Tag: better

(HealthDay)— Are tablets, smartphones and laptops robbing Americans of shut-eye? Absolutely, said researchers who found that the unending entertainments and the light the devices emit are a powerful, slumber-killing combo. The finding comes from a small analysis of nine otherwise healthy adults in their 20s. Their sleep was tracked after five straight nights of unrestricted

A novel light therapy is being investigated as an alternative to prescription drugs to relieve chronic constipation and other intestinal disorders which affect millions of patients around the world. Flinders University and Washington University researchers have found a “significant technical breakthrough” in a new light and optogenetics technique which has the potential to replace drugs

While long, stately names certainly carry a certain amount of clout, they’re also a lot to saddle a baby with. You’re probably not going to call an infant by a long-winded moniker like Alexander or Samantha anyway, and are most likely going opt for shorter variations like Alex and Sam. So why bother giving your

A new study published today has found a way to identify men with locally advanced prostate cancer who are less likely to respond well to radiotherapy. Led by Professor Catharine West, The University of Manchester team created a method of selecting prostate cancer patients who would benefit from treatments which target oxygen deficient tumours. The

Vertebroplasty (surgery to repair spinal fractures) is no more effective for pain relief than a sham (placebo) procedure in older patients with osteoporosis, finds a trial published by The BMJ today. The researchers say their results “do not support vertebroplasty as standard pain treatment in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures.” Osteoporosis is a disease in

Advances in our understanding of the development and persistence of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) have the potential to improve treatment according to a new study by the University of Waterloo. The study found that fear of guilt evokes feelings of doubt in decision-making, with greater fear of guilt being associated with greater self-reported difficulty making decisions,

Our brains are home to a staggering 86 billion or so cells that are carefully woven into the structure that lets us think, feel and live. This awe-inspiring complexity offers a glimpse into why, after many years of research, there’s still so much to be understood about the brain. And for brain tumours, the unknowns

Seeking the feel good factor? Go natural. That is the simple message from University of Otago researchers who have discovered raw fruit and vegetables may be better for your mental health than cooked, canned and processed fruit and vegetables. Dr. Tamlin Conner, Psychology Senior Lecturer and lead author, says public health campaigns have historically focused

Researchers from Mount Sinai and Sema4, a health information company and Mount Sinai venture, have discovered that giving metastatic bladder cancer patients simultaneous chemotherapy and immunotherapy is safe and that patients whose tumors have certain genetic mutations may respond particularly well to this combination approach, according to the results of a clinical trial published in

Improved information before undergoing PET/CT scanning can improve patients’ experience of care, demonstrates radiology nurse Camilla Andersson in a recent dissertation at Uppsala University. PET/CT scanning is increasingly common for various oncological matters, but it also requires care recipients to understand and follow instructions. Unprepared patients may entail delayed exams and postponed treatment, which can

A new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that high-quality cervical cancer screening can be done effectively using a completely automated approach. The researchers involved in the study indicate that automated technology could increase cervical screening coverage in underserved regions. Cervical cancer is caused by persistent

The results of an international clinical trial for a new system of diagnosing heart transplant rejection and injury will be presented publicly for the first time at the International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) annual meeting, which will take place on April 11 and 12 in Nice, France. Led by Dr. Phil Halloran

A smartphone application using the phone’s camera function performed better than traditional physical examination to assess blood flow in a wrist artery for patients undergoing coronary angiography, according to a randomized trial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). These findings highlight the potential of smartphone applications to help physicians make decisions at the bedside.