Curated News: JAMA

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22-Jan-2015 5:00 PM EST
Targeted MRI/Ultrasound Beats Standard Biopsy to Detect High-Risk Prostate Cancer
University of Maryland Medical Center

Targeted biopsy using new fusion technology that combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with ultrasound is more effective than standard biopsy in detecting high-risk prostate cancer, according to a large-scale study published today in JAMA.

Released: 27-Jan-2015 10:00 AM EST
Incisional Hernia Repairs Among Older Men Rose 24.2 Percent From 2001 to 2010
RTI International

Incisional hernia repairs among men age 65 years and older rose 24.2 percent in the United States from 2001 to 2010, according to a study by researchers from RTI International and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

23-Jan-2015 3:50 PM EST
Study: Even with Copayments for Nonurgent Care, Medicaid Patients Still Rely on ERs
Johns Hopkins Medicine

How can states and federal government provide adequate health care to poor people, without overburdening taxpayers or leaving health care providers with billions in unpaid bills? That thorny problem is especially challenging in the aftermath of a recession and congressional mandates expanding Medicaid eligibility.

Released: 22-Jan-2015 2:55 PM EST
Patient Older Age Not an Issue in Revision Cochlear Implantation
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Sometimes patients with coclear implants need to have a second or "revision" implantation surgery because of device failure. A new study finds that adults age 65 and older do just as well in speech perception after revision cochlear implantation as those younger than 65.

Released: 22-Jan-2015 12:00 PM EST
New Research at Baylor Could Give Alternatives for Children's Eye Exams
Baylor Scott and White Health

It’s very difficult to understand the retinal structure of children because they are known to be uncooperative during eye examinations designed for adults. Baylor research, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, explores a new non-invasive technology that’s kind of like a handheld CT scanner for the eye.

16-Jan-2015 10:00 AM EST
Penn Medicine Bioethicists Call for Return to Asylums for Long-Term Psychiatric Care
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

As the United States population has doubled since 1955, the number of inpatient psychiatric beds in the United States has been cut by nearly 95 percent to just 45,000, a wholly inadequate equation when considering that there are currently 10 million U.S. residents with serious mental illness. A new viewpoint in JAMA looks at the evolution away from inpatient psychiatric beds, evaluates the current system for housing and treating the mentally ill, and then suggests a modern approach to institutionalized mental health care as a solution.

Released: 20-Jan-2015 9:20 AM EST
Vanderbilt Study Finds Use of Methadone to Treat Pain Carries Increased Risk of Death
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Outside the hospital, use of methadone to treat pain carries a 46 percent increased risk of death when compared to the equally effective but more costly alternative, morphine SR (sustained release). That’s according to a study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, appearing online this week in JAMA Internal Medicine.

16-Jan-2015 9:00 AM EST
Study Suggests Increase in Falls Among the Elderly
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Over a 12-year period, the prevalence of falls among older adults appeared to be on the rise, a new nationally representative study says.

Released: 14-Jan-2015 4:00 PM EST
Study Finds Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Having Less Surgery, Yet Survival Rates Improving
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

With the dawn of the modern era of new chemotherapeutic and biologic agents available for managing their disease, patients with metastatic colorectal cancer are undergoing less surgery for the removal of their primary tumors, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Released: 13-Jan-2015 3:00 PM EST
Community-Wide Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Programs Associated with Reductions in Hospitalizations, Deaths, Over 40-Year Period
Norris Cotton Cancer Center Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Substantial improvements were seen in control of hypertension and cholesterol, and smoking cessation, according to a study in the January 13 issue of JAMA.

9-Jan-2015 11:00 AM EST
Community-Wide CVD Prevention Programs Linked with Improved Health Outcomes
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

In a rural Maine county, sustained, community-wide programs targeting cardiovascular risk factors and behavior changes were associated with reductions in hospitalization and death rates over a 40 year period (1970-2010) compared with the rest of the state, with substantial improvements seen for hypertension and cholesterol control and smoking cessation, according to a study in the January 13 issue of JAMA.

9-Jan-2015 12:00 PM EST
Rate of Investment in Medical Research has Declined in U.S., Increased Globally
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

From 2004 to 2012, the rate of investment in medical research in the U.S. declined, while there has been an increase in research investment globally, particularly in Asia, according to a study in the January 13 issue of JAMA.

9-Jan-2015 12:00 PM EST
Breast Cancer Diagnoses, Survival Varies by Race, Ethnicity
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Among nearly 375,000 U.S. women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, the likelihood of diagnosis at an early stage, and survival after stage I diagnosis, varied by race and ethnicity, with much of the difference accounted for by biological differences, according to a study in the January 13 issue of JAMA.

9-Jan-2015 12:00 PM EST
Asthma Associated With Increased Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Participants in a sleep study who had asthma had an increased risk for developing obstructive sleep apnea, with this association stronger with having had asthma longer, according to a study in the January 13 issue of JAMA.

9-Jan-2015 12:00 PM EST
Use of Surgical Procedure to Facilitate Child Birth Declines
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Between 2006 and 2012 in the U.S., there was a decline in rates of episiotomy, a surgical procedure for widening the outlet of the birth canal to make it easier for the mother to give birth, according to a study in the January 13 issue of JAMA.

9-Jan-2015 11:00 AM EST
Penn Medicine Study: Web-based TAVR Marketing Found to Overstate Benefits, Understate Risks of Procedure
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, has been called one of the biggest advances in cardiac surgery in recent years. The procedure delivers a new, collapsible aortic valve through a catheter to the valve site within the heart - a repair that otherwise requires open heart surgery. While a boon for many patients who would not have been a candidate for conventional surgery, Penn Medicine researchers have discovered that marketing for TAVR does not accurately portray the risks associated with undergoing the procedure. Their analysis is available in the January 12 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.

6-Jan-2015 11:00 AM EST
Wearable Tracking Devices Alone Won’t Drive Health Behavior Change, According to Penn Researchers
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

New Year’s weight loss resolutions are in full swing, but despite all the hype about the latest wearable tracking devices, there’s little evidence that this technology alone can change behavior and improve health for those that need it most, according to a new online-first viewpoint piece in JAMA. The paper, written by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, points out that even though several large technology companies are entering this expanding market, there may be a disconnect between the assumed benefits and actual outcomes.

4-Jan-2015 4:00 PM EST
Overly Conservative FDA Label Likely Prevents Use of Metformin in Many Type 2 Diabetics
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Many patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States may be discouraged from taking metformin—a proven, oral diabetes medicine—because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inappropriately labels the drug unsafe for some patients also suffering from kidney problems, researchers from Penn Medicine and Weill Cornel Medical College report this week in a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

18-Dec-2014 4:00 PM EST
Daily Multivitamin Improves Pregnancy Outcomes in South Asia, JAMA Study Suggests
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

A multivitamin given daily to pregnant women in rural Bangladesh reduced pre-term births, increased infant birth weight and resulted in healthier babies overall, according to the large randomized trial conducted by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers.

18-Dec-2014 6:00 PM EST
Many Patients with Gout Do Not Receive Recommended Treatment
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Among patients in England with gout, only a minority of those with indications to receive urate-lowering therapy were treated according to guideline recommendations, according to a study in the December 24/31 issue of JAMA.

18-Dec-2014 6:00 PM EST
Comprehensive Care for High-Risk, Chronically Ill Children Reduces Serious Illnesses
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

High-risk children with chronic illness who received care at a clinic that provided both primary and specialty care and features to promote prompt effective care had an increase in access to care and parent satisfaction and a reduction in serious illnesses and costs, according to a study in the December 24/31 issue of JAMA.

18-Dec-2014 6:00 PM EST
Extreme Heat in U.S. Associated With Increased Risk of Hospitalization Among Older Adults
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Between 1999 and 2010, periods of extreme heat in the U.S. were associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for older adults for fluid and electrolyte disorders, kidney failure, urinary tract infections, septicemia and heat stroke, according to a study in the December 24/31 issue of JAMA. The authors note that the absolute risk increase was small and of uncertain clinical importance.

18-Dec-2014 6:00 PM EST
Effect of Longer, Deeper Cooling for Newborns with Neurological Condition
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Among full-term newborns with moderate or severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (damage to cells in the central nervous system from inadequate oxygen), receiving deeper or longer duration cooling did not reduce risk of neonatal intensive care unit death, compared to usual care, according to a study in the December 24/31 issue of JAMA.

18-Dec-2014 6:00 PM EST
Maternal Supplementation with Multiple Micronutrients Compared With Iron-Folic Acid
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

In Bangladesh, daily maternal supplementation of multiple micronutrients compared to iron-folic acid before and after childbirth did not reduce all-cause infant mortality to age 6 months, but did result in significant reductions in preterm birth and low birth weight, according to a study in the December 24/31 issue of JAMA.

11-Dec-2014 11:00 PM EST
Low-Glycemic Index Carbohydrate Diet Does Not Improve CV Risk Factors, Insulin Resistance
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

In a study that included overweight and obese participants, those with diets with low glycemic index of dietary carbohydrate did not have improvements in insulin sensitivity, lipid levels, or systolic blood pressure, according to a study in the December 17 issue of JAMA.

11-Dec-2014 11:00 PM EST
Effectiveness of Drugs to Prevent Hepatitis Among Patients Receiving Chemotherapy
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Among patients with lymphoma undergoing a certain type of chemotherapy, receiving the antiviral drug entecavir resulted in a lower incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatitis and HBV reactivation, compared with the antiviral drug lamivudine, according to a study in the December 17 issue of JAMA.

15-Dec-2014 2:00 PM EST
Mild Memory & Thinking Issues: What Works, What Doesn’t? U-M Experts Weigh the Evidence
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

For up to one in five Americans over age 65, getting older brings memory and thinking problems. It may seem like part of getting older - but officially, it’s called mild cognitive impairment or MCI. A new definitive look at the evidence about what works and what doesn’t in MCI should help doctors and the seniors they treat.

8-Dec-2014 1:00 PM EST
Majority of Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer in U.S. Receive Unnecessarily Long Courses of Radiation
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Two-thirds of women treated for early-stage breast cancer in the U.S. receive longer radiation therapy than necessary, according to a new study published in JAMA this week from Penn Medicine researchers Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD, and Justin E. Bekelman, MD.

4-Dec-2014 10:00 PM EST
Region of Medical Residency Training May Affect Future Spending Patterns of Physician
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Among primary care physicians, the spending patterns in the regions in which their residency program was located were associated with expenditures for subsequent care they provided as practicing physicians, with those trained in lower-spending regions continuing to practice in a less costly manner, even when they moved to higher-spending regions, and vice versa, according to a study in the December 10 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.

4-Dec-2014 10:00 PM EST
Languages of Medical Residency Applicants Compared to Patients with Limited English
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

An analysis of the non-English-language skills of U.S. medical residency applicants finds that although they are linguistically diverse, most of their languages do not match the languages spoken by the U.S. population with limited English proficiency, according to a study in the December 10 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.

4-Dec-2014 10:40 PM EST
Number of Medical Schools with Student-Run Free Clinics Has More Than Doubled
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

There has been a doubling during the last decade in the number of U.S. medical schools that have student-run free clinics, with more than half of medical students involved with these clinics, according to a study in the December 10 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.

4-Dec-2014 10:00 PM EST
Emergency Department Resource Use by Supervised Residents vs. Attending Physicians Alone
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

In a sample of U.S. emergency departments, compared to attending physicians alone, supervised visits (involving both resident and attending physicians) were associated with a greater likelihood of hospital admission and use of advanced imaging and with longer emergency department stays, according to a study in the December 10 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.

5-Dec-2014 1:10 PM EST
No Increase in Patient Deaths or Hospital Readmissions Following Restrictions to Medical Residents’ Hours
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

In the first year after the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) reduced the number of continuous hours that residents can work, there was no change in the rate of death or readmission among hospitalized Medicare patients, according to a new study published in JAMA. The study was led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

4-Dec-2014 4:00 PM EST
Primary Care Doctors Report Prescribing Fewer Opioids for Pain
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Nine in 10 primary care physicians say that prescription drug abuse is a moderate or big problem in their communities and nearly half say they are less likely to prescribe opioids to treat pain compared to a year ago, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

Released: 8-Dec-2014 4:00 PM EST
Higher Earning Clinicians Make More Money by Ordering More Procedures Per Patient Rather than by Seeing more Patients
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

In results characterized as “very surprising,” UCLA researchers found for the first time that higher-earning clinicians make more money by ordering more procedures and services per patient rather than by seeing more patients, which may not be in patients’ best interest.

Released: 8-Dec-2014 1:45 PM EST
Hookah Smoking Increases Risk of Subsequent Cigarette Smoking Among Adolescents and Young Adults
Norris Cotton Cancer Center Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

A team of researchers at Dartmouth College and University of Pittsburgh found respondents who had smoked water pipe tobacco but not smoked cigarettes were at increased risk of cigarette smoking two years later as recently published online in JAMA Pediatrics.

26-Nov-2014 2:00 PM EST
Study Examines Use of Bone-Strengthening Drugs for Men Receiving ADT
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Although some guidelines recommend use of bisphosphonates (a class of drugs used to strengthen bone) for men on androgen deprivation therapy, an analysis finds that prescriptions for these drugs remains low, even for those men at high risk of subsequent fractures, according to a study in the December 3 issue of JAMA.

24-Nov-2014 9:00 AM EST
Patients Far More Likely to Have Imaging Scan if Seen by Non-Physician Provider
American College of Radiology (ACR)

Advanced practice clinicians, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, are 34 percent more likely than primary care physicians to prescribe an imaging exam for patients, according to a Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Released: 19-Nov-2014 4:00 PM EST
Vanderbilt Study Finds More Breast Cancer Patients Opting for Mastectomy
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Far more breast cancer patients are choosing to undergo mastectomy, including removal of both breasts, instead of choosing breast conservation surgery even when they have early stage disease that is confined to one breast, a Vanderbilt study shows. In the past decade, there have also been marked trends toward higher proportions of women opting for breast reconstruction.

Released: 17-Nov-2014 2:00 PM EST
Testing of ER Patients for Heart Attack in Absence of Symptoms Widespread
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Emergency rooms are testing many patients for markers of acute coronary syndrome who show no signs of having suffered a heart attack, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

13-Nov-2014 10:00 AM EST
New Study Finds Routine Imaging Screening of Diabetic Patients for Heart Disease Is Not Effective
Intermountain Medical Center

Routine heart imaging screenings for people with diabetes at high risk to experience a cardiac event, but who have no symptoms of heart disease, does not help them avoid heart attacks, hospitalization for unstable angina or cardiac death, according to a major new study.

13-Nov-2014 11:00 PM EST
Risk of Death May Be Higher if Heart Attack Occurs in a Hospital
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Prashant Kaul, M.D., of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and colleagues conducted a study to define the incidence and treatment and outcomes of patients who experience a certain type of heart attack during hospitalization for conditions other than acute coronary syndromes. The study appears in the November 19 issue of JAMA, a cardiovascular disease theme issue.

13-Nov-2014 11:20 PM EST
Overall Death Rate From Heart Disease Declines, Although Increase Seen for Certain Types
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Matthew D. Ritchey, D.P.T., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, and colleagues examined the contributions of heart disease subtypes to overall heart disease mortality trends during 2000-2010. The study appears in the November 19 issue of JAMA, a cardiovascular disease theme issue.

13-Nov-2014 11:00 PM EST
Device’s Potential as Alternative to Warfarin for Stroke Prevention in Patients with A-Fib
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Vivek Y. Reddy, M.D., of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, and colleagues examined the long-term efficacy and safety, compared to warfarin, of a device to achieve left atrial appendage closure in patients with atrial fibrillation. The study appears in the November 19 issue of JAMA, a cardiovascular disease theme issue.

13-Nov-2014 11:00 PM EST
Use of Beta-Blockers for Certain Type of Heart Failure Linked With Improved Survival
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Lars H. Lund, M.D., Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues conducted a study to examine whether beta-blockers are associated with reduced mortality in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (a measure of how well the left ventricle of the heart pumps with each contraction).The study appears in the November 19 issue of JAMA, a cardiovascular disease theme issue.

13-Nov-2014 11:00 PM EST
Prevalence, Risk of Death of Type of Coronary Artery Disease in Heart Attack Patients
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Duk-Woo Park, M.D., of the University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, and Manesh R. Patel, M.D., of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, N.C., and colleagues investigated the incidence, extent, and location of obstructive non-infarct-related artery (IRA) disease and compared 30-day mortality according to the presence of non-IRA disease in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

14-Nov-2014 10:00 AM EST
Half of STEMI Heart Attack Patients May Have Additional Clogged Arteries
Duke Health

A blocked artery causes a deadly kind of heart attack known as STEMI, and a rapid response to clear the blockage saves lives. But in more than half of cases studied recently by Duke Medicine researchers, one or both of the patient’s other arteries were also obstructed, raising questions about whether and when additional procedures might be undertaken.

13-Nov-2014 11:00 PM EST
Aspirin or Blood Pressure Medication Before and After Surgery Does Not Reduce Risk of AKI
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

In patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, neither aspirin nor clonidine (a medication primarily used to treat high blood pressure) taken before and after surgery reduced the risk of acute kidney injury, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being released to coincide with its presentation at the American Society of Nephrology’s annual Kidney Week meeting.

13-Nov-2014 11:00 PM EST
Use of Antibiotic Following Kidney Transplantation Does Not Prevent Virus Infection
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Among kidney transplant recipients, a 3-month course of the antibiotic levofloxacin following transplantation did not prevent the major complication known as BK virus from appearing in the urine. The intervention was associated with an increased risk of adverse events such as bacterial resistance, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being released to coincide with its presentation at the American Society of Nephrology’s annual Kidney Week meeting.

12-Nov-2014 11:00 AM EST
Diabetic Eye Screenings via Telemedicine Show Value for Underserved Communities
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Eye screenings via medicine of people with diabetes in underserved communities revealed that one in five had early stage diabetic retinopathy, according to a new study by a research consortium including investigators at UAB.



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