Tagcloud

abortion, accupuncture, ACE inhibitors, acne, ADHD, alcohol, allergies, Alzheimer's, anaemia, anaethesia, anorexia, antibiotics, antidepressants, antihistamine, anxiety, appetite control, arthritis, ASCOT, aspirin, asthma, atherosclerosis, autism, autoantibodies, back pain, beta carotene, beta-blockers, bipolar disorder, birth, bleeding, blindness, blood pressure, body dysmorphic disorder, body mass, breast cancer, breast feeding, bronchitis, Caesarean section, calcium, cancer, carcinogens, carcinoma, cardiac syncope, cardiolgy, cataracts, cervical cancer, chemotherapy, child psychiatry, children, cholesterol, clinical trial, clopidogrel, Clostridium difficile, cognitive behavioural therapy, colectomy, colic, colorectal cancer, complementary and alternative therapies, contraception, COPD, coronary care, coronary stents, Crohn's, cystic fibrosis, defibrillator, dementia, depression, dermatology, diabetes management, diet, disability, DNA, Down's syndrome, eating disorders, echinacea, ECT, eczema, elderly people, endoscopy, epilepsy, erectile dysfunction, euthanasia, exercise, fat, fertility, fitness, flu pandemic, fluoxetine, folic acid, food labelling, fracture, fragile X syndrome, general surgery, genetics, gerontology, GIK infusion therapy, GORD, gout, haemodialysis, hearing, heart attack, heart disease, heart failure, heart health, hepatitis, HIV, hospital care, HPV, HRT, hyperglycaemia, hypertension, hypoglycaemia, IBD, ICU, incontinence, infant, infant mortality, infection, inflammatory bowel disease, influenza, invasive candidiasis, IQ, Irish Heart Foundation, irritable bowel syndrome, keyhole surgery, kidney disease, laser, learning difficulties, leukaemia, liver disease, lumbar disk herniation, lung cancer, lung disease, lymph nodes, macular degeneration, macular oedema, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), malaria, malnutrition, Marfan syndrome, media, medical ethics, medical research, medication, meningitis, mental illness, metabolic syndrome, migraine, miscarriage, mortality rate, MRSA, multiple sclerosis (MS), NCHDs, nephrology, neurology, OAB, obesity, obstetrics, occupational health, ocular medicine, omega-3, opthalmology, oral cancer, organ transplantation, orthopaedics, osteoporosis, otolaryngology, ovarian cancer, paediatrics, pain management, pancreatic cancer, panic, Parkinson’s disease, patient safety, patient-physician communication, personality disorders, physiotherapy, plastic surgery, polio, practice, pre-eclampsia, pregnancy, preventative health care, probiotics, prostate cancer, psoriasis, psychiatric admission, psychiatry, psychotherapy, PTSD, public health, quality of life, radiology, radiotherapy, rectal cancer, reproductive health, research, resuscitation, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatology, rhinitis, salt, SARS, schizophrenia, screening, seizures, self harm, sexual abuse, sexual health, sexually transmitted infections, SGA, sinusitis, skin cancer, sleep disorders, smoking, smoking ban, spinal injury, sports medicine, statins, stress, stroke, substance abuse, suicide, supplement, surgery, syncope, technology, teenagers, testosterone, thoracic surgery, thrombosis, thyroid cancer, tonsillectomy, tonsillitis, Tourette's syndrome, toxicology, travel medicine, tuberculosis, tumour angiogenesis, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, ulcer, ulcerative colitis, urinary incontinence, vaccine, vitamins, weight, WHO, women's health, World Health Assembly

Clinical Times: March 2007

Syncope management– a multi-disciplinary approach

Colin Kerr | 30 March 2007 |

The recent National Syncope Conference examined new approaches to the treatment of the condition as well as a need for better diagnosis. Professor Declan Lyons, Consultant in General Medicine/Elderly Medicine at the Midwestern Regional Hospital Dooradoyle, Limerick, told the conference... Read more

Boys of single parents are found more likely to be sexually abused by women

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2007; 61:319-325 | 30 March 2007 | Mental Health & CNS

Boys growing up in one-parent families are twice as likely to report sexual abuse as boys from two-parent families and are also more likely to be abused by a female, a new US study has found. Rresearcher questioned 197 men... Read more

Antibiotics appear to be overprescribed for sinus infections

Archives of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery 2007;133:260-265 | 30 March 2007 | Respiratory

Antibiotics are prescribed for approximately 82 per cent of acute sinus infections and nearly 70 per cent of chronic sinus infections, despite the fact that viruses are by far the most frequent cause of this condition, according to a new... Read more

Chest compressions may be more effective than the kiss-of-life

The Lancet 2007;369:882-884,920-926 | 30 March 2007 | Cardiovascular

A new Japanese study has found that bystander cardiac-only resuscitation has a better outcome for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest than conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Doctors compared the outcomes for over 4,000 adult patients who underwent cardiac-only resuscitation or conventional... Read more

Genes play role determining success of hip replacement

Annals of Rheumatic Diseases | 30 March 2007 | Musculoskeletal

The success of long-term hip replacement surgery may lie in a patient’s genes, according to new research. The researchers analysed genetic variations in 312 people, just over half of whom (162) had problems after hip replacement in the 10 years... Read more

Smoking associated with ageing of non-facial skin

Archives of Dermatology 2007;143:397-402 | 30 March 2007 | Skin

A history of smoking may be associated with a higher degree of aging in skin not regularly exposed to light in both women and men, according to a new study. In the study, doctors used photographs of 82 healthy participants’... Read more

Hormone therapy may be safer with patch than pill

Circulation 2007;115:840-845 | 23 March 2007 | Women's Health

Transdermal estrogen, delivered by a patch or gel, is not associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), according to French researchers. VTEs are only a risk when taking estrogen by mouth. Data from the multi-centre case-control study of... Read more

Calcium and vitamin D supplements don’t affect heart disease risk

Circulation 2007;115:846-854 | 23 March 2007 | Cardiovascular, Women's Health

Calcium and vitamin D supplementation neither increased nor decreased heart disease and stroke risk in generally healthy postmenopausal women over seven years of use, according to a new study. Researchers evaluated the risk of coronary and cerebrovascular events in 36,282... Read more

Financial burden of faecal incontinence a ticking time bomb

Prof Fergus Gleeson | 23 March 2007 | Gastro-intestinal

Faecal incontinence, while primarily the domain of the colorectal surgeon, is a condition with which all medical practitioners need to be familiar. The condition can be defined as the recurrent involuntary and/or uncontrollable passage of faecal material. As the material... Read more

WHO concern over the number of deaths in African 'Meningitis Belt'

23 March 2007 | Mental Health & CNS

Two months into the dry season in the African “Meningitis Belt”,15 595 cases including 1670 deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from four countries: Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Uganda. Two... Read more

New technology is developing to help children with autism

23 March 2007 | Mental Health & CNS

Researchers at the University of Ulster are developing a support package to help parents of children with autism and the health professionals who treat them. Parents‚ Education as Autism Therapists (PEAT), a local charity, is putting together a multimedia training and... Read more

A revolution in mental care– 50 years of Irish psychiatry

Dr Dermot Walsh | 23 March 2007 | Mental Health & CNS

In the last 50 years no other branch of medicine has seen such far-reaching changes in care as in the delivery of services for the mentally ill. In 1958 there were 21,000 public and private patients in Irish psychiatric hospitals.... Read more

Children with elderly parents seen at lower risk of heart disease

Archives of Internal Medicine 2007;167:438-444 | 23 March 2007 | Cardiovascular

Individuals with one or more parents who survive to age 85 or older may have fewer risk factors for heart disease in middle age, according to a new report. In the study, doctors investigated 1,697 members of the Framingham Heart... Read more

Women with prehypertension are at greater cardiovascular risk

Circulation 2007;115:855-860 | 23 March 2007 | Cardiovascular, Women's Health

According to new American research, prehyper-tension exists in about 40 per cent of postmenopausal women and it is associated with a 58 per cent higher risk of cardiovascular death, regardless of ethnicity, compared to normal blood pressure. Using the most... Read more

Intervention reduces behavioural problems

BMJ | 23 March 2007 | Mental Health & CNS

Research in Wales has demonstrated that the ‘Incredible Years’ parenting programme is very effective in reducing the likelihood of children going on to develop behavioural problems. Researchers studied whether the Incredible Years programme, which teaches and develops parenting skills, could... Read more

Updated guidelines focus on women's lifetime heart risk

16 March 2007 | Cardiovascular, Women's Health

Doctors should focus on women’s lifetime heart disease risk, not just short-term risk, according to updated American Heart Association guidelines. The 2007 Guidelines for Preventing Cardiovascular Disease in Women include expanded recommendations on lifestyle factors such as physical activity, nutrition,... Read more

Women's age a factor in heart attack deaths

Circulation 2007;115:833-839 | 16 March 2007 | Cardiovascular, Women's Health

While women are typically referred for artery re-opening procedures less often than men after a heart attack, this disparity in care does not appear to be the main reason for women’s higher rate of death after a heart attack, according... Read more

Oestrogen gene affects risk of breast cancer

Circulation 2007;115 861-871 | 16 March 2007 | Cancer, Women's Health

A large Danish study rebuts the accepted idea that differences in an estrogen gene affect the risk of heart attack and stroke in response to hormone replacement therapy. However, the study found that the gene may be associated with an... Read more

Low birth weight may predict depression in teenage girls

Archives of General Psychiatry 2007;64:338-344 | 16 March 2007 | Mental Health & CNS

Girls born weighing less than 2.5 kg may be more likely to develop depression between ages 13 to 16 than those born at a normal weight, while the same does not appear to be true for boys, according to a... Read more

Dermatologists can hold their heads high

Dr Charles Dupont | 16 March 2007 | Skin

Some years back dermatologists treated appropriate patients with brilliant green, gentian violet and Castellani’s paint (red). This caused a general physician to greet his skin colleague by asking, “What colour are you painting them today?” Other humorous clichés bandied about... Read more

Diabetic retinopathy is the commonest cause of blindness

Dr Mary Ryan | 16 March 2007 | Diabetes, Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat

The classic case of diabetic neuropathy is based on an ophthalmology examination but several other changes not seen microscopically may help to explain some of the findings. One of the first histological changes seen is thickening of the capillary base... Read more

Scientists identify cells that burn up fat instead of storing it

16 March 2007 |

Scottish scientists have discovered genes that identify cells which burn up calories instead of storing them as fat. There are two types of fat cell: brown cells, which we have less of, that instead of storing fat are highly efficient... Read more

Stroke unit improves recovery

16 March 2007 | Cardiovascular

The Acute Stroke Unit (ASU) in Portiuncula Hospital comprises four beds; cardiac and physiological monitoring facilities; specialist nurses for the unit only; consultant; physiotherapist for stroke unit only; occupational therapist; dietetics; specialist stroke nurse; social worker; and speech therapist (twice... Read more

HPV infection common among women

JAMA 2007;297:813-819 | 09 March 2007 | Infections & Immunology, Women's Health

As many as one in four women may be infected with the human papillomarivus (HPV), according to a new US study. In the study, doctors estimated the prevalence of HPV in the US by performing HPV DNA testing on 2,026... Read more

Cognitive therapy can help women with stress disorder

JAMA 2007;297:820-830 | 09 March 2007 | Mental Health & CNS, Women's Health

Using a cognitive behavioural therapy called “prolonged exposure” appears more effective than ‘present-centred’ therapy, a supportive intervention to treat female military veterans and active duty women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study. In the study, researchers... Read more

Little evidence that omega-3 alone combats depression

Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, February 2007 | 09 March 2007 | Mental Health & CNS

There is no convincing evidence that taking omega-3 fatty acids on their own can alleviate depression, according to a leading review of the subject. And there is only limited evidence that they can relieve depression when used in combination with... Read more

Multiple plasma skin treatments could help diminish facial wrinkles

Archives of Dermatology 2007;143:168-174 | 09 March 2007 | Skin

A new study involving eight patients has suggested that multiple low-energy treatments with a plasma skin regeneration tool may help to reduce wrinkles and improve facial appearance with minimal healing time. The multiple treatments have about the same effect as... Read more

Fighting hypertension means lifestyle changes

Dr Mary Ryan | 09 March 2007 | Cardiovascular

Hypertension is a result of persistent high blood pressure which may cause damage to the vessel and arteries of the brain, kidneys and eyes. The entire circulatory system is affected since it is increasingly more difficult for the blood to... Read more

Over 60 per cent of women still drink during pregnancy

09 March 2007 | Women's Health

The largest study ever conducted in Ireland to examine trends in the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and drugs by pregnant women during the past two decades, which was carried out by the Coombe Women’s Hospital, in Dublin, has found some... Read more

Genetic variation links to venous thrombosis

JAMA 2007;297:489-498 | 02 March 2007 | Cardiovascular

Researchers have identified new genetic variations that may be associated with the risk of developing nonfatal venous thrombosis in postmenopausal women, according to a new study. In the study, researchers examined the association of common genetic variation in 24 clotting-related... Read more

Group exercise recommended after breast cancer

BMJ | 02 March 2007 | Cancer, Women's Health

Group exercise sessions can help to improve the physical and psychological wellbeing of people diagnosed with breast cancer, a new study has found. Researchers from Scotland set out to determine if group exercise programmes could prove beneficial to women who... Read more

Doctors must reduce the carbon footprint of their conferences

BMJ 2007;334:324-325 | 02 March 2007 |

Doctors must lead by example on climate change by reducing the carbon footprint of medical conferences, according to leading British doctors. The threat to human health from climate change– through malnutrition, disease, and flooding– is substantial, and in some parts... Read more

Balancing the new with the old in treating diabetes, part two

Prof Gerald Tomkin | 02 March 2007 | Diabetes

The ADOPT study (A Diabetes Outcome Progression Trial) was reported in The New England Journal of Medicine at the end of last year. The object of the study was to examine the efficacy of thiolazinediones as compared to other oral... Read more

Allergic reactions to hair dye are increasing

BMJ 2007;334:220 | 02 March 2007 | Skin

Allergic reactions to hair dye are increasing as more and younger people dye their hair, researchers have warned. More than two-thirds of hair dyes contain para-phenylenediamine (PPD) and other related agents. During the 20th century, allergic reactions to PPD became... Read more

Irish and European medical research ignores women

Journal of Medical Ethics 2007;33:107-112 | 02 March 2007 |

Despite the European Union’s commitment to gender equality, women are still under represented on the committees that sanction research and the impact of gender differences continues to be ignored in clinical trials, according to a new study that included Ireland.... Read more

Campaign to eliminate TB by 2020

Colin Kerr | 02 March 2007 | Respiratory

The upcoming launch by Minister for Health Mary Harney of a new strategy for the elimination of tuberculosis from Ireland by 2020 marks a significant milestone for Dr Margaret Hannon and her team at the Mater Hospital. On Thursday 22... Read more

British hypertension guidelines not so NICE for beta-blockers

Prof John Feely & Dr Azra Mahmud | 02 March 2007 | Cardiovascular

In our article in Irish Medical Times in November 2005, entitled ‘Atenolol in Hypertension– the end of an era?’, we speculated that, on the basis of poor performance in a number of comparative trials, the use of atenolol as a... Read more

Genetic variation links to venous thrombosis

JAMA 2007;297:489-498 | 02 March 2007 | Cardiovascular, Women's Health

Researchers have identified new genetic variations that may be associated with the risk of developing nonfatal venous thrombosis in postmenopausal women, according to a new study. In the study, researchers examined the association of common genetic variation in 24 clotting-related... Read more