Gastric Bypass Can Improve Renal Function in Patients With Morbid Obesity
Patients with morbid obesity who also have chronic renal disease (CRD) may improve or stabilize renal function after gastric bypass, according to a study presented here at the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery 25th Annual Meeting. CRD is common in obese patients, and chronic renal failure is more than 7 times higher in […]
Option of Open or Endovascular AAA Rupture Repair Cuts Mortality
In a single-center study, the availability of both open and endovascular repair significantly improved postoperative survival in patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAA), according to a report in the Archives of Surgery for June. In the study, Dr. Andreas Wibmer from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, and colleagues compared the outcomes of patients […]
Outcomes Similar With Resective or Drainage Procedures in Pancreatitis
Long-term follow-up of chronic pancreatitis patients who underwent the pylorus-preserving variant of the Whipple resection procedure shows that results are ultimately comparable to those achieved using the more recent Frey organ-sparing extended drainage approach, according to German researchers. In the May issue of Gastroenterology, Dr. Tim Strate of University Hospital, Hamburg and colleagues report on […]
Coffee and Tea May Protect Against Stroke
High consumption of coffee or tea every day appears to protect male smokers against at least 1 type of stroke, a new study suggests. This large, prospective, observational study showed that Finnish smokers who consumed 8 or more cups of coffee per day had a 23% lowered risk for cerebral infarction, whereas those who drank […]
Intensive Interventions Increase Walking Behavior
Intensive interventions can increase walking behavior, according to the results of a review reported in the July issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. “Walking is the most prevalent and preferred method of physical activity for both work and leisure purposes, thus making it a prime target for physical activity promotion interventions,” write […]
Low-Risk Food Pattern May Reduce Risk for Diabetes
Dietary patterns affect the risk for type 2 diabetes to a greater extent vs intake of specific food groups, according to findings from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), reported in the June 10 Online First issue of Diabetes Care. “Each nutrient or food is part of a larger pattern consisting of many nutrients and […]
Post-MI Angina Common, Underappreciated, Undertreated in Registry Study
One in five patients with a myocardial infarction (MI) experienced angina one year after hospitalization for the acute event, and a substantial minority of those with angina had symptoms at least weekly, in a prospective, multicenter registry analysis appearing in the June 23, 2008 Archives of Internal Medicine [1]. Their angina was independently associated with […]
Coronary Calcium Better Than Carotid IMT for Predicting CVD Risk, MESA Analysis Shows
Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores are better than carotid intima media thickness (IMT) at predicting risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease events, a new analysis from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) suggests [1]. While CAC was best at predicting risk of all cardiovascular disease or coronary heart disease specifically, carotid IMT was modestly better than […]
Merck’s Gardasil Not Cleared for Older Women
U.S. regulators have told Merck & Co they cannot yet approve Merck’s application to expand marketing of its HPV vaccine Gardasil to an older group of women, the drugmaker said Wednesday. Merck had applied for the use of Gardasil in women ages 27 through 45. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a letter […]
Biomarkers Improve Cardiovascular Risk Prediction
A combination of four substances the body produces in response to heart and kidney damage may help predict the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, at least in older men. A study published in the May 15 New England Journal of Medicine concludes that considering levels of these biomarkers along with more traditional risk factors […]