Health Imaging & IT - October 2007 - (Page 72) s tAt s h e e t multidetector ctA bests digital subtraction angiography in aneurysms Multidetector CT angiography can diagnose and assess intracranial aneurysms with accuracy equivalent to digital subtraction angiography (DSA), according to a study published in Radiology. Researchers found that multidetector CTA had a sensitivity of 98 percent and a specificity of 100 percent for detecting brain aneurysms, when compared with DSA. Multidetector CTA also predicted the feasibility of endovascular treatment with 94 percent sensitivity and 92 percent specificity. If multidetector CTA identifies a ruptured aneurysm, a diagnostic DSA can be avoided. However, if multidetector CTA imaging is negative, DSA remains necessary to rule out an aneurysm that might have been missed by CT. painkiller sales surge Retail sales of five leading painkillers nearly doubled over the last eight years, according to analysis of federal drug prescription data performed by the Associated Press. More than 200,000 pounds of codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and meperidine were purchased at retail stores during 2005, the most recent year represented in the data—enough to give more than 300 milligrams of painkillers to every person in the country. That’s a 90 percent increase between 1997 and 2005. Reasons for the increase include an aging population, more aggressive marketing campaigns and changes in pain management philosophy among clinicians. u.S. ranks 41st in life expectancy Life expectancy in the United States has been dropping in international rankings and now stands at just 41st. As other countries improve healthcare, nutrition and lifestyles, they have surpassed the U.S. That includes countries such as Japan, most of Europe, Jordan, Guam and the Cayman Islands. A baby born in the United States in 2004 will live an average of 77.9 years. That life expectancy ranks 42nd, down from 11th two decades earlier, according to international numbers provided by the Census Bureau and domestic numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics. Andorra, a tiny country in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain, had the longest life expectancy, at 83.5 years, according to the Census Bureau. It was followed by Japan, Maucau, San Marino and Singapore. Researchers said that the high rate of Americans without health insurance, obesity and racial disparities have contributed to the United States falling behind other industrialized nations. prophylactic irradiation helps lung cancer patients Prophylactic cranial irradiation improves overall survival in patients with small-cell lung cancer, according to findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Patients were less likely to develop brain metastases and tended to survive about six weeks longer than their counterparts who did not receive irradiation. The study included 286 patients ages 18 to 75 who had extensive small cell-lung cancer, but no evidence of brain or leptomeningeal metastases. Only 24 of the 143 patients in the irradiation group developed brain metastases, compared with 59 of the 143 patients in the control arm. get heAlthy – it’s not too late! Even in middle age, adopting a healthy lifestyle can lower the risk for heart disease and premature death within years of changing habits, according to findings published in the American Journal of Medicine. Middle-aged adults who began eating five or more fruits and vegetables every day, exercising for at least 2 1/2 hours a week, keeping weight down and not smoking decreased their risk of heart disease by 35 percent and risk of death by 40 percent in the four years after they started. Researchers found that subjects had to adapt all four habits to experience a sharp decline in heart disease risk and in death from any cause. Having just three of the healthy habits yielded no heart benefits and a more modest decrease in overall risk of death. 72 O C T O B E R 2 0 07 | Health Imaging & IT HealthImaging.com http://HealthImaging.com
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