There has been an increase in hospice usage and ICU utilization over the last ten years among elderly patients, researchers from Brown University reported in JAMA. The authors added that with more late health care transitions, repeat hospitalizations, does such aggressive care really represent what patients and their loved ones really want? Probably not...

The most popular illegal drug, marijuana, has been found to double the risk of stroke among young adults, according to findings revealed at The American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2013...

Pain-free walking as well as length of walk both improved greatly in patients with claudication following treatment with the ACE blocker ramipril. The new study, published in JAMA, revealed pain-free walking rose by 60 percent on average and maximum walking time doubled following six months of treatment with the ACE inhibitor...

Scientists found that the axons in rats with multiple sclerosis (MS) can survive for a long time, even after the myelin sheath that insulates the nerves is gone. This challenges the accepted view on MS. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a brain disease caused by nerves losing their electrical insulation and the degeneration of nerve fibers called axons...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just approved a generic version of the cancer drug Doxil (doxorubicin hydrochloride liposome injection). There is currently a serious shortage of the drug Doxil, and the decision by the FDA to allow a generic version on the market will help the thousands of people in need of the drug to survive...

In a small pilot study, a team of US researchers has discovered how vitamin D3, a form of vitamin D, and omega 3 fatty acids may help the immune system clear the brain of amyloid plaques, one of the physical hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease...

Obese men are more likely to father children who go on to develop cancer, compared to men of normal weight, researchers from Duke Unviersity Hospital reported in BMC Medicine. Previous studies showed that a mother's diet and weight might impact a child's health - even before he/she is born...

Experts and scientists from 19 European countries are getting together to investigate the causes of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) with the aim of better understanding the condition and improving diagnosis and treatment. The team is led by researchers from the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg and Karolinska Institutet, both in Sweden...

Men who consume high levels of vitamin C are at twice the risk of kidney stones than men who do not. The new finding does not strongly establish that vitamin C is responsible for the occurrence of kidney stones, however it may make us wonder whether large amounts of vitamin C are harmful to the body. Kidney stones are tiny masses of crystals that can painfully obstruct the urinary tract...

A secret about cosmetic surgery exists that several physicians are hiding from their patients. The truth is many doctors performing cosmetic surgery in the USA are not actually cosmetic surgeons, a claim made by a growing number of board certified cosmetic surgeons around the country...

Many energy drinks have ingredients which can have a harmful effect on adolescent health, especially when mixed with alcohol, says a news report published in Pediatrics in Review. The article - "Energy Drinks: What Teenagers (and Their Doctors) Should Know," - summarizes recent evidence regarding the content, benefits and risks of energy drinks which are consumed by teenagers...

American adults with mental illness smoke a lot more than adults without any mental illness, with a smoking rate close to 70 percent higher. The finding comes from a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)...

As each generation gets older they like to think that they are healthier than the previous generation, however, the baby boomers are now unable to confidently make this claim. The new findings were published in JAMA Internal Medicine, in a study conducted by a group of researchers from the West Virginia University School of Medicine...

Researchers used a small genetic patch to partially restore hearing and balance in deaf mice with Usher syndrome, according to a new report published in Nature Medicine. The animal study, which is still in its early stages, could eventually develop into new treatments for Usher syndrome, a congenital hearing disorder which usually goes hand-in-hand with blindness as well...

Just as some mutations in the genome of cancer cells actively spur tumor growth, it would appear there are also some that do the reverse, and act to slow it down or even stop it, according to a new US study led by MIT...

People who have higher physical fitness levels during middle age have a significantly lower risk of developing all-cause dementia later in life. The finding came from a new study conducted by Laura F. DeFina, MD, of The Cooper Institute in Dallas, and her team, and was published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine...

One of the main reasons for the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa is the sheer number of heterosexual couples having intercourse with people outside their partnership. A study published in The Lancet indicates that current anti-HIV strategies which focus solely on couples in which one member is infected with HIV, might not be enough to decrease the prevalence of HIV in the region...

By interfering with their cellular metabolism, scientists in the US have found a way to weaken antibiotic-resistant bacteria, in this case E. coli, so that they are once again susceptible to existing antibiotics...

Men who have a high intake of calcium supplements appear to have a greater risk of CVD (cardiovascular disease) death, researchers from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md., reported in JAMA Internal Medicine. The authors noted that women do not appear to be affected in the same way...

Routine exposure to the sun, especially ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, may decrease the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, according to a new study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases...