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There were reductions in hospital stays for patients undergoing prostatectomy and cystectomy in 2004 to 2005, compared to those undergoing the procedures in 1992 to 1993, according to research published in the January issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Americans have worse health than their peers in high-income countries, according to a report published Jan. 9 by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine.
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The long-term rate of failure after meniscal repair is similar for all techniques, with a pooled rate of 23.1 percent, according to a review published in the Dec. 19 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Close to 40 percent of physicians sometimes or often acquiesce to patient demands for brand-name drugs, even when generic drugs are available, according to a research letter published online Jan. 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Despite considerable controversy surrounding the third interim results of the Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial, which indicate a benefit of sentinel lymph node biopsy on disease-free survival in melanoma, the procedure is carried out routinely, according to a report published online Jan. 8 in BMJ.
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Use of triple therapy comprising diuretics and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, or angiotensin receptor blockers, together with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury, particularly in the first 30 days of treatment, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in BMJ.
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Among older adults, drinking sweetened beverages, especially diet drinks, is associated with an increased risk of depression, according to a study released in advance of its presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, which will be held from March 16 to 23 in San Diego.
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Breast cancer screening costs the Medicare fee-for-service program more than $1 billion annually, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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One-quarter of supplements sold on military bases fail to meet minimal legal requirements for listing per-serving amounts of caffeine, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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For infants undergoing major surgery, intermittent use of intravenous acetaminophen is associated with a significant reduction in morphine requirements over 48 hours, according to a study published in the Jan. 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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For adults with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, vitamin D supplementation for two years does not reduce knee pain or cartilage volume loss compared to placebo, according to a study published in the Jan. 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Nearly one-fifth of Medicare patients discharged from the hospital are readmitted within 30 days, which seems to arise from a combination of factors contributing to patient vulnerability, according to research published in the Jan. 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Compared with standard medical therapy, women with menorrhagia experience more effective, sustained physical and quality-of-life benefits from treatment with a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system, according to a study published in the Jan. 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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During the first two years of the cholera epidemic in Haiti, the cumulative attack rate was 6.1 percent, with a consistent downward trend seen in cumulative case fatality rates, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a draft guidance document to assist the pharmaceutical industry in developing new formulations of opioid drugs with abuse-deterrent properties.