A study published in The Lancet Oncology found that men with prostate cancer are at increased risk of potentially life-threatening blood clots. Patients receiving endocrine therapy had the highest risk, especially younger men and those with advanced disease.
Chagas disease is a neglected cause of stroke, with nearly a third of patients developing severe heart problems. Screening for Trypanosoma cruzi infection and long-term oral anticoagulants may help prevent stroke recurrence.
The latest data on maternal mortality show significant progress in reducing deaths in countries like China, Egypt, Ecuador, and Bolivia. However, unexpected increases were found in the US, Canada, and Denmark. The analysis revealed that the number of women dying from pregnancy-related causes has dropped by over 35% globally since 1980.
A new study reveals that developing countries are increasing their own health spending, but international aid is sometimes replacing this funding in low-income countries. Channelling aid through NGOs can actually increase government health spending, highlighting the need for better transparency and accountability.
The 'crowding out' effect occurs when governments use health aid to partly replace domestic health budgets, rather than supplement them. Possible reasons include reallocating funding to different sectors, stalling increases in recurrent health expenditure, or spreading spending over several years.
Researchers investigate stem cells and adult tissue in the kidney, suggesting a possible mechanism for regeneration. The study suggests that ACE inhibitors may be used to aid repair and regeneration of injured kidney tissue.
A new accelerated radiotherapy regimen has been shown to improve disease-free survival and locoregional control without increasing late radiation side-effects in patients with head and neck cancer. The six-fraction per week schedule reduces treatment time while maintaining effective tumour control.
Early recognition and prevention of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are vital for all settings. CKD is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, even at mild reductions in glomerular filtration rate. Implementing interventions can reduce cardiovascular events or progression to kidney failure.
Many kidney diseases are caused by single gene defects, providing opportunities for diagnosis and treatment. The discovery of causative genes enables personalized medicine and the development of targeted therapies.
A new oral anti-cancer drug, vorinostat, is safe to combine with short-term palliative radiotherapy in patients with advanced pelvic cancer. The therapy may enhance the effect of radiotherapy and could become a component of long-term curative treatment. Patients showed tumor response and reduced side effects when treated with vorinostat.
A double-blind randomized trial found no benefit of lithium in slowing ALS progression, contrary to initial promising results from a small pilot study. The trial involved 84 patients with ALS and showed that lithium plus riluzole did not slow disease progression more than riluzole alone.
The US health care reform bill aims to extend access to healthcare and narrow the gap between expenditure and health outcomes. The bill will provide coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans by 2014 and 95% of the population by 2019, while also promoting preventive care through measures such as calorie labelling.
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) affects one ear, often associated with tinnitus and vertigo. Short-course corticosteroids are recommended for patients with suspected SSNHL after ruling out life-threatening causes.
The Lancet Editorial highlights improved NHS trust standards in England, with registration and inspections required. Continuous monitoring and enforceable penalties ensure trusts meet benchmarks.
Researchers found that zoledronic acid decreased detectable tumour cells in women with locally advanced breast cancer, particularly after 3 months of treatment. The study suggests zoledronic acid's potential to alter the microenvironment making it less favourable for cancer cells.
Research shows that initiating type 2 diabetes screening in the US population at ages 30-45 and repeating it every 3-5 years is cost-effective. This approach can prevent heart attacks, diabetes-related microvascular complications, and improve quality of life while keeping costs below $10,500 per quality-adjusted life-year.
Co-trimoxazole prophylaxis halves mortality in severely immunosuppressed HIV-infected adults, with benefits lasting at least 72 weeks. It also reduces malaria incidence, with no significant effect on opportunistic infections.
Air and water pollution in China pose significant health risks, with indoor air pollution from solid fuels responsible for millions of premature deaths. The country has made some progress in reducing industrial waste and improving access to piped water, but more efforts are needed to address the issue.
New research reveals that pneumonia, birth asphyxia, and preterm birth complications account for between 15-17% of child deaths in China. The study found a significant decline in mortality rates from 1990-2008, with improvements in neonatal, postneonatal infant, and child mortality rates.
Hong Kong's tobacco control efforts have successfully decreased smoking prevalence from 23% in 1982 to 12% in 2008. The region's strategies, including tax increases and anti-smuggling efforts, have contributed to the success.
Experiments in China have shown that changing the incentive system for healthcare providers can lead to improved basic primary health care and reduced costs. Primary-care providers are incentivized to cover more citizens with vaccinations and health education, improving access to cost-effective care.
Adding chemotherapy to surgery or surgery plus radiotherapy significantly improves survival rates for patients with operable non-small-cell lung cancer. The meta-analysis found a 4% increase in survival at 5 years, regardless of the type of chemotherapy used.
Research from the University of Sheffield shows that increasing alcohol prices can reduce consumption, deaths, and healthcare costs across all population subgroups. For a minimum unit price of £0.50 per unit, there could be around 2,900 fewer premature deaths per year and 92,000 fewer hospital admissions.
A recent study found that genetic variations in the GPC5 gene are associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in never-smokers. The research, published in The Lancet Oncology, suggests that GPC5 could be a new target for drug development and could help identify high-risk individuals.
A multinational study found that cystic fibrosis patients from EU countries live longer than those in neighboring non-EU countries. The data suggest a higher proportion of patients surviving to age 40 and a larger CF population if demographic profiles were comparable to EU countries.
The Lancet Editorial praises DFID's global health successes, including education and undernutrition strategies, but criticizes intragovernmental tensions and fragmentation of responsibilities. The publication calls for a post-election independent review to address these issues and ensure the department's continued success.
LCZ696, a new dual-action drug, has been shown to provide significantly greater reductions in blood pressure than the established ARB valsartan. The drug's dual mechanism of action, blocking both angiotensin II and neprilysin, may offer superior benefits for treating hypertension and heart failure.
The SORT OUT III study found that sirolimus-eluting stents are superior to zotarolimus-eluting stents for patients with complex lesions, halving the risk of major adverse cardiac events within 9 months. The difference persisted at 18 months, with a lower need for repeat revascularisation and reduced risk of heart attack.
Mipomersen significantly lowers LDL cholesterol levels by 24.7%, providing a new therapeutic strategy for inherited high cholesterol. The treatment also improves HDL cholesterol and reduces cardiovascular risk factors, making it a valuable addition to existing treatments.
A study suggests that variability in blood pressure can be a strong predictor of stroke and other cardiovascular events, independent of mean blood pressure. The researchers found that patients with the most variation in systolic blood pressure were six times more likely to have a stroke.
Research findings suggest that participatory women's groups can reduce neonatal mortality by up to one-third and moderate maternal depression. The groups' impact was attributed to improved hygiene and care practices, as well as increased community mobilization and support for the poorest populations.
A new study published in the Lancet finds that apixaban is more effective and convenient than enoxaparin in preventing thromboembolism after knee replacement surgery. The anticoagulant also poses less risk of bleeding, a concern with current treatments. This could lead to better patient outcomes and quality of life.
A new hand-held device delivering magnetic pulses to the back of the head effectively treats migraine with aura in some patients, reducing pain and associated symptoms. The treatment is well-tolerated and non-inferior to sham stimulation for symptom improvement, making it a promising acute treatment option.
A nationwide cohort study found that cardiopulmonary resuscitation by bystanders significantly improves survival outcomes for children with cardiac arrests. The study suggests a double CPR training strategy to increase bystander participation.
A systematic review found inadequate coverage of effective interventions for HIV prevention among injecting drug users globally. Only 8% of injectors have accessed needle and syringe programs in the last year, with coverage varying greatly between countries.
A new investigational drug, bapineuzumab, has been shown to reduce amyloid-β deposits in the brain by 25% in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. This breakthrough finding could help assess the efficacy of other drugs for Alzheimer's treatment.
A new study published in The Lancet and The Lancet Neurology found that carotid stenting is not as effective as standard surgery in preventing stroke or as safe in the short-term. Surgery was shown to almost halve the risk of stroke and death within 30 days after treatment, compared to stenting.
A new study published in The Lancet found that removing both pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes significantly improves survival rates for patients with endometrial cancer who are at intermediate or high risk of cancer recurrence. The researchers concluded that this complete procedure should be recommended to these patients.
A review of airline passengers and crew exposed to TB found no evidence of transmission during air travel. Only 10 out of 4328 passengers tested positive, with no reported cases of active TB resulting from air travel.
Recent research highlights the existence of multiple placebo effects, influenced by psychological and neurobiological factors. Placebo effects can be robust in both laboratory and clinical settings, and can even enhance the efficacy of treatments.
The ACCOMPLISH study shows that initial treatment with benazepril plus amlodipine reduces CKD progression more effectively than benazepril plus hydrochlorothiazide. This benefit was seen in patients at high risk for cardiovascular events.
New research reveals statin therapy increases type 2 diabetes risk by 9% in trials, yet the absolute risk is low compared to coronary event reduction. The study found higher diabetes risk among older participants and no influence of LDL cholesterol levels.
A new multi-targeted treatment regimen combining chemotherapy and targeted drugs improves progression-free survival and tumour response in patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma. The study found a clinical benefit rate of over 90% with manageable side effects.
Researchers found daclizumab, a monoclonal antibody, can reduce new lesion formation in relapsing multiple sclerosis compared to standard interferon beta treatment. The study suggests expanding regulatory CD56bright natural killer cells may play a key role in daclizumab's effects.
A new study finds that aciclovir, used to treat herpes simplex virus type 2, can reduce the risk of HIV-1 disease progression by 16% in patients co-infected with both conditions. The treatment also delays CD4 cell count decline and reduces HIV transmission.
A new study published in The Lancet found that combination therapy does not improve overall or progression-free survival compared to single therapy for renal cell carcinoma. However, the combined regimen may still benefit a small number of patients by producing long remissions.
A Review of hot weather health effects highlights the need for more awareness on how certain drugs are affected by heat. The authors also question commonly given advice, such as avoiding alcohol consumption, and emphasize the importance of gradual acclimatisation for elderly individuals to build up their physiological defences.
The COMICE study found that adding MRI to conventional triple assessment for breast cancer diagnosis had no impact on reoperation rates. Despite this, the study suggests that routine use of MRI in this population may not reduce health outcomes or costs, but rather increase them. The results have implications for healthcare providers an...
The Marmot Review advocates for proportionate universalism to address health inequalities, emphasizing fairness and social justice. By reducing health disparities, England could gain up to 2.5 million extra years of life, highlighting the importance of addressing socio-economic inequalities.
A phase 2 trial of denosumab has shown encouraging results in treating a rare type of brain tumor. The study found that 86% of patients experienced a tumor response, including some with lung lesions, and reported clinical benefits such as reduced pain and improved mobility.