By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times February 27, 2013 In a finding certain to put new pressure on the purveyors of sugary foods and drinks, a worldwide analysis shows that regardless of its effect on obesity, the ebb and flow of sugar in a country's diet strongly influences the diabetesrate there. The new study provides compelling evidence that obesity isn't driving the worldwide pandemic of Type 2 diabetes as much as the rising consumption of … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2013
Morning-After Pills Don’t Cause Abortion, Studies Say
by Julie Rovner February 21, 2013 (NPR) The most heated part of the fight between the Obama administration and religious groups over new rules that require most health plans to cover contraception actually has nothing to do with birth control. It has to do with abortion. Specifically, do emergency contraceptives interfere with a fertilized egg and cause what some consider to be abortion? "The Health and Human Services preventive services … [Read more...]
Study Raises Doubts Over Robotic Surgery
By MELINDA BECK (Wall Street Journal) The use of robotic surgery for hysterectomies has grown dramatically in recent years, even though it costs one-third more than other minimally invasive surgery and has little added benefit, a major study said Tuesday. The findings, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, are likely to raise new questions about whether the fast-growing surgical technology brings value to patients along with higher … [Read more...]
Why Pregnant Women Should Get Flu Shots
By Dr. Siobhan Dolan Feb. 20, 2013 (TIME Magazine) It’s not too late to get a flu shot – especially if you’re pregnant, say experts at the March of Dimes. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging all Americans to get an influenza vaccine, and pregnant women should be at the front of that line. The flu vaccine is safe during pregnancy and can protect both mother and baby from the flu and its possible … [Read more...]
Newest Non-Invasive Option for Prenatal Testing for Patients at Risk for Aneuploidy
From the American College of OB/GYN The current method of prenatal screening for fetal aneuploidy utilizes serum biochemical markers in combination with ultrasound measurement of the nuchal translucency based on maternal and gestational age related background risks. This screening results in a detection rate of 90-93% with a false positive rate of 2-3%. It has been found that fetal and maternal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) circulate in maternal … [Read more...]