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High salt levels in common medicines put patients at increased risk of cardiovascular events

Researchers at the University of Dundee and University College London found that taking the maximum daily dose of some medicines would exceed the recommended daily limits for sodium, without any additional dietary intake.

They say the public "should be warned about the potential dangers of high sodium intake from prescribed medicines" and that sodium-containing formulations "should be prescribed with caution only if the perceived benefits outweigh the risks."

They also call for the sodium content of medicines to be clearly labelled in same way as foods are labelled.

Transferring fewer embryos doesn't reduce delivery rates if linked to reimbursing 6 IVF cycles

Research from Belgium has shown that if governments legislate to restrict the numbers of embryos transferred during fertility treatment, but combine it with a policy of reimbursing six cycles of assisted reproduction technology (ART), there is no detrimental impact on pregnancy and delivery rates. However, there is a greatly reduced risk of multiple births, which have associated health risks for mother and babies and are an increased cost to the state.

Study finds no increased risk of retinal detachment with use of certain antibiotics

In contrast to findings of a recent study, researchers in Denmark did not find an association between use of a class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones (such as ciprofloxacin) and an increased risk of retinal detachment, according to a study appearing in the November 27 issue of JAMA.

Induced hypothermia does not improve outcomes for patients with severe bacterial meningitis

In a study of adults with severe bacterial meningitis, therapeutic hypothermia (reduction of body temperature) did not improve outcomes, and it may even have been harmful, according to a study appearing in the November 27 issue of JAMA.

Among adults with bacterial meningitis, the case fatality rate and frequency of neurologic complications are high, especially among patients with pneumococcal meningitis. In animal models of meningitis, moderate hypothermia has shown favorable effects, according to background information in the article.

Disputed asthma drugs have safe record in British Columbia

A popular combination asthma therapy dogged by safety concerns has not harmed British Columbians and should remain in use, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.

National study finds donor age not a factor in most corneal transplants

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Ten years after a transplant, a cornea from a 71-year-old donor is likely to remain as healthy as a cornea from a donor half that age, and corneas from donors over 71 perform slightly less well but still remain healthy for most transplant recipients, according to a study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) and led by the UC Davis Health System Eye Center and the University of Cincinnati Eye Institute.

Study finds the forgotten ape threatened by human activity and forest loss

The most detailed range-wide assessment of the bonobo (formerly known as the pygmy chimpanzee) ever conducted has revealed that this poorly known and endangered great ape is quickly losing space in a world with growing human populations.

Genetics contribute to increased risk for end-stage renal disease for African Americans with CKD

WASHINGTON (Nov. 26, 2013) – In the United States, African Americans have approximately twice the risk of end-stage renal disease compared to white Americans, despite a similar prevalence in earlier stages of chronic kidney disease. A large study co-authored by George Washington University (GW) researcher Dominic Raj, M.D., identifies factors that mediate differences in the progression of chronic kidney disease between black patients and white patients, as well as among black patients, in order to reduce the excess burden of end-stage renal disease and its complications in black patients.

Memo to big box retailers: Goodwill has a shelf life

NEW YORK — Big box retailers may have had the secret to combatting online retailers all along: instant gratification. A new study from Columbia Business School that is published in the Journal of Consumer Research warns that the positive feelings consumers experience when receiving a discounted price fades dramatically if the consumer is then forced to wait for the product.

How can we measure the value and impact of orthopaedic care?

Needham, MA –Healthcare expenditures currently account for 18% of the United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Some experts have suggested that an emphasis on value may be an effective strategy to evaluate healthcare costs. In a recent article published in the inaugural issue of JBJS Reviews, authors Benedict U. Nwachukwu, MD, MBA; Kamran S. Hamid, MD, MPH; and Kevin J.

Increasing the number of insured patients is not tied to higher ICU usage in Massachusetts

PHILADELPHIA- A multi-institution study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has found that increasing the number of insured patients is not associated with higher intensive care unit (ICU) usage in Massachusetts.

Because ICU care is expensive, concerns have been raised that increasing the number of insured patients would inevitably lead to significantly higher health care costs as more of these newly insured patients would be admitted to ICUs.

Increasing cropping frequency offers opportunity to boost food supply

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (11/25/2013) —Harvesting existing cropland more frequently could substantially increase global food production without clearing more land for agriculture, according to a new study from the Institute on the Environment (IonE) at the University of Minnesota.

Predicting nasopharyngeal carcinoma patient response to radiation therapy

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) affects cells lining the nasopharynx. The majority of NPC cases can be cured by radiation therapy, however ~20% are resistant to radiation treatment.

Identifying targets of autoantibodies

Patients with the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) produce autoantibodies that target can cause damage to multiple organ systems. The host factors that are targeted by autoantibodies produced by SLE patients are not fully understood.

Identification of a genetic mutation associated with steroid-resistant nephritic syndrome

Patients with nephritic syndrome exhibit an array of symptoms that are associated with loss of kidney function, including excess protein in urine, swelling, and albuminuria. Many nephritic syndrome patients respond well to treatment with steroids; however, subsets of patients are resistant to steroid treatment and are at high risk of kidney failure. Recent studies have identified single gene mutations that are associated with development of steroid-resistant nephritic syndrome; however, these mutations account for approximately half of all steroid-resistant cases.