Culture | Page 2459 | Science Codex

Heart patients who take vitamins less likely to take medication as prescribed, according to study

SALT LAKE CITY – Atrial Fibrillation patients who are prescribed the powerful blood thinner warfarin often take it with vitamins or supplements that can hamper its effectiveness, or skip doses completely, increasing their risk for stroke, according to new research.

The study, jointly conducted by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute and registered dieticians from Utah State University, also suggests these same patients don't know much about this powerful blood thinner and why they need to take it as directed.

Talking therapy over the phone improves symptoms of chronic widespread pain

Patients who received a short course of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) over the telephone from trained therapists reported that they felt "better" or "very much better" at the end of a six-month treatment period, and also three months after it ended.

The Arthritis Research UK-funded trial led by the University of Aberdeen working with the University of Manchester was the first-ever trial of telephone-delivered CBT for people with chronic widespread pain.

Low vitamin D levels may be associated with recurrent inflammatory spinal cord disease

CHICAGO – Vitamin D levels are significantly lower in patients with recurrent inflammatory spinal cord disease, according to a study published Online First by Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Telephone-based therapy and exercise appear effective for reducing chronic widespread pain

CHICAGO – Telephone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy and an exercise program, both separately and combined, are associated with short-term positive outcomes for patients with chronic widespread pain, and may offer benefits for patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Low-income older adults more likely to develop heart failure

The odds of having heart failure appear to be higher in seniors with a low income — even among those with a college or higher education — according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011.

"As far as the risk of developing heart failure is concerned, lower education may not matter if a person is able to maintain a high income in later years," said Ali Ahmed, M.D., M.P.H., senior researcher.

Mayo Clinic study confirms smoke-free workplaces reduce heart attacks

ORLANDO -- Mayo Clinic researchers have amassed additional evidence that secondhand smoke kills and smoke-free workplace laws save lives. The study will be presented to the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions on Monday in Orlando.

Novel, noninvasive measurement a strong predictor for heart failure in general population

Orlando –A new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and collaborators at various institutions, presented at the 2011 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, shows that a novel, non-invasive measurement of arterial wave reflections may be able to predict who is most at risk for heart failure. The authors presented data from an ancillary study of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Scarlet macaws take flight in Guatemala

Researchers and conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society's Guatemala Program, WCS's Bronx Zoo, the National Park Service of Guatemala, and other groups report a major conservation victory from Central America: a bumper crop of magnificent scarlet macaw fledglings that have now taken flight over the forests of Guatemala.

How smart managers make dumb decisions and why shareholders encourage them

From Enron in the United States to Satyam in India, there are plenty of examples of corporate managers lying about their companies' earnings and ultimately hurting themselves and the businesses they work for.

Why do they do it?

Malpractice lawsuits cause distress, career burnout in US surgeons

The solution to reforming American health care without losing its world-class status may be as simply as reducing cost rather than increasing coverage, meaning more people will be able to afford health care. One way to accomplish that is to curb runaway lawsuits against doctors, hospitals and insurance companies.

No more double standards for 'natural' health products

Natural health products and medicinal foods should be subject to the same regulations as pharmaceutical drugs to ensure safety and efficacy, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

While pharmaceutical drugs are subject to rigorous evaluation and must provide significant evidence of their therapeutic effects and that the benefits outweigh risks, natural health products in Canada are not. Many contain active pharmacological substances that can have potent effects and interactions which should have warnings.

Stem cell study helps clarify the best time for therapy to aid heart attack survivors

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A research network led by a Mayo Clinic physician found that stem cells obtained from bone marrow delivered two to three weeks after a person has a heart attack did not improve heart function. This is the first study to systematically examine the timing and method of stem cell delivery and provides vital information for the field of cell therapy.

The results were presented this morning at the 2011 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association Meeting in Orlando, Fla. They also will be published online in JAMA to coincide with the presentation.

Withdrawal of care may occur too soon in cardiac arrest patients who receive hypothermia treatment

(ORLANDO) -- Physicians may be making premature predictions about which patients are not likely to survive following cardiac arrest – and even withdrawing care -- before the window in which comatose patients who have received therapeutic hypothermia are most likely to wake up, according to two new studies from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ancient bronze artifact from East Asia unearthed at Alaska archaeology site

A team of researchers led by the University of Colorado Boulder has discovered the first prehistoric bronze artifact made from a cast ever found in Alaska, a small, buckle-like object found in an ancient Eskimo dwelling and which likely originated in East Asia.

UC research shows art imitates life -- the 'hard' life, that is

New research from the University of Cincinnati brings into focus the connection between routine, police station mug shots and the marketing-savvy snapshots captured by the fashion police.