Migraine headaches are common but most are classified as "nonacute," meaning they are not a symptom of a more severe underlying neurological or other problem such as a brain tumor, aneurysm, or stroke, according to the American Medical Association. The AMA reported that 17.2% of females and 6% percent of males or 13% of adults overall suffer from migraines. Diagnostic tests … [Read more...]
Low-Cost Screening for Senior Fall Risk
In the year 2000, U.S. seniors 65 or older fell and required medical treatment 2.6 million times. The total price tag was $19 billion for direct medical costs alone. A bit more than a third of these incidents resulted in bone fractures, but these accounted for more than 60% of the costs. Clearly, if we can identify individuals who are at risk of falling, we may be able to … [Read more...]
Study Proves Value of ECG Patch
Patients who have experience a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) often experience an irregular heartbeat due to paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). This condition places the patient at higher risk of another stroke or TIA, but it can be difficult to detect the condition reliably as it can occur at random intervals spread over a long period of time. The typical … [Read more...]
Telemedicine Heads to Sea
Telemedicine helps deliver medical care to under-served populations. We tend to think of under-developed regions or sparsely populated rural areas as being the primary targets for these services, but there's another population that can benefit from remote access to medical information: crew members on commercial freighters. It turns out that one out of every five ships is … [Read more...]
Light Helps Chemo Patients Grow Hair
The number of deaths in the U.S. due to cancer have declined steadily since the early 1990s, while the number of cancer survivors continues to climb. Innovations in medical treatments have resulted in improved outcomes, though the process is not easy for many patients. Chemotherapy relies on massive doses of toxic chemicals that attack the fast-growing cancer cells, a process … [Read more...]
