The share children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) is between 4.9 percent and 9 percent (depending on your selected source). Non-Hispanic Whites are the most likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. Between 2009 period and 1998, the average number of children aged 5-17 ever diagnosed with ADHD increased from 6.9% to 9.0% of the [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Medical Studies' Category
Does the Optimal Medical Treatment of Hepatitis C depend on whether the Patient is Incarcerated?
Incarcerated individuals are more likely to have the hepatitis C virus (HCV) than those who live in the community. The high prevalence of HCV infection in the prison population is largely due tot he fact that prisoners hare more likely to have a history of intravenous drug use. “A history of intravenous drug use is [...]
Read the rest of this entry »U.S. Ranks 47th in Infant Mortality. Why?
This is according to the CIA World Factbook. Why does the U.S. rank so high? Is it due to the health of the mothers? More premature babies being born (thus meaning that the average birth in the U.S. is more complex)? Or is it the standard of medical care? A website on evidenced based maternity [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Nobel Prize in Medicine, 2012
When cells become specialized cells (e.g., blood cells, bone cells, sex cells), are these cells fixed and immutable? In the past, researchers though the answer was yes. It turns out, that cells can draw on their DNA to become amazingly flexible. This breakthrough is due in large part for this year’s Nobel Prize winners, Sir [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Medicaid’s Effect on Mortality
Does Medicaid coverage decrease mortality? According to a recent study in NEJM, the answer is yes. “Mortality declined significantly (by 19.6 deaths per 100,000, for a relative reduction of 6.1%; P=0.001). Reductions were greatest among nonwhites and older adults, with smaller but significant reductions among whites and no effect among persons under the age of [...]
Read the rest of this entry »American Views on HIV/AIDS
A survey by the Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation revealed the following regarding Americans opinions on HIV and AIDS: 45 percent say they would be “very comfortable” in having their child having an HIV+ teacher, up from 36 percent in 2011. 79 percent say that everyone with HIV in the U.S. should get treatment [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Hepatitis C Around the World
The global burden of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is distressing. “[A]n estimated 130–170 million persons (2%–3% of the world’s population) are living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection [1]. This infection, particularly in its chronic form, is associated with sizable morbidity and mortality. More than 350 000 deaths are attributed to HCV infection each [...]
Read the rest of this entry »Is Hepatitis C a more significant killer than HIV?
According to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, in the U.S. the answer is yes. “National serum surveys indicate that approximately 3.2 million persons in the United States are living with chronic hepatitis C (10), 66% of whom were born between 1945 and 1964 and are now entering a period of risk for [...]
Read the rest of this entry »How Effective is Arthroscopic Knee Surgery?
For patients with osteoarthritis, the answer is not at all. A paper in the New England Journal of Medicine examined 180 patients 75 years old or younger, that had osteoarthritis of the knee, and reported at least moderate knee pain on average despite medical treatment. The researchers randomized this individuals into three groups: Surgery Group #1 (Lavage): The [...]
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