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Warfarin therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation — the most common type of significant heart rhythm disorder — appears to be most beneficial for the oldest patients, those who have had a prior stroke and for patients with multiple risk factors for stroke, according to a new study by Kaiser Permanente and Massachusetts General Hospital researchers.

Retail medical clinics located in pharmacies and other stores can provide care for routine illnesses at a lower cost and similar quality as offered in physician offices, urgent care centers or emergency departments, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

ST. PAUL, Minn. ?While smoking cigarettes appears to significantly increase a person’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis, using Swedish snuff does not, according to a study published in the September 1, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — About three-quarters of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer have a friend or family member with them at their first visit with a surgeon. And that person plays a significant role in the patient’s decision of what type of surgery to have, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

BOSTON — Appropriately selected prostate cancer patients, including older men and men with small, low-risk tumors, may safely defer treatment for many years with no adverse consequences, according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). Led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), the study appears online today.

PHILADELPHIA (August 28, 2009) — Do patients choose where to get their care based on how long it takes to them to get there? Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have recently documented a growing trend in the centralization of cancer surgery — more patients seeking care at high volume centers, which are generally located in metropolitan areas.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Parents who sign their children up for sports as part of an educational experience and to learn about teamwork may be learning some of the same lessons themselves, according to new research from Purdue University.

A team of researchers from The Wistar Institute have shown that a large non-coding RNA in mammals and yeast plays a central role in helping maintain telomeres, the tips of chromosomes that contain important genetic information and help regulate cell division.

DALLAS — Aug. 31, 2009 — Screening tests used to predict asthma activity in patients may have little tracking success when applied to people with persistent disease who are adhering to their health care regimens, UT Southwestern Medical Center physician report.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A psychological intervention for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with symptoms of depression not only relieves patients’ depression but also lowers indicators of inflammation in the blood.

New Haven, Conn. — Exposure to carbon monoxide, even at levels well below national limits, is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for the elderly with heart problems, according to a study published today in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

New research has found that the Wenchuan, China earthquake that occurred on 12 May 2008 had an acute impact on the brain function of physically healthy survivors and poses a risk to the mental health of these survivors.