Nuclear Tracer Shortage; Weighing Post-Ablation OAC; Fix for Biased AI Tools?
Magnesium’s hemostatic effects in intracerebral hemorrhage were supported by reduced hematoma expansion in FAST-MAG participants who achieved higher serum magnesium levels with magnesium treatment. (Stroke) The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology alerted to a shortage of 99mTechnetium-pyrophosphate, a radioisotope tracer used in nuclear imaging of cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis. (Health Imaging) Postmortem toxicology data suggested disproportionately […]
Misoprostol Alone in Self-Managed Abortion Is Highly Effective
Use of misoprostol alone was shown to be effective in self-managed abortion, with minimal side effects, according to a prospective observational cohort study of callers to safe abortion hotlines in Nigeria, Argentina, and Southeast Asia. In the cohort of 637 callers who used a misoprostol-alone regimen, 98.1% had a complete abortion without procedural intervention at […]
Neuromodulation of the Peroneal Nerve Safe for Overactive Bladder
Electrical transcutaneous neuromodulation (eTNM) of the peroneal nerve led to fewer side effects compared with solifenacin (Vesicare) in the treatment of overactive bladder, a randomized trial showed. Among 76 treatment-naive women randomized 2:1 to peroneal eTNM or solifenacin, 12% versus 48% reported a treatment-related adverse event (TRAE; P<0.001), reported Jan Krhut, MD, PhD, of University […]
Heart Failure’s Obesity Paradox Falls Apart on Further Inspection
For the heart failure population, BMI obesity no longer appeared to hold counterintuitive protective effects after comprehensive adjustment for natriuretic peptides and other prognostic variables in a post hoc analysis of PARADIGM. Eliminating this so-called “obesity paradox,” researchers found that study participants with the highest BMIs actually had excess combined heart failure hospitalizations and cardiovascular […]
Worried About Your Medicare Payment Because of the Debt Limit? Don’t Be, Experts Say
WASHINGTON — Clinicians should be “concerned but not panicky” about the potential effects on Medicare, Medicaid, and other healthcare payments as the federal government approaches a “debt ceiling,” experts say. “The federal government has never defaulted,” said Bill Hoagland, senior vice president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank here. Healthcare providers “should […]
Can Oncologists Reduce the Suicide Risk in Their Prostate Cancer Patients?
SAN DIEGO — Whether it’s due to the side effects of local and systemic therapies, or the diagnosis itself, men with prostate cancer are at increased risk of mental distress and suicide. The mental health burden associated with a diagnosis and treatment is substantial, pointed out Zachary Klaassen, MD, of the Georgia Cancer Center at […]
Buspirone vs. Xanax (alprazolam): Anxiety Uses, Side Effects, Dosage
Buspirone vs. Xanax differences between side effects and uses Buspirone and Xanax (alprazolam) are medications used to treat anxiety. Xanax is in the benzodiazepine class of drugs, while buspirone is not chemically related to benzodiazepines and works differently than other anxiolytics. The brand name of buspirone called BuSpar is discontinued in the U.S. Buspirone is […]
Women urged to eat potassium-rich foods to improve their heart health
Women who eat bananas, avocados and salmon could reduce the negative effects of salt in the diet, according to a study published today in European Heart Journal, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 The study found that potassium-rich diets were associated with lower blood pressure, particularly in women with high salt intake. […]
Antibiotics affect male and female gut microbiomes differently: Sex-specific changes in the gut bacteria of lab rats treated with antibiotics
In a new study, researchers at Cedars-Sinai found that antibiotics have sex-specific effects on the gut microbiome makeup of male and female laboratory rats. The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, could have implications for using the drugs in humans to treat or prevent bacterial infection. “We found that giving the rats a […]
Knowing Earth’s energy imbalance is critical in preventing global warming, study finds
The imbalance of energy on Earth is the most important metric in order to gauge the size and effects of climate change, according to a new study published today in the first issue of Environmental Research: Climate, a new open access journal. Distinguished scholar at the National Center of Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and highly cited […]