Here are 10 articles on some of the most interesting medical research study findings and advancements from the week of March 21.
1. Dental health may have an impact on cognitive function — specifically, the development of mild to moderate Alzheimer's — according to a recent study published in PLOS. Read more.
2. Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual are more likely to face barriers when trying to access healthcare resources than those who identify as straight, according to new research. Read more.
3. Changing the dressing on a patient's catheter is a crucial infection prevention method that can be improved by implementing a multifaceted catheter care maintenance bundle, according to a study in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. Read more.
4. Research from the Pennsylvania Safety Authority in Harrisburg found one area of patient safety that is rarely talked about is idea of minimizing overrides on medication alerts for automated dispensing cabinets. Read more.
5. In a study of more than 600 patient meals in four hospital wards, researchers found how patients were physically positioned in their beds — rather than mealtime interruptions — impacted how much they ate, and ultimately the speed of their recoveries. Read more.
6. Exercise is still under-prescribed and overlooked as a potential treatment for patients with chronic conditions, according to an analysis published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Read more.
7. Mathematical models and blood testing can be used to cut the cost of hepatitis C treatment, according to a new study published in the Journal of Hepatology. Read more.
8. Individuals diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder and heightened aggression are more than twice as likely to have been exposed to the relatively common parasite Toxoplasma gondii than individuals with no psychiatric diagnosis. Read more.
9. Men tend to die younger than women, but the reason for this difference isn't explained by physiological differences. Instead, new research suggests men may die earlier because they prioritize appearing masculine over being honest with their physician about their health. Read more.
10. Incidence of hospitalizations related to flu virus in areas where at least 20 percent of the population is below the poverty line were twice as high as areas where under 5 percent of the population was impoverished, according to new data published in JAMA. Read more.