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Low-fiber diet puts adolescents at higher risk of cardiovascular disease

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Adolescents who don't eat enough fiber tend to have bigger bellies and higher levels of inflammatory factors in their blood, both major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, researchers report.

The study of 559 adolescents age 14-18 from Augusta, Ga., showed they consumed on average about one-third of the daily recommended amount of fiber, said Dr. Norman Pollock, bone biologist at the Medical College of Georgia and the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Georgia Health Sciences University.

More than 9-in-10 ED patients who receive CT of the abdomen and pelvis are clinically complex

The overwhelming majority (93.8 percent) of patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis (CTAP) in the emergency department (ED) setting are classified as clinically complex, according to a study in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Clinically complex is used to describe patients who are, based on documentation of their ED physician, much sicker than others.

Caring for patients with fecal incontinence costs more than $4,000 per person each year

Ann Arbor, Mich. — Care for patients with fecal incontinence costs $4,110 per person for both medical and non-medical costs like loss of productivity, according to new research from the University of Michigan.

The prevalence of fecal incontinence is expected to increase substantially, as the elderly population in the U.S. continues to grow rapidly. The study, published this month in the journal Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, is the first U.S.-based study to assess the per-patient annual economic costs of the condition.

Vena cava filters do not lower mortality rate in most embolism cases

EAST LANSING, Mich. — A filter used to block clots from passing from the veins in the legs to the arteries of the lung does not improve mortality rates for most patients suffering a pulmonary embolism. However, if a patient is unstable – in shock or requires a ventilator – filters can save lives.

Furthermore, for unstable patients with a pulmonary embolism, it is crucial they receive clot-dissolving medications known as thrombolytic therapy.

SHSU professor investigates trends for elderly and crime

HUNTSVILLE, TX (5/31/12) -- While the elderly represent the fastest growing segment of the population, too little is known about the nature and scope of crime impacting this generation. Victoria Titterington of Sam Houston State University is trying to change that with a series of studies that examine the elderly and crime.

Penn study finds delayed side effects of head and neck cancer treatments go unreported

CHICAGO – New data from an Internet-based study show that patients with head and neck cancers (HNC) may be at risk for significant late effects after their treatment, but they're unlikely to discuss these and other survivorship care issues with their doctors. The findings, from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, will be presented Monday, June 4, at the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago.

ASCO: Liver metastases and its prognostic significance in men with metastatic prostate cancer

PHILADELPHIA—Liver metastases predicts shorter overall survival in men with metastatic castration-refractory prostate cancer (mCRPC), according to data being presented at the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago. (Abstract # 4655, Sunday, June 3, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST, S Hall A2).

Advanced visualization techniques could change the paradigm for diagnosis and treating heart disease

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine are pioneering new ultrasound techniques that provide the first characterization of multidirectional blood flow in the heart. By focusing on fluid dynamics – specifically, the efficiency with which blood enters and exits the heart's left ventricle – the researchers believe they can detect heart disease even when traditional measures show no sign of trouble.

Liberals vs. conservatives: How politics affects charitable giving

Americans are more likely to donate to a charity that reflects the values of their political affiliation, according to a new study from Rice University, the University of Texas at San Antonio and Pennsylvania State University.

Hiding social identity at work can result in less job satisfaction

Hiding your true social identity -- race and ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation or a disability -- at work can result in decreased job satisfaction and increased turnover, according to a new study from Rice University, the University of Houston and George Mason University.

Researchers call for obesity prevention efforts to focus on community-wide systems

Philadelphia – National data show that currently more than 10 percent of preschoolers in the United States are obese, and an additional 10 percent are overweight. In a recently published article, a researcher from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with peers and colleagues from across the nation, says that effective strategies to target pregnancy, infancy, and toddlers are urgently needed to stop the progression of childhood obesity.

Listening in, researchers learn about end-of-life communication

What is the best way to talk to someone about prognosis and quality of life when serious illness strikes? It turns out that no one had studied that question through direct observation, until the University of Rochester Medical Center audio-recorded 71 palliative care discussions.

The data is published online in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.

Lead author Robert E. Gramling, M.D., Sc.D., associate professor of Family Medicine at URMC, and colleagues with a special interest in palliative care, made several key discoveries:

How to separate real propaganda from the usual propaganda on Twitter

As Election Day 2012 looms, the "Twitterverse" promises to light up again and again with explosions of political opinion. But which tweets are the genuinely expressed feelings of individual users insistent the world cannot live without their predetermined opinions, and which are systematic disseminations of information meant to support or discredit an idea — the textbook definition of propaganda?

Under age 12, girls and boys able to compete athletically

SAN FRANCISCO -- An Indiana University study that looked at performance differences between male and female childhood athletes found little difference in certain age groups, even though boys and girls rarely compete against each other in the U.S.

Joel Stager, professor in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at IU Bloomington, said he is not suggesting that boys and girls compete against each other, but he said his findings indicate they could.

Study: Residential segregation still a problem in US

WASHINGTON, DC, May 29, 2012 — Despite increasing numbers of multiethnic neighborhoods in the United States, relatively few black or white families are actually moving into these types of communities, according to a new study in the June issue of the American Sociological Review.