(November 24, 2009 - Insidermedicine)

From Boston - According to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, elderly people who suffer chronic pain are at increased risk of falls. Researchers studied nearly 800 adults over the age of 70 for an 18 month period. Results showed that those who experienced chronic pain in at least two joints had a 50% increased risk of falling.

From Belgium - Women with multiple sclerosis may find that giving birth may slow progression of their condition, according to research published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, & Psychiatry. Researchers divided 330 women with MS into four groups; those who only had children after developing MS;  those who only had children before developing MS; those who had children before and after developing MS, and finally, those who did not have children at all. Results showed that women who gave birth saw their MS progress significantly slower than those who did not give birth at all.

And finally, from Washington - Community associated MRSA strains are on the rise in outpatient hospital facilities. Using information from over 300 microbiology labs, researchers found a seven fold increase in the amount of MRSA in hospital outpatients. This research was published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.