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A prospective, randomized controlled trial measured the impact of a low-fat diet that included high levels of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil on biomarkers for prostate cancer. No significant differences were found for the primary outcome during an interim analysis and the trial was stopped early. Analysis of secondary endpoints showed some significant differences between the groups, although other biomarkers did not differ.
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A randomized controlled trial of weekly clinical hypnosis sessions plus home self-hypnosis practice over 5 weeks for breast cancer survivors with hot flashes resulted in significant symptomatic improvement when compared to a matched group of women who received no additional treatment.
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We all know that we should be drinking more green tea; every few days, either the media or medical journals are touting a new use for the Asian staple. Can it really cure breast cancer while preventing liver disease, simultaneously increasing knee range of motion in people suffering from osteroarthritis? The answer is "possibly, yes," but an evidence-based review refines the glowing reports with some clinical pearls, dosing specifics, and hopeful avenues of future research, as detailed below.
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A well-done meta-analysis showed that green tea, either as a beverage or as a supplement, could help lower total and LDL cholesterol levels in a statistically significant manner, but has no effect on HDL. The degree of clinical impact is debatable; what is not debatable is the poor quality of most studies on green tea and cholesterol.
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The SELECT Trial investigators report on nearly 10 years of follow-up of participants in a study of selenium and vitamin E and the risk of prostate cancer. A small but statistically significant increased risk of prostate cancer appears to be associated with taking vitamin E supplements. These results are in disagreement with others in the literature, and the authors present no plausible biological explanation for them. Nonetheless, the balance of evidence does not appear to support any recommendation that physicians advise their middle-aged and elderly patients to begin vitamin E supplementation for prostate cancer prevention.
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The Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has issued its Work Plan for 2012, indicating what areas will be of most interest for investigations and enforcement action. Much of the work plan involves a greater focus on the new issues raised by the changes introduced by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
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As the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule on implementation of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) for accountable care organizations (ACOs), others released their notices regarding legal issues related to ACOs.
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John B. Garver III, JD, and Jennifer Csik Hutchens, JD, attorneys in the Charlotte, NC, office of the law firm Robinson Brandshaw, offer these tips for healthcare risk managers deciding whether to use the Stark Voluntary Self-Referral Disclosure Protocol (SRDP), and if so, how to then prepare a SRDP submission.
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So far, 93 plaintiffs have filed lawsuits against a hospital and alleged sexual abuse by one of the hospital's endocrinologists. The doctor, the hospital's chief of endocrinology from the 1970s to the early 1990s, was accused of taking sexually explicit photos and recording videos of minors who were taking part in an alleged growth study the physician was conducting at the hospital.