Older, sicker heart-transplant recipients are significantly more likely to be alive a year after their operations if they have their transplants at hospitals that do a large number of them annually new Johns Hopkins research suggests. These patients fare less well at low-volume centers, the research shows. The findings, to be presented May 9 at the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons' annual meeting in Philadelphia, add more support to the notion that patients do better when treated at medical centers that handle a higher number of cases similar to theirs. "There's ...

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 9, 2011 – Unrealistic and uninformed media portrayals of weight not only can negatively influence individual behavior, but can impact how policymakers approach issues of weight and health. The result, according to experts from the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance and the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), is a continued belief that these issues are largely a matter of personal responsibility and that little can or should be done in policy to address them. Susan Dentzer, editor of Health Affairs, moderated a panel ...

Joe Altman, president of Altmans Winnebago, announced today that the Altman family has made the difficult decision to wind down their dealership operations beginning today, May 6, 2010. In 1971, Altmans opened its doors in Baldwin Park, California and grew to become a trusted fixture within the RV industry. "Our family has experienced 40 years of great and challenging times," notes Altman, "but current market conditions suggest it's time to end this chapter of our business." Over the next month or so, Altmans will be liquidating the remaining ...

Los Angeles, CA (APRIL XX, 2011) Despite contrary belief, reducing unemployment in locations with active insurgencies does not decrease the rate of insurgent attacks against government and allied forces. Additionally, it was found that unemployment in these same locations also had no impact in reducing the deaths of civilians. A new study released in the recent issue of the Journal of Conflict Resolution (published by SAGE) found that there is no correlation that aiding countries with high rates of unemployed young men leads to a decrease in political violence. Additionally, ...

New Haven, Conn. —Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in South Korea affect an estimated 2.64% of the population of school-age children, equivalent to 1 in 38 children, according to the first comprehensive study of autism prevalence using a total population sample. The study—conducted by Young-Shin Kim, M.D., of the Yale Child Study Center and her colleagues in the U.S., Korea and Canada—identifies children not yet diagnosed and has the potential to increase autism spectrum disorder prevalence estimates worldwide. ASDs are complex neurobiological disorders that inhibit a ...

ASG Dine, a leading distributor of strategic risk management and employee benefits solutions for the restaurant and food service industries, has announced an exclusive partnership with Walmart to offer discounted prescription pharmaceuticals to our customers and corporate partners. The program provides a company's employees with access to more than 300 different prescription pharmaceuticals for just $4/prescription with a 30-day supply, and only $10/prescription with a 90-day supply. Prescription drugs that are currently not included in the program will still maintain ...

In the first large trial of its kind in the United States, researchers have shown that estrogen-lowering drugs can shrink tumors and reduce mastectomy rates for patients with stage 2 or 3 breast cancer. Patients with these larger breast tumors have two options, says Matthew J. Ellis, MD, PhD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and principal investigator of the trial conducted by the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group. "One option is to undergo mastectomy. The second is to receive medication before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor ...

215 Racing Inc. an American Based company, is proud to announce the exclusive rights to build the Lamborghini Indomable Concept created by Design 4 Motion. This design was created by Daniel Chinchilla under the Masters Program sponsored by Lamborghini. The design is a perfect fit for the first offering of 215 to the supercar market. The car will be built by the Sub-company MOSTRO DI-POTENZA and will be renamed The SF22. This name comes from the design influence of the F22 fighter jet, and is incorporated in the car. SF stands for Street Fighter and only 50 of these cars ...

A new, promising marker for diagnosing prostate cancer has been discovered by Uppsala researchers with the aid of a unique method developed at the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology. The study, being published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS, can lead to more reliable diagnoses and fewer unnecessary operations. The PSA marker used for diagnosing prostate cancer today has been criticized for false positive responses, leading to unnecessary operations. There is therefore great interest in finding new and better ...

BOSTON – More than a third of Americans use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and that number continues to rise attributed mostly to increases in the use of mind-body therapies (MBT) like yoga, meditation and deep breathing exercises. Prior research suggests that MBT, while used by millions of patients, is still on the fringe of mainstream medical care in America. New research suggests that attitudes are changing. In a study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Harvard Medical School, researchers found that one in 30 Americans ...

Scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London and the University of Leicester have discovered animals searching for food do not stick to a complicated pattern of movement as previously thought but tend to wander about randomly. It was previously believed that when searching for food, animals move in very peculiar way called a Lévy flight where they move small distances most of the time, but occasionally move a very long distance. This idea was based on studies in which many animals, like albatrosses or sharks, were tracked. However scientists have been analysing ...

Mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and their subtypes are common in the "oldest old" women, which includes those 85 years of age and older, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The oldest old is "the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population and is expected to increase in number by 40 percent during the next decade alone," the authors write as background information in the article. "Initial evidence suggests that the incidence of all-cause dementia almost doubles with every 5 years of age and that the ...

The available evidence is insufficient to draw firm conclusions about the association of modifiable factors and risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a report posted online today that will appear in the September issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Estimates suggest that up to 5.3 million people in this country may have AD, and this number will likely increase as baby boomers grow older. In fact, "age is currently the strongest known risk factor for AD," write the authors. Variation in the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is also associated ...

Elevated pressure inside the eye, cornea thinning, and visual field loss are all markers that glaucoma may progress, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Glaucoma is one of the world's leading causes of permanent vision loss. It is a group of diseases that can lead to damage of the optic nerve and can result in vision loss and blindness. Previous studies of glaucoma risk factors do not always represent the majority of patients or real-world practices in treating them. "The purpose of our study is to verify ...

When infants' tear ducts are blocked, the decision about when to intervene and the cost-effectiveness of doing so depend on how likely it is the problem will self-resolve, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. It is not uncommon for babies to be born with blockage of the tear ducts, a condition known as congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO). In many cases, the condition will resolve spontaneously by the time a child is one year old. For affected infants at least six months old, physicians can ...

Among Medicare beneficiaries, a large portion of colonoscopies for screening purposes are performed more frequently than recommended intervals. But among older patients treated at Veterans Affairs facilities, warranted follow-up colonoscopies for patients with positive fecal blood tests often do not occur, or cause burden when they do. These findings are from two reports posted online today that will appear in the August 8 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Colonoscopy, a screening test used for the detection of colorectal ...

ASG Bowl, the Official Insurance Partner of Strike Ten Entertainment and the leading distributor of strategic insurance solutions for bowling proprietors nationwide, has announced an exclusive partnership with Walmart to offer discounted prescription pharmaceuticals to bowling proprietors. The program provides bowling center employees with access to more than 300 different prescription pharmaceuticals for just $4/prescription with a 30-day supply, and only $10/prescription with a 90-day supply. Prescription drugs that are currently not included in the program will still ...

The introduction of multidetector row computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) was associated with an apparent increase in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE), but with only minimal changes in mortality (death), suggesting the possibility of overdiagnosis, according to a report in the May 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. This article is part of the Less Is More series in the journal. Pulmonary embolism usually occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the lungs. If not treated, PE can be fatal. Therefore, ...

Commercial funding of continuing medical education (CME) and the potential for bias appear to concern many health care practitioners and researchers, but many reported being unwilling to pay higher fees to eliminate or offset commercial funding sources, according to a report in the May 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Although over the past several years, the role of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in directing CME has been reduced, these entities still fund a substantial proportion of costs. Organizations such ...

Lotus Spas are proud to announce a new range of hot tubs to Europe. Our new range of spas is split into two collections both offering the highest build quality and standards of craftsmanship to bring a total of 8 different spas to the market. Engineered in Canada, the spas are built to withstand even the harshest of Canadian winters and they have been credited as being an "Energy Efficient Appliance" by the California Energy Commission (CEC), which is amongst the most stringent in the world, as well as complying with all European industry standards. All ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. - A colonoscopy is an invaluable procedure for detecting problems in the colon and rectum. Doctors can often diagnose gastrointestinal issues and even catch the warning signs of colorectal cancer. Perfecting the skills required for this delicate procedure takes practice. But just how much practice makes perfect? That was the question Robert E. Sedlack, M.D., and his Mayo Clinic research team set out to answer in their recently completed study of colorectal procedures. Their findings suggest much more practice is needed than gastroenterological professional ...

Sleeve gastrectomy, in which part of the stomach is removed, can be safe and effective when performed either transorally or transvaginally, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) who are pioneering the surgery in the U.S. Natural orifice translumenal surgery® (NOTES) eliminates the need for a large incision for organ removal, which could increase risks for infection, incisional hernia and other problems. In their review of 14 morbidly obese patients who had undergone NOTES as part of a gastrectomy, the researchers found no complications. ...

Spencer Ivy launched their electric bikes in October 2010, with the aim to make cycling more accessible to people who are usually deterred due to the terrain or distance they need to cycle - whether it be for work or leisure. Expanding into the tourism industry was therefore a natural progression. Now, in addition to offering high quality and efficient electric bikes through its network of dealers in the UK and Spain, Spencer Ivy will also provide tourists with premier electric bike holidays through its partners in Wales and across the South of England. Drover Holidays ...

Oncolytic viruses quickly infect and kill cancer stem cells, which may provide a treatment for tumors that are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation, particularly pancreatic cancer, according to new research from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. The findings are especially important since pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis and is difficult to detect and treat at early stages. Investigators led by Joyce Wong, MD, surgical researcher with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, investigated whether they could use oncolytic viruses, ...

DALLAS – May 9, 2011 – Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered new clues about how the intestine maintains friendly relations with the 100 trillion symbiotic bacteria that normally live in the digestive tract. Their latest findings, available online today and in a future edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that a once enigmatic cell population which lurks in the intestinal lining is essential for preventing friendly bacteria from invading into deeper tissue where they can cause debilitating conditions like inflammatory ...