The first company that comes up with a effective drug for obesity is bound to make billions.

Prior failures notwithstanding, a trio of small pharmaceutical companies are trying to come up with the next great obesity pill. That means clinical studies are ongoing.

So, what’s it like to participate in such a trial? Ed Susman, a contributing writer at MedPage Today, was involved in one, and chronicled his experiences over the past Read more »

Ah, a perfect question for comparative effectiveness research.

Surgeon Jeffrey Parks takes a look at a study looking at breast MRIs during the pre-operative workup of patients with breast cancer.

Essentially, surgical outcomes were not improved, and worse, “leads to a higher rate of unnecessary mastectomy, and is extremely expensive (about $1600 a pop, out of pocket).”

Although there are specific cases where a breast Read more »

Doctors should realize the stress that patients undergo while waiting for test results.

Surgeon Jeffrey Parks discusses a recent study examining the issue, showing that a woman’s “stress hormone levels were just as high during the waiting period as levels determined in women who were told the biopsy was positive for cancer.”

A needle breast biopsy should not take longer than two days for a result, although it make take longer Read more »

Comparative effectiveness research is the current, trendy buzzword in the health care debate.

And certainly, doctors need an authoritative, unbiased, source in which to base their decisions on.

But, do we already have that kind of information? Why, yes, we do. It’s called UptoDate.

For those who don’t know, UptoDate is a peer-reviewed, evidence-based, medical encyclopedia available via DVD or online that’s revised Read more »

by Michael Byrd

Are you satisfied with the way your brain works? Or do you want to make wiser decisions, think better or remember more (”I can’t seem to find my reading glasses.”)?

We all want a smarter brain, right? We always dread the day when forget things, are not able to make wise enough decisions or simply cannot seem to think better.

If this is true to you then it’s time you start taking Omega Read more »

Its report shows that some PDSNs in PCTs look after more than 150 children, compared with the recommended 70.

The charity says that such a large case load does not allow nurses the necessary time to help children manage their diabetes and give them individual advice and support.

The report also shows that the PDSN caseload in 35% of PCTs has increased since 2007 and less than 7% of PCTs have improved their PDSN caseload.
Read more »

by Amy Nutt

It seems like many people have similar goals about their bodies – lose weight, strength training or tone up, but fewer and fewer people are opting to join gyms to try and reach their goals. Some people don’t live close enough to a gym to make that option feasible and some people just simply can’t afford the monthly dues. If you have a goal of getting in better shape, but for one reason or another can’t or won’t Read more »

by Dan Solaris

We’ve seen them gracing the covers of countless fitness and lifestyle mags. They’re also on the daytime infomercials oh so familiar with couch potatoes everywhere. Some have even made it to the silver screen, playing unstoppable Greek warriors fighting ancient Persian armies against all odds. I’m talking about those super-fit models with lean, shredded abs- the lucky few envied by scores of frustrated gym goers Read more »

by Julia Channel

As a recent EscapeFitness.com article stated, many gyms in Britain now contain free weights and kettle bells. Free weights have historically been neglected, relegated to the hidden areas of the gym: however many trainers have begun to see the benefits of a strong set of free weights. Free weights are so versatile they can fit into the workout program of any athlete for any sport or just for simple, everyday use.

Read more »

Currently, the UK NHS Cervical Screening Programme states that ‘if a woman has never been sexually active with a man then the chance of her developing cervical cancer is very low indeed’.

But writing in the Journal of Planning and Reproductive Health Care, Hazel Henderson, from Croydon PCT, urges lesbians to come forward for screening.

She argues that four-fifths of lesbians have had sex with men and that HPV Read more »