Clinical
Cardiology: Efficacy of enoxaparin versus unfractionated heparin during angioplasty
BMJ - 8th February 2012
Following a systematic review and meta-analysis, enoxaparin seems to be superior to unfractionated heparin in reducing mortality and bleeding outcomes during percutaneous coronary ...
Psychiatry: Psychiatric drugs 'as effective as other drugs' research reveals
BJP - 8th February 2012
Psychiatric drugs are as effective as drugs used to treat many physical health problems, according to a major review. Researchers from the Technische Universität Munich in Germ ...
O&G: Severe post partum haemorrhage less likely with planned 'caesar'
BJOG - 8th February 2012
Planned caesarean section is associated with a reduced risk of severe post partum haemorrhage (PPH), a major cause of maternal morbidity, finds a new Danish study. The study loo ...
Women's health: Depressive symptoms and partner violence link found
BJOG - 8th January 2012
Forty per cent of women who report depressive symptoms following birth also reported intimate partner violence finds a new study. The study also found that most of the women rep ...
Addiction: 200 million people using illicit drugs worldwide each year
The Lancet - 8th January 2012
A report estimates that some 200 million people (range 149-271 million) worldwide use illicit drugs each year. This figure represents 1 in 20 people aged 15-64 years, and use is hi ...
Diabetes: three quarters of the 24,000 people with diabetes who die each year are over 64
By Mike Broad - 15th December 2011
Up to 24,000 people with diabetes are dying each year in the UK from causes that could be avoided through better management of their condition. The first ever report into mortal ...
Psychiatry: Having an abortion does not increase mental health issues
By Mike Broad - 12th December 2011
The world's largest, most comprehensive and systematic review into the mental health outcomes of induced abortion has been published by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. Th ...
Surgery: comparative assessment of implantable hip devices with different bearing surfaces
BMJ - 12th December 2011
New hip implants appear to have no advantage over traditional implants, suggests a review of the evidence. And some evidence shows that new implants may be associated with higher ...
Psychiatry: Cannabis use reduces thalamic volume in people at risk of schizophrenia
- 19th November 2011
Using cannabis can lead to a loss of brain volume in people who are at risk of developing schizophrenia, according to a study published in the November issue of the British Journal ...
O&G: Delayed cord clamping protects new born babies from iron deficiency
BMJ - 19th November 2011
Waiting for at least three minutes before clamping the umbilical cord in healthy newborns improves their iron levels at four months, according to research. Delaying cord clamping ...
Neurology: Biggest ever study shows no link between mobile phone use and tumours
BMJ - 22nd October 2011
There is no link between long-term use of mobile phones and tumours of the brain or central nervous system, finds new research published on bmj.com today. In what is described as ...
Oncology: pale people may need vitamin D supplements due to low sun exposure
Cancer Causes and Control - 5th October 2011
Fair-skinned people who burn quickly in the sun may need to take supplements to ensure they get the right amount of vitamin D, new research finds. Cancer Research UK-funded resear ...
Psychiatry: Anti-dementia drugs may help delay people's admission to care homes
The Psychiatrist - 5th October 2011
Prescribing anti-dementia drugs to patients could help delay their admission to care homes, according to a new study published in the October issue of The Psychiatrist. Psychiatr ...
Point-of-care immunoassay analysers help rule out venous thromboembolism
By Mark Jones - 2nd August 2011
Compact point-of-care immunoassay analysers such as Radiometer's AQT90 FLEX provide the clinician with a rapid, cost-effective means of determining critical biomarkers, for examp ...
Diabetes: role of glycaemic index in diabetes and obesity management
Evidentia - 29th July 2011
A low glycaemic index (GI) diet may hold the key to controlling blood glucose levels and achieving and maintaining sustained weight loss in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Recent re ...
Cardiology: less revascularisation with drug-eluting stents for saphenous vein graft lesions
Evidentia - 29th July 2011
Researchers report that, for rates of revascularisation at one year, drug-eluting stents (DES) appear to be superior to bare metal stents (BMS) in saphenous vein graft lesions. ...
Alcohol, Drugs and Medication in Pregnancy: the outcome for the child
By Mark Jones - 10th July 2011
The use of alcohol and drugs in pregnancy is known to affect the developing foetus and can cause long-term difficulties. Many of these children will need long-term substitute care. ...
Neurology: gene analysis illuminates multiple sclerosis therapy side effect
Evidentia - 9th July 2011
Leukaemia that was observed in a small number of mitoxantrone treated multiple sclerosis patients may be the result of patients' genetic make up, Italian researchers said. Variatio ...
Cardiology: antiplatelet ticagrelor may boost CABG survival
Evidentia - 9th July 2011
The novel reversible antiplatelet agent ticagrelor was associated with lower mortality from coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) compared with standard clopidogrel (Plavix), ...
Keeler introduces stylish pocket instruments - otoscope and ophthalmoscope
By Mark Jones - 4th July 2011
Keeler has added its new Jazz Set of pocket otoscope and ophthalmoscope instruments to the Keeler range. Jazz otoscope and ophthalmoscope are designed in pure white with a ...
Nutrition: Kalcipos-D aims to tackle vitamin D deficiency in older people
By Mark Jones - 17th June 2011
The UK's first once-daily preparation has been launched combining the updated recommended daily dose of vitamin D3 with a low-dose calcium component. Kalcipos-D aims to tack ...
Neurology: Managing post-stroke depression improves physical functioning
Evidentia - 10th June 2011
Stroke patients who are not successfully treated for depression are at higher risk of losing some of their capability to function normally, according to a study in the recent issue ...
Dermatology: Features of metabolic syndrome common in people with psoriasis
Evidentia - 10th June 2011
Individuals with psoriasis have a high prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, according to a report published in the Archives of Dermatology.According to background information in t ...
O&G: Midwives need more guidance on alternative medicines
Evidentia - 27th May 2011
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly popular in maternity care, but healthcare professionals need formal evidence-based education and guidance about its use ...
Pain management: Experts call for greater pain assessment in hospitals as 65% of patients report problems
Evidentia - 27th May 2011
Nearly two-thirds of the hospital in-patients who took part in a survey had experienced pain in the last 24 hours and 42% of those rated their pain as more than seven out of ten, w ...
Oncology: Screening does not prevent prostate cancer deaths says study
Evidentia - 27th May 2011
Population-wide screening using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test would not help to reduce the number of deaths from prostate cancer, a 20-year Swedish study suggests. PS ...
Neurology: Memory deteriorates in warm weather in multiple sclerosis patients
Evidentia - 27th May 2011
When it's warm outside, memory, processing speed, and other aspects of cognition slow down for patients with multiple sclerosis, researchers found. Cognitive scores were 70% low ...
Nephrology: B. Braun spearheads drive for more home dialysis
By Mark Jones - 13th May 2011
B. Braun Avitum UK Ltd is spearheading a drive to provide kidney patients with the choice of having life-saving treatment in the comfort of their own homes. The company, a divisio ...
Respiratory: synthetic iron compounds could stifle tuberculosis
Evidentia - 21st April 2011
A team of researchers from Spain and South America have synthesised two iron compounds that inhibit the in vitro growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tub ...
European Medicines Agency: EMA expects stable number of new medicines
Evidentia - 21st April 2011
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says it expects the number of medicines approved this year to hold steady at around 97, compared to 95 in 2010. The EMA has seen its workload g ...
Cardiology: study suggests HDL function is tied to cardiovascular risk
Evidentia - 21st April 2011
A measure of the ability of HDL to remove cholesterol from macrophages predicted the likelihood that an individual undergoing cardiac catheterisation had coronary artery disease, a ...
Stroke medicine: Dabigatran better than warfarin in atrial fibrillation study
Evidentia - 15th April 2011
A high dose of dabigatran was more effective in preventing strokes in high-risk patients than warfarin. The results led some practitioners to suggest that dabigatran could replace ...
Surgery: Thopaz offers improved patient care and reduced costs in thoracic drainage
By Mark Jones - 15th April 2011
Medela's Thopaz is the world's smallest hand-held thoracic drainage system and is revolutionising patients' post-operative care. It is unique in combining a digital display that t ...
Respiratory: A review of nicotine dependence and pharmacological interventions
Evidentia - 9th March 2011
There is an undisputed worldwide consensus on the inherent dangers of smoking with tobacco use having gained the dubious mantle of the leading cause of preventable death in the maj ...
Cardiology: Registry data suggest survival benefit for candesartan, European Congress hears
Evidentia - 9th March 2011
Systolic heart failure patients treated with candesartan had better one-year survival than those taking losartan regardless of dose, comorbidities, or background heart failure trea ...
Diabetes: Feet - report from European Association for the Study of Diabetes
Evidentia - 9th March 2011
A poster session at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, Stockholm, considered clinical aspects of diabetic foot. Three posters considered asp ...
Dermatology: acne and increased risk of suicide - isotretinoin may not be to blame
BMJ - 8th March 2011
Patients with acne appeared to have an increasing risk of suicide albeit one that was not statistically significant three years before isotretinoin treatment started, which lasted ...
Technology: iPhone images - are they good enough for medical use?
Evidentia - 14th February 2011
Report from the European Federation of Neurological Societies Congress, Geneva: Like the rest of society, medicine increasingly relies on digital systems and mobile devices to mana ...
Diabetic neuropathy: the winding road from early detection to timely prevention
Evidentia - 14th February 2011
Report from the European Association for the study of Diabetes, Stockholm: key to reducing the development of neuropathy is effective long-term glycaemic control, starting early in ...
Cardiology: Nurses reduce risk of recurrent complications - results from RESPONSE trial
Evidentia - 14th February 2011
A six-month outpatient prevention programme conducted by nurses has resulted in significant and sustained improvements in the control of cardiovascular risk factors, including high ...
Respiratory: biomass smoke is a major cause of COPD worldwide, study says
Evidentia - 28th January 2011
One of the most common and most harmful sources of air pollution is also one of the most under-recognised and under-researched. Although smoke from domestic biomass fuel stoves con ...
Cardiology: is cardiovascular prevention worth the money? Report from the European Society of Cardiology Congress
Evidentia - 7th January 2011
Cardiovascular disease in all its forms is the biggest cause of death across Europe. Although there is little doubt that better focus on prevention can lessen its impact, we are le ...
European Medicines Agency: regulator faces leadership vacuum
Evidentia - 7th January 2011
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is headed for uncertain times after a row over the pay grade of its executive director has left it without a leader for the first half of next y ...
Neurology: the blood pressure-glaucoma connection in people with migraine
Evidentia - 7th January 2011
Data on glaucoma risk in people with migraine and on innovative uses of mobile, digital technology were featured at the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology and Middle East-Afric ...
General medicine: Unapproved use of quinine sulfate gets FDA warning
Evidentia - 26th November 2010
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning that off-label use of the malaria drug quinine sulfate to treat night time leg cramps causes serious side effects. ...
Cardiology: Statin related to reduction in cancer recurrence following prostatectomy
Evidentia - 26th November 2010
Men treated with a statin to lower cholesterol achieved a 30% reduction in prostate cancer recurrence after surgery compared with men who do not take a statin, according to a study ...
Gastroenterology: Chemokine Inhibitor shows promise with inflammatory bowel disease
Evidentia - 26th November 2010
Data from a multinational clinical trial showed a first-in-class chemokine receptor antagonist maintained remission in Crohn's disease and permitted steroid tapering during 36 week ...
Dermatology: Common skin diseases have a profound impact on people's lifestyle choices
Evidentia - 26th November 2010
New research into a range of common skin diseases affecting hundreds of thousands of Britons will reveal the true impact of the conditions on the lives of patients. A series of st ...
Elderly medicine: researchers figure out function of Alzheimer's protein
Evidentia - 18th November 2010
Researchers in Melbourne believe they have finally figured out the function for the protein that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. It has long been known ...
Oncology: patient survey adds weight to call for greater consensus on break through cancer pain
Evidentia - 18th November 2010
Experts are concerned that inadequate treatment strategies make cancer patients suffer unnecessarily. Further results from the European Survey of Breakthrough Cancer Pain were p ...
Dermatology: UV-B treatment may improve psoriasis and vitamin D levels
Evidentia - 18th November 2010
Treatment with narrow-band UV-B rays may increase serum levels of vitamin D in the wintertime while clearing psoriasis, according to a report in the Archives of Dermatology, one of ...
Diabetes: hopes grow over the development of an artificial pancreas
Evidentia - 18th November 2010
Optimism is on the rise for the artificial pancreas, a system intended to constantly monitor glucose levels and adjust insulin automatically - so much so that experts say that use ...
Obesity: naltrexone and bupropion help to lower bodyweight
Evidentia - 2nd November 2010
Combination naltrexone and bupropion, plus diet and exercise, has helped reduce bodyweight by a mean of 5% or more over a year, depending on the dosage. Researchers reported this f ...
Oncology: inadequate access to opioid-based pain relief is a human rights issue
Evidentia - 2nd November 2010
Many cancer patients in Europe are being denied access to adequate pain relief because of over-zealous regulations restricting the availability and accessibility of opioid-based dr ...
Cardiology: smoking cessation benefits MI patients with heart damage
Evidentia - 2nd November 2010
Smoking cessation markedly improves survival for patients with MI and residual left ventricular dysfunction. When smokers with left ventricular systolic dysfunction following MI q ...
Neurology: picking up multiple sclerosis in the blood before it strikes
Evidentia - 14th October 2010
Professor Anat Achiron of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and vice-dean of research at Sheba Medical Center has uncovered a new way of detecting MS in the blood. ...
Diabetes: pioglitazone plus exenatide brings more benefit to patients
Evidentia - 14th October 2010
Combining pioglitazone treatment with exenatide treatment brings about an added improvement in glycaemic control than either drug brings about on its own, according to results from ...
Dementia: cigarette smoke is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease
Evidentia - 14th October 2010
An analysis of published studies on the relationship between Alzheimer's disease and smoking indicates that smoking cigarettes is a significant risk factor for the disease. After c ...
Paediatrics: vaccine lowers hospitalisations for paediatric acute gastroenteritis
Evidentia - 23rd September 2010
Researchers have found that infant vaccination against rotavirus is associated with a significant decline in US hospitalisation rates for acute gastroenteritis in a study in The Jo ...
Respiratory: children with severe asthma at risk of developing COPD as adults
Evidentia - 23rd September 2010
Children with severe asthma have more than 30 times the risk of developing adult chronic obstructive lung disease as adults compared to children without asthma, according to a pros ...
Dementia: a guide to improving quality of care in general hospitals
By Mike Broad - 2nd September 2010
For someone who has a dementia, who may be on the edge of his or her limits of coping at home in a familiar environment, who is seeing the same people and doing the same things eac ...
Psychiatry: mental illness linked to tobacco exposure in the womb
Evidentia - 2nd September 2010
Prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke may increase the risk of psychiatric disorders later in life, a Finnish researcher said at the American Psychiatric Association meeting in New Or ...
Diabetes: European Society of Hypertension meeting debates blood pressure
Evidentia - 2nd September 2010
Blood pressure is an important determinant of kidney disease among patients with diabetes. Previously the recommended thresholds to initiate treatment to lower BP are 130/80 and 12 ...
Respiratory: Internet monitoring of severe asthma patients effective
Evidentia - 2nd September 2010
Internet support and daily monitoring of exhaled nitric acid appear to reduce need for oral corticosteroids in patients with severe asthma according to Dr Simone Hashimoto, researc ...
Rheumatology: hormone replacement in joint fluid regenerative
Evidentia - 6th August 2010
Hormone replacement with testosterone in men and oestrogen in women appears to have a positive effect on the regenerative potential of cartilage tissue, according to a study publis ...
Oncology: breast cancer gene linked to ovarian cancer in Western Sweden
Evidentia - 6th August 2010
A new study has shown a startling link between ovarian cancer and a rare gene mutation that causes breast cancer in a Swedish region with above average cancer rates. Previous rese ...
Dermatology: online dermatology treatment for acne is effective
Evidentia - 6th August 2010
Acne patients who received online treatment from dermatologists had similar outcomes to patients who were treated in the doctor's office, a new study finds. Patients who particip ...
Psychiatry: the dos and don'ts of assessing major depression in diabetes
Evidentia - 6th August 2010
It is increasingly recognised that depression constitutes a significant long-term complication of diabetes and is associated with debilitating rates of reduced quality of life, poo ...
Cardiology: a diet high in B vitamins lowers heart risks for women
Evidentia - 22nd July 2010
Eating more foods containing the B vitamins folate and B6 lowers the risk of death from stroke and heart disease for women and may reduce the risk of heart failure in men, accordin ...
Oncology: dutasteride reduces prostate cancer risk in high-risk men
Evidentia - 22nd July 2010
Dutasteride, already FDA-approved to shrink a benign, enlarged prostate, reduced the risk of a prostate cancer diagnosis by 23% in high-risk men in a large, international trial, re ...
Rheumatology: behavioural problems in childhood doubles pain risk later
Evidentia - 22nd July 2010
Bad behaviour in childhood is associated with long-term, chronic widespread pain in adult life, according to the findings of a study following nearly 20,000 people from birth in 19 ...
Dermatology: psoriasis co-morbidity increases over time review shows
Evidentia - 22nd July 2010
Patients with psoriasis have multiple co-morbid conditions that tend to worsen over time, data from a review of medical records showed. At baseline, psoriasis patients had signific ...
Diabetes: has HbA1c in diabetes diagnosis been a change for the better?
Evidentia - 22nd July 2010
Since it was first introduced in the mid to late 1990s, measurement of plasma levels of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) has become a widely used clinical tool for diagnosis and monito ...
Medico-legal: European Commission to review clinical trials directive
Evidentia - 10th July 2010
The European Commission has revealed plans to review the EU Clinical Trials Directive which came into force in 2004. The rules governing medical research across Europe have been un ...
Cardiology: ethnic groups show different cardiovascular risk profiles in Canada
Evidentia - 10th July 2010
A study of ethnic groups living in Canada has found striking differences in cardiovascular risk profiles when comparing white, Chinese, South Asian and black populations. Publis ...
Paediatrics: respiratory syncytial virus kills up to 200,000 children per year globally
Evidentia - 10th July 2010
A virus that causes wheezing and pneumonia kills up to two hundred thousand children worldwide each year, researchers reported in a recent issue of The Lancet. The research also r ...
Anaesthetics: new chronic pain guidelines published in the United States
Evidentia - 10th July 2010
The American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Chronic Pain Management has updated its chronic pain guidelines. The new recommendations are designed to help clinicians wh ...
Dermatology: antiseptic bathing of trauma patients reduces infection in intensive care
Evidentia - 10th July 2010
Bathing critically ill trauma patients daily with chlorhexidine significantly reduced healthcare-associated infections, researchers said. In a single-institution, before-and-aft ...
Diabetes: doctors debate whether we should bother with intensive glucose control?
Evidentia - 10th July 2010
Poor glycaemic control is directly associated with the development of complications in Type 2 diabetes patients. However, as international consensus bodies and treatment guideline ...
A report on the 'seed and soil' theory from San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2009
Evidentia - 19th February 2010
Dr Stephen Pagets in an article published in 1889, in The Lancet, wrote: "While many researchers have been studying the seed, the properties of the soil may reveal valuable insight ...
A report on acid related disorders from Gastro 2009, London
Evidentia - 19th February 2010
Low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and NSAIDs are among the most widely used medications in the adult population, and their use is expected to increase. However, the use of lo ...
Poor exercise response in heart failure patients, University of Birmingham research reveals
Evidentia - 19th February 2010
Heart failure patients with a normal left ventricular ejection fraction have an impaired heart rate response to exercise compared with healthy individuals. These patients also h ...
Obesity is the main therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes, say experts
Evidentia - 9th January 2010
An expert panel, which included Professors Edwin Gale, editor of Diabetologia and John Buse, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, US, tackled the issu ...
Hip fracture rate could drop with aggressive osteoporosis prevention
Evidentia - 8th January 2010
Aggressively managing patients at risk for osteoporosis could reduce the hip fracture rate in the US by 25%, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the recent issue of ...
Unified approach in understanding and managing cancer delivers results
Evidentia - 8th January 2010
The European Academy of Cancer Sciences was launched at the joint ECCO 15-34th ESMO multidisciplinary congress, in Berlin, to provide a unified approach to cancer health and res ...
No link between isotretinoin treatment and inflammatory bowel disease
Evidentia - 8th January 2010
Questions about a link between isotretinoin treatment of acne vulgaris and development or exacerbation of inflammatory bowel disease have been debated in the medical literature, an ...
Benefits of eating fish in the prevention of heart failure questioned by study
Evidentia - 8th January 2010
The much-vaunted health benefits of eating fish have been called into question by a new study which shows no major role for fish in the prevention of heart failure. Researchers say ...
Negative aspirin result for the prevention of vascular events, says study
Evidentia - 8th January 2010
The effectiveness of antiplatelet therapy in preventing major vascular events in patients with known cardiovascular disease is well established but the value of antiplatelets in pr ...