and helps identify where mitigation measures are most needed.

Supplements not associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in elderly

Bottom Line: Daily dietary supplements of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (also found in fish) or lutein and zeaxanthin (nutrients found in green leafy vegetables) were not associated with reduced risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in elderly patients with the eye disease age-related macular degeneration.

Author: The writing group for the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) clinical trial.

Study finds high utilization of neuroimaging for headaches despite guidelines

Bottom Line: Neuroimaging for headaches is frequently ordered by physicians during outpatient visits, despite guidelines that recommend against such routine procedures.

Author: Brian C. Callaghan, M.D., M.S., of the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, and colleagues.

Background: Most headaches are due to benign causes, and multiple guidelines have recommended against routine neuroimaging for headaches.

Study finds risk of death among ICU patients with severe sepsis has decreased

In critically ill patients in Australia and New Zealand with severe sepsis or septic shock, there was a decrease in the risk of death from 2000 to 2012, findings that were accompanied by changes in the patterns of discharge of intensive care unit (ICU) patients to home, rehabilitation, and other hospitals, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being released early to coincide with its presentation at the International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine.

Evidence does not support guidelines on fatty acid consumption to reduce coronary risk

Current evidence does not support nutritional guidelines that advocate high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of total saturated fats, according to an article being published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Hepatitis C remains major problem for HIV patients despite antiretroviral therapy

PHILADELPHIA—A new study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has found that the risk of hepatitis C-associated serious liver disease persists in HIV patients otherwise benefitting from antiretroviral therapy (ART) to treat HIV.