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Navy medics going digital

NavMedWatch enables healthcare professionals to track medical assets, anticipate future needs, and provide alerts for transportation to other facilities. The next version will include a history function to track individual patient care throughout the Naval medical system.

Assaulting the mosquito’s sense of smell

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have identified four genes in the Anopheles gambiae mosquito that code for odorant receptors similar to those found in fruit flies. These genes are only expressed in the antennae and maxillary palps, indicating that mosquitoes use a conserved chemosensory system to track human body odor.

SourceVanderbilt University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 26, 2001

NHLBI-funded study finds heart assist device extends and improves lives of patients with end stage heart failure

A new study funded by the NHLBI shows that a type of implantable heart pump can extend and improve the lives of terminally ill patients with end stage heart failure. The HeartMate LVAD was shown to have a 52% one-year survival rate, compared to 25% for those receiving standard medical management.

SourceNIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateNov 12, 2001

Study offers relief for first-time blood donors

A study by Ohio University health psychologists found that first-time blood donors who used an audiovisual program were less likely to experience symptoms of feeling faint. The program, which included 3D visuals and upbeat music, was more effective in distracting blunters from their stressors than monitors who received no distraction.

SourceOhio University·JournalPsychosomatic Medicine·DateAug 7, 2001

Depression worsens outcome in diabetes

A new analysis of 27 studies reveals that depression is associated with increased numbers, severity and ratings of diabetes complications. The study suggests a complex relationship between depression and diabetes, where underlying mechanisms may be influenced by biological, social and psychological variables.

SourceCenter for Advancing Health·JournalPsychosomatic Medicine·DateJul 23, 2001

Study gives clues to workings of anti-Alzheimer antibody

Researchers at WashU Medicine discovered an antibody that targets a specific region of the amyloid-beta protein, drawing it out of the brain and into the blood. The study found that mice treated with the antibody developed fewer amyloid plaques in their brains than control animals.

SourceWashU Medicine·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 2, 2001

Scientists identify a cause of fainting syndrome that affects young women

Neuropathic Postural Tachycardial Syndrome (NPTS) affects approximately 500,000 people in the U.S., primarily women between 20 and 45. Researchers Dr. Giris Jacob and Dr. David Robertson found that NPTS can be caused by genetic mutations or disease after surgery, pregnancy, or inflammatory illness.

SourceAmerican Society for Technion - Israel Institute of Technology·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateFeb 11, 2001

Extended drug therapy and pneumatic compression key to avoiding blood clots after hip replacement surgery

A study found that pneumatic compression and extended anticoagulant drug therapy lower the risk of developing symptomatic blood clots after hip replacement surgery, with overweight patients most at risk. Pneumatic compression was effective in normal-weight patients, while warfarin therapy benefited all patients.

SourceUniversity of California - Davis Health·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateDec 12, 2000

Study shows one anti-rejection drug works better to prevent harmful blood clots in heart transplant patients

A University of Maryland Medical Center study found that FK506 significantly lowers the risk of forming clots compared to cyclosporine. The research has important implications for understanding coronary disease after a transplant and improving outlook for heart transplant patients.

SourceUniversity of Maryland Medical Center·JournalThe Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation·DateJan 3, 2000