Researchers found that the drugs responsible for the most emergency hospitalizations among older people were warfarin and insulins.
Continuing to take the drug donepezil (Aricept) can help even people with more advanced Alzheimer’s disease, new research finds. The study included 295 people with moderate or severe Alzheimer’s. All of them had been taking donepezil for at least 3 months. They were randomly divided into 4 groups. One group kept taking donepezil. One switched to memantine. The other groups received either both drugs or placebo (fake pills) only. After a year, tests showed less decline in people who kept taking donepezil. The tests measured mental function and ability to do everyday tasks. The difference was equal to 3 to 4 months of decline compared with those who took the placebo, the lead author told HealthDay News. Memantine also showed a benefit, but not as much as donepezil. The study did not find any greater benefit from adding combining both drugs. But other research has disagreed.
When I visited my father recently, I saw what looked like some bad sores on his legs. He told me that he’d gone to the doctor recently and that everything was fine. Would it be wrong for me to call his doctor to find out for sure?
About 92% of U.S. cases of a dangerous intestinal infection are related somehow to health care, a government study finds. About 3 out of 4 people began to show symptoms outside of hospitals. But most had recently been in a nursing home, hospital or doctor’s office. The study focused on Clostridium difficile (C. diff). The infection often occurs in people who recently took antibiotics for another reason. These drugs also kill “good” bacteria, allowing C. diff to grow and release toxins. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did the study. They used laboratory data on stool tests in 8 regions. Only 1 out of 4 patients was in a hospital when symptoms began. Another 1 out of 4 had been in a nursing home. But about 2 out of 3 nursing home cases had been in the hospital recently. Some hospital cases also had been in nursing homes recently.
Recently, my dog bit me on the hand. When I showed up at my doctor’s office several days later, he told me I had waited too long. Should I have gone to the doctor sooner?
Doctors should honestly discuss the downsides as well as the benefits of treatments for severe heart disease, a new report says. The new American Heart Association statement calls for shared decision making with patients. The advice focuses on people with advanced heart failure. Their hearts don’t pump blood efficiently. Many patients may face decisions about procedures that might extend life. These could include a pacemaker, automated defibrillator or pump to help the heart beat properly. Some people may get procedures to open clogged arteries or replace a failing valve. But these treatments don’t cure heart failure. Some people may live longer while symptoms continue or get worse. People who also have other conditions, such as failing kidneys, might not even live longer.
My doctor found that my blood levels of vitamin D were low. She gave me a prescription for 50,000 international units of vitamin D to be taken every two weeks. But I?ve read that the recommended dose is more like 1,000 IU a day, and that more than 4,000 IU a day is unsafe. I have thin bones but not osteoporosis yet. I?m a healthy woman and don?t want to do more harm than good. What?s your advice?
Are there any generic medications available to treat high cholesterol?
My 20-year-old-daughter recently had an antistreptolysin-O (ASO) test. Her result is 400. What does this mean?
Can some foods cause headaches?