Readmission risk increases for elderly patients with geriatric-specific characteristics

Researchers have examined new geriatric-specific characteristics that appear to raise the risk of elderly surgical patients having an unplanned hospital readmission within a month of initially leaving the hospital. The new study is published online as an “article in press” on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website in advance of print publication.
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Predicting immunotherapy success

One of the frustrations with anti-cancer therapy is that no one drug fits all: Most work well in some people but have little effect in other patients with the same type of cancer. This is as true of the newer immunotherapy treatments as it is of older types of chemotherapy. Weizmann Institute of Science researchers have now identified new markers that can help predict which patients have a better chance for a positive response to immunotherapy treatments. Their findings were reported in Nature Communications.
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Mortality no different for no sedation versus light sedation in ICU patients

(HealthDay)—For mechanically ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients, mortality at 90 days is no different for those randomly assigned to no sedation and those assigned to light sedation with daily interruption, according to a study published online Feb. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the Society of Critical Care Medicine annual Critical Care Congress, held from Feb. 16 to 19 in Orlando, Florida.
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Masking the memory of fear: Treating anxiety disorders such as PTSD with an opioid

Anxiety disorders such as phobias and PTSD are fairly common problems in society. One of the prime causes of anxiety disorders is the inability to overcome the fear for certain contexts when they no longer apply. Attempts to facilitate this process of overcoming fear, therefore, has been the focus of recent efforts to treat anxiety disorders. These efforts have culminated in the discovery that certain opioid compounds, called delta opioid receptor (DOP) agonists, assist in masking fear memory. Consequently, DOP agonists have been at the center of clinical explorations in this area over the last decade.
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Variety and consistency are essential to keep the mind healthy

For many adults, the mid-30’s is a busy time. There’s often career advancement, the start of a new family and associated responsibilities. It’s also a critical time for how we diversify our days in order to stay up to speed. A new study from the University of South Florida (USF) finds a key piece to maintaining cognitive function throughout adulthood is to engage in diverse activities regularly.
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