Medical Health Blog

Findings from a retrospective analysis of a three-week treatment program for chronic pain revealed African Americans experienced worse outcomes compared to a matched group of Caucasians. The research was presented at the American Academy of Pain Medicine’s 26th Annual Meeting in San Antonio. “Our research showed important differences in treatment outcomes exist among African Americans with chronic pain,” said Michael Hooten, MD and assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota…

Medicare patients accounted for almost half of all stays (45 percent) at rural hospitals in 2007, while the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries who were admitted to urban hospitals was considerably lower (35 percent) , according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The federal agency’s analysis also found that in 2007: — About 25 percent of rural hospital patients were covered by private health insurance v. 36 percent of urban hospital patients…

With the 2010 Winter Olympic Games just days away, officials in the anti-doping community are urging researchers and those in the athletic community to re-double their efforts to fight illegal doping. The ethics commentary, called “Gene Doping and Sports,” appears in the February issue of the journal Science…

In a study presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™ in Chicago, researchers unveiled findings that show that waiting for birth is as effective as inducing labor in cases of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Intrauterine growth restriction means that the fetus is substantially smaller than normal. The condition affects about 10% of pregnant women. At birth the babies are more likely to have low blood sugar, trouble maintaining their body temperature, and an abnormally high red blood cell count…

In a study presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™ in Chicago, researchers showed the use of haplotype tagging (hap-tag) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to study the relationship between genetic predispositions, an environmental factor – bacterial vaginosis, and preterm birth. Studies previously demonstrated that genetic variation within genes that regulate the maternal inflammatory response are associated with an increased risk of spontaneous preterm delivery (SPTD)…

One of the worlds leading lactation experts, Professor Peter Hartmann, has been awarded with the Rank Prize Fund for Nutrition, worth £50,000, in recognition of his groundbreaking collaborative work with Prof. Robyn Owens and their invaluable contribution to the current understanding of human lactation. The funds, which are awarded in acknowledgment of excellence in; animal and health nutrition, crop husbandry and optoelectronics, will be presented during an official ceremony in London on February 8th at The Royal College of Physicians…

A patient presumed to be in a vegetative state for five years can communicate ‘yes’ and ‘no’ using just his thoughts, according to new research from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the University of Liège. In 2003 the patient, a 29 year old man, sustained a severe traumatic brain injury in a road traffic accident. He remained physically unresponsive and was presumed to be in a vegetative state…

The MRC unit in The Gambia has outlined new plans for the next five years, which will include focusing its science on three new themed areas: Child Survival, Disease Control and Elimination, and Vaccines. Recruitment of scientists to lead these three themed research areas is now underway, and theme leaders are expected to be appointed in February. In December, the unit’s plan, developed over the course of the last year, was reviewed and endorsed by the MRC’s Strategy Board and Council…

As global attention focuses on efforts to provide life-saving support to the people of Haiti, UNICEF released its Humanitarian Action Report (HAR) 2010. This annual report spotlights the most severe crises impacting children and women around the world and includes an appeal for additional assistance. This year’s report highlights the situation of children and women in 28 countries and territories that have been identified as being in the most desperate need, and seeks $1.2 billion to help them…

Progress has been made in recent years in reducing the incidence of female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C), largely because communities and families are taking action and calling for change. However an estimated 120 to 140 million women have been subject to this harmful and dangerous practice and 3 million girls continue to be at risk each year. The practice persists because it is sustained by social perceptions, including that girls and their families will face shame, social exclusion and diminished marriage prospects if they forego cutting. These perceptions can, and must, change…