Study Finds High Risk of Recurrence of Two Life-Threatening Adverse Drug Reactions That Affect the Skin

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Yaron Finkelstein, M.D., call Suzanne Gold at 416-813-7654, ext. 202059, or email suzanne.gold@sickkids.ca. Individuals who are hospitalized for the skin conditions of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis appear to have a high risk of recurrence, according to a study in…

For Older Adults With Pneumonia, Treatment Including Azithromycin Associated With Lower Risk of Death, Small Increased Risk of Heart Attack

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Eric M. Mortensen, M.D., M.Sc., call Penny Kerby at 214-857-1155 or email Penny.Kerby@va.gov. In a study that included nearly 65,000 older patients hospitalized with pneumonia, treatment that included azithromycin compared with other antibiotics was associated with a significantly lower risk of…

Preventive Placement of ICDs in Patients With Less Severe Heart Failure Associated With Improved Survival

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Sana M. Al-Khatib, M.D., M.H.S., call Rachel Harrison at 919-419-5069 or email rachel.harrison@duke.edu. An examination of the benefit of preventive placement of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in patients with a less severe level of heart failure, a group not well represented in…

JAMA:05272014

JAMA_OF:05272014

Study Examines Variation in Cardiology Practice Guidelines Over Time

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Mark D. Neuman, M.D., M.Sc., email neumanm@mail.med.upenn.edu or call 215-760-7471; or email Jessica Mikulski at Jessica.Mikulski@uphs.upenn.edu or call 215-796-4829. To contact editorial author Paul G. Shekelle, M.D., Ph.D., call Warren Robak at 310-451-6913 or email robak@rand.org. An analysis of more than…

Endoscopic Procedure Does Not Reduce Disability Due to Pain Following Gallbladder Removal

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Peter B. Cotton, M.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.C.S., call Heather Woolwine at 843-792-7669 or email woolwinh@musc.edu. In certain patients with abdominal pain after gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy), undergoing an endoscopic procedure involving the bile and pancreatic ducts did not result in fewer days with…

Moderate-Intensity Physical Activity Program For Older Adults Reduces Mobility Problems

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 1 P.M. (ET) TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Marco Pahor, M.D., call Morgan Sherburne at 352-273-6160 or email msherburne@ufl.edu. Among older adults at risk of disability, participation in a structured moderate-intensity physical activity program, compared with a health education intervention, significantly reduced the risk of major mobility disability…

JAMA:05202014

Comparison of Newer and Older Antipsychotic Medications For Schizophrenia Finds Similar Clinical Outcomes

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author T. Scott Stroup, M.D., M.P.H., call Dacia Morris at 646-774-8724 or email morrisd@nyspi.columbia.edu. To contact editorial author Donald C. Goff, M.D., call Lorinda Klein at 212-404-3533 or email Lorindaann.klein@nyumc.org.   Among adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, treatment with…

Research Identifies Genetic Alterations in Lung Cancers That Help Select Treatment; May Improve Survival

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Mark G. Kris, M.D., call Melissa Morgenweck at 646-227-3633 or email morgenwm@mskcc.org. To contact editorial co-author Boris Pasche, M.D., Ph.D., call Marguerite Beck at 336-716-2415 or email marbeck@wakehealth.edu.   Multiplexed testing of lung cancer tumors identified genetic alterations that were helpful…

Antibiotics Continue to Be Prescribed at High Rate for Bronchitis, Contrary to Recommended Guidelines

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Jeffrey A. Linder, M.D., M.P.H., call Jessica Maki at 617-525-6373 or email jmaki3@partners.org. Despite clear evidence of ineffectiveness, guidelines and more than 15 years of educational efforts stating that the antibiotic prescribing rate for acute bronchitis should be zero, the rate…

Physical Therapy for Hip Osteoarthritis Does Not Appear to Provide Greater Improvement for Pain, Function

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Kim L. Bennell, Ph.D., email k.bennell@unimelb.edu.au.   Among adults with painful hip osteoarthritis, physical therapy did not result in greater improvement in pain or function compared with a placebo treatment, but was associated with relatively frequent but mild adverse effects, raising…

JAMA_OF:05192014

JAMA_OF:05182014

Study Examines Effect of Intervention to Increase Blood Flow During and After Major Surgery

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 4 P.M. (CT) MONDAY, MAY 19, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Rupert M. Pearse, M.D., email r.pearse@qmul.ac.uk. To contact editorial author Elliott Bennett-Guerrero, M.D., call Sarah Avery at 919-660-1306 or email sarah.avery@duke.edu.   In a study that included high-risk patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery, the use of a cardiac-output guided intervention…

For Pregnant Women Who Smoke, Vitamin C Supplementation Results in Improved Lung Function of Newborn

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 4 P.M. (CT) SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Cindy T. McEvoy, M.D., M.C.R., call Tamara Hargens-Bradley at 503-494-8231 or email hargenst@ohsu.edu. To contact editorial author Graham L. Hall, Ph.D., email graham.hall@telethonkids.org.au. Supplemental vitamin C taken by pregnant smokers improved measures of lung function for newborns and decreased the…

Sepsis Involved in High Percentage of Hospital Deaths

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 4 P.M. (CT) SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Vincent Liu, M.D., M.S., call Ann Wallace at 510-891-3653 or email ann.m.wallace@kp.org. An analysis that included approximately 7 million hospitalizations finds that sepsis contributed to 1 in every 2 to 3 deaths, and most of these patients had sepsis at…

Vitamin D Supplementation Does Not Improve Asthma Treatment, Symptoms For Adults With Low Vitamin D Levels

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 4 P.M. (CT) SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Tonya S. King, Ph.D., call Matthew Solovey at 717-531-0003, ext. 287127, or email msolovey@hmc.psu.edu. In adults with persistent asthma and low vitamin D levels, treatment with vitamin D3 did not reduce the rate of treatment failure or exacerbation…

JAMA:05132014

Large Increase Seen in Emergency Departments Visits for Traumatic Brain Injury

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Jennifer R. Marin, M.D., M.Sc., call Anita Srikameswaran at 412-578-9193 or email srikamav@upmc.edu. Between 2006 and 2010, there was a nearly 30 percent increase in the rate of visits to an emergency department for traumatic brain injury, which may be attributable…

Study Findings Question Benefit of Additional Imaging Before Cancer Surgery

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Mark N. Levine, M.D., call Veronica McGuire at 905-525-9140, ext. 22169; or email vmcguir@mcmaster.ca. Among patients with a certain type of colorectal cancer with limited spread to the liver, imaging using positron emission tomography and computed tomography (CT) before…

Difference Found in Brain Area Linked to Memory Among College Football Players

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Patrick S.F. Bellgowan, Ph.D., call Hannah Jackson at 918-430-3011 or email hjackson@stfpr.com. Preliminary research finds that within a group of collegiate football players, those who experienced a concussion or had been playing for more years had smaller hippocampal volume…

Study Examines Effectiveness of Medications to Treat Alcohol Use Disorders

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Daniel E. Jonas, M.D., M.P.H., call Thania Benios at 919-962-8596 or email thania_benios@unc.edu. To contact editorial co-author Katharine A. Bradley, M.D., M.P.H., call Rebecca Hughes at 206-287-2055 or email hughes.r@ghc.org.   An analysis of more than 120 studies that examined the…

Monoclonal Antibody Combined With Statin Results in Further Reduction of Cholesterol Levels

Media Advisory: To contact Jennifer G. Robinson, M.D., M.P.H., call Jennifer Brown at 319-356-7124 or email jennifer-l-brown@uiowa.edu. Among patients with high cholesterol receiving moderate- or high-intensity statin therapy, the addition of the human monoclonal antibody evolocumab resulted in additional lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, according to a study in the May 14 issue…

JAMA:05032014

Steroid Therapy Following Surgery Does Not Significantly Improve Outcomes for Infants With Bile Duct Disorder

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Jorge A. Bezerra, M.D., call Nick Miller at 513-803-6035 or email nicholas.miller@cchmc.org. Among infants who underwent surgery to repair bile ducts that do not drain properly (biliary atresia), the administration of high-dose steroid therapy following surgery did not significantly improve…

Medication Does Not Lower Risk of Fungal Infection, Death Among Extremely Low Birth-Weight Infants

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Daniel K. Benjamin Jr., M.D., Ph.D., call Sarah Avery at 919-660-1306 or email sarah.avery@duke.edu. Use of the antifungal medication fluconazole for six weeks for extremely low birth-weight infants did not significantly reduce the risk of death or invasive candidiasis, a…

Receiving Tdap Vaccine During Pregnancy Does Not Appear to Increase Risk of Adverse Events For Mother or Infant

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Flor M. Munoz, M.D., call Dipali Pathak at 713-798-4710 or email pathak@bcm.edu. To contact editorial co-author Kathryn M. Edwards, M.D., call Craig Boerner at 615-322-4747 or email craig.boerner@vanderbilt.edu. A preliminary study finds that receipt of the tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria…

Low Rate of Cholesterol Testing For Children and Adolescents

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Sarah D. de Ferranti, M.D., M.P.H., call Rob Graham at 617-919-3110 or email Rob.graham@childrens.harvard.edu.   Although some guidelines recommend lipid screening for children and adolescents of certain ages, data indicate that only about 3 percent are having their…

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation During Pregnancy Does Not Appear to Improve Cognitive Outcomes for Children

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Maria Makrides, B.Sc., B.N.D., Ph.D., email maria.makrides@health.sa.gov.au. Although there are recommendations for pregnant women to increase their intake of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to improve fetal brain development, a randomized trial finds that prenatal DHA supplementation did…

Findings Suggest That Genetic, Environmental Factors Have Similar Influence on Risk of Autism

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Sven Sandin, M.Sc., email Sven.Sandin@ki.se. To contact editorial co-author Diana E. Schendel, Ph.D., email diana.schendel@folkesundhed.au.dk.   The risk of autism may be influenced equally by genetic and environmental factors; in addition, a sibling of a family member with autism has…

Study Finds Large Increase in Type 1 and 2 Diabetes Among U.S. Youth

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Dana Dabelea, M.D., Ph.D., call Tonya Ewers at 303-724-8573 or email tonya.ewers@ucdenver.edu. In a study that included data from more than three million children and adolescents from diverse geographic regions of the United States, researchers found that the prevalence of…

JAMA_OF:04302014

JAMA:04222014

Study Examines Effectiveness of Two Medications for Treating Epileptic Seizures In Children

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact James M. Chamberlain, M.D., call Joe Cantlupe at 202-476-4500 or email JCantlupe@childrensnational.org.   Although some studies have suggested that the drug lorazepam may be more effective or safer than the drug diazepam in treating a type of epileptic seizures among children,…

Specialized Ambulance Improves Treatment Time For Stroke

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Martin Ebinger, M.D., email martin.ebinger@charite.de.   Using an ambulance that included a computed tomography (CT) scanner, point-of-care laboratory, telemedicine connection and a specialized prehospital stroke team resulted in decreased time to treatment for ischemic stroke, according to a study in the…

Study Examines Patient Preferences For Emergency Treatment of Stroke

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Winston Chiong, M.D., Ph.D., call Laura Kurtzman at 415-476-3163 or email Laura.Kurtzman@ucsf.edu.   The majority of adults surveyed indicated they would want administration of clot-dissolving medications if incapacitated by a stroke, a finding that supports clinicians’ use of this treatment if…

Medication Helps Improve Vision for Patients With Neurological Disorder

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Michael Wall, M.D., call Jennifer Brown at 319- 356-7124 or email jennifer-l-brown@uiowa.edu. To contact editorial author Jonathan C. Horton, M.D., Ph.D., call Juliana Bunim at 415-476-8810 or email juliana.bunim@ucsf.edu. In patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and mild vision loss, the use…

Conservative Management of Vascular Abnormality in Brain Associated With Better Outcomes

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, Ph.D., email Jen Middleton at jen.middleton@ed.ac.uk.   Patients with arteriovenous malformations (abnormal connection between arteries and veins) in the brain that have not ruptured had a lower risk of stroke or death for up to 12 years if…

Quality Improvement Program Helps Lower Risk of Bleeding, Death Following Stroke

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., call Kim Irwin at 310-794-2262 or email kirwin@mednet.ucla.edu. To contact editorial author James C. Grotta, M.D., call Alex Rodriguez Loessin at 713-704-1222 or email alex.loessin@memorialhermann.org. In a study that included more than 71,000 stroke patients, implementation of…

JAMA:04152014

Thyroid Disease Risk Varies Among Blacks, Asians, and Whites

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Donald S. A. McLeod, F.R.A.C.P., M.P.H., email donald.mcleod@qimrberghofer.edu.au.   An analysis that included active military personnel finds that the rate of the thyroid disorder Graves disease is more common among blacks and Asian/Pacific Islanders compared with whites, according to a study…

Mothers with Higher BMI Have Increased Risk of Stillbirth, Infant Death

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Dagfinn Aune, M.S., email d.aune@imperial.ac.uk. Higher maternal body mass index (BMI) before or in early pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of fetal death, stillbirth, and infant death, with women who are severely obese having the greatest risk of these…

JAMA:04082014

Study Examines Criteria for “Choosing Wisely” Lists of Least Beneficial Medical Services

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Steven D. Pearson, M.D., M.Sc., call Molly Hooven at 301-594-5789 or email Molly.Hooven@nih.gov. In the creation of lists by specialty societies of medical services deemed least beneficial (the “Choosing Wisely” initiative), inclusion was often justified by evidence suggesting no additional benefit…

Comparison of Treatments for Advanced Lung Cancer Shows Chemotherapy May Be Best For Certain Patients

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Dong-Wan Kim, M.D., Ph.D., email kimdw@snu.ac.kr.   Among patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer without a mutation of a certain gene (EGFR), conventional chemotherapy, compared with treatment using epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, was associated with…

JAMA:04012014

Study Examines Potential Conflict of Interest for Leaders of Academic Medical Centers Serving on Pharmaceutical Boards

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Walid F. Gellad, M.D., M.P.H., call Allison Hydzik at 412-647-9975 or email hydzikam@upmc.edu. About 40 percent of pharmaceutical company boards of directors examined had at least one member who held a leadership position at an academic medical center, with…

Administering Blood Transfusions to Patients With Lower Levels of Hemoglobin Associated With Lower Risk of Serious Infection

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Mary A.M. Rogers, Ph.D., call Beata Mostafavi at 734- 764-2220 or email bmostafa@umich.edu. To contact editorial author Jeffrey L. Carson, M.D., call Jennifer Forbes at 732-235-6356 or email jenn.forbes@rwjms.rutgers.edu.   Restricting red blood cell (RBC) transfusions among hospitalized patients…

Medication Does Not Help Prevent Erectile Dysfunction Following Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Thomas M. Pisansky, M.D., call Joe Dangor at 507-266-0696 or email dangor.yusuf@mayo.edu. Among men undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer, daily use of the erectile dysfunction drug tadalafil, compared with placebo, did not prevent loss of erectile function, according to a…

JAMA_OF:03312014

JAMA_OF:03312014

JAMA_03302014

Medication Does Not Reduce Risk of Recurrent Cardiovascular Events Among Patients With Diabetes

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 7 A.M. (CT) SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact A. Michael Lincoff, M.D., call Wyatt DuBois at 216-904-3344 or email DUBOISW@ccf.org.   Use of the drug aleglitazar, which has shown the ability to lower glucose levels and have favorable effects on cholesterol, did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular…

JAMA_OF:03292014

Comparison of Drug-Releasing Stents Show Similar Safety Outcomes After Two Years

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 9:45 A.M. (CT) MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Takeshi Kimura, M.D., email taketaka@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp.   A comparison of the safety of biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stents vs durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents finds similar outcomes for measures including death and heart attack after two years, according to a JAMA…

Metformin Does Not Improve Heart Function in Patients Without Diabetes

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 7 A.M. (CT) MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Iwan C.C. van der Horst, M.D., Ph.D., email i.c.c.van.der.horst@umcg.nl. Although some research has suggested that metformin, a medication often used in the treatment of diabetes, may have favorable effects on ventricular (heart) function, among patients without diabetes who…

Comparison of Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Systems Finds Better Device Success with Balloon-Expandable Valve

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 7 A.M. (CT) SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, M.D., email mohamed.abdel-wahab@segebergerkliniken.de. To contact editorial co-author E. Murat Tuzcu, M.D., call Wyatt DuBois at 216-904-3344 or email DUBOISW@ccf.org. Among patients undergoing aortic valve replacement using a catheter tube, a comparison of two types of heart valve technologies,…

Analysis Supports Use of Risk Equations to Guide Statin Therapy

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 1 P.M. (CT) SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Paul Muntner, Ph.D., call Nicole Wyatt at 205-934-8938 or email nwyatt@uab.edu. In an analysis of almost 11,000 patients, an assessment of equations that help guide whether a patient should begin taking a statin (cholesterol lowering medication) found that observed and…

U.S., European Cholesterol Guidelines Differ in Statin Use Recommendations

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 1 P.M. (CT) SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Maryam Kavousi, M.D., Ph.D., email m.kavousi@erasmusmc.nl.   Application of U.S. and European cholesterol guidelines to a European population found that proportions of individuals eligible for statins differed substantially, with one U.S. guideline recommending statins for nearly all men and two-thirds…

Study Estimates Proportion of Adults Affected by New Blood Pressure Guideline

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 1 P.M. (CT) SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Ann Marie Navar-Boggan, M.D., Ph.D., call Sarah Avery at 919-724-5343 or email sarah.avery@duke.edu. To contact editorial author Harlan M. Krumholz, M.D., S.M., call Karen Peart at 203-432-1326 or email karen.peart@yale.edu. Applying the updated 2014 blood pressure (BP) guideline to the…

JAMA:03252014

Study Finds Substantial Decrease in Use of Cardiac Imaging Procedure

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Edward J. McNulty, M.D., call Janet Byron at 510-891-3115 or email Janet.L.Byron@kp.org. Chicago –There has been a sharp decline since 2006 in the use of nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI; an imaging procedure used to determine areas of the heart with…

Blood Glucose Measure Appears to Provide Little Benefit in Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author John Danesh, F.R.C.P., email erfc@phpc.cam.ac.uk.   Chicago – In a study that included nearly 300,000 adults without a known history of diabetes or cardiovascular disease (CVD), adding information about glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), a measure of longer-term blood sugar control,…

Greater Distance From Transplant Center Associated With Lower Likelihood of Receiving Liver Transplant, Higher Risk of Death Among U.S. Veterans

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact David S. Goldberg, M.D., M.S.C.E., call Lee-Ann Donegan at 215-349-5660 or email leeann.donegan@uphs.upenn.edu. Chicago – Among veterans meeting eligibility for liver transplantation, greater distance from a Veterans Affairs transplant center or any transplant center was associated with lower likelihood of being…

Web-based Alcohol Screening Program Shows Limited Effect Among University Students

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Kypros Kypri, Ph.D., email kypros.kypri@newcastle.edu.au. To contact editorial co-author Timothy S. Naimi, M.D., M.P.H., call Gina DiGravio at 617-638-8480 or email gina.digravio@bmc.org. Chicago – Among university students in New Zealand, a web-based alcohol screening and brief intervention program produced a modest…

Treatment Helps Reduce Risk of Esophagus Disorder Progressing to Cancer

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Jacques J. Bergman, M.D., Ph.D., email j.j.bergman@amc.uva.nl. To contact editorial author Klaus Monkemuller, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.S.G.E., call Tyler Greer at 205-934-2041 or email tgreer@uab.edu.   Chicago – Among patients with the condition known as Barrett esophagus, treatment of abnormal…

JAMA_OF:03182014

Study Finds Risk of Death Among ICU Patients With Severe Sepsis Has Decreased

EMBARGOED FOR EARLY RELEASE: 3:30 A.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Rinaldo Bellomo, M.D., Ph.D., email Rinaldo.BELLOMO@austin.org.au. To contact editorial co-author Theodore J. Iwashyna, M.D., Ph.D., call Shantell Kirkendoll at 734-764-2220 or email SMKIRK@UMICH.EDU.   Chicago – In critically ill patients in Australia and New Zealand with severe sepsis…

JAMA:03182014

Pregnancy Associated With Greater Risk of Certain Bacterial Infection, Which May Worsen Outcomes

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Shamez N. Ladhani, M.R.C.P.C.H., Ph.D., email Shamez.Ladhani@phe.gov.uk. To contact editorial author Morven S. Edwards, M.D., call Glenna Picton at 713-798-7973 or email picton@bcm.edu. Chicago – In a surveillance study of infection with the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae among women of…

Children With Glomerular Kidney Disease More Likely to Have Hypertension as Adults

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Asaf Vivante, M.D., email asafvivante@gmail.com.   Chicago – Men who as children had glomerular disease, a disorder of the portion of the kidney that filters blood and one that usually resolves with time, were more likely than men without childhood glomerular…

Using Age to Distinguish Normal From Abnormal Blood Test Results Appears to Safely Exclude Lung Blood Clots in Older Patients

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Marc Righini, M.D., email Marc.Righini@hcuge.ch.   Chicago – Using a patient’s age to raise the threshold for an abnormal result of a blood test used to assess patients with a suspected pulmonary embolism (blood clot in lungs) appeared to be safe…

Risk of Psychiatric Diagnoses, Medication Use Increases after Critical Illness

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Christian F. Christiansen, M.D., Ph.D., email cc@dce.au.dk.   Chicago – Critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation had a higher prevalence of prior psychiatric diagnoses and an increased risk of a new psychiatric diagnosis and medication use after hospital discharge,…

JAMA:03112014

Study Examines Development of Peer Review Research in Biomedicine

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Ana Marusic, M.D., Ph.D., email ana.marusic@mefst.hr. To contact editorial co-author Annette Flanagin, R.N., M.A., call Jim Michalski at 312-464-5785 or email jim.michalski@jamanetwork.org.   Chicago – An analysis of research on peer review finds that studies aimed at improving methods…

Research Finds Discrepancies Between Trial Results Reported on Clinical Trial Registry and in High-Impact Journals

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Joseph S. Ross, M.D., M.H.S., call Karen Peart at 203-432-1326 or email karen.peart@yale.edu. Chicago – During a one year period, among clinical trials published in high-impact journals that reported results on a public clinical trial registry (ClinicalTrials.gov), nearly all…

Discontinuation of Randomized Clinical Trials Common

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Matthias Briel, M.D., M.Sc., email matthias.briel@usb.ch.   Chicago – Approximately 25 percent of about 1,000 randomized clinical trials initiated between 2000 and 2003 were discontinued, with the most common reason cited being poor recruitment of volunteers; and less than…

Study Finds Comparable Outcomes For Commonly Used Surgeries to Treat Vaginal Prolapse

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Matthew D. Barber, M.D., M.H.S., call Halle Bishop Weston at 216-445-8592 or email bishoph@ccf.org. Chicago – For women undergoing surgery for vaginal prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, neither of 2 common repair procedures was superior to the other for functional or…

Findings Indicate Technical Challenges Remain Before Reliably Using Whole-Genome Sequencing For Clinical Applications

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding authors Euan A. Ashley, M.R.C.P., D.Phil., or Thomas Quertermous, M.D., call Krista Conger at 650-725-5271 or email kristac@stanford.edu. To contact editorial author William Gregory Feero, M.D., Ph.D., call 207-453-3030 or email w.gregory.feero@mainegeneral.org. Chicago – In an exploratory study involving 12…

JAMA:03042014

Study Examines Gap in Federal Oversight of Clinical Trials

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Deborah A. Zarin, M.D., call Kathleen Cravedi at 301-496-6308 or email Kcravedi@nlm.nih.gov. Chicago – An analysis of nearly 24,000 active human research clinical trials found that between 5 percent and 16 percent fall into a regulatory gap and are not covered…

Anti-Coagulant Treatment For Atrial Fibrillation Does Not Worsen Outcomes for Patients With Kidney Disease

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Juan Jesus Carrero, Ph.D., email Juan.Jesus.Carrero@ki.se. To contact editorial co-author Wolfgang C. Winkelmayer, M.D., M.P.H., Sc.D., call Tracie White at 650-723-7628 or email traciew@stanford.edu. Chicago – Although some research has suggested that the use of the anticoagulant warfarin for atrial fibrillation…

Opening or Expanding a Casino Associated With Lower Rate of Overweight Children in that Community

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Jessica C. Jones-Smith, Ph.D., call Brandon Howard at 410-502-9059 or email bhoward@jhsph.edu. To contact editorial author Neal Halfon, M.D., M.P.H., call Amy Albin at 310-794-8672 or email aalbin@mednet.ucla.edu. Chicago – The opening or expansion of a casino in a community is…

Moving Out of High Poverty Appears to Affect the Mental Health of Boys, Girls Differently

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Ronald C. Kessler, Ph.D., call David Cameron at 617-432-0441 or email david_cameron@hms.harvard.edu. Chicago – For families who moved out of high-poverty neighborhoods, boys experienced an increase and girls a decrease in rates of depression and conduct disorder, according to a study…

JAMA:02252014

Continuous Handling of Receipts Linked to Higher Urine BPA Levels

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Shelley Ehrlich, M.D., Sc.D., M.P.H., call Jim Feuer at 513-636-4656 or email Jim.Feuer@cchmc.org.   Chicago – Study participants who handled receipts printed on thermal paper continuously for 2 hours without gloves had an increase in urine bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations compared…

Blood Transfusion For Patients Undergoing PCI Associated With Increased Risk of In-Hospital Cardiac Event

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Matthew W. Sherwood, M.D, call Sarah Avery at 919-660-1306 or email sarah.avery@duke.edu.   Chicago – In an analysis that included more than two million patients who underwent a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement used…

Patient-Centered Medical Home Program Led to Little Improvement in Quality and No Reduction in Use of Services, Total Costs

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Mark W. Friedberg, M.D., M.P.P., call Warren Robak at 310-451-6913 or email robak@rand.org. To contact editorial author Thomas L. Schwenk, M.D., call Anne McMillin at 775-682-9254 or email amcmillin@medicine.nevada.edu. Chicago – One of the first, largest, and longest-running multipayer trials of…

Receipt of Live MMR Vaccine Associated With Lower Rate of Infection-Related Hospital Admissions For Children

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Signe Sorup, Ph.D., email sgs@ssi.dk. To contact editorial co-author David Goldblatt, M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D., email d.goldblatt@ucl.ac.uk.   Chicago – In a nationwide group of Danish children, receipt of the live measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine on schedule after vaccination for other…

Obesity Prevalence Remains High in U.S.; No Significant Change in Recent Years

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Cynthia L. Ogden, Ph.D., email Jeff Lancashire (jhl1@cdc.gov) or the CDC press office (paoquery@cdc.gov) or call 301-458-4800. Chicago – The prevalence of obesity remains high in the U.S., with about one-third of adults and 17 percent of children and teens obese…

JAMA:02182014

Study Finds Low Rate of Surgical Site Infections Following Ambulatory Surgery

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Claudia A. Steiner, M.D., M.P.H., call Alison Hunt at 301-427-1244 or email Alison.Hunt@ahrq.hhs.gov. Chicago – In an analysis that included nearly 300,000 patients from eight states who underwent ambulatory surgery (surgery performed on a person who is admitted to…

Study Examines Public Awareness, Use of Online Physician Rating Sites

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact David A. Hanauer, M.D., M.S., call Mary Masson at 734-764-2220 or email mfmasson@med.umich.edu. Chicago – In a survey of a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population, 65 percent of respondents reported awareness of online physician ratings and about one-fourth reported…

Treatment Using Electrical Energy, Instead of Medications, May Be Viable First Option for Treating Certain Type of Atrial Fibrillation

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Carlos A. Morillo, M.D., F.R.C.P.C., call Veronica McGuire at 905-525-9140, ext. 22169, or email vmcguir@mcmaster.ca. To contact editorial co-author Hugh Calkins, M.D., call Stephanie Desmon at 410-955-8665 or email sdesmon1@jhmi.edu.   Chicago – Among patients with untreated paroxysmal (intermittent) atrial fibrillation…

Medication to Treat Agitation for Alzheimer Disease Shows Mixed Results

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Anton P. Porsteinsson, M.D., call Julie Philipp at 585-275-1309 or email Julie_Philipp@urmc.rochester.edu. To contact editorial author Gary W. Small, M.D., call Rachel Champeau at 310-794-2270 or email rchampeau@mednet.ucla.edu. Chicago – The use of the medication citalopram was associated with a reduction…

Home-Based Exercise Program Improves Recovery Following Rehabilitation for Hip Fracture

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 P.M. (CT) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2014 Media Advisory: To contact Nancy K. Latham, Ph.D., P.T., call Lisa Chedekel at 617-571-6370 or email chedekel@bu.edu. Chicago – Among patients who had completed standard rehabilitation after hip fracture, the use of a home exercise program that included exercises such as standing from a chair…

JAMA: 02112014