Categories
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular
- Diabetes
- Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat
- Gastro-intestinal
- Genito-urinary
- Infections & Immunology
- Men's Health
- Mental Health & CNS
- Musculoskeletal
- Nutrition
- Paediatrics
- Respiratory
- Skin
- Women's Health
Archives
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
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 health, 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, stem cells, 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: February 2010
Update on vitamin D and calcium
Prof Moira O’Brien | 26 February 2010 | Musculoskeletal
Osteoporosis Supplement: Prof Moira O’Brien discusses the growing awareness of vitamin D as being essential to bone health and its necessity in the adequate absorpotion of calcium, as well as the most current research on calcium supplements... Read more
Evaluating treatment options
Prof Gerald H. Tomkin | 26 February 2010 | Musculoskeletal
Osteoporosis Supplement: Prof Gerald H. Tomkin looks at recent studies investigating the merits of different osteoporosis treatments and stresses the importance of compliance... Read more
It takes guts to build bones
26 February 2010 | Musculoskeletal
Osteoporosis Supplement: Researchers have found a potential new treatment for osteoporosis... Read more
Reducing vertebral fractures
Natalya Anderson | 26 February 2010 | Musculoskeletal
Natalya Anderson reviews a study which found that the risk of vertebral fracture in young postmenopausal women could be reduced with strontium ranelate treatment... Read more
Osteoporosis can strike at any age
26 February 2010 | Musculoskeletal
Osteoporosis Supplement: The Irish Osteoporosis Society, with the support of an unrestricted educational grant from A.Menarini Pharmaceuticals Ireland Ltd, has launched a new patient information leaflet on calcium and vitamin D3.... Read more
Dairy dangers — the milky way to osteoporosis?
Rory Hafford | 26 February 2010 | Musculoskeletal
Osteoporosis Supplement: Rory Hafford examines the findings of a number of studies into the rise of osteoporosis and looks at a new and controversial book on the condition... Read more
Minimising the risk of venous thromboembolism
Gary Culliton | 25 February 2010 | Musculoskeletal
Clinical Update: Hip and knee surgery - It is not practical to screen every hip and knee replacement patient post-operatively for the low risk of possible silent venous thrombosis, a leading orthopaedic surgeon has stated.... Read more
Aftercare regime key for patient recovery
Gary Culliton | 25 February 2010 | Musculoskeletal
Clinical Update: Hip and knee surgery - All going well, patients remain for a week in hospital after hip and knee replacements. However, some are administered warfarin for up to six weeks after they return home from hospital.... Read more
Need to distinguish between venous and arterial disorders
Gary Culliton | 25 February 2010 | Musculoskeletal
Clinical Update: Hip and knee surgery - As we have seen, patients who have undergone hip and knee replacement surgeries are at a significant and clear risk of clotting.... Read more
Improved outcomes for patients with oesophageal cancer
Prof John Reynolds | 24 February 2010 | Cancer
Prof John Reynolds, of St James's Hospital, Dublin and TCD, examines the causes of oesophageal cancer and the enormous advances which have taken place in the management of the disease in recent years... Read more
Defeatism undermines treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome
24 February 2010 | Infections & Immunology
An air of defeatism exists within the medical profession about chronic fatigue syndrome that is undermining evidence that it can be treated, according to leading doctors in the field. The recent acquittal in Britain of Kay Gilderdale, who had been... Read more
Chronic migraineurs sicker and poorer than episodic sufferers
24 February 2010 | Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat
Chronic migraine sufferers tend to be in poorer general health, less well off, and more depressed than those with episodic migraine, reveals research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. The findings are based on... Read more
Performing single ultrasound to detect DVT may be sufficient
24 February 2010 | Cardiovascular
An analysis of previous studies has suggested that for patients with a suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT), withholding anticoagulation therapy after a negative whole-leg compression ultrasound is associated with a low risk of developing a DVT during the subsequent three... Read more
Age may affect efficacy of antiresorptive drugs
24 February 2010 | Women's Health
Patient age may affect the relative efficacy of oral bisphosphonates in postmenopausal women, research has suggested. A team from the VCU Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, carried out a post-hoc analysis of postmenopausal women /=55 years old with low bone... Read more
Effective alternative for emergency contraception
24 February 2010 | Women's Health
The emergency contraceptive drug ulipristal acetate provides women and healthcare providers with an effective alternative that can be used up to five days after unprotected sexual intercourse, a study in The Lancet has stated. Emergency contraception can prevent unintended pregnancies,... Read more
Genetic mutations link with suicide in depression
24 February 2010 | Mental Health & CNS
Single mutations in genes involved with nerve cell formation and growth appear to be associated with the risk of attempting suicide among individuals with depression, according to a new report. Doctors led by colleagues at the Max Planck Institute of... Read more
Hypertension link to dementia in certain cognitive deficits
23 February 2010 | Cardiovascular
High blood pressure appears to predict the progression to dementia in older adults with impaired executive functions but not in those with memory dysfunction, according to a new report. In light of evidence that hypertension is a major risk factor... Read more
Proteinuria linked to increased mortality
23 February 2010 | Genito-urinary
Patients with high levels of proteinuria in addition to another marker of reduced kidney function had an associated increased risk of all-cause death, heart attack or progression to kidney failure, according to a new study. Doctors investigated the association between... Read more
Impact of PPI on antiplatelet activity of clopidogrel
23 February 2010 | Cardiovascular
Careful treatment planning is required when administering omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), to patients on clopidogrel, new research has recommended. PPI use with clopidogrel was recently shown to result in increased risk of major cardiovascular events compared to clopidogrel... Read more
Narcolepsy hugely underdiagnosed
Suzanne McCormack | 19 February 2010 | Mental Health & CNS
Sleep disorders were the focus of a recent symposium held as part of the Irish Thoracic Society's Annual Scientific Meeting, writes Suzanne McCormack... Read more
E-learning tool to help breakthrough cancer pain
18 February 2010 | Cancer
A new software package aims to provide medical professionals and patients with information on breakthrough cancer pain and how to treat it... Read more
Antidepressant may result in improved cognitive function
17 February 2010 | Mental Health & CNS
Patients who received the antidepressant escitalopram following a stroke appeared to recover more of their thinking, learning and memory skills than those taking placebo or participating in problem-solving therapy, according to a new report. In the study, doctors investigated the... Read more
Maternal hypertension linked to restricted growth in first trimester
17 February 2010 | Women's Health
Factors such as maternal high blood-pressure and high haematocrit levels are linked to a greater likelihood of restricted foetal growth during the first trimester, with restricted growth linked to an increased risk of preterm birth and low birth-weight, says a... Read more
Better adherence to statins needed for prevention of CVD
17 February 2010 | Cardiovascular
A 50 per cent improvement in people sticking to long-term treatment with statins would stave off twice as many deaths from stroke and heart attack as giving the drugs to a wider range of people, according to new research. The... Read more
New study links radiation exposure and circulatory disease
17 February 2010 | Cardiovascular
Exposure to moderate levels of radiation may increase the rates of heart disease and stroke, but the degree of risk at lower doses is unclear, according to a new study, which provides the strongest evidence available to date of an... Read more
Clear genetic targets emerge for understanding biploar
Gary Culliton | 12 February 2010 | Mental Health & CNS
Clinical Update - Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar is a complex condition that is not caused by one gene alone.... Read more
Bipolar disorder poses treatment challenges
Gary Culliton | 12 February 2010 | Mental Health & CNS
Clinical Update - Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar disorder remains a largely under-recognised illness despite an estimated 2 per cent of the population suffering from the condition.... Read more
New guidelines issued on treatment options
Gary Culliton | 12 February 2010 | Mental Health & CNS
Clinical Update - Bipolar Disorder: There are a number of approaches to the treatment of bipolar disorder. A conservative approach works for most patients, in the view of Prof Brian Leonard, Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology at NUI Galway.... Read more
The quest for better wisdom on depression
Dr Aine Tubridy | 11 February 2010 | Mental Health & CNS
When treating depression, Dr Aine Tubridy believes it is worthwhile considering the 'quest' perspective adopted by psychotherapists... Read more
Warnings about atypical antipsychotics have reduced their use among elderly
10 February 2010 | Mental Health & CNS
The use of atypical anti-psychotics to treat elderly patients appears to have decreased following a 2005 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory regarding the risks of these medications in this population, according to a new report. Clozapine, the first second-generation... Read more
Specialised catheter treatment results in better outcomes
10 February 2010 | Cardiovascular
Use of catheter ablation – in which radiofrequency energy is emitted from a catheter to eliminate the source of an irregular heartbeat – results in significantly better outcomes in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who have not responded previously to... Read more
Women's heart risk rises with every ten-beat pulse increase
10 February 2010 | Cardiovascular
A woman’s chance of dying from a heart attack rises 18 per cent for every ten-beat-per-minute increase in her resting heart rate up to the age of 70 years, according to new research from Norway. The Norwegian doctors based their... Read more
Levodopa remains the staple for Parkinson's
Gary Culliton | 05 February 2010 | Mental Health & CNS
Clinical Update: Parkinson's Disease - In his latest Clinical Update, Gary Culliton reports on the various treatment options available for patients with Parkinson's disease, and examines the latest research targeting diseased neurons and the potential of stem-cell transplantation... Read more
Stem-cell therapy has potential role
Gary Culliton | 05 February 2010 | Mental Health & CNS
Clinical Update: Parkinson's Disease - There have been important new developments in stem-cell transplantation into Parkinson’s disease patients. A clinical trial, which was followed up recently, showed that the position in the brain into which the stem cells are transplanted... Read more
Research aims to halt disease progression
Gary Culliton | 05 February 2010 | Mental Health & CNS
Clinical Update: Parkinson's Disease - About 80 per cent of the neurotransmitter dopamine can be depleted from the affected region of the Parkinsonian brain before symptoms begin to develop. Thus, it is imperative that treatments be found to prevent further... Read more
The Endocrinology Clinic: the metabolic syndrome
Prof T Joseph McKenna and Prof Frances Hayes | 04 February 2010 | Cardiovascular
Concluding their series on ‘Notes from the Endocrinology Clinic’, Prof T Joseph McKenna and Prof Frances Hayes examine the global health threat from the metabolic syndrome... Read more
No labouring of point on use of epidurals
Brian Herron | 04 February 2010 | Women's Health
A leading UK authority says more women should experience the natural pains of labour without pain-relieving medication, writes Brian Herron... Read more
Morbidly obese would live longer with surgery
03 February 2010 | Nutrition
A computerised model has suggested that most morbidly obese individuals would likely live longer if they had gastric bypass surgery, according to a new study. Available evidence suggests that dietary, behavioural and pharmacologic treatments frequently do not result in meaningful... Read more
Fatty acid levels linked to telomere length in coronary patients
03 February 2010 | Cardiovascular
Patients with coronary heart disease who had higher omega-3 fatty acid blood levels had an associated lower rate of shortening of telomere length, a chromosome marker of biological ageing, according to a study. Several studies have shown increased survival rates... Read more
Prevalence of obesity may be slowing down
03 February 2010 | Nutrition
The prevalence of adults who are obese is still high, with about one-third of adults obese in 2007-2008, although new data suggest that the rate of increase for obesity in recent decades may be slowing, according to a new report... Read more
Elderly on psychotic drugs likely to stay on them in nursing homes
03 February 2010 | Mental Health & CNS
Older adults newly admit-ted to nursing homes with high rates of antipsychotic prescribing in the previous year are more likely to receive antipsychotic agents, according to a new report. Of these, some had no identified clinical indication for this therapy.... Read more
Weekend strokes more aggressively treated
03 February 2010 | Cardiovascular
Stroke patients admitted to the hospital on the weekend appear more likely to receive the clot-dissolving medication tissue plasminogen activator than patients admitted during the week, according to a new report from the United States. The researchers found that stroke... Read more