Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pathology for April 2016. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
First Zika-Related Death in Puerto Rico Reported
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The first known Zika virus-linked death in Puerto Rico was announced Friday by officials of the U.S. territory.
Dietary Choices Appear to Impact Microbial Diversity of Gut
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Foods like fruits, vegetables, coffee, tea, wine, yogurt, and buttermilk can increase the microbial diversity in the gut, while simple carbohydrates appear to reduce it, according to two studies published in the April 29 issue of the journal Science.
First Commercial Zika Test Approved by FDA
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The first commercial test to diagnose Zika virus was approved Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Wide Variation in Health Care Costs Across the U.S.
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Health care prices vary widely across the United States, even within the same state, according to a study published in the April issue of Health Affairs.
Rosacea Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia
THURSDAY, April 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Rosacea may be linked to a higher risk for dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to research published online April 28 in the Annals of Neurology.
Article Discusses Workplace Violence in Health Care
THURSDAY, April 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — There is a lack of data relating to the prevalence of workplace violence in health care and how to address it, according to a review article published in the April 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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MAGED2 Mutation Causes Antenatal Bartter’s Syndrome
THURSDAY, April 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A mutation has been identified in MAGED2 that causes transient antenatal Bartter’s syndrome, according to a study published online April 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Research Finds Link Between Psoriasis, Obesity, T2DM
THURSDAY, April 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Psoriasis may be linked to excess weight and type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online April 27 in JAMA Dermatology.
U.S. Health Report Card Finds Racial, Ethnic Disparities Persist
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — An update on Americans’ health finds that racial and ethnic disparities persist, with significant gaps in obesity, cesarean births, and dental care. But advances have been made in some important areas, including infant mortality rates, women smokers, and numbers of uninsured, according to the new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Doctors Have a Only a Few Weeks Left to Review Financial Data
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, physicians have only a few weeks left to review and report disputes relating to their financial ties to drug and medical device manufacturers, according to the American Medical Association.
SLICC/ACR Criteria Don’t ID Severe Internal Disease in SCLE
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Neither the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) nor the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria distinguishes patients with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) with major internal disease from those without, according to research published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
New Research Questions Link Between Statin Use and CRC Risk
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Long-term use of statins does not appear to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but a patient’s cholesterol levels might affect risk, according to a study published online April 26 in PLOS Medicine.
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FDA Panel Votes Against Approval of Eteplirsen for DMD
TUESDAY, April 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The drug eteplirsen should not be approved for treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel said Monday.
Prevalence of Migraine Up in Patients With Cardiac Syndrome X
TUESDAY, April 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of migraine headache is elevated in patients with cardiac syndrome X (CSX) compared to patients with coronary artery disease or healthy controls, according to a research letter published in the May 3 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Detergent Packets a Growing Poison Danger to Children
TUESDAY, April 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A growing number of small children are getting their hands and mouths on colorful detergent packets, with serious and sometimes fatal consequences, according to a report published online April 25 in Pediatrics.
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Higher Arsenic Levels Detected in Infants Fed Rice-Based Cereals
TUESDAY, April 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Infants fed rice-based foods may have significantly higher inorganic arsenic concentrations in their urine than those who never eat rice, according to a report published online April 25 in JAMA Pediatrics.
Detecting, Isolating C. difficile Carriers Beneficial
TUESDAY, April 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Detecting and isolating Clostridium difficile carriers can reduce the incidence of health care-associated C. difficile infection (HA-CDI), according to a study published online April 25 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Pathogen Reduction System Prevents Malaria Via Transfusion
MONDAY, April 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The incidence of transfusion-transmitted malaria can be reduced with use of a whole blood pathogen-reduction system, according to a study published in the April 23 issue of The Lancet.
Homocysteine Tied to Alzheimer’s Via Aβ-Fibrinogen Interaction
MONDAY, April 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Plasma homocysteine (HC) and its metabolite homocysteine thiolactone (HCTL) contribute to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology via the amyloid-β (Aβ)-fibrinogen interaction, according to a study published online April 19 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
Rapid-Onset Diabetes Described With Anti-PD-1 Treatment
MONDAY, April 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In a case report published online April 11 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation, researchers document rapid-onset insulin-dependent diabetes in an Asian patient undergoing treatment with anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) therapy.
First-Degree Relative Grafts Don’t Up Liver Disease Recurrence
MONDAY, April 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In liver transplantation (LT), patients who receive living donor grafts from first-degree relatives due to autoimmune liver diseases are not prone to increased disease recurrence, compared to those who receive grafts from distant/unrelated donors and deceased donors, according to a study published online April 18 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
Physicians Can Get Involved in Developing Payment Models
FRIDAY, April 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Doctors can be involved in developing new payment models for their practices, according to the American Medical Association.
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CDC, OSHA Issue Guidance on Occupational Exposure to Zika
FRIDAY, April 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Summer, mosquito season, and the threat of Zika virus transmission is approaching, and federal health experts on Friday issued guidelines to help protect American workers from infection.
CDC: Suicide Rate Up 24 Percent in the United States Since 1999
FRIDAY, April 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Suicide rates in the United States rose 24 percent between 1999 and 2014, with young girls and middle-aged men accounting for the largest increases, according to an April data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Stomach CA Risk Up With Alcohol, Processed Meat Consumption
THURSDAY, April 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Alcohol, processed meats — such as hot dogs, ham, and bacon — and excess weight all may raise a person’s risk of stomach cancer, according to a new review released by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund International.
Comorbidity Tied to Prostate Cancer Upgrading, Up Staging
FRIDAY, April 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Comorbidity burden is strongly and independently associated with pathological upgrading/up staging in men with clinically low-risk prostate cancer, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Urology.
Cow’s Milk Allergy in Childhood May Lead to Lower Bone Density
THURSDAY, April 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Children who are allergic to cow’s milk may have lower bone mineral density than those with other food allergies, according to a study published online April 20 in Pediatrics.
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Do Antihistamines Blunt Exercise Recovery?
THURSDAY, April 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Histamine may contribute to exercise recovery in skeletal muscle, and blockade of histamine receptors may interfere with that mechanism, according to research published online April 9 in the Journal of Physiology.
Improved Survival for Certain Cancers With Low-Dose Aspirin
THURSDAY, April 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients with colorectal, breast, or prostate cancers may have better survival odds if they are on a low-dose aspirin regimen, according to a review published online April 20 in PLOS ONE.
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BRCA1 Mutation May Reduce Women’s Fertility
WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The BRCA1 gene mutation may also be tied to potential fertility issues, according to a report published online April 20 in Human Reproduction.
Ten Cases of Rare Bloodstream Infection Reported in Illinois
WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A cluster of rare bloodstream infections was discovered by Illinois health officials while investigating an outbreak in Wisconsin.
Cities Found to Have Distinct Microbial Communities
WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Every city has its own character, and new research suggests that could even extend to a municipality’s microbial communities. The findings were published online April 19 in mSystems.
Decrease in Prostate CA Mortality Parallels Drop in Smoking
WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Declines in prostate cancer mortality seem to parallel declines in cigarette smoking, based on data from four U.S. states. The report was published online April 14 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Preventing Chronic Disease.
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Novel Case of Alzheimer’s Reported in HIV+ Patient
TUESDAY, April 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The first case of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosed in a person with HIV suggests progressive dementia in older HIV+ individuals may be due to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND), AD, or both. The case study was published online April 14 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.
Early Trials Offer Promising Results for 2-Step Ebola Vaccine
TUESDAY, April 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A new two-step Ebola vaccine strategy has shown some promise in early clinical trials, according to research published in the April 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Mixed-Meal Tolerance Tests Vary for C-Peptide Response in T1DM
TUESDAY, April 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Two- and four-hour mixed-meal tolerance tests (MMTTs) vary for C-peptide responses in type 1 diabetes, according to research published online April 13 in Diabetes Care.
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Donor Epstein-Barr Serostatus Influences GVHD After Allo-HSCT
TUESDAY, April 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Donor Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serostatus influences incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in patients with acute leukemia undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), according to a study published online April 18 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Suboptimal Guideline Adherence for Hematuria After Menopause
TUESDAY, April 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of urinary tract malignancy is low among postmenopausal women evaluated for asymptomatic microscopic hematuria, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Urology.
Vitamin D Supplementation Cuts Aeroallergen Sensitization
MONDAY, April 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and infancy may reduce aeroallergen sensitization in children, according to a study published online April 6 in Allergy.
Genetic Vitamin K1 Levels Linked to Heart Disease
MONDAY, April 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Genetically determined vitamin K1 is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction (MI), according to a study published online April 8 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
2016 Match Marks Record Highs for Registrants, Matching
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The 2016 Match was the largest ever recorded by the National Resident Matching Program, with a higher match rate that 2015, according to a report from the American Medical Association.
Severe Cerebral Damage ID’d on Imaging in Children With Zika
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Children with congenital infection, presumably associated with the Zika virus, have severe cerebral damage identified on imaging, according to a study published online April 13 in The BMJ.
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Decrease in Medicare Spending for 2012 ACO Entrants
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Early reductions in Medicare spending were seen for the first full year of Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) contracts for 2012 Accountable Care Organization (ACO) entrants, according to a study published online April 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Odds Up for Patients With Psoriasis
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Psoriasis patients may face a higher risk of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, according to a study published online April 14 in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
Proton Pump Inhibitors Tied to Chronic Kidney Disease
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients who regularly use proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may be at increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease, according to research published online April 14 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
U.S. Rates of Thyroid Cancer Leveling Off
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Fewer thyroid cancers are diagnosed in the United States now than in the recent past, perhaps signaling a change in physician practices, according to a report published online April 14 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
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Health Care Workers Skip Hand Washing One-Third of the Time
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Staff at many outpatient health care facilities in New Mexico failed to follow recommendations for hand hygiene more than one-third of the time, according to findings published in the April 1 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
CDC: Zika Link to Microcephaly, Brain Damage Confirmed
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Zika virus is a definite and direct cause of microcephaly and other brain-related birth defects, health officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday. The CDC made its announcement following an evidence review published online April 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Hepatitis C Found to Up Odds for Certain Head and Neck Cancers
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Hepatitis C may increase the risk for certain types of head and neck cancers, according to a study published online April 13 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Consumption of Fast Food Linked to Greater Exposure to Phthalates
WEDNESDAY, April 13, 2016 (HealthDay News) — People with high intake of fast food may have levels of phthalates in their urine that are 24 to 40 percent higher than people who rarely eat fast food, according to research published online April 13 in Environmental Health Perspectives.
New Assay May Help Improve Detection of Prion Diseases
WEDNESDAY, April 13, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A timed in vitro prion protein (PrP) conversion protocol is sensitive for detecting elk chronic wasting disease (CWD) in brain tissues, according to research published online April 8 in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.
Review: Low Risk of Birth Defects With Ondansetron Exposure
WEDNESDAY, April 13, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The offspring of women using ondansetron early in pregnancy for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy or hyperemesis gravidarum may be at risk for cardiac abnormalities, although the overall risk of birth defects associated with exposure appears low, according to a review published in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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CV Risk Not Significantly Different for GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — There are no significant differences in occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) tied to treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i), second generation sulfonylureas, or insulin, in combination with metformin, according to a study published online March 22 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
Doctors Can Be Misled About FDA ‘Breakthrough’ Drug Designation
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Use of the word “breakthrough” in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s expedited approval process could mislead doctors about the new drugs’ actual benefits, according to a research letter published in the April 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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PDE4 Inhibition Promising Tx for Metabolic Disorders
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Inhibition of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4), which hydrolyses cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), may be useful for treating metabolic disorders, according to research published in the May issue of Obesity Reviews.
Efficacy of DTaP, Tdap Holds Despite Pertactin Deficiency
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Despite an increased proportion of Bordetella pertussis isolates lacking pertactin, vaccine effectiveness (VE) is still high in Vermont for the five-dose diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) series and the tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap), according to research published online April 12 in Pediatrics.
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Increase in Number of Patients Being Treated for Alpha-Gal
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — There has been an increase in the number of patients being treated for Galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal) syndrome, according to a report from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Asthma, Sinus and Allergy Program (ASAP).
Excision Margins Don’t Impact Melanoma Recurrence, Survival
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Wider excision margins in thick cutaneous melanoma cases do not improve locoregional recurrence or melanoma-specific survival (MSS), according to research published online March 25 in Head & Neck.
Telomere Length Tied to Higher Myocardial Infarction Risk
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Telomere length (TL) is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI), according to a study published in the April 19 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Hydrolyzed Egg Preparation Safe for Egg-Allergic Children
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A low allergenic hydrolyzed egg (HydE) preparation seems to be safe for use in egg-allergic children, according to a study published online April 5 in Allergy.
VA Commission on Care: Eliminate VA Medical Centers
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A radical proposal has been suggested for eliminating all Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and outpatient facilities in the next 20 years, floated by seven of 15 members of the VA Commission on Care, according to an article published in the Military Times.
Colonic Diverticular Disease Linked to Dementia Risk
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Colonic diverticular disease appears to be associated with increased risk of dementia in a population from Taiwan, according to a study published online March 31 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Propranolol Use Tied to Increased Mortality in Child-Pugh B, C
FRIDAY, April 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with Child-Pugh B and C, propranolol use is associated with increased mortality, according to a letter to the editor published online March 26 in Hepatology.
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World Trade Center Exposure, Eosinophilia Predict Sinus Surgery
FRIDAY, April 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Sinus surgery is more common among firefighters who responded during the first two days of the World Trade Center disaster than those who had less intense or shorter exposures, according to a study published online April 8 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. The same was found to be true for those firefighters who were at the site for six months or more.
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Variation in Estimates of Sepsis-Linked Mortality by Data Source
FRIDAY, April 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — There is considerable variation in estimates of sepsis mortality using death certificates and health services utilization data (administrative claims), according to a report published in the April 8 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Foreign Body Reaction Induced by Bee Sting Therapy
FRIDAY, April 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Foreign body reaction can be induced by bee sting therapy, according to a letter to the editor published online March 31 in the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology.
Steatosis in More Than Half of Liver Transplant Recipients
FRIDAY, April 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Steatosis affects more than half of liver transplant (LT) recipients, although it is not associated with worse patient survival, according to a study published online April 5 in Liver Transplantation.
White Matter Hyperintensities Predate Alzheimer’s Onset
FRIDAY, April 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease is associated with increased white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on magnetic resonance imaging well before expected symptom onset, according to a study published online March 26 in the Annals of Neurology.
Selective Biomarkers Can ID Risk of Impaired Glucose Tolerance
THURSDAY, April 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Selective biomarkers can identify the risk of isolated impaired glucose tolerance (iIGT), according to a study published online April 5 in Diabetes Care.
Incidence of Psoriatic Arthritis 2.7/100 Psoriasis Patients
THURSDAY, April 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The incidence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is 2.7 cases per 100 psoriasis patients, with risk factors including severe psoriasis phenotype and low level of education, according to a study published in the April issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
Considerable Agreement on Presence of BCC on Mohs Slides
THURSDAY, April 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — There is considerable interpersonal and intrapersonal agreement on the presence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on Mohs slides, according to a study published online April 1 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Since 1980, Diabetes Cases Have Quadrupled Globally
WEDNESDAY, April 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The number of adults worldwide with diabetes has quadrupled in the past 35 years, according to a report published online April 6 in The Lancet.
MC1R Variants May Up Melanoma Risk, Even Without Sun Exposure
WEDNESDAY, April 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Genetics could play a role in the development of melanoma even for skin without extensive sun exposure, according to a study published online April 6 in JAMA Dermatology.
Autologous HSCT Can Result in Remission in Myasthenia Gravis
MONDAY, April 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), treatment with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) can result in durable, symptom-free, treatment-free remission, according to a study published online April 4 in JAMA Neurology.
CDC Hosts Zika Action Plan Summit
MONDAY, April 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — More than 300 public health experts attended the Zika Action Plan Summit, hosted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta on Friday. The summit was held to help ensure a coordinated response to the mosquito-borne illness.
Bioengineering Advances Offer Promise for Skin Regeneration
FRIDAY, April 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — An in vivo transplantation model has been used to develop a three-dimensional (3D) integumentary organ system from induced pluripotent stem cells, according to research published online April 1 in Science Advances.
Are Guidelines Needed to Assess Competence of Aging Physicians?
FRIDAY, April 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The question of whether national guidelines need to be developed for assessing the competence of aging physicians was discussed during a recent meeting of key stakeholders, according to a news release from the American Medical Association (AMA).
Even Light-Use Waterpipe Smoking Harms the Lungs
FRIDAY, April 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Young, light-use waterpipe smokers exhibit a variety of pulmonary abnormalities, according to a study published online March 23 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Dose Escalation in IMRT Slows Progression of Thyroid Cancer
FRIDAY, April 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Local-regional failure (LRF) in patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) is mostly seen in patients with gross disease at the time of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), according to a review published online March 28 in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology.
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