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Drugs for anxiety, sleep linked to Alzheimer’s disease
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Mental HealthcareDrugs used to modify behavior in young or middle-aged adults may have serious consequences in later life. Recent research has demonstrated that extended use of benzodiazepine drugs — commonly used for the management of anxiety and sleep dysfunction — increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study: ED visits for hypertension on the rise
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareEmergency department visits for high blood pressure jumped 25 percent in just five years, according to a recent study by the American Heart Association. Although more patients came to the ED presenting hypertension during those years, the percentage of admissions and hospital deaths decreased.
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Study: Age, medications play role in post-transplant cancer rate
Karen Zabel Medical & Allied HealthcareOrgan transplant recipients regularly receive immunosuppressive drugs to help minimize the risk of rejection, but those drugs come with significant risks of their own, including leaving patients open to predatory infections and even certain types of cancer. Now, a new study suggests the type of immunosuppressant drug used as well as other factors may help predict those risks and possibly reduce them.
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What’s causing the antibiotic development stagnation?
Lauren Swan PharmaceuticalAntimicrobial-resistant bacteria are appearing in headlines more often as time goes by, along with the escalating need for new antibiotics to treat these bacteria. Yet only two new antibiotic treatments have been approved and released onto the market since 2008. There are currently seven new antimicrobial drugs in the FDA pipeline, but none of them will affect the bacteria for which we need them.
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How 3-D printing improves surgical outcomes
Renee Eaton ManufacturingLast month, an acquaintance underwent what was expected to be a routine ablation procedure — nearly 10 hours later, the surgery finally finished. Despite CT scans, X-rays and EKGs, the surgeons encountered "structural issues" that complicated the operation. If they'd had a 3-D print of his heart, they might have anticipated and planned contingencies based on what they saw.
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The future of nursing: A 10,000-foot view
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareNursing and healthcare in the United States are at a crossroads. A broad view of the issues at hand are required in order to address the future of the nursing profession, the American healthcare system and an aging population.
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Solidarity vs. solitary: Why collaboration means better healthcare
Karen R. Thomas Medical & Allied HealthcareHistorically, healthcare has been adept at achieving highly focused and specialized solutions. Focus and specialization literally permeated the culture and structure of healthcare for many years.
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E-cigarettes: The safety debate continues
Katina Hernandez Medical & Allied HealthcareThe recent trend in the U.S. toward health consciousness has not escaped the tobacco industry, as evidenced by CVS's decision to ban the sale of tobacco products in its stores. Even smokers are doing their best to cut back on smoking or at least on the amount of carcinogens they ingest.
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What is the future of limb transplant surgery?
Alan Kelsky Medical & Allied HealthcareThe ethics of transplanting life-saving organs such as the heart, lungs and liver from people who died in a trauma accident is well established. So are the life-saving gifts of a kidney or part of a liver from live donors. Without these extraordinary medical advances people die.
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5 simple fixes for Big Pharma
Mike Wokasch PharmaceuticalWhile Big Pharma companies continue to have their sporadic good news and occasional success stories, collectively the industry is still struggling to reshape its business models in the evolving healthcare market. In this article, we'll explore five "fixes" pharmaceutical companies can make to increase their probability of success in the future.
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