Culture

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Nov. 30, 2015 -- Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Barrow Neurological Institute have for the first time identified genetic risk factors that are linked to stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC), a rare type of heart disease.

Patients with SIC generally show no symptoms until they suffer some form of intense emotional or physiological distress. For this reason the disorder is sometimes referred to as "broken heart syndrome," and because of its unusual presentation has captured the attention of physicians for centuries.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive (FOP) is a rare, but devastating genetic disease where bone is grown within soft tissue, such as skeletal muscle. Accordingly, it is also known as Stone Man Syndrome, since the patient's body ossifies into a statue-like state. It is a genetic disease, but patients do not show symptoms until their school-aged years. Normally, an immune response or trauma triggers the disease. This complicates study of FOP because the trauma associated with acquiring patient cells could stimulate the irregular bone growth.

Changed labor laws -- with some states curtailing collective bargaining rights -- may lessen political participation by teachers and other public employees, traditionally cornerstones in the election of Democrats, a Baylor University study has found.

Four years after its approval in the United States, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) continues to evolve and demonstrate positive outcomes for patients with aortic stenosis, a common heart problem, according to a report published online by The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Nov. 30, 2015--One year after being hospitalized in intensive care, patients have reduced bone mass that puts them at greater risk for fractures, according to a new study published online ahead of print in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Music therapy can enhance terminally ill patients' wellbeing and relaxation. This treatment has been known since the 1970s, but there is little scientific research on the subject. A recent randomized controlled trial by Marco Warth et al. in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2015; 112: 788-94) analyzes the effect of music therapy on palliative care patients.

A pulse oximeter measures the oxygen saturation in the haemoglobin of the blood in a non-invasive way because it detects the different amount of light absorbed by the oxygenated and the deoxygenated haemoglobin in the systolic and diastolic phases. The sensors of the pulse oximeter are usually fitted to the fingernails, where nail varnish could distort the measurement. That is why during the clinical examination in an emergency situation, nail varnish is routinely removed to assess oxygen saturation.

Patients at safety-net hospital clinics where there was high computer use by clinicians were less likely to rate their care as excellent, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Safety-net clinics serve populations with limited health literacy and limited proficiency in English who experience communication barriers that can contribute to disparities in care and health. The implementation of electronic health records in safety-net clinics may affect communication between patients and health care providers.

When she says she loves my new haircut is she telling the truth or being sarcastic? The answer isn't always obvious.

Especially for men.

Or for those who suffer from diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, or neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism spectrum disorders. For people with these problems, any form of non-literal speech such as sarcasm, teasing or 'white lies' can be very confusing. A new video inventory of examples of these forms of indirect speech developed at McGill should help in the diagnosis and clinical testing of those with disorders of this kind.

A controversial new paper by James Cook University scientist claims many useful new treatments are being left on the shelf by medical researchers.

JCU's Dr David Kault, a medical doctor and mathematician, has examined the way clinical trials of medical treatments are judged.

"Traditional assessment of a clinical trial is based on whether we can blame chance for a favourable outcome," said Dr Kault. "But there is little consideration of background and context, which sometimes leads to ignoring common sense."

A new study published today in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association compared outcomes from two types of postoperative pain control methods in a group of patients who had both of their knees replaced.

In the course of a study conducted throughout Germany, medical professionals have compared different treatment methods for Neuromyelitis optica, an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. It turned out that the best results were not achieved with conventional steroid therapy. Under the auspices of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum and the Hannover Medical School, the team published their findings in the journal Annals of Neurology.

Relapsing disease course

CINCINNATI--Pre-existing asthma may be a strong predictor of future chronic migraine attacks in individuals experiencing occasional migraine headaches, according to researchers from the University of Cincinnati (UC), Montefiore Headache Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Vedanta Research.

The findings were published online in November in the journal Headache, a publication of the American Headache Society.

CHICAGO - Obese people who lose a substantial amount of weight can significantly slow the degeneration of their knee cartilage, according to a new MRI study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Men with Type 2 diabetes who have low testosterone levels can benefit significantly from testosterone treatment.

That is the conclusion of University at Buffalo researchers who conducted the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of testosterone treatment in Type 2 diabetic men that comprehensively investigated the role of insulin resistance and inflammation, before and after treatment with testosterone.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was published online before print in Diabetes Care in November.