NEW STUDY. Severe or morbid obesity at age 18 may be linked to an elevated risk of atrial fibrillation in younger middle age. This is shown by a University of Gothenburg study comprising data on roughly 1.7 million men in Sweden. The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, is based on analysis of nationwide register data on 1,704,467 men who signed up military service in Sweden…
High-volume surgeons no better at reducing postoperative incontinence
NEW STUDY. In men who have had prostate cancer surgery, urinary incontinence is a common side effect. Its frequency varies from one surgeon to the next. In a major University of Gothenburg study, the number of surgeries performed by the urology surgeon made no difference to the patients’ incontinence risk. This surprised researchers. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men, with some 10,000 new cases detected…
Cardiac arrest survival rate rising
NEW STUDY. The probability of surviving sudden cardiac arrest outside hospital has more than doubled in 30 years. This is shown by a national Swedish register study covering more than 130,000 cases. Sudden cardiac arrest affects some 10,000 people in Sweden annually. Saving them is a race against the clock, and the actions of bystanders who can perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use a defibrillator are entirely crucial. Three in…
Primary hyperparathyroidism linked to bone fracture, stroke, and heart attack
NEW STUDY. In the hormonal disorder primary hyperparathyroidism, patients’ risk of hip fracture is elevated by 51%, and that of heart attack or stroke 45%. These are results from a major study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, which also demonstrates that surgery is associated with reduced risks of these outcomes. Primary hyperparathyroidism is a common hormone disorder, especially among the elderly. It occurs more often in women, and some…
Wide-ranging diagnoses in children born before 24 weeks gestation
NEW STUDY. In a study of children born after a pregnancy of less than 24 weeks, nearly all (96 percent) proved to have any of the diagnoses studied. According to the study, lead from the University of Gothenburg, neuropsychiatric and somatic diagnoses are prevalent as these extremely preterm infants grow into adulthood. The findings are now published in the scientific journal Acta Paediatrica. The study was based on data in…