Millions of Americans may be getting the wrong treatment to prevent a heart attack or stroke, a new study suggests. Prescriptions for blood-thinning aspirin, cholesterol-lowering statins and blood pressure medications might be incorrect because a tool that estimates risk appears to be off by as much as 20 percent, Stanford University researchers reported. That means… read on >
(HealthDay News) –Joint replacement surgery removes damaged parts of a joint and replaces them with man-made parts. The goal is to restore function and reduce pain and inflammation. The most commonly replaced joints are the hip or knee. Less often, a shoulder, finger joint, ankle or elbow is replaced, the U.S. National Institute of Arthritis… read on >
An annual flu shot is key for children with asthma, a new study shows. “We now know that if these kids get the flu, the risks are very high that emergency treatment for an asthma attack will fail,” said study co-author and pediatrician Dr. Francine Ducharme. “Instead of having an 18 percent risk of treatment… read on >
A majority of women with an early form of a common breast cancer may be able to skip chemotherapy, depending on the results of a comprehensive gene test. The new study of nearly 7,000 women found that use of the already available Oncogene DX gene test could pinpoint those women who needed chemotherapy, and those… read on >
A cancer drug that boosts the immune system outperforms chemotherapy in fighting advanced lung cancer, a new trial shows. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) extended life four to eight months longer than chemotherapy in lung cancer patients whose immune systems had been duped by their cancer cells. “This trial shows that pembrolizumab used alone improves survival as opposed… read on >
Children suffering from rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer of the muscle tissue, may have better chances for a cure if they have extended chemotherapy, a new study finds. In a phase 3 clinical trial, adding six months of low-dose maintenance chemotherapy after initial treatment extended the five-year survival rate from 74 percent to 87 percent, researchers… read on >
A new and highly targeted drug slowed the growth of advanced breast cancers by about an average of two months, researchers report. “The findings in this study show a modest benefit to a subgroup of women with estrogen receptor-positive tumors,” said Dr. Stephanie Bernik, a breast cancer specialist who wasn’t involved in the research. Estrogen… read on >
Genetic blood testing is showing potential as a means of catching some early stage cancers, researchers are reporting. For example, a panel of three different genetic tests was able to detect early stage lung cancer about half of the time in people who’d already been diagnosed with the disease. The tests also detected late-stage lung… read on >
You might want to pick up the pace when you head out for a stroll, suggests a new study that found that doing so may lengthen your life. In fact, compared with a slow pace, walking at an average pace appeared to reduce the risk of dying early 20 percent, while a faster pace seemed… read on >
Pot is increasingly replacing cigarettes and alcohol as the first drug of choice among young Americans, researchers have found. Boys, black Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics and multi-racial Americans were the most likely to turn to marijuana before other recreational drugs, the new report suggests. For the study, the investigators analyzed nationwide surveys done between 2004… read on >
