31 May Fixed-Dose Blood Pressure Medications Save Money In The Long Run
Posted at 19:36h
in Author Interviews, Blood Pressure - Hypertension, Compliance, Cost of Health Care, University Texas
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_34954" align="alignleft" width="199"]
Dr. Sonawane[/caption]
Kalyani B. Sonawane, PhD
Assistant Professor/ PhD Program Director
Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy
College of Public Health and Health Professions
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32610
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Almost one-third of Americans have high blood pressure. Of those patients who are prescribed medication to control their blood pressure, about 30 percent have problems with side effects and nearly 50 percent will not have their blood pressure controlled within the first year of taking medication. In such scenarios, physicians have the option to either add a medication, such as fixed-dose combination, to the patient’s regimen or gradually increase a patient’s dose of their current drug to achieve blood pressure control; and gradually decrease the dose of their current drug or switch to a different drug to resolve side effects. Using healthcare claims data, we compared the economic impact of these alternative treatment modification strategies.
31 May Methylene Blue Has Potential As Anti-Aging Agent in Skin Care Products
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34950" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Kan Cao[/caption]
Kan Cao PhD
Associate professor of cell biology and molecular genetics
University of Maryland
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: In 2015, our group demonstrated a surprising positive effect of methylene blue in treating fibroblast cells from progeria patients, a severe premature aging disease. Interestingly, we also noticed a beneficial effect of methylene blue in protecting normal skin cells.
In this study, we followed the initial observation, compared methylene blue with other popular antioxidants, and conducted further analysis of the effects of methylene blue in 3d reconstructed skin.
The take home message is that we believe methylene blue has a great anti-aging potential. As it is also super safe, we suggest it a potent ingredient for skin care products.
31 May Opioid Agonist Therapy Found Cost Effective In Preventing HIV in People Who Inject Drugs
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34943" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Cora Bernard[/caption]
Cora Bernard, MS, PhD candidate
Pre-doctoral Student in Management Science and Enginnering
Affiliate, Center for Health Policy and the Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research
Stanford Health Policy
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The US opioid epidemic is leading to an increase in the US drug-injecting population, which also increases the risks of HIV transmission. It is critical to public health that the US invests in a coherent and cost-effective suite of HIV prevention programs. In our model-based analysis, we considered programs that have the potential both to prevent HIV and to improve long-term health outcomes for people who inject drugs. Specifically, we evaluated opioid agonist therapy, which reduces the frequency of injection; needle and syringe exchange programs, which reduce the frequency of injecting equipment sharing; enhanced HIV screening and antiretroviral therapy programs, which virally suppress individuals and decrease downstream transmission; and oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which is taken by an uninfected individual and lowers the risk of infection.
31 May Study Finds No Link Between First Trimester Influenza Vaccination and Major Structural Birth Defects
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34939" align="alignleft" width="112"]
Dr. Kharbanda[/caption]
Dr. Elyse Olshen Kharbanda, MD MPH
HealthPartners Institute
Minneapolis, MN
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Pregnant women who get the flu are at an increased risk for severe illness. To protect pregnant women, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends women receive inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) during any trimester of their pregnancy.
This study used data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink to evaluate if there was an increased risk for selected major structural birth defects for infants whose mothers received IIV in the first trimester of pregnancy versus infants who were unexposed to IIV. Among over 425,000 live births, including 52,856 whose mothers received IIV during first trimester, we evaluated risks for major structural birth defects. In this large observational study, we did not observe increased risks for major structural birth defects in offspring following first trimester maternal inactivated influenza vaccine exposure.
31 May Asthma Outcomes Worse in Low Income Groups
Posted at 13:00h
in Allergies, Asthma, Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Social Issues
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_34934" align="alignleft" width="120"]
Dr. Phipatanakul[/caption]
Wanda Phipatanakul, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Harvard Medical School
Director, Asthma Clinical Research Center
Boston Children's Hospital
Asthma, Allergy and Immunology
Boston, MA 02115
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Observational studies have limitations in their ability to examine disparities in asthma, as these studies have relied on self-reported measures of medication use, asthma diagnosis, severity, outcomes, and access to care.
Using data collected from a randomized controlled trial, we found that subjects with lower income had a significantly higher number of asthma treatment failures and asthma exacerbations, independent of race, BMI, education, perceived stress, baseline lung function, hospitalizations, inhaled corticosteroid adherence, inhaled corticosteroid dose, environmental allergen sensitization, and second-hand smoke exposure.
31 May Older Maternal Age Continues To Be Increased Risk Factor For Adverse Outcomes
[caption id="attachment_34920" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Lisonkova[/caption]
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Sarka Lisonkova, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor,
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
University of British Columbia.
Children’s and Women’s Health Centre
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Adverse fetal and infant outcomes associated with maternal age were known and our study confirms that the risk of fetal and neonatal death and severe neonatal morbidity increases among mothers over 30 years. We also knew that older mothers are more likely to have hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, and they are more likely to develop gestational diabetes, hypertension during pregnancy, and preeclampsia. These complications may put the fetus or newborn at risk, but are generally not considered to be potentially life threatening to the mother. Our study adds new information on the rates of severe maternal morbidities that have a high case-fatality rate, lead to organ damage, or have serious health implications such as hysterectomy. Our study also adds the information on the rates of any severe adverse birth outcome - for baby or mom - in the association with maternal age, which is important for counseling. Women usually want to know ‘what are the chances that anything bad happens’.
30 May Factors Affecting Interest in Transplant Among ESRD Patients Receiving Dialysis
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34998" align="alignleft" width="151"]
Deborah Evans[/caption]
Deborah Evans, MA, MSW, LCSW
Manager, Social Work Services
DaVita Kidney Care
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: For patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving dialysis, receipt of a transplant offers the best possible long-term treatment option. However, the process of becoming qualified to receive a transplant involves many steps, beginning with the patient’s statement of interest.
In this study, we sought to characterize transplant interest among patients in a large dialysis organization in the U.S. and to explore reasons identified by the patients for lack of interest in transplant when applicable.
As of November 2016, of the 182,906 patients with available transplant status information in the LDO database, 58,057 (31.7%) expressed that they were not interested in transplant. Among patients not interested in transplant, the most frequently identified reasons for lack of interest were:
- Advanced age (25.7%)
- Perceived poor health (12.0%)
- Comfortable with current modality (12.0%)
- Uninterested in further surgeries (11.9%)
- 13.2% of patients not interested in transplant indicated that “other” factors were responsible for their lack of interest. At the time of the study, we didn’t have any further insight into what might account for these “other” factors.
- Older (21.4% < 60 years vs 64.6%)
- More likely to be female (47.7% vs 36.6%)
- More likely to be white (43.9% vs 30.4%) and less likely to be Hispanic (14.7% vs 22.2%)
- More likely to be receiving in-center hemodialysis (92.0% vs 73.7%)
- More likely to have Medicare/Medicaid as primary insurance (91.3% vs. 77.3%)
28 May Fore! Most Common Golf Injuries Result From Getting Hit By Club or Ball
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34914" align="alignleft" width="145"]
Dr. Smith[/caption]
Gary Smith, MD, DrPH
Director, Center for Injury Research and Policy
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Columbus, OH
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Golf is enjoyed worldwide as a leisure activity and competitive sport. While golf is viewed as a low-risk sport, acute traumatic and overuse injuries do occur. Previous studies have generally focused on the clinical aspects of golf-related injuries. Few studies examine injuries that occurred during practice at home or school, or due to conditions or hazards on a golf course.
27 May LATUDA Phase 3 Study Demonstrates Improvement in Pediatric and Adolescent Bipolar Depression
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34902" align="alignleft" width="133"]
Dr. Loebel[/caption]
Antony Loebel, M.D.
Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
Sunovion, Head of Global Clinical Development
Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Group
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
In the six-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 347 children and adolescents (10 to 17 years of age) with bipolar depression received once-daily LATUDA flexibly dosed (20-80 mg/day) or placebo.The Phase 3 clinical study met its primary endpoint, showing statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in symptoms compared to placebo. LATUDA was generally well tolerated, with minimal effects on weight and metabolic parameters.
The primary efficacy endpoint was change from baseline to week 6 on the Children Depression Rating Scale, Revised (CDRS-R) total score. LATUDA was associated with statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in bipolar depression symptoms compared to placebo, based on CDRS-R total score (-21.0 vs. -15.3; effect size = 0.45; p<0.0001) and CGI-BP-S score for depression (-1.49 vs. -1.05; effect size = 0.44; p<0.001).
LATUDA also demonstrated statistically significant improvement on secondary efficacy endpoints.
The most common treatment-emergent adverse events reported for LATUDA compared to placebo were nausea (16% vs. 5.8%), somnolence (9.1% vs. 4.7%), weight gain (6.9% vs. 1.7%), vomiting (6.3% vs. 3.5%), dizziness (5.7% vs. 4.7%) and insomnia (5.1% vs. 2.3%). LATUDA was associated with no increases in fasting glucose or lipids, and minimal increase in mean weight vs. placebo (+0.74 kg vs. +0.44 kg).
27 May Most Strokes In Women With Preeclampsia During Pregnancy Occur After Delivery
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34905" align="alignleft" width="133"]
Dr. Eliza Miller[/caption]
Eliza Miller, M.D.
Vascular neurology fellow
New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
New York City
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Preeclampsia is a common disorder that causes high blood pressure during pregnancy. It affects about 1 in 20 pregnant women. Women with preeclampsia are at higher risk for stroke during pregnancy and post-partum, but it’s very difficult to predict who is going to have a stroke. Our study looked at a large dataset of billing data from New York State, and compared women who had preeclampsia and strokes to women who had preeclampsia but did not have a stroke.
We found that preeclamptic women with urinary tract infections, bleeding or clotting disorders, or preexisting high blood pressure were at higher risk of having strokes during pregnancy or postpartum.
27 May Babies As Young as 3-5 Months Taught To Stand
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor Hermundur Sigmundsson Department of Psychology Norwegian University of Science and Technology MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: There are around 23 baby-swimming instructors in Iceland who are offering baby swimming-courses. However, Snorris way to do this is unice after my knowledge. He has been doing baby swimming from 1990 - and has had around 7.000.- babies He heard about this from Norway and discovered that very young babies can stand in this way. He discovered this through practical experience. It works like this: When holding children in the water - He put his hand under the feet of the children - and lift little bit under i.e gives some pressure (tactile stimuli) the children are gradually able to stand in the feet - so stimuli and experience is important. When they are able to stand once they are able to stand again. How long time it takes for each baby to be able to stand varies a lot - as in our study - the youngest was 3.6 months old. One of the participants was standing in 15 sec in the hands of Snorri in the first week of baby swimming course. I did see babies stand first soon after Snorri started baby swimming instruction around 1990-1991. I was very surprised - and was thinking how is it possible? This is not supported by the literature. My colleagues an I thought about this as a window to study development of balance and coordination in infants. The issue about reflexes versus voluntary movement through experience was central.26 May Does Alcohol Really Protect Against Heart Disease? Evidence Not Clear Cut
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34891" align="alignleft" width="140"]
Dr. Jinhui Zhao[/caption]
Dr. Jinhui Zhao PhD
Scientist, Centre for Addictions Research of BC
University of Victoria
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: There are now many studies questioning the validity of the theory that moderate alcohol consumption protects against heart disease. We provided an up to date and comprehensive review of the evidence from ‘cohort’ studies i.e. those that assess health risk behaviours of people then follow them up for a number of years to see what characteristics predict death from a particular condition. We wished to test the theory that the appearance of health benefits in relation to heart disease is due to biases that accumulate and become more severe when cohorts are recruited at older ages (e.g. over 55 years). We found evidence to support this hypothesis. Moderate drinkers recruited before 55 years of age did not show any evidence of reduced risk of heart disease even when followed up into old age. Moderate drinkers from the older cohorts, however, did appear to have significant benefits – a finding we attribute to selection biases that accumulate across the life-course.
Several published meta-analyses showed inconsistent findings about how alcohol consumption affects the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Most systematic reviews find associations between low-volume alcohol consumption and reduced CHD risk, while some also find increased CHD risk for higher levels of consumption (Maclure 1993, Corrao, Rubbiati et al. 2000, Corrao, Bagnardi et al. 2004, Ronksley, Brien et al. 2011, Roerecke and Rehm 2012). More recent evidence has accumulated to suggest that the case for cardio-protection may be less straightforward. The association of alcohol consumption with CHD may be confounded or modified by other factors such as age and sex and / or biased by those factors which have not been investigated or controlled for in these previously published studies.
26 May Gene Dosage at 22q11.2 Helps Determine Schizophrenia vs Autism Brain Differences
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34886" align="alignleft" width="120"]
Dr. Bearden[/caption]
Carrie Bearden, Ph.D.
Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
University of California, Los Angeles
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: A 22q11.2 deletion confers the highest known genetic risk for schizophrenia, but a duplication in the same region is strongly associated with autism and is less common in schizophrenia cases than in the general population.
Thus, we became interested in trying to understand whether there were differences in brain development that might predispose to one condition vs. the other.
26 May Directly Observed Therapy Linked To Lower Mortality In Multi-Drug Resistant TB
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Jorge Salinas MD Epidemic intelligence service officer Division of Tuberculosis Elimination Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Because multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB) treatment regimens are less effective, more complex, and are more likely to have side effects that are difficult to tolerate than regimens for drug-susceptible TB, patients with MDR TB are at a higher risk of dying. Directly observed therapy (a therapy by which patients meet with a healthcare worker at a regularly scheduled time and place so the healthcare worker can observe the patient taking their TB medication) is recommended to treat all forms of TB disease, including MDR TB.26 May Most Health Care Personnel Not Getting Tdap Vaccination
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Anup Srivastav, DVM, MPVM, PhD National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta GA MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Healthcare personnel (HCP) are at risk for being exposed to pertussis (whooping cough) and spreading the disease to patients in their work settings. CDC recommends tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination for healthcare personnel to reduce their risk of getting the disease and spreading it to patients. This is the first report of Tdap vaccination coverage among healthcare personnel by occupational setting.26 May Frequent Marijuana Use Linked To Increased Risk of Severe Periodontal Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34867" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Shariff[/caption]
Jaffer A Shariff DDS MPH cert.DPH
Periodontal Resident | Research Scientist
Division of Periodontics,
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
New York
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Marijuana use for both medical and recreational purposes has become increasingly common in recent years; it is the most commonly used recreational drug in the United States. Subsequent increase in its legalization among countries including the United States for recreational purposes, poses an emergent oral and periodontal health concerns.
Our study revealed that frequent recreational marijuana users exhibited deeper periodontal probing depths, clinical attachment loss and higher odds of having severe periodontal disease than the non-frequent users, even after controlling for other risk factors linked to gum disease, such as cigarette smoking.
26 May Adolescents Admitted For Self Harm At Risk For Further Self Harming Behavior
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34863" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Herbert[/caption]
Dr Annie Herbert, PhD
Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Healthcare
University College London
London UK
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: 1 in 25 adolescents (i.e. one in every classroom) will be admitted to hospital as an emergency with injuries related self-harm, drug or alcohol misuse, or violence. Currently, the guidelines for how these adolescents are managed differ greatly depending on the type of injury they come in with (whether through self-harm, drug or alcohol misuse, or violence).
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: In our study, we found that adolescents admitted with any of these injuries were at an increased risk of suicide and of drug or alcohol related death in the ten years after leaving hospital, compared to other admitted adolescents.While the overall risk is relatively low—for example, 2–3 girls out of 1000 and 7 boys out of 1000 who are admitted as an emergency to hospital with drug or alcohol related injuries die from suicide within 10 years—the rates are 5–6 times higher than among adolescents admitted to hospital following an accident.
25 May Could a Strep Throat Increase Risk of OCD?
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Sonja Orlovska MD, PhD student Mental Health Centre Copenhagen Denmark MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: This Danish register-based study is the largest study so far investigating the hypothesis PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections) which describes a possible link between streptococcal throat infection and...
24 May Finnish-Style Baby Box Reduced Parent-Baby Bed Sharing
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34854" align="alignleft" width="148"]
Dr. Heere[/caption]
Megan Heere, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Medical Director
Temple University Hospital Well Baby Nursery
Temple Pediatric Care
Philadelphia, PA 19140
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Bed-sharing, the unsafe practice in which parents sleep in the same bed as their babies, is associated with sleep-related deaths in infants, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed. No studies have examined the effect of a Finnish-style baby box on infant sleep environment. Face-to-face postpartum education about safe infant sleep, combined with the distribution of a baby box, which is a cardboard bassinet, reduced the rates of bed-sharing during babies' first 8 days of life.
24 May Modified Hospital Elder Life Program Reduces Post-Op Delirium and Length of Stay
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Cheryl Chia-Hui Chen, RN, DNSc Vice Dean for Student Affairs Professor of Nursing National Taiwan University Nurse Supervisor at National Taiwan University Hospital Taipei, Taiwan MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Older patients undergoing abdominal surgery often experience preventable delirium, which greatly influences their postoperative recovery and hospital length of stay. The modified Hospital Elder Life Program (mHELP) utilizes nurses to reduce postoperative delirium and LOS among older patients undergoing abdominal surgery for resection of malignant tumor. The mHELP consisted of 3 protocols: oral and nutritional assistance, early mobilization, and orienting communication, researchers say. Researchers at the National Taiwan University Hospital randomly assigned 377 patients undergoing abdominal surgery for a malignant tumor to an intervention (n = 197) or usual care (n = 180). Postoperative delirium occurred in 6.6 percent of mHELP participants vs 15.1 percent of control individuals (odds of delirium reduced by 56 percent). Intervention group participants received the mHELP for a median of 7 days, and they had a median LOS that was two days shorter (12 vs 14 days).24 May Injectable Cabotegravir Holds Promise as HIV Prevention Stategy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34848" align="alignleft" width="119"]
Dr. Markowitz[/caption]
Martin Markowitz MD
Clinical Director and Staff Investigator
Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center
Aaron Diamond Professor at The Rockefeller University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Cabotegravir ((CAB) is an inhibitor of HIV-1 integrase and is amenable to formulation in both oral and long acting injectable forms. In preclinical studies injectable CAB protected against low dose intrarectal challenge using an HIV-like virus in the rhesus macaque model.
These results support the clinical development of CAB as prevention. This study was a first attempt to establish a dosing regimen and evaluate safety and acceptability of intramuscular injections of CAB. The study was a placebo controlled blinded study of approximately 120 subjects with a 5:1 randomization active/placebo. Subjects received 800mg CAB given as 2 2mL injections or placebo every 12 weeks for 3 injections after a 4 week safety lead in of oral therapy. Safety acceptability and PK were assessed.
The main findings were that injections were associated with injection site reactions in the vast majority of participants that were mild to moderate and of short duration. Only 4 subjects who entered the injection phase discontinued due to injection intolerance. There were no additional safety signals and the participants considered the injections acceptable when asked to complete questionnaires. PK analysis found that despite modeling that suggested that the 800mg q 12 week dose would be adequate, this was not the case. More rapid uptake and release from the depot resulted in lower than anticipated drug levels at trough. Alternate dosing regimens are under study.
Another finding is that there were participants (14%) who had detectable drug in plasma detected at 52 weeks after last injection suggesting the presence of a tail in some individuals.
24 May STEM activities do not seem to encourage students to make STEM subject choices for AS/A levels
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34843" align="alignleft" width="161"]
Dr. Banerjee[/caption]
Pallavi Amitava Banerjee, PhD, FRS
Lecturer, Graduate School of Education
St Luke's Campus
University of Exeter
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Several educational programs are being run to increase an awareness and understanding of STEM generally and more specifically to encourage young people to take up STEM learning trajectories.
A longitudinal study was conducted where nearly 60,000 year 7 students were followed up through secondary school. Every year these students took part in several hands on activities, ambassador led events, school STEM trips throughout each academic year from the beginning of year 7 till they took GCSEs.
Two main educational outcomes were considered –
a) GCSE attainment in science and math and
b) continued post-16 STEM participation (AS- and A-levels).
24 May Metformin Reverses Some Autism Symptoms In Animal Model
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ilse Gantois, PhD Research Associate Dr. Nahum Sonenberg's laboratory Department of Biochemistry McGill University MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by cognitive impairment and affects 1 in 4000 males and 1 in 6000 females. About 60% of persons with Fragile X also have autism spectrum disorder. FXS is caused by absence of Fragile X protein (FMRP), which results in hyperactivation of ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) and mTORC1 (mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1) signaling. We show that treatment with metformin, the most widely used FDA-approved antidiabetic drug, suppresses translation by inhibiting the ERK pathway, and alleviates a variety of behavioural deficits, including impaired social interaction and excessive grooming. In addition, metformin also reversed defects in dendritic spine morphogenesis and synaptic transmission.24 May Normalizing Testosterone With Replacement Therapy Reduced Atrial Fibrillation Risk
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34833" align="alignleft" width="149"]
Dr. Barua[/caption]
Rajat S. Barua, MD; PhD; FACC; FSCAI
Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Kansas School of Medicine
Director, Cardiovascular Research, Dept. of Cardiology, Kansas City VA Medical Center
Director, Interventional Cardiology & Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
Kansas City VA Medical Center
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide, with significant morbidity, mortality and financial burden. Atrial fibrillation is known to increase with age and is higher in men than in women. Although the underlying mechanisms of this sex difference are still unclear, one preclinical and several small clinical studies have suggested that testosterone deficiency may play a role in the development of atrial fibrillation. To date, no studies have investigated the effect of testosterone-level normalization on incidence of new atrial fibrillation in men after testosterone replacement therapy.
In this study, we investigated the incidence of atrial fibrillation in hypogonadal men with documented low testosterone levels. We compared the incidence of atrial fibrillation among patients who did not receive any testosterone replacement therapy, those who received testosterone replacement therapy that resulted in normalization of total testosterone, and those who received testosterone replacement therapy but that did not result in normal total testosterone levels.
24 May In Accordance With Guidelines, Fewer Low Risk Patients Receiving Antibiotics Before Dental Procedures
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34829" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. DeSimone[/caption]
Daniel C. DeSimone, M.D.
Infectious Diseases Fellowship, Year 2
Mayo Clinic
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: For over 50 years, the American Heart Association (AHA) has recommended antibiotics to be given to patients with certain cardiac conditions prior to invasive dental procedures (dental cleanings, extractions, root canals) with the hope to prevent infective endocarditis--a potentially deadly infection of the heart valves. Prevention of this infection was preferred to treatment of an established infection due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. However, in 2007, experts found that there was very little, if any, evidence that showed antibiotics prophylaxis prevented infective endocarditis prior to invasive dental procedures. Given this, the AHA revised its guidelines, significant reducing the number of patients where antibiotic prophylaxis would be given--as routine daily activities such as chewing food, tooth brushing, and flossing were much more likely to cause infective endocarditis than a single dental procedure.
For over 50 years, patients with cardiac conditions that placed them at "moderate risk" and/or "high risk" were to receive antibiotics prior to dental procedures. In 2007, the "moderate risk" group were to no longer receive antibiotic prophylaxis. This is a significantly large proportion of patients--approximately 90% of all patients who would have received antibiotic prophylaxis. Given the drastic changes made in 2007, there was concern among the medical and dental communities about whether we were leaving patients "unprotected" and at risk for infective endocarditis. Thankfully, several population based studies from our group and others across the United States have not shown an increase in the rate of infective endocarditis. However, the question remained, "Are providers following the 2007 AHA guidelines?" and "Are patients still receiving antibiotics prior to dental procedures when its no longer indicated by the guidelines?".
This was the main focus of our paper. We were able to go into the local dental offices and at the same time, have full access to their medical records. Every dental visit between 2005 and 2015 at their dental office was reviewed; the type of dental visit, whether they received antibiotic prophylaxis or not. In addition, we could confirm their cardiac conditions that would place them at "moderate risk" or "high risk" compared to the general population.
24 May Recreational Cocaine Use Activates Addiction Related Brain Mechanisms Sooner Than Previously Realized
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34820" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Marco Leyton[/caption]
Marco Leyton, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychiatry
McGill University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Drug-related cues are potent triggers for eliciting conscious and unconscious desire for the drug. In people with severe substance use disorders, these cues also activate dopamine release in the dorsal striatum, a brain region thought to be involved in hard-to-break habits and compulsions.
In the present study we found evidence that drug cues also activate this same dopamine response in non-dependent ‘recreational’ cocaine users.
24 May Risk of Interval Colorectal Cancer Higher in Blacks Than Whites
Posted at 01:08h
in Annals Internal Medicine, Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Colon Cancer, Race/Ethnic Diversity
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_34815" align="alignleft" width="105"]
Dr. Fedewa[/caption]
Stacey Fedewa PhD
Strategic Director, Risk Factors & Screening Surveillance
American Cancer Society, Inc.
Atlanta, GA 30303
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Screening for colorectal cancer is effective in reducing incidence and mortality by detecting precancerous lesions or cancer at more curable stages. But colorectal cancers can still develop in screened populations, some are missed at the time of screening; others can develop between recommended screenings. Patterns of risk for interval colorectal cancer, defined as cancers that develop after a negative result on colonoscopy, by race/ethnicity are not well known.
The risk for blacks was of interest to us because colorectal incidence and mortality rates in blacks are the highest among any race or ethnicity in the United States. We were also interested to see if quality of colonoscopy, measured by physician’s polyp detection rate, could account for differences.
23 May Familial History Improves Predictive Value of TOMM40 Gene in Alzheimer’s Disease
Posted at 21:43h
in Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, Genetic Research, Mental Health Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_34811" align="alignleft" width="160"]
Dr. Willette[/caption]
Auriel Willette, M.S., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Departments of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Psychology
Iowa State University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Translocase of Outer Mitochondrial Membrane 40 (TOMM40) is a gene that regulates the width of the outer mitochondrial pore, facilitating the transport of ribosomal pre-proteins into the inner mitochondrial matrix for translational modification into functional proteins. In 2010, Dr. Allen Roses, who discovered the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, Dr. Michael Lutz, and other colleagues found that a variation in poly-T length at locus rs10524523 ('523) within intron 6 predicted Alzheimer's disease onset. Specifically, a "long" versus "short" poly-T length was related to earlier age of onset by 8 years.
However, several multi-cohort studies either failed to replicate the findings or found the opposite relationship, where a "long" or "very long" poly-T length was related to later age of onset. The literature has remained mixed to this day.
We were interested in testing factors that might change the relationship between TOMM40 and both cognitive decline and risk for having Alzheimer's disease. It is known that a family history (FH) of Alzheimer's disease has been associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. We reasoned, then, that FH may interact with TOMM40 to modulate how it was related to our outcomes of interest. We investigated this hypothesis in two separate cohorts: the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP), a late middle-aged cohort, and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a well-characterized sample of aged participants from across the Alzheimer's spectrum.
23 May T Cell Biomarkers Predictive of Course of IPF – Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34803" align="alignleft" width="175"]
Dr. Bonham[/caption]
Catherine Bonham MD
Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
University of Chicago
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) causes fibrosis, or scar tissue, to form in the lungs. People with IPF become more and more short of breath and need oxygen. It is progressive and we don’t have any cure. Prognosis is about 3 to 5 years, worse than many cancers. We don’t know what causes it. It is a leading indication for lung transplant.
Many doctors and scientists are skeptical about the role of the immune system in IPF because some immune-directed treatments, like steroids, have been tried and failed. However, recent research shows that the expression of genes in patients who do well with IPF is different from patients who do poorly and die rapidly from IPF. The difference in survival was in genes expressed by their immune systems, specifically their T cells. We have known for decades that T cells are a type of white blood cell specialized for fighting infection. In the last several years, doctors and scientists made the amazing discovery that T cells also fight cancer within the body. Many new immune therapies have now been developed that can make some patients cancer-free. It was very exciting to think that T cells could also affect survival in pulmonary fibrosis.
My study followed 59 patients with Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for up to 5 years, and examined whether we could measure two molecules on the surface of CD4 T cells, and use them to predict survival for patients with IPF. These molecules are called ICOS and CD28. They function to activate the T cells, which creates a chain reaction activating other parts of the immune system.
A second part of my study looked at the lungs and lymph nodes from 9 IPF patients who generously donated their old lungs to research after they received lung transplant. The purpose of this was to find if what I see in blood samples reflected what the T cells really do in the lungs.