Culture | Page 2517 | Science Codex

Variation in make-up of generic epilepsy drugs can lead to dosing problems

Generic anti-epilepsy drugs, pharmaceutical products similar to brand-name versions, save consumers billions of dollars each year, but some are different enough from branded formulations that they may not be effective, particularly if patients switch between two generic drugs, a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests.

A report on the study, published online and in an upcoming issue of Annals of Neurology, raises questions about whether some generic products are safe and effective when a narrow dose range separates patients from help and harm.

How too many options can impair the ability to make skillful choices

A study by Columbia Business School Professor Sheena Iyengar, S. T. Lee Professor of Business, Management, and Emir Kamenica, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, found the more fund options an employee has to choose from when presented with 401k options deters he or she from enrolling in the plan.

TV food advertising increases children's preference for unhealthy foods

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have found that children who watch adverts for unhealthy food on television are more likely to want to eat high-fat and high-sugar foods.

The study by researchers in the Institute of Psychology, Health and Society examined the food preferences of a group of 281 children aged six to 13 years old from the North West of England.

ESC calls for greater awareness of potential for adverse events from bleeding as a result of PCI

Sophia Antipolis, France: 30 June 2011: The European Society of Cardiology (ESC Working Group on Thrombosis) is calling for greater attention to be paid by health care staff to reducing bleeding in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), and for increased research in the field.

Junior doctors clueless about what to do during major incidents

Junior doctors have no idea what they should be doing when a major incident, such as a terrorist attack or transport disaster, occurs, reveals research published in the online journal BMJ Open.

This knowledge gap could be critical, says the author, especially as the UK's current terrorism threat level is classified as "severe," meaning that a terrorist attack is highly likely.

Getting an accurate read on Parkinson's

Tel Aviv — Parkinson's Disease, brought to public awareness by figures such as Michael J. Fox, is not just difficult to diagnose. It's also difficult to accurately estimate how many people actually suffer from the disease. Current statistics come from small-scale studies, usually based on information from hospital clinics, and no registries or formal databases exist to track how many people have the disease.

A war inside: Saving veterans from suicide

PHILADELPHIA - An estimated 18 American military veterans take their own lives every day -- thousands each year -- and those numbers are steadily increasing. Even after weathering the stresses of military life and the terrors of combat, these soldiers find themselves overwhelmed by the transition back into civilian life. Many have already survived one suicide attempt, but never received the extra help and support they needed, with tragic results.

IOM report calls for cultural transformation of attitudes toward pain and its prevention and management

WASHINGTON — Every year, at least 116 million adult Americans experience chronic pain, a condition that costs the nation between $560 billion and $635 billion annually, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Much of this pain is preventable or could be better managed, added the committee that wrote the report.

Osteoarthritis incidence significantly higher among US military personnel

New research shows significantly higher osteoarthritis (OA) incidence rates in military populations than among comparable age groups in the general population. The magnitude of the difference in OA rates between military service members and the general population also increased with advancing age category. Black service members had higher OA rates than white military personnel or those in other race categories according to the study findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

Alcohol blamed for high suicide rates in Northern Ireland

Alcohol and drugs are fuelling homicide and suicide rates in Northern Ireland, a new independent report by University of Manchester researchers has found, with alcohol appearing to be a key factor for the country's higher suicide rates, including among mental health patients, compared to England and Wales.

Study raises concern over 'unintended consequences' of GP reward scheme

Improvements in quality of care associated with the GP pay for performance scheme in the UK appear to have been achieved at the expense of small detrimental effects on non-incentivised aspects of care, finds a study published on bmj.com today.

The findings raise important questions about the potential unintended consequences of financial incentive schemes, in particular that they could lead to neglect of non-incentivised aspects of patient care.

Landmark editorial denounces 'poor publication practices' in spine research

MAYWOOD, Ill. -- Loyola University Hospital spine surgeon Dr. Alexander Ghanayem is co-author of a landmark editorial challenging the integrity of published industry-sponsored research involving a bone-growth product.

The unusually blunt editorial in The Spine Journal notes that in 13 trials involving 780 patients, industry-funded researchers did not report a single adverse advent involving Medtronic's Infuse® Bone Graft. (The product, approved for certain spinal-fusion surgeries, is designed to eliminate the need to harvest bone from the hip.)

New data for linagliptin to be presented at the ADA

Burlington and Toronto, Ontario, June 27, 2011 – Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly today announced Phase III study results for linagliptin, demonstrating improved glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) whose blood glucose is not adequately controlled on current therapy. In one long-term study over two years evaluating linagliptin or glimepiride when added to metformin, linagliptin was effective at lowering blood glucose, as measured by haemoglobin A1C (A1C)** but with relative weight loss (-1.4 kg vs.

Coordinated system helps heart attack patients get treatment faster

Coordinating care among emergency medical services (EMS) and hospital systems significantly reduced the time to transfer heart attack patients to hospitals providing emergency coronary angioplasty, according to research reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.

Researchers examined "door-in-door-out" times at North Carolina hospitals among 436 patients experiencing ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) ― the deadliest form of heart attack when the blood supply is blocked to a large area of the heart.

Sweating the small stuff: Early adversity, prior depression linked to high sensitivity to stress

We all know people who are able to roll with life's punches, while for others, every misfortune is a jab straight to the gut. Research examining this issue has found that although most people require significant adversity to become depressed — the death of a loved one, say, or getting fired — roughly 30 percent of people with first-time depression and 60 percent of people with a history of depression develop the disorder following relatively minor misfortunes. But no one knew why.