Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Neurology for January 2015. 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.
Cardiovascular, Cerebral Effect for Red Bull + Mental Stress
FRIDAY, Jan. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Red Bull consumption combined with mental stress correlates with increased blood pressure (BP) and heart rate, according to a study published in the Jan. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Heavy Drinking in Middle Age Rivals HTN, DM As Stroke Risk
FRIDAY, Jan. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — People who average more than two drinks a day have a 34 percent higher risk of stroke compared to those whose daily average amounts to less than half a drink, according to findings published online Jan. 29 in Stroke.
CDC: ~8 Percent of U.S. Adults Nonadherent Due to Rx Costs
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Nearly one in 10 American adults don’t take their medications as prescribed because they can’t afford to, according to a January data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
Starting Football Young May Lead to Higher Cognitive Risks
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Boys who start playing tackle football before the age of 12 may face a higher risk for neurological deficits as adults, according to research published online Jan. 28 in Neurology.
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Eye Tracking Could Quantify Symptoms of Brain Injury
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Eye tracking may help quantify the severity of disconjugate eye movements associated with concussion and brain injury, according to a study published online Jan. 12 in the Journal of Neurotrauma.
Cost of Meds Contributes to Placebo Effect in Parkinson’s
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Results of a small study suggest that Parkinson’s patients seem to improve if they think they’re taking a costly medication. The findings have been published online Jan. 28 in Neurology.
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Cerebrovascular Reserve-Based Strategy Is Cost-Effective
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A decision rule based on assessment of cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) seems to be cost-effective for prevention of stroke in asymptomatic patients with carotid artery stenosis, according to a study published in the February issue of Radiology.
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Anxiety Moderates Amyloid-β Association With Cognition
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For older adults, elevated amyloid-β (Aβ) levels correlate with cognitive decline, and elevated anxiety moderates these associations, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in JAMA Psychiatry.
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Benefits Package Important for Attracting, Retaining Staff
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An appropriately-targeted benefits package is crucial for attracting and retaining employees, according to an article published Jan. 22 in Medical Economics.
Daily Blueberry Consumption May Reduce Blood Pressure
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypertension, daily blueberry consumption may reduce blood pressure and arterial stiffness, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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FDA Approves New Meningococcal Disease Vaccine
MONDAY, Jan. 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The Bexsero vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent serogroup B meningococcal disease among people aged 10 through 25.
Premature Death Risk Up for Stroke Survivors Living Alone
MONDAY, Jan. 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Stroke survivors — especially men — who live alone are at increased risk for premature death, a new study suggests.
Video-Based Tx May Benefit Babies at Risk for Autism
FRIDAY, Jan. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Therapy involving “video feedback” — where parents watch videos of their interactions with their baby — might help prevent infants at risk for autism from developing the disorder, according to a study published online Jan. 21 in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Four Factors Impact QoL From Perspective of Dementia Sufferers
THURSDAY, Jan. 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Four factors have been identified that affect quality of life from the perspective of people with dementia. The findings were published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Physicians Rank the Best EHR Systems of 2014
THURSDAY, Jan. 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physicians have ranked electronic health record (EHR) systems based on five key performance areas, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Prone Sleep Position Tied to Higher Mortality in Epilepsy
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Prone sleeping may boost risk of sudden death in epilepsy, with higher risk for patients younger than 40, new research suggests. The findings were published online Jan. 21 in Neurology.
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Routine Oral Anticoagulants May Not Benefit All With A-Fib
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Benefit from routine anticoagulation therapy to reduce risk of ischemic stroke may be unlikely in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1, according to a study published in the Jan. 27 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Stem Cells May Help Reverse Multiple Sclerosis Disability
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A therapy that uses patients’ own stem cells may be able to reverse some of the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS), a preliminary study suggests. The findings were published in the Jan. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Docs Should Negotiate Health Care Payer Contracts
TUESDAY, Jan. 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The terms in health care payer contracts are not immutable, and contracts should be negotiated, according to an article published Jan. 9 in Medical Economics.
Collaboration Between Med Students Cuts Diagnostic Errors
TUESDAY, Jan. 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For fourth-year medical students, working collaboratively is associated with a reduction in diagnostic errors, according to a research letter published in the Jan. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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H. Pylori Tied to Lower Risk of Multiple Sclerosis in Women
TUESDAY, Jan. 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Women who harbor the bacteria Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) may be less likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study published online Jan. 19 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
AHS: Research Informs New Migraine Rx Guidelines
TUESDAY, Jan. 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Researchers have reviewed recent scientific literature and concluded that a number of classes of drugs are effective for treating acute migraine. The study, published in the January issue of Headache, will form the basis of new American Headache Society guidelines for the treatment of migraine.
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Most Docs Work 40 to 60 Hours Per Week
FRIDAY, Jan. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physicians work long hours, with most working 40 to 60 hours per week and a considerable proportion working 61 to 80 or more hours per week, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Impact of Medical Scribes on EHR Advancement Discussed
THURSDAY, Jan. 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The increasing use of medical scribes should not be a replacement for improving electronic health records (EHRs), according to a viewpoint piece published online Dec. 15 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
FDA: Stimulation Device Approved to Treat Obesity
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A new electrical stimulation device designed to control obesity by targeting the nerve pathways between the brain and stomach that regulate hunger and fullness has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Working Long Hours? Beware Risky Alcohol Consumption
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Working long hours may raise the risk for alcohol abuse, according to a new study of more than 300,000 people from 14 countries. The report was published online Jan. 13 in The BMJ.
Benefit of Carotid Stenting in Elderly Called Into Question
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Mortality risk in older Medicare patients who undergo carotid artery stenting is high, according to a report published online Jan. 12 in JAMA Neurology.
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Major Risks of Long-Term Opioid Rx Deemed Dose-Dependent
TUESDAY, Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The long-term effectiveness and harms of opioids for chronic pain are unclear, although the evidence supports a dose-dependent risk for serious harms, according to a review published online Jan. 13 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Short-Term Effects of Middle School Football Analyzed
TUESDAY, Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Children who play football in middle school don’t appear to have any noticeable short-term brain damage from repeated hits to the head, new research suggests. The report was published online recently in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
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Guidelines Presented for Clinical Documentation in 21st Century
TUESDAY, Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Guidelines have been developed for clinical documentation and interrelated issues. The position paper has been published online Jan. 13 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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NIH: Insufficient Evidence for Opioid Use in Chronic Pain
MONDAY, Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Evidence is insufficient for opioid use in chronic pain, according to a position paper published online Jan. 13 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Brief Well-Child Visit Inadequate for ID of Autism Risk
MONDAY, Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The 10 to 20 minutes of a typical well-child visit isn’t enough time to reliably detect a young child’s risk of autism, according to new research published online Jan. 12 in Pediatrics.
High Rates of Missed Diagnoses of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
MONDAY, Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Among youth, the rate of missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is 86.5 percent, according to a study published online Jan. 12 in Pediatrics.
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Clinicians Increasingly Ordering Imaging for Headaches
MONDAY, Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Clinicians are increasingly ordering advanced imaging and referring to other physicians for headache but less often providing counseling, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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AMA Reports on How Docs Use Their Free Time
FRIDAY, Jan. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The American Medical Association recently surveyed physicians to find what activities they pursue when not in the exam room.
CDC: Occupationally Acquired HIV Now Rare
FRIDAY, Jan. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Documented occupational acquisition of HIV has now become rare in the United States, according to research published in the Dec. 9 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Triheptanoin Oil May Benefit Patients With Huntington’s
FRIDAY, Jan. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Daily doses of a triglyceride oil called triheptanoin may help normalize brain metabolism in people with Huntington’s disease, according to a small new study published online Jan. 7 in Neurology.
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Experts Discuss Pros and Cons of Maintenance of Certification
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The pros and cons of the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) are discussed in two articles published in the Jan. 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Stroke Risk Up Post-Cancer Diagnosis
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Cancer increases the risk of stroke independently of other stroke risk factors, such as hypertension and diabetes, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in the Annals of Neurology.
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Article Highlights Top Technology Challenges for 2015
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The introduction of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) audits, meaningful use 2, and the burdens of technology are the top four technological challenges for physicians in 2015, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
HPV Vaccination Not Linked to Higher Risk of Multiple Sclerosis
TUESDAY, Jan. 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine doesn’t increase the risk for multiple sclerosis or other demyelinating diseases, according to a new study. The findings appear in the Jan. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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‘July Effect’ Has No Impact on Quality of Care in Stroke
TUESDAY, Jan. 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Researchers investigating the so-called “July effect” found that when recent medical school graduates begin their residency programs every summer in teaching hospitals, this transition doesn’t reduce the quality of care for patients presenting with ischemic stroke.
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Article Highlights Top Management Challenges for 2015
MONDAY, Jan. 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Considerable challenges are projected to impact practice management in 2015, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
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