Many patients misunderstand written screening tests commonly used in American medicine

Time constraints frequently limit the amount of face time doctors and patients share together. To optimize their office visit, patients often answer written questions while awaiting their turn to see their doctors. In two separate studies presented at the 2008 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons, Viraj A. Master, MD, PhD, assistant professor of urology at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, pointed out a profound gap in the understanding of physicians about the literacy levels of their patients as it relates to the efficacy of screening tools. more  

Surgeons find sexual dysfunction is common a year after major trauma

Sexual dysfunction is prevalent long after physical injuries from major trauma have been treated and resolved. Nearly a third of patients who had sustained moderate to severe trauma reported some degree of sexual dysfunction, and most characterized the dysfunction as severe, a year after a traumatic event. A total of 3,087 of 10,122 patients who were treated for trauma had sexual dysfunction according to findings from a study reported at the 2008 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. The study included patients who were treated in one of 69 hospitals from 14 states across the country. more

Vitamin K does not prevent bone density loss, but may prevent fractures and cancers

Vitamin K does not protect against age-related decreasing bone density, but may protect against fractures and cancers in postmenopausal women. more  

Drinking alcohol associated with smaller brain volume

The more alcohol an individual drinks, the smaller his or her total brain volume, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. more

Vitamin D deficiency may be more common in Parkinson’s disease patients  

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease appear more likely to be vitamin D deficient than healthy adults of the same age or patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. more

Study examines association between caffeine and breast cancer risk 

Caffeine consumption does not appear to be associated with overall breast cancer risk, according to a report in the October 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. However, there is a possibility of increased risk for women with benign breast disease or for tumors that are hormone-receptor negative or larger than 2 centimeters. more

Astrocytes and synaptic plasticity

By mopping up excess neurotrophic factor from neuronal synapses, astrocytes may finely tune synaptic transmission to affect processes such as learning and memory, say Bergami et al. more

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