A study published in the April 11 issue of JAMA reported that in general the use of angiotensin II receptor blocker losartan was not associated with increased all-cause death or cardiovascular death compared with use of candesartan. In the study, researchers found no significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality associated with use of losartan [...]
Cognitive therapy reduces the severity of psychotic experiences in adults who are at risk of developing conditions such as schizophrenia, reveals a randomised controlled trial published online in BMJ. Among the young adults (14-35 years) involved in the UK trial, 114 were randomly assigned to cognitive therapy and 144 to monitoring of mental state alone; [...]
Waist measures (waist circumference [WC], waist to height ratio [WHtR]) in conjunction with body mass index (BMI) appear to be associated with lipid and blood pressure assessments among overweight and obese adolescents, according to a report published by Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine in April. Researchers from Canada analysed data collected on a population [...]
Patients for whom colonoscopy was recommended were less likely to complete colorectal cancer (CRC) screening than those patients for whom foecal occult blood testing (FOBT) was recommended or those patients who were given a choice between FOBT or colonoscopy, according to a study published in the April 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Within [...]
Giving antibiotics to patients with acute uncomplicated appendicitis is a safe and viable alternative to surgery, say experts in a study published online in April on bmj.com. The Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre NIHR Biomedical Research Unit analysed the results of four randomised controlled trials of uncomplicated acute appendicitis. A total of 470 patients received antibiotics [...]
A follow-up study in Brazil has reported sustained efficacy and immunogenicity of the Human Papilloma virus (HPV)-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine (Cervarix®; GSK) for up to 8.4 years. The interim results were recently published in the March issue of Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. The study followed up women (n=436, mean age 26.5 years) from the Brazilian centres [...]
A recent study has found that alcoholics’ gait and balance can continue to recover with long-term abstinence from alcohol, but deficits, especially eyes-closed standing balance, can persist. The findings were published online on September 15 in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. The researchers examined 70 short-term (6-15 weeks) and 82 long-term (minimum 18 months to [...]
An emerging therapy known as cognitive bias modification (CBM) helped improve anxiety symptoms in a small pilot study. The therapy used a computer software to help subjects divert attention away from anxiety and interpret situations more calmly. The findings of the Brown University-led study were published in advance online in the journal Depression and Anxiety. [...]
Children and teens with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) experienced a significantly greater reduction in OCD symptoms when cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was added to treatment with medication, according to a study published in the September 21 issue of JAMA. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, conducted a 12-week randomised controlled study at [...]
A single session of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) could help individuals who suffer from severe dental phobia to overcome their anxieties, reported a UK study. The study, which was published in a recent issue of the British Dental Journal, was based on an initial trial of 60 dental patients who, 10 years ago, had routinely [...]