Hospital Medicine

It is well established that among patients with the clinical syndrome of heart failure, approximately half have preserved systolic function, known commonly as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Although originally considered to be a syndrome that pathophysiologically involves diastolic dysfunction, ongoing investigation suggests that although diastolic abnormalities may be present in many patients, other aspects of pathophysiology likely also contribute to symptoms. This study examined the association of beta-blockers with mortality in patients with HFpEF.

It is widely accepted that sexual activity is an important component of quality of life for men and women with cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as for their partners, and is a safe activity, in general. Yet, older studies show that most CVD patients do not believe they have been educated by health care providers on when to resume sexual activity or any necessary restrictions following acute myocardial infarction.

Study results indicate that the increasing rate and severity of obesity in western nations has rendered today's epinephrine autoinjectors an ineffective anaphylaxis treatment for many people.

Working in an emergency room setting in the United States, in almost all circumstances provides doctors with at least most of the major needs they require to do their jobs on a daily basis. One organization is working to bring those basic needs to hospitals throughout Latin America.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers have developed a new vaccine type that shows promise to possibly become the first ever for preventing genital herpes.

The relationship between a blood thinner and the body's natural defense against HIV was discussed in new research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Up to 65% of all thyroidectomies are now done as outpatient procedures, and high-volume surgeons have very low complication rate with these surgeries.

Age is a risk factor for most pulmonary diseases, and new research indicates mitochondrial swelling in the lung cells may be the culprit.

Testosterone is not significantly associated with bone mineral density or fracture risk. Estrone, however, may have a role in bone health and fracture prevention in postmenopausal women.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a strategy with significant historical precedent in the infectious disease field. Applied to HIV prevention, at-risk individuals would take PrEP to protect against HIV acquisition in case of any planned or unplanned exposure, potentially permitting HIV prophylactic control by the uninfected individual.

Clinicians have several options when it comes to treating their allergic patients with subcutaneous (SCIT) or sublingual (SLIT) immunotherapy.

Once a diagnosis of Craniosynostosis is made there is still much more work to be done including determining what kind of the condition exists. The form of the defect then determines what kind of operation is needed to remedy the condition.

Results from a recent survey indicate that efforts to educate American doctors about the diagnosis and treatment of anaphylaxis have achieved mixed results.

A paper from a pair of physicists may reveal significant new information about the causes of atrial fibrillation and help to make cardiac ablations a more effective treatment for the condition.

Many patients with chronic subdural hematomas are referred to neurosurgeons who generally agree that surgical drainage is warranted. Controversy surrounds the decision as to which drainage method is best because evidence is lacking. Surgeons often therefore select the procedure based on other factors.

Some studies have suggested that advanced age may be associated with poor post-revision outcomes in cochlear reimplantation. Investigators from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have completed a study that asks whether advanced age should be a contraindication for revision cochlear implantation.

Oseltamivir, aka Tamiflu, shortened the duration of symptoms by about one day and reduced the likelihood of having a respiratory infection by 44 percent, according to researchers from the University of Michigan, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and University of Alabama.

As endovascular treatment has come under the microscope in recent years several studies have shown with the right training and equipment it can be a viable option for stroke patients.

Dehydrated stroke patients tend to do worse than those who are hydrated, a Johns Hopkins team found. The next question is whether all such ischemic stroke patients should get fluids when they arrive at the hospital, contrary to current recommendations.

Persistent infection with oral HPV16 is believed to play a part in the development of most oropharyngeal cancers.

A new analysis of several prospective health studies indicates that low testosterone levels at any age are associated with an increased risk ischemic stroke in men.

Allergists have long known that women are more likely than men to suffer severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis, but a new study may finally explain why.

In mice models of hemophilia A, a modified tobacco plant diet was effective at prohibiting the development of inhibitors, according to research published in the journal Blood.

Many health care organizations have started to lessen their environmental impact slowly by tackling small problems and making manageable changes. A multidisciplinary team of researchers from across the US carved out one surgical procedure to determine environmental impact. Their assessment of abdominal, vaginal, laparoscopic, and robotic hysterectomy appears ahead of print in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Express Scripts has dropped Solvaldi, Harvoni, and Olysio in favor of an exclusive deal with the drug maker AbbVie Inc. to prescribe its newly approved hepatitis C drug called Viekira Pak, according to a statement from the prescription drug-benefits management company.