Delayed surgery for bladder cancer not harmful
Contrary to several recent reports, delaying bladder cancer surgery for several weeks after diagnosis does not worsen a person’s odds of surviving the disease, Swedish investigators report in The Journal of Urology. The author of a related editorial, however, contends that the sooner the surgery is performed, the better.
Recent research suggesting that delays between diagnosis and surgery in patients with bladder cancer adversely affects survival is “alarming” because it suggests that slow hospital routines influence patient prognosis, Dr. Fredrik Liedberg and colleagues from Lund University Hospital write.
Osteoporosis linked to heart disease
People with the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis are at increased risk for having coronary artery disease (CAD), in which plaque build-up starves the heart of its blood supply, investigators in Michigan report. In fact, osteoporosis is a stronger factor than some traditional risk markers for CAD.
“A previous study showed that women with osteoporosis have more strokes and cardiovascular events, such as congestive heart failure and chest pain,” said lead author Dr. Pamela A. Marcovitz. “Also, a radiologist had published a study showing they have higher coronary calcium scores, implying that they have more coronary disease as well.”
Christmas is coming and toys can be dangerous
Even though toys today are safer than ever before, parents shopping for Christmas presents for their children are being warned to be aware of the hidden hazards some toys present.
Years of work by product safety advocates, parents and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), have ensured the toy market is a relatively safe place.
Stress shown to raise bad cholesterol levels
British scientists have found that cholesterol levels in healthy adults can be raised by stress.
Experts were already aware that stress can increase heart rate and signs of inflammation, and weaken the immune system, but until now it was not clear whether stress could directly influence levels of cholesterol in the blood.
China has another death from bird flu
China has confirmed a third human case of bird flu.
According to local media the Health Ministry has said that a 35-year-old woman farmer in Anhui province developed fever and pneumonia-like symptoms on Nov. 11 after contact with sick and dead poultry, and she died on Nov. 22.
Obese and overweight refused joint operations
A regional health authority in the UK will refuse to treat overweight people needing hip and knee replacements on the National Health Service.
The rationing of operations in east Suffolk will save £47.9m and has come about because of “pressing financial problems” in the region.
