A novel strategy developed by autism researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, called “The One-Year Well-Baby Check Up Approach,” shows promise as a simple way for physicians to detect cases of Autism Syndrome Disorder (ASD), language or developmental delays in babies at an early age. The results of the study will be published in the April 28 online edition of the Journal of ...

Elderly persons often have several diseases and use many drugs; they are also more sensitive to drugs compared to younger persons. Use of more drugs than necessary tends to occur among the elderly, however, underuse of drugs and use of inappropriate types of drugs also occur. Psychotropic drugs, such as hypnotics, anxiolytics, and antidepressant drugs, are common among the elderly. ...

Parents offered genetic testing to predict their risks of common, adult-onset health conditions say they would also test their children. That is the finding of a new study published in the May issue of Pediatrics. The study authors note these and other findings should put pediatricians on alert that parents may chose predictive genetic tests for themselves and for their children, and seek guidance from doct ...

Repeated unnecessary 911 calls are a common drain on the manpower and finances of emergency medical services, but a pilot program that identified Baltimore City's top 911 callers and coupled them with a case worker has succeeded in drastically cutting the number of such calls while helping callers get proper care. ...

Chronic inhalation of polluted air appears to activate a protein that triggers the release of white blood cells, setting off events that lead to widespread inflammation, according to new research in an animal model. This finding narrows the gap in researchers’ understanding of how prolonged exposure to pollution can increase the risk for cardiovascular problems and other diseases. ...

Film and television actress Lea Thompson is the host of the American Academy of Neurology Foundation’s latest patient education video and guidebook, Alzheimer’s Disease: A Guide for Patients and Families. The video and guidebook are aimed at answering important questions for newly diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease patients and their caregivers and can be viewed and downloaded for free. Check the end of this rep ...

As the United States' immigrant population grows it will be necessary to address the vast number of immigrants who do not have access to health insurance coverage, or who face other barriers to accessing health care, the American College of Physicians (ACP) said in a new policy paper released today at Internal Medicine 2011, ACP's annual scientific meeting. National Immigration Policy and Access to Health C ...

Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie has issued a state proclamation declaring the week of April 9-16, 2011, as “Brain Health Awareness Week” in the Aloha state. The proclamation coincides with two large events in Honolulu; the Brain Health Fair Saturday, April 9, and the American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting at the Hawaii Convention Center April 9-16, which is the world’s largest meeting of neurologis ...

A large cohort study following 37,000 teenagers for 17 years found that an elevated, yet normal range Body Mass Index (BMI) constitutes a substantial risk factor for obesity-related disorders in young adults (age 30-40). The study showed that elevated BMI in adolescence has distinctive relationships with type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease in young adulthood. ...

A report from the nation’s leading cancer organizations shows rates of death in the United States from all cancers for men and women continued to decline between 2003 and 2007. The findings come from the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. Included in this report is a downloadable video interview with the lead researcher who discusses the results and implications of this study. ...