A bulging midriff roughly doubles women's chances of gallstone surgery

A bulging midriff almost doubles a woman's chances of developing gallstones and the need for surgery to remove them, finds an extensive study published ahead of print in Gut. more  

Are medical tests accurate?

Anyone who visits a doctor is familiar with diagnostic tests. The results are either negative (no disease), or they indicate an underlying disease and are used to guide treatment decisions. But how reliable is the evidence from studies evaluating the accuracy of medical tests? more

'High efficiency' vacuum cleaners no better at protecting against dust mites

Researchers at the North West Lung Centre, run by The University of Manchester and based at Wythenshawe Hospital, have discovered that vacuum cleaners with 'high-efficiency particulate air' or HEPA filters are no more effective than standard models at reducing exposure to dust-mites. more  

Team discovers possible 'Universal Strategy' to combat addiction

An international research team led by the University of Saskatchewan has discovered a signaling pathway in the brain involved in drug addiction, together with a method for blocking its action, that may point to a single treatment strategy for most addictions. more

Noninvasive tests may miss breast cancer, AHRQ study finds 

Four common noninvasive tests for breast cancer are not accurate enough to routinely replace biopsies for women who receive abnormal findings from a mammogram or physical examination, according to a study released today by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). more

AHRQ launches new "learning resources" to help providers adopt health IT  

HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) today launched a new suite of "learning resources" designed to help health care providers adopt health information technologies quickly and effectively. more

Diet high in omega-3 fatty acids unlikely to reduce risk of cancer

Taking dietary supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids or regularly consuming fish does not appear to reduce a person's risk of developing cancer, according to the findings of an in-depth analysis of large-scale U.S. and foreign population studies. The results of the analysis, which was supported by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, are published in the January 25, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. more