Research

Heart study: Women who undergo open-heart surgery are almost twice as likely as men to develop acute renal failure (ARF), say researchers at the Cleveland Clinic.

Researchers studied data on more than 22,000 men and women who underwent the surgery from 1993 to 2000. About 30 percent of the patients were female. The study focused on the role of gender and race in post-operative ARF. Findings confirm the gender link, but the role of race was unclear.

Researchers found that overall incidence of acute renal failure was 1.82 percent, and women were twice as likely to develop it as men. Overall mortality was 2.2 percent.

The mortality rate was higher for women than men following open-heart surgery - 3.1 percent compared to 1.8 percent. Among patients who developed ARF requiring dialysis, the overall mortality rate was 61.2 percent, and women were more likely to die than men - 68.6 percent compared to 56.2 percent.

Hot news

Hours: Primary care doctors don't have enough time to offer the necessary preventive health care to patients, says a new study from Duke University Medical Center.

The study found that providing the recommended preventive maintenance for patients would take 7.4 hours per day, leaving about half an hour for critical and chronic disease care.

There are so many recommendations, from cancer screenings to lifestyle counseling, that "it is simply not possible for physicians to deliver all those services to their patients. It's a big problem," said Dr. Kimberly Yarnall, lead author of the study.

Cutting the number of recommendations in half still would require half the physician's day, researchers said.

The study recommends using a team of caregivers, including nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, nutritionists and health educators.

Tips

Safe thumb: The American Society of Hand Therapists offers this advice for preventing injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome while gardening:

• Wear gloves to prevent cuts, scrapes and infections.

• Take a break or switch to another activity every hour to prevent repetitive motion injuries.

• Use a tool - not your hands - for digging to prevent injury.

• Use tools with wide handles to protect the small joints in the hands.

• Use both hands for heavy lifting and alternate hands for repetitive tasks.

• Use a basket or large-handled container to carry tools.

• Sit on a small stool or bench while working, not on your knees, to save wrists and elbows as well as the knees and lower back.

Shelf help

Faces: Emotions Revealed (Times Books/Henry Holt and Co.; $25) by Paul Ekman looks at the origins and influences of emotion in communication.

Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone, 768-8510; fax, 768-8330, or e-mail, pofarrell@enquirer.com