By Anne Harding NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A thermoplastic heat-molded mandibular-advancement device (MAD) is non-inferior to a custom-made MAD for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a new two-month randomized trial shows. “This is really a noninferiority message, for shorter treatment in moderate-to-severe sleep-apnea patients,” Dr. Jean Louis Pepin of Universite Grenoble Alpes in Saint-Martin-d’Heres,...
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This Daily Pill Cut Heart Attacks by Half. Why Isn’t Everyone Getting It?
“Polypills” of generic drugs may dramatically reduce heart attacks and strokes in poor countries, a new study suggests. Some experts still aren’t enthusiastic. Giving people an inexpensive pill containing generic drugs that prevent heart attacks — an idea first proposed 20 years ago but rarely tested — worked quite well in a new study, slashing...
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What treatments work best to prevent suicide?
by Serena Gordon If you or someone you love is thinking about suicide, a new review points to effective treatments that can reduce suicide risk. Some involve therapy—cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)—while others involve medication, such as ketamine (by infusion) or lithium. “People should be aware that there are treatments, such as CBT or DBT that can be...
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Guidelines developed for reducing suicide in veterans
Kristen E. D’Anci, Ph.D., from the ECRI Institute in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, and colleagues examined the benefits and harms of nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic interventions to prevent suicide and related suicide behaviors in at-risk adults. Data were reviewed from eight systematic reviews and 15 randomized controlled trials. The researchers found that compared with treatment as usual,...
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Review: Biofeedback could help treat a number of conditions
by Tristan Horrom, Veterans Affairs Research Communications A literature review by a team at the VA Portland Health Care System and Oregon Health & Science University found evidence that biofeedback can be a helpful treatment for several conditions. Studies show that biofeedback can reduce headache pain, improve both urinary and fecal incontinence, and aid in...
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Clinical trial shows alternate-day fasting a safe alternative to caloric restriction
by Cell Press In recent years there has been a surge in studies looking at the biologic effects of different kinds of fasting diets in both animal models and humans. These diets include continuous calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, and alternate-day fasting (ADF). Now the largest study of its kind to look at the effects of...
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How blood sugar levels affect risks in type 1 diabetes
UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG A major new study on the association between blood glucose levels and risks of organ impairment in people with type 1 diabetes can make a vital contribution to diabetes care, in the researchers’ view. The Swedish study now published in BMJ (British Medical Journal) covers more than 10,000 adults and children with...
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Popular pain medication associated with greater risk of hypoglycemia
Tramadol, an opioid, is widely used to treat moderate or severe pain, but patients may be at risk of low blood sugar levels UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA – SAN DIEGO Since its approval in 1995, the opioid tramadol (marketed as ConZip and Ultram) has become a widely prescribed remedy for osteoarthritis and other painful indications, in...
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Waist size, not body mass index, may be more predictive of coronary artery disease
Study investigates association between obesity type and obstructive artery disease in postmenopausal women THE NORTH AMERICAN MENOPAUSE SOCIETY (NAMS) CLEVELAND, Ohio (August 28, 2019)–For years, women have been told that weight gain could lead to heart disease. A new study indicates that it is the location of the fat that matters most, with abdominal fat...
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The 10-cent tuberculosis test that’s saving lives
by Layne Cameron, Evangelyn Alocilja, Michigan State University News of a cure for the deadliest strain of tuberculosis is making headlines around the world. However, before treatment can begin, TB must first be diagnosed. Early detection has been a serious challenge for those suffering at various stages of this epidemic. Until now. A colorimetric biosensing...