Medicine & Health

Heart disease, cancer and diabetes are chronic diseases that account for $1.1 billion in hospital charges, affecting many individuals and families. The need to better understand these issues is examined in the fifth and final policy brief from the groundbreaking study “For the Sake of All: A Report on the Health and Well-Being of African Americans in St. Louis.”

Coffee or tea? One of founders of an emerging field that combines economics and brain science reports new insights into decisions in which two choices are equally appealing.

David M. Holtzman, MD, and Randall J. Bateman, MD, have been chosen as co-recipients of the Chancellor’s Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Washington University in St. Louis.

John Olson Jr., MD, PhD, a 1998 graduate of the Washington University General Surgery Residency Program, will give a lecture in honor of the late Keith D. Amos, MD, at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, in Connor Auditorium at the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center on the Medical Campus. Olson also will receive an alumni award named for Amos.

Older adults who have good vision when tested at their eye doctors’ offices may not see as well at home. A new study from researchers at the School of Medicine suggests dim lighting may be the culprit.

Epidemiologists have designed a better method to quantify a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, according to Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The model could help identify women at high risk of breast cancer who may benefit from prevention strategies that reduce the chances of developing the disease.

The School of Medicine has been awarded a career-development grant to support junior faculty members interested in using “omics” technologies to diagnose, treat and prevent lung diseases. The grant, funded by the National Institutes of Health, will help train young pulmonary scientists to apply new analytic omics tools to the study of lung diseases.

To show appreciation for exemplary service in medical education, School of Medicine students recently presented faculty and house staff with the annual Distinguished Service Teaching Awards. Shown are Nigar Kirmani, MD, (right) and other awardees enjoying the ceremony.

The Missouri Department of Transportation project to construct a new interchange at Tower Grove Avenue and replace four bridges over Interstate 64/Highway 40 is on schedule to be completed mid-2014. Employees should note some changes that may affect their commutes. Some closures and openings are weather-dependent.

A nationwide survey of opioid drug abusers in rehab indicates that because of the high it produces, the prescription painkiller oxycodone is the most popular drug of choice. Hydrocodone, also prescribed to treat pain, is next in line. In all, some 75 percent of those surveyed rated one of these drugs as their favorite.