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TUESDAY, July 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Identifying genetic disorders in newborns and infants can help them get the care they need, but one approach -- whole genome sequencing -- appears far superior to another.In a new study, researchers compared whole genome sequencing with targeted gene-sequencing. They found that whole genome sequencing (WGS) was nearly twice as effective at finding the abnormalities that lead to disorders, although it took longer to obtain test results.“More than half of the babies in our study had a genetic disorder that would have remained undetected at most hospitals across the country if not for genome sequencing technologies,” said study co-author Dr. Jonathan Davis, chief of newborn medicine at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. “Successfully...

TUESDAY, July 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Using marijuana regularly might increase the risk for complications during and after surgery, and doctors should address this when planning operations, a new study suggests. People with a cannabis use disorder are 20% more likely to have serious complications, such as stroke or blood clots, after a major operation than patients who aren't dependent on marijuana, researchers say. "It turned out to be not a huge effect but significant enough to where patients need to pay attention to their cannabis use," said lead researcher Dr. Paul Potnuru. He is an assistant professor in the department of anesthesiology, critical care and pain medicine at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School, in Houston.Doctors need to know how much cannabis...

TUESDAY, July 11, 2023 (American Heart Association News) -- Medicare coverage for cardiac rehabilitation for some people with heart failure was expanded almost a decade ago, and medical guidelines recommend it. Yet those who could benefit often don't get it, a new study finds.Only 1 in 4 people in a nationwide registry received cardiac rehabilitation referrals after being hospitalized for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, in which the heart doesn't contract effectively. Among them, about 1 in 25 actually participated in a rehab program. The findings were published Tuesday in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure.The good news, researchers said, is that referrals increased over time – from 8% in 2010 to 32% by 2018. But disparities persisted for certain groups. People not...

TUESDAY, July 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- People with Parkinson’s disease often aren’t getting the care they need for the debilitating movement disorder, a new study reports.Three in 10 are relying on primary care doctors to treat their disorder, and 1 in 10 aren’t seeing a doc at all, analysis of Medicare data reveals.And fewer than 1 in 10 are seeing a neurologist specifically trained in treating Parkinson’s, researchers said.“That's a real concern because while I think every clinician wants to do the best for their patient, not every clinician really has that experience that they can bring to bear to help a person with Parkinson's, especially as their disease progresses,” said senior researcher James Beck, chief scientific officer for the Parkinson’s Foundation.For...