In an age of high-tech medicine cheap, simple stress test still “essential”

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) June 2012 – Most people might assume that technology first developed in 1928 would be obsolete by now.  But from air conditioned buildings to sliced bread, many inventions of that era are still essential to our lives today.

That includes the exercise stress test, which is still the most widely used medical test for coronary artery disease.  “Even though they’ve been around for nearly a century, they can not only tell us if you currently have heart disease, but can also predict your risk for it in the future,” said Martha Gulati, MD, of The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. “By today’s standards these tests may seem low-tech, but they can be highly effective and very efficient in diagnosing heart problems.”

Adults neglected, maltreated as kids at high risk of persistent basal cell tumors

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) June 2012 - Skin cancer patients whose childhood included periods of neglect or maltreatment are at a much greater risk for their cancers to return when they face a major stressful event, based on a new study.

The research suggests that such experiences during a person’s youth can set a lower level of immune response for life, which in turn might make them more susceptible to the kind of cancers that are often successfully fought by the immune system, so-called immunogenic tumors.

A child rushed to a hospital every 4 hours, parents urged to know guidelines

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) May, 2012 - A new study shows that a young child is rushed to a hospital every four hours in the U.S. due to an injury from a bottle, sippy cup or pacifier.¹

It is the first national study to analyze accidents involving these common products, which can lead to everything from minor cuts and bruises to more serious dental injuries involving lost or broken teeth.¹

Experts: Games allow athletic trainers to chart & track a patient’s healing process

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Before athletes who’ve suffered a concussion can get back into the game, researchers are asking some of them to play video games.  From social media-themed games designed to check a patient’s mental progress, to exercise games to chart their physical ability, the idea is to use familiar tools in new ways.

Use up 400%¹ - new study aims to eliminate “trial and error” prescriptions

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – The use of antidepressants has soared in the U.S., up nearly 400% over the last 25 years¹. With more than 50 different options on the market², antidepressants have now become the most commonly used drug among adults ages 18-44.¹

But for all those people taking all those prescriptions, doctors are left with some unsettling questions, like: Why don’t antidepressants work for everyone?  Why do some people respond to certain drugs, while others don’t?  And, why do some antidepressants work initially, but lose their effectiveness over time?