HomeA Practitioner's Must Read
A Practitioner's Must Read
Meta-analysis of non-surgical treatments for tennis elbow
The largest meta-analysis to date found that none of 11 non-surgical treatment options for "tennis elbow" performed better than placebo in addressing patients' pain...
Cervical cancer survival rates determined by race in SA
A study has found that black women in South Africa are almost six times more likely to die of cervical cancer than white women...
Why knee joint injury leads to osteoarthritis
A study from the University of Eastern Finland and Massachusetts Institute of Technology hows that articular cartilage degenerates specifically around injury areas when the fluid...
Steroid injection or wrist splint for first-time carpal tunnel syndrome?
A study in The Lancet reports the results of a randomised trial done in 25 UK primary care centres, which compared a single steroid...
Advisory support lifeline for SA snakebite victims
Medical practitioners, healthcare workers and emergency departments in Southern Africa now have access to a new special advisory group of snakebite authorities.
The National Snakebite...
Vaccination and screening set to eliminate cervical cancer in Australia
Australia will become the first country to effectively eliminate cervical cancer if vaccination and screening rates are maintained, BBC News reports researchers say. The...
Risk-taking actions associated with lack of sleep in adolescents
Adolescents require 8-10 hours of sleep at night for optimal health, according to sleep experts, yet more than 70% of high school students get...
Adequate compression therapy cuts complication risk in DVT
People with deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) can substantially cut their risk of potentially debilitating complications by starting adequate compression therapy in the first twenty-four hours...
Breast cancer screening does not reduce mortality
Fewer and fewer women die from breast cancer in recent years but, surprisingly, the decline is just as large in the age groups that...
Statins don't reduce CVD risk in healthy older people
Statins are not associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) or death in healthy people aged over 75, finds a study. However, in...
Healthy heart diet differs from what was previously thought
The foods that make up a heart healthy diet for people worldwide may differ from what was previously thought, according to late breaking results...
A review article on the clinical use of probiotics
A review article in Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News provides recommendations for the selection of a probiotic regimen where evidence appears strong.
Interest in modifying the gut...
Contentious study shows reduced salt consumption not necessary for cardiac health
Research, led by the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) in Canada with research colleagues in 21 countries, shows that for the vast majority of...
SA national guidelines for the treatment of malaria — 2018 update
The SA Department of Health has released updated national guidelines for the treatment of malaria.
Since 2000, the burden of malaria morbidity and mortality has...
Women under-treated for heart attack die at double the rate of men
A study of 2,898 patients (2,183 men, 715 women) reveals that six months after hospital discharge, death rates and serious adverse cardiovascular events in...
Anticonvulsants ineffective in treating lower back pain
Use of anti-convulsant drugs to treat low back pain has increased more than fivefold in the past decade, but a study finds they are...
HPV test better than Pap smear at detecting precancerous changes
A test for HPV detects precancerous changes of the cervix earlier and more accurately than the Pap smear, according to a large clinical trial....
Patients who see same doctor over time have lower death rates
A ground-breaking study has concluded that patients who see the same doctor over time have lower death rates. The study, a collaboration between St...
Single blood test accurately diagnoses diabetes
A combination of elevated fasting glucose and HbA1c levels from a single blood sample was found to be accurate for diagnosing diabetes. This is...
New artificial urinary sphincter used for first time in SA
A new type of artificial urinary sphincter has been used for the first time in South Africa at a private hospital in Pretoria to...
The long-term risks of having your tonsils out
Removing tonsils and adenoids in childhood increases the long-term risk of respiratory, allergic and infectious diseases, according to researchers who have examined – for...
ACS recommends earlier colorectal cancer screening
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the US, most frequently diagnosed among adults over 65. To catch those typically slow-growing...
An egg a day could significantly reduce CVD risk
People who consume an egg a day could significantly reduce their risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) compared with eating no eggs, suggests a study...
Pharmaceutical perks have significant impact on prescribing rates
A US study shows the significant impact that even a meal or two paid for by a pharmaceutical company can have on opioid prescribing...
No or low risk of HIV transmission from spitting and biting
There is no risk of transmitting HIV through spitting, and the risk from biting is negligible, according to research. An international team of investigators...
Tenofovir and FTC does not increase pre-term birth and early infant death
A drug combination aimed at preventing transmission of HIV from a pregnant woman to her foetus likely does not increase the risk for preterm...
Traditional methods for testing BP no longer adequate — study
Traditional methods of testing for high-blood pressure are no longer adequate and risk missing vital health signs, which can lead to premature death, a...
Non-invasive, adhesive patch measures glucose levels through skin
Scientists in the United Kingdom have created a non-invasive, adhesive patch that promises the measurement of glucose levels through the skin without a finger-prick...
MIC releases ARV and TB adverse drug reactions booklet
The Medicines Information Centre (MIC) at the University of Cape Town has released its latest publication, which is freely available for download. The MIC...
Meditation helps attentiveness and ability to focus in old age
Regular and intensive meditation sessions over the course of a lifetime could help a person remain attentive and focused well into old age. This...
WHO adds to current drug-resistant TB treatment guidelines
Within the context of an ongoing extensive review of evidence on treatment of drug-resistant (TB) taking place in 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO)...
Combination pill significantly lowers blood pressure
A pill combining low doses of three blood pressure-lowering medications significantly increased the number of patients reaching blood pressure targets compared with usual care,...
Temporary increase in inhaled steroids benefits severe asthma
Serious asthma attacks in adults can be reduced by a temporary but significant increase in the dose of inhaled steroids during severe episodes of...
New TB screening methods cut deaths in people with HIV
Screening for tuberculosis (TB) and intensified follow-up of TB cases in people starting antiretroviral therapy and urine-based screening of inpatients with HIV both have...
Anti-depressants more effective than placebos in treating acute depression
A major study comparing 21 commonly used antidepressants concludes that all are more effective than placebo for the short-term treatment of acute depression in...
Evidence for changing the way type 2 diabetes is treated
A Virta Health study shows that its novel metabolic and continuous remote care model can support adults with type-2 diabetes to safely improve glycosylated...
FDA approves epileptic seizure monitoring watch
The Embrace seizure monitoring watch from Empatica, a company with offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Milan, Italy, has won clearance from the US Food...
Smoking-cessation medication not beneficial in the long-term
A Tel Aviv University study finds that only eight out of 100 smokers who take smoking cessation medications will have benefited from taking them...
1 in 4 pregnant women has mental health problems
A King’s College London study has found that 1 in 4 pregnant women has mental health problems. This is more common than previously thought...
Adolescence 'now lasts from ages 10-24'
Adolescence now lasts from the ages of 10 to 24, although it used to be thought to end at 19, scientists write in The...