Medical – Page 19 – Bianca Nogrady

ADHD treatments: are they meeting children’s needs?

April 2, 2014No Comments

From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 24 March 2o14: With an increasing number of children being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it’s no surprise that we’re also seeing more children being treated for the condition. But concerns are also increasing about ADHD treatments – especially medications. Last year the Therapeutic Goods Administration issued a … Continue reading ADHD treatments: are they meeting children’s needs?

Surgery for diabetes?

March 31, 2014No Comments

From Australian Doctor newspaper, 21 March 2014: In December last year, Melbourne hosted 11,000 diabetes experts for the International Diabetes Federation world congress. Amid the usual hand-wringing about rising rates of the disease and its complications, there was considerable buzz about obesity surgery. Much of the interest revolved around a study that showed nearly three-quarters … Continue reading Surgery for diabetes?

Exercise during youth builds strong bones for life

March 28, 2014No Comments

From ABC News in Science, 25 March 2014: A study of major league baseball players’ pitching arms has shown that bone strength in later life is decided by the quality of exercises we do in our youth. The research by US and Australian scientists is published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences … Continue reading Exercise during youth builds strong bones for life

Diagnosing ADHD: why is it so challenging?

March 9, 2014No Comments

From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 7 March 2014: Toddlers are hard work. As any parent knows, they’re into everything, they have the attention span of a goldfish, the focus of a spinning disco ball, and the exploratory instincts of a spaniel puppy. That’s all well and good when they’re toddlers, but what happens when those … Continue reading Diagnosing ADHD: why is it so challenging?

TNF inhibitors reduce coronary artery disease risk in rheumatoid arthritis

March 7, 2014No Comments

From Cardiology News, 27 February 2014: Use of tumor necrosis factor–alpha inhibitors was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of coronary artery disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly with longer term use of the drugs, in a retrospective cohort study. The study of 2,101 patients with incident RA diagnosed during 2001-2011 showed … Continue reading TNF inhibitors reduce coronary artery disease risk in rheumatoid arthritis

Aggressive secondary squamous carcinoma appeared during BRAF inhibitor targeted therapy

March 7, 2014No Comments

From Skin and Allergy News, 26 February 2014: A woman undergoing BRAF inhibitor targeted therapy for advanced melanoma has presented with invasive spindle cell squamous carcinoma masquerading as a secondary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, highlighting the importance of histologic evaluation of these lesions. “Secondary cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs) are adverse effects of BRAF inhibitor … Continue reading Aggressive secondary squamous carcinoma appeared during BRAF inhibitor targeted therapy

Increased mortality persists in drug-resistant epilepsy

March 4, 2014No Comments

From Clinical Neurology News, 24 February 2014: Drug-resistant epilepsy is associated with a significant increase in mortality that persists for decades after diagnosis, particularly among individuals with a known etiology, according to data from a retrospective, multicenter cohort study. Dr. Brian Callaghan of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his colleagues identified 433 patients … Continue reading Increased mortality persists in drug-resistant epilepsy

Postsurgical withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs raises only short-term seizure risk

March 4, 2014No Comments

From Clinical Neurology News, 24 February 2014: Withdrawing antiepileptic medication after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery may increase the risk of breakthrough seizures in the short term but does not alter long-term remission rates, a retrospective, observational cohort study found. Two years after surgery, 69% of patients whose medication was discontinued at 1 year were completely … Continue reading Postsurgical withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs raises only short-term seizure risk

Stem cell transplantation effective in aggressive relapsing-remitting MS

March 4, 2014No Comments

From Clinical Neurology News, 27 February 2014: Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was an effective treatment option for aggressive multiple sclerosis, particularly in patients with inflammatory activity at baseline, in a study of the Swedish experience with the procedure since it was first performed there in 2004. A prospective, observational study of 41 patients with … Continue reading Stem cell transplantation effective in aggressive relapsing-remitting MS

Is weight loss surgery the answer for diabetes?

January 22, 2014No Comments

From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 21 January 2014: Obesity surgery is hardly a new kid on the medical block. The first surgical attempts to help people lose weight were performed more than half a century ago. Bariatric or metabolic surgery, which involves either chopping out or tying off a section of the stomach, is now … Continue reading Is weight loss surgery the answer for diabetes?