Author Interviews, BMJ, Depression, Nutrition / 03.09.2015

Dr. Mila Kingsbury PhD Senior Research Associate at Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine University of Ottawa MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Mila Kingsbury PhD Senior Research Associate at Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine University of Ottawa   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Kingsbury: Eating a healthy diet, including enough fruits and vegetables, is good for physical health, and some evidence suggests that it may be good for mental health, too. Specifically, intake of fruits and vegetables has been associated with lower risk of depression. However, there are very few longitudinal studies on this topic. Most studies haven’t accounted for the effects of other related lifestyle factors such as smoking and exercise, nor for the fact that the links between lifestyle and mental health are bidirectional (i.e., depression can also hinder our ability to engage in healthy behaviours). Medical Research: What are the main findings? Dr. Kingsbury: While we found an association between fruit and vegetable consumption and psychological distress and depression two years later, depression and distress also predicted future fruit and vegetable consumption. Importantly, these associations became non-significant when we controlled for lifestyle factors like smoking and exercise. (more…)
Author Interviews, NYU, Pediatrics, Weight Research / 02.09.2015

Brian D. Elbel, PhD, MPH Associate professor, Departments of Population Health, Division of Health and Behavior and Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine Marie Bragg, PhD Assistant professor Department of Population Health Jonathan Cantor, MS Department of Population Health, Section on Health Choice, Policy and Evaluation NYU Langone Medical Center MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Brian D. Elbel, PhD, MPH Associate professor, Departments of Population Health, Division of Health and Behavior and Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine Marie Bragg, PhD Assistant professorDepartment of Population Health Jonathan Cantor, MS Department of Population Health, Section on Health Choice, Policy and Evaluation NYU Langone Medical Center  MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? Response: On July 17th, 2014 the New York City Council proposed the “Healthy Happy Meals” bill in an effort to improve the nutritional value of fast food restaurant meals marketed to children. The bill states a restaurant cannot offer an incentive item (i.e. a toy) in combination with the purchase of a meal unless the meal met several nutritional standards. The meals with toys would be required to:
  • Be less than 500 hundred calories total
  • Be less than 600 milligrams of sodium total
  • Have less than 35% of total calories come from fat
  • Have less than 10% of total calories come from saturated fat
  • Have less than 10% of total calories come from added sugar
  • Contain one half cup of fruit or vegetable or one serving of whole-grain products
This study examined potential reductions in purchased calories, sodium and percentage of calories from fat that could occur among children if the policy were to go into effect. MedicalResearch: What are the main findings? Response: Researchers collected receipts for fast food purchases for 422 children who were accompanied by 358 adults. On average, adults purchased 600 calories for each child, with 36 percent of those calories coming from fat. One third of the children in the sample had a children’s meal, with 98% of the purchased children’s combination meals would be restricted from handing out a toy with the meal if the bill passed. If the bill passed, there would be a 9% reduction in calories purchased for kid’s meals, the equivalent of 54 calories. Similarly, researchers found that there would be a 10% (83 mg) reduction in sodium purchased and a 10% reduction in the percentage of calories from fat purchased for children. This all assumes that children ordered what they did previously but the meals meet the nutrition criteria. (more…)
Author Interviews, CDC, HIV, JAMA / 02.09.2015

Dr. John Weiser MD MPH Medical epidemiologist Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention CDC MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. John Weiser MD MPH Medical epidemiologist Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention CDC  Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Weiser: Ryan White was an Indiana teenager diagnosed with AIDS in the late 1980s. As a result of fear and stigma, he was barred from school and went on to become a national advocate for HIV education and acceptance. This year marks the 25th anniversary of his death and passage of the Ryan White CARE Act creating The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) which provides funding for healthcare facilities to deliver needed medical care and support services for hundreds of thousands of poor, uninsured, and underinsured Americans. While increased access to Medicaid and private insurance under the Affordable Care Act will provide coverage for medical care, it might not provide coverage for support services so it is likely that the RWHAP will continue to play a key role in providing these crucial services. Overall, 34.4 percent of facilities received Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funding and 72.8 percent of patients received care at RWHAP-funded facilities. Many of the patients at Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program -funded facilities had multiple social determinants of poor health, with patients at RWHAP-funded facilities more likely to be ages 18 to 29; female; black or Hispanic; have less than a high school education; income at or below the poverty level; and lack health care coverage. Despite the greater likelihood of poverty, unstable housing and lack of health care coverage, nearly 75 percent of patients receiving care at RWHAP-funded facilities achieved viral suppression. The percentage of ART (antiretroviral therapy) prescribing was similar for patients at RWHAP-funded compared with non-funded facilities. Patients at RWHAP-funded facilities were less likely to be virally suppressed. However, individuals at or below the poverty level and those ages 30 to 39 who received care at a RWHAP-funded facility compared with those who received care at a non-RWHAP-funded facility were more likely to achieve viral suppression. (more…)
Annals Thoracic Surgery, Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Outcomes & Safety / 02.09.2015

Dr. Ansar Hassan MD PhD Department of Cardiac Surgery New Brunswick Heart Centre Saint John Regional Hospital Saint John, New BrunswicMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Ansar Hassan MD PhD Department of Cardiac Surgery New Brunswick Heart Centre Saint John Regional Hospital Saint John, New Brunswick Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Hassan: For years, geographic place of residence and one’s proximity to a tertiary care center has been identified as a predictor for access to care.   Little is known regarding the effect of geography on patient outcomes.   The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between geography and in-hospital / 30-day outcomes among patients undergoing cardiac surgery.  What we found was that despite there being no relationship between geography and in-hospital outcomes, those who lived further away from hospital clearly had worse 30-day outcomes. Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report? Dr. Hassan: While patients from a differing geographic places of residence appear to have similar in-hospital outcomes following cardiac surgery, their clinical courses following discharge from hospital differ considerably.   Clinicians and patients need to realize that where one lives is tremendously important as it relates to his or her health and that particular attention needs to be paid to cardiac surgery patients who live further away from their tertiary care center, especially within the first 30 days following surgery. (more…)
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, Pediatrics, Psychological Science / 02.09.2015

Beate W. Hygen PhD Student Department of Psychology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Social ScienceMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Beate W. Hygen PhD Student Department of Psychology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Social Science Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Response: The study is part of the Trondheim Early Secure Study (TESS) conducted at the  Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and NTNU Social Science. The main aim of TESS is to detect risk and protective factors with regards to children’s mental health and well-being.  TESS examines multiple factors which may play a role in children`s development. There is substantial research, based on diathesis-stress theorizing, indicating that some individuals, including children, are more susceptible to the negative effects of contextual adversity than are others. However, according to differential susceptibility theory, such "vulnerable" individuals may also be the ones that benefit the most from positive environmental conditions. Thus, some individuals are more malleable for "better and for worse" to environmental exposures. The article Child exposure to serious life events, COMT, and aggression: Testing differential susceptibility theory was designed to examine if the COMT polymorphism moderated the effect of early-life adversity on aggressive behavior. Thus, we sought to competitively evaluate which model of person X environment interaction best accounted for the anticipated differential effects of life event stress on children's aggressive behavior. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Genetic Research / 02.09.2015

Sameek Roychowdhury, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, College of Medicine Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy Department of Internal Medicine Division of Medical Oncology Wexner Medical Center The Ohio State UniversityMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Sameek Roychowdhury, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, College of Medicine Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology College of Pharmacy Department of Internal Medicine Division of Medical Oncology Wexner Medical Center The Ohio State University Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Roychowdhury: Precision cancer medicine is a new paradigm to match patients to therapies based on the molecular alterations in their cancer. Novel genomic testing of cancer using next generation sequencing can reveal numerous mutations for each patient across many genes and types of cancer, and this requires detailed time-intensive interpretation. Driver mutations can confer a selective growth or survival advantage to cancer cells, while passenger mutations do not. Cancer Driver Log, or CanDL, is meant to aid interpretation of mutations by providing the latest literature evidence for individual driver mutations, and thereby aiding pathologists, lab directors, and oncologists in interpreting mutations found in their patient’s cancer. (more…)
Accidents & Violence, Author Interviews, JAMA, UCSF / 02.09.2015

Benjamin N. Breyer MD, MAS, FACS Associate Professor in Residence Department of Urology University of California, San Francisco Chief of Urology, San Francisco General Hospital Director, UCSF Male Genitourinary Reconstruction and Trauma Surgery Fellowship MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Benjamin N. Breyer MD, MAS, FACS Associate Professor in Residence Department of Urology University of California, San Francisco Chief of Urology, San Francisco General Hospital Director, UCSF Male Genitourinary Reconstruction and Trauma Surgery Fellowship   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Breyer: Our group has studied genitourinary-specific injuries associated with bicycles using a national surveillance injury database called NEISS (National Electronic Injury Surveillance System), that monitors injuries associated with specific products.  In the current study, we examined trends in all bicycle-related injuries from  1997 to 2013.  We found an increase in bicycle-related injuries over the study period, even after adjusting for growth in the US population.  Even more concerning, we found the percentage of bicycle-related injuries resulting in admission increased 120%, suggesting the injuries sustained while cycling are becoming more severe.  These trends appear to be driven by a substantial rise in both injuries and admissions in individuals over 45 years of age, which likely reflects a change in the demographic of cyclists in the US - multiple studies have shown an increase in the cycling participation of adults over the age of 45. Bicycles are no longer children's toys - they are increasingly being used by adults as a means of transportation and physical activity. The rise in cycling in adults over the age 45 appears to be driving both the increase in injuries and admissions, suggesting that older individuals are at increased risk for sustaining severe injury while cycling. (more…)
Author Interviews, Brain Cancer - Brain Tumors, Genetic Research / 02.09.2015

Roger Packer MD Senior Vice President Center for Neuroscience & Behavioral Health Children's National Medical Center Washington, D.C. Medicalresearch.com Interview with: Roger Packer MD Senior Vice President Center for Neuroscience & Behavioral Health Children's National Medical Center Washington, D.C.   MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Packer: The background is that medulloblastoma is the most common childhood malignant brain tumor. It carries with it a variable prognosis. For some subsets of patients, with current available treatment which includes surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, we see survival rates as high as 90% (and often cures) 5 years following diagnosis and treatment. However, for some subsets of patients, survival rates are much poorer, in those with higher risk characteristics as low as 40% at 5 years. Current treatment also carries with it a significant risk for long term sequelae, including intellectual loss secondary to radiation therapy and persistent, at times devastating neurologic complications such as unsteadiness. To try to improve our understanding and ultimately our therapy for medulloblastoma, an international working group has shared patient specimens and patient information to attempt to determine what the molecular predictors of outcome are for children with medulloblastoma and if such molecular genetic findings can be used to develop better, safer therapies. Children’s National is part of this international collective of institutions, which published this and other studies. The main findings of this study are that complex, integrated genetic analysis of tumor specimens can be used to better understand and set the scene for better treatment of medulloblastoma.  Medulloblastoma can be broken into relatively distinct, molecular subtypes each with its own prognosis and potential therapy. A major finding of this study was that within a given tumor, different areas showed the same molecular genetic pattern. The importance of this is that since the tumors are relatively the same in different areas, molecularly-targeted therapies have an excellent chance of working on the entire tumor, resulting in better tumor control and safer treatments. (more…)
Author Interviews, Health Care Systems / 01.09.2015

Dr. Sean Barnes Ph.D. Department of Decision, Operations & Information Technologies Robert H. Smith School of Business University of Maryland, College Park, MD MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Sean Barnes Ph.D. Department of Decision, Operations & Information Technologies Robert H. Smith School of Business University of Maryland, College Park, MD   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Barnes: Hospitals are continually being challenged to provide timely and efficient care in the face of increasingly constrained resources. One recent approach to help improve patient flow in hospitals is Real-Time Demand and Capacity Management, by which clinicians huddle each morning to predict the number of patients they expect to discharge on a given day (and hence the number of beds that will become available to potentially utilize for newly admitted patients). We proposed a data-driven method for predicting discharges--either on an individual or aggregate basis--and demonstrated that we could match or exceed the predictive accuracy of clinicians. In addition, we showed (with moderate success) that we could use this model to rank patients in order of their expected discharge times, which could be used to prioritize the remaining care tasks for specific subsets of patients. (more…)
Author Interviews, McGill, Mental Health Research / 01.09.2015

Fabrice Jollant, MD, PhD McGill University, Department of Psychiatry & Douglas Mental Health University Institute McGill Group for Suicide Studies Montréal (Québec), CanadaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Fabrice Jollant, MD, PhD McGill University, Department of Psychiatry & Douglas Mental Health University Institute McGill Group for Suicide Studies Montréal (Québec), Canada Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Jollant: Suicide takes almost 1 million lives each year worldwide. Improving suicide prevention necessitates improving our understanding of the mechanisms leading to these complex acts. We know that while many people who died from suicide had experienced negative life events (divorce, job loss, grief), most people who experience these events will not commit suicide, not even think about suicide. Similarly, while more than 90% of suicide completers had suffered a major mental disorders (mainly depression and substance abuse) and treating these mental disorders can reduce suicide rates, 90% of patients will never die from suicide. Thus, research focuses now on the specific factors that make some individuals more vulnerable. We previously found that individuals who attempted suicide are more likely to make risky choices at a gambling task than patients who went through depression but never attempted suicide. They tend to choose the options that yield more gains immediately but are long-term disadvantageous. People who choose this way are also more likely to have problems in their interpersonal relationships, a classic trigger of suicidal crisis. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Dr. Jollant: This study continues our previous series of investigations. Here, we assessed decision-making in close biological relatives of suicide completers. We know that suicide is heritable and can run within some families. So, we were interested in knowing if risky decision-making could be one factor transmitted within families of suicide completers. We recruited healthy individuals who had lost a close biological relative from suicide, but never attempted suicide themselves. We found that these persons also tend to choose the riskiest options. However, we could not find some other cognitive deficits previously found in suicide attempters, e.g. deficient cognitive control. These normal cognitions may therefore counterbalance their deficits in decision-making and maybe protect them against suicide. (more…)
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Johns Hopkins, Outcomes & Safety, Surgical Research / 01.09.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jill A. Marsteller, PhD, MPP Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Baltimore, Maryland and Juan A. Sanchez, MD, MPA, FACS, FACC Associate Professor of Surgery Associate Faculty, Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality Johns Hopkins Medicine Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The culture of healthcare organizations with regards to safety has an impact on patient outcomes.  A strong culture serves as a platform for preventing medical errors. This study examines the culture of safety along several dimensions in cardiac surgical teams and compares this data to surgery of all types using a large database. In our study, cardiac surgery teams scored highest in teamwork and lowest in non-punitive responses to error.  In addition, there was substantial variation on safety climate perception across team roles. For example, surgeons and support staff had higher perceptions of a safety climate than other team members. Compared to all types of surgery teams, cardiac surgery teams scored higher in overall perceptions of safety except for anesthesiologists who reported lower scores on communication about errors and communication openness. (more…)
Author Interviews, Diabetes, JAMA, Kidney Disease / 01.09.2015

George L. Bakris MD Professor of Medicine Director, Comprehensive Hypertension Center University of Chicago MedicineMedicalResearch.com Interview with: George L. Bakris MD Professor of Medicine Director, Comprehensive Hypertension Center University of Chicago Medicine Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Bakris: Aldosterone receptor antagonists such as spironolactone are known to reduce mortality from heart failure and reduce albuminuria, a well-known marker of diabetic kidney disease progression. Finerenone is a novel nonsteroidal aldosterone receptor antagonist and is associated with less hyperkalemia (high blood potassium levels) compared to traditional aldosterone receptor blockers like spironolactone. The current study was a dose finding study to ascertain the optimal dose of finerenone for reducing urine albumin (a key risk marker in people with diabetic kidney disease) that is also associated with the smallest rise in serum potassium. The main findings are that in a dose dependent manner finerenone reduced albuminuria and at the highest dose a modest rise in serum potassium. Finerenone was also very well tolerated.  (more…)
Author Interviews, CDC, Infections / 01.09.2015

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Plague, a bacterial disease that is endemic to the Western United States, is most famous for the destruction it caused during the Middle Ages when it killed over half the population of Europe.  Today, plague still infects people around the world and there are a handful of cases each year here in the U.S.  However, this year where there are normally 3-7 cases, there have been 12 cases since the beginning of April. Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report? Response: One of the main reasons CDC issued our report on this year’s plague cases was because we want to remind clinicians and their patients that plague should be considered as a diagnosis if the symptoms, travel history, and exposure fit.  Most cases occur between late spring and early fall, so there might still be more cases this year.  It’s good to be aware of three things: where cases occur, how the disease is spread, and how to prevent it.
  1. Most cases occur in the Western United States, and so far this year the cases have been from Arizona (two), California (one), Colorado (four), Georgia (one, but exposed in California), New Mexico (two), Oregon (one), and Utah (one).
  2. Plague is spread when fleas become infected by feeding on rodents, such as chipmunks, prairie dogs, ground squirrels, mice, and other mammals that are infected with the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis. Fleas then spread the plague bacteria to humans and other mammals during their next feeding.
  3. Most important, CDC recommends that people who live in or travel to the Western United States wear long pants when possible and use insect repellent on clothing and skin when outside. People also should avoid direct contact with ill or dead animals and never feed squirrels, chipmunks, or otherwild rodents. In addition, pet owners should regularly use flea control products on their pets and consult a veterinarian if their pet is ill. Rodent habitat can be reduced around the home by removing brush, clutter, and potential rodent food sources such as garbage or pet food. If you have any symptoms of plague, please see a clinician and let them know where you’ve traveled and if you’ve had contact with rodents.
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Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Surgical Research / 01.09.2015

Dr. Rachel A Freedman MD MPH Assistant Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical SchoolMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Rachel A Freedman MD MPH Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Assistant Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Freedman: Despite a lack of medical benefit for most patients, the rates for bilateral mastectomy (double mastectomy) are on the rise in the U.S. Many factors have been cited as potential reasons for this increase, such as one’s race/ethnicity, education level, family history, and use of MRI. Cancer stage has not consistently been a factor in past studies. In this study, we surveyed 487 women who were treated for breast cancer in Northern California within the California Cancer Registry, we examined factors associated with the type of surgery a woman received. In our study, we found strong associations for stage III cancer with receipt of unilateral and bilateral mastectomy. In addition, higher (vs. lower) income and older age were associated with lower odds of having bilateral surgery. (more…)
Author Interviews, Endocrinology, JCEM, Menopause, Mineral Metabolism / 01.09.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Emily Krantz (né Amundson) MD Södra Älvsborgs Hospital Borås, Sweden Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: This study is a 10-year follow up of a double-blind placebo controlled trial in which women with post menopausal osteoporosis received Growth Hormone (GH) for 3 years (Landin-Wilhelmsen JBMR 2003;18:393-404). Positive effects of the treatment on the patients bone mineral density and bone mineral content were seen after another 7 years. Furthermore and most interestingly, fracture incidence decreased dramatically from 56% to 28% (p=.0003) in the osteoporosis patients while fractures increased significantly in the control group, from 8% to 32% (p=.0008). Health Related Quality of Life was also measured throughout the study’s duration and it did not change nor did it differ from the control group. (more…)
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, JAMA, Thromboembolism / 01.09.2015

Line Melgaard MSc. Industrial Medicine, PhD student AALBORG Univerity Hospital Thrombosis Research Center Aalborg Aalborg Hospital Science and Innovation Center Aalborg DenmarkMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Line Melgaard MSc. Industrial Medicine, PhD student AALBORG Univerity Hospital Thrombosis Research Center Aalborg Aalborg Hospital Science and Innovation Center Aalborg Denmark Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: In recent years, use of the CHA2DS2-VASc score in predicting ischemic stroke, thromboembolism, and death has extended beyond the original disease state (atrial fibrillation) for which it was proposed. In addition, it is recognized that the cluster of multiple stroke risk factors included within the CHA2DS2-VASc score increases the risk of ischemic stroke, thromboembolism, and death, whether or not atrial fibrillation is present. Thus, there is a need to study the extent to which concomitant atrial fibrillation modifies the pattern of the association between CHA2DS2-VASc score and the risk of ischemic stroke, thromboembolism, and death in patients with heart failure.
  • Our principal findings were that patients with heart failure had a high risk of ischemic stroke, thromboembolism, and death, whether or not atrial fibrillation was present.
  • Second, the CHA2DS2-VASc score was able to modestly predict these endpoints, and had a moderately high negative predictive value at 1-year follow-up.
  • Third, at high CHA2DS2-VASc scores (≥4), patients with heart failure without atrial fibrillation had high absolute risk of ischemic stroke, thromboembolism, and death, and the absolute risk increased in a comparable manner in patients with heart failure with and without atrial fibrillation, exhibiting a clear dose-response relationship. Indeed, the absolute risk of thromboembolic complications was higher among patients without atrial fibrillation compared to patients with concomitant atrial fibrillation at high CHA2DS2-VASc score (≥4).
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Author Interviews, Critical Care - Intensive Care - ICUs, Infections, Outcomes & Safety / 01.09.2015

Leonard Mermel, DO, ScM, AM (Hon), FSHEA, FIDSA, FACP Professor of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University Medical Director, Dept. of Epidemiology & Infection Control, Rhode Island Hospital   MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Leonard Mermel, DO, ScM, AM (Hon), FSHEA, FIDSA, FACP  Professor of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University Medical Director, Dept. of Epidemiology & Infection Control, Rhode Island Hospital Adjunct Clinical Professor, University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy     Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Mermel: Arterial catheters are an under recognized source of hospital-associated bloodstream infection. As a result, arterial catheter infection prevention strategies are less well studied than with central lines.  We did a national survey and our findings reaffirmed the fact that physicians using these catheters underestimate the risk of infection.  Additionally and not surprisingly, infection prevention strategies are variable particularly concerning barrier precautions at insertion. Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report? Dr. Mermel: Arterial catheters can cause catheter-related bloodstream infections.  These devices should be aseptically inserted and managed post-insertion and removed as soon as no longer required for patient care.  We are also in need of better studies to clearly delineate the ideal infection prevention strategies with these catheters based on our understanding of the pathogenesis of such infections.  (more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Multiple Sclerosis, OBGYNE / 01.09.2015

PD Dr. Kerstin Hellwig Neurologische Abteilung Universitätsklinikum St. Josef Hospital BochumMedicalResearch.com Interview with: PD Dr. Kerstin Hellwig Neurologische Abteilung Universitätsklinikum St. Josef Hospital Bochum Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Hellwig: The relapse risk is elevated in women with Multiple Sclerosis after delivery. We found that women with Multiple Sclerosis who breastfed exclusively had a significant lower relapse risk, than women who did not breastfed at all or breastfed some but not exclusively. After the introduction of supplemental feedings, the relase risk was similar between both groups. (more…)
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, NIH, Weight Research / 31.08.2015

Dr. Alexandra White PhD in Epidemiology University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Postdoctoral fellow National Institute of Environmental Health ScienceMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Alexandra White PhD in Epidemiology University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Postdoctoral fellow National Institute of Environmental Health Science MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? Dr. White: Many studies have shown that being overweight or obese is a risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer. We know less about how obesity impacts breast cancer risk in premenopausal women. About a third of U.S. adults are obese, which is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30. Similarly, the prevalence of abdominal obesity, measured by a person’s waist circumference, has increased by 10% in the last decade. In 2012, more than two-thirds of U.S. women had a waist circumference that indicated abdominal obesity. Abdominal obesity may be a better predictor than BMI for breast cancer risk and other chronic diseases, because it is related to insulin resistance and can reflect metabolically active fat stores. In order to understand how different types of obesity (overall vs. abdominal) influence breast cancer risk, we used information from >50,000 participants in the Sister Study. The Sister Study, led by scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health investigates environmental and genetic risk factors for breast cancer. (more…)
Accidents & Violence, Author Interviews, Sexual Health / 31.08.2015

Shannon K. Barth MPH Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Public Health, Post Deployment Health Epidemiology Program Washington, District of ColumbiaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Shannon K. Barth MPH Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Public Health, Post Deployment Health Epidemiology Program Washington, District of Columbia Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Response: This study used data from the “National Health Study for a New Generation of U.S. Veterans,” a population-based health study of 20,563 Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans and their non-deployed counterparts, conducted in 2009-2011.  A two-question measure of sexual harassment and sexual assault based on an existing clinical screen used by Veterans Health Administration (VHA) providers was included on the survey. Consistent with use in clinical settings, a veteran was considered to have experienced MST if they responded affirmatively to either of the two questions. While estimates of the prevalence of MST based on the clinical screener are available, these estimates only provide information about veterans who use VHA services and may not generalize to the broader OEF/OIF veteran population. This new survey provides a unique opportunity to assess MST experiences among a representative sample of OEF/OIF veterans in a confidential setting. Additionally, we were able to assess responses to the sexual harassment and sexual assault questions separately and collectively. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Response: The main findings from our study are that 41% of women and 4% of men reported experiencing MST. Veterans who reported using VHA services had a higher risk of MST compared to those who didn’t receive VHA services. The relationship between deployment to OEF/OIF and experiencing MST differed between men and women. Combat-exposed veterans had greater risk of reporting MST compared to those not exposed to combat, while controlling for deployment status. Among women, approximately 10% reported experiencing sexual assault. In contrast, 0.5% of male participants reported experiencing sexual assault. (more…)
Author Interviews, Blood Pressure - Hypertension, Compliance, Pharmacology / 31.08.2015

Dr M Lobo PhD FRCP Director Barts BP Centre of Excellence Consultant Physician and Hon Senior Lecturer NIHR Barts Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit William Harvey Research Institute, London MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr M Lobo PhD FRCP Director Barts BP Centre of Excellence Consultant Physician and Hon Senior Lecturer NIHR Barts Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit William Harvey Research Institute, London Medical Research: What hypothesis did you set out to investigate and why? Dr. Lobo: We investigated the clinical utility of a novel treatment algorithm for multi-drug intolerant patients with hypertension who are at very high risk of cardiovascular disease due to uncontrolled blood pressure and inability to take conventional (guideline-based) antihypertensive regiments. These patients are often poorly managed by primary care physicians (or specialists such as cardiologists) because there has been little interest/research in medication intolerance. There has however been a major focus on drug non-adherence as a cause of failure to control hypertension - we believe that a key cause of non-adherence is medication intolerance which patients do not always volunteer. Medical Research: What is the report's ultimate take-away message? Dr. Lobo: Our novel stepwise algorithm was successful in managing uncontrolled hypertension in the majority of patients without needing an increase in their medicines burden. The message therefore is that patients who do not tolerate their antihypertensives do not have to put up with side effects and resultant poor quality of life as we have demonstrated that there are ways to get around medication intolerances. (more…)
Author Interviews, Hospital Acquired, Infections, Pediatrics / 31.08.2015

Daryl R. Cheng, MBBS Monash Children's Hospital Victoria, AustraliaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Daryl R. Cheng, MBBS Monash Children's Hospital Victoria, Australia   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Inanimate objects worn and used by health care workers (HCW), such as neckties and stethoscopes,  have been shown to be reservoirs for potential pathogens. Of particular concern in the pediatric setting are identity (ID) badges and lanyards. Many pediatric health care workers use them not only for identification but also as a distraction tool during examination or procedures. Children have an increased tendency to place these items in their mouth as health care workers lean over to examine or care for them, therefore completing the chain of transmission for a potential nosocomial infection. Whilst previous studies have demonstrated that ID badges and lanyards worn by health care workers may harbor pathogenic bacteria , there is paucity of comparative data suggesting that ID badges may be similarly contaminated with viral pathogens. However, given the higher incidence of viral infections in pediatrics up to 50% of preterm infants screened during their hospital stay y had viruses detected in  their nasopharynx, further evaluation of the viral burden and potential for nosocomial transmission of  prevalent viruses are of both clinical and economic significance. (more…)
Author Interviews, Education, Heart Disease / 31.08.2015

Jaclyn Portanova, Ph.D School of Gerontology University of Southern California DavisMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jaclyn Portanova, Ph.D student School of Gerontology University of Southern California Davis Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Response: Over the past two decades, we have made a lot of progress in educating the public about the need to engage in advance care planning and make health care decisions, such as whether or not to receive CPR in a medical crisis. The media plays a major role in shaping the way people think about life-saving measures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In fact, a study published in 1996 showed that popular medical shows portrayed CPR as having a much higher rate of success than actual rates. We sought to determine if popular media has improved in the accuracy of their depiction of CPR survival rates. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Response: Nearly 70% of TV show patients who received CPR survived the initial incident. This success rate is twice as high as actual rates. Even more striking, survival rate to hospital discharge following receipt of CPR was four times higher in popular medical television shows than actual rates. Advance care planning discussions between physicians and patients were rarely portrayed, but when they did occur patient preferences were honored. (more…)
Author Interviews, Mental Health Research, Psychological Science / 30.08.2015

Brian W. Haas, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Psychology University of Georgia MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Brian W. Haas, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Psychology University of Georgia Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Haas: We used a new way to study Borderline Personality Disorder.  We studied the traits associated with this condition in healthy people not diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.  We found that people that possess more Borderline Personality traits exhibit reduced brain activity in parts of the brain important for empathy. (more…)
ADHD, Author Interviews, Memory / 28.08.2015

Dr. Graham Murray PhD University Lecturer Department of Psychiatry Addenbrooke's Hospital Cambridge UKMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Graham Murray PhD University Lecturer Department of Psychiatry Addenbrooke's Hospital Cambridge UK Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Murray: There is debate about the extent to which ADHD persists into adulthood, with estimates suggesting that between 10-50% of children still have ADHD in adulthood. Diagnosis (whether in childhood or adulthood) is currently reliant on meeting symptom checklists (such as the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), and a current diagnosis is often the prerequisite to access health care from psychiatric services. We decided to follow up a sample of 49 teens who all had a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD at age 16. We also followed a control group made up of comparison healthy volunteers from the same social, ethnic and geographical background. When we used the symptom checklist criteria of persistence, only 10% of patients still met ADHD diagnostic criteria in adulthood. However, there is more to ADHD than this. When it comes to adult brain structure and function, it didn’t make any difference whether symptom checklists were still met or not. On reaching adulthood, the adolescent ADHD group show reduced brain volume in the caudate nucleus - a key brain region that supports a host of cognitive functions, including working memory function. When we assessed working memory ability, we noted persistent problems in the adolescent ADHD group, with a third of the adolescent ADHD sample failing the memory test. The poor memory scores seemed to relate to a lack of responsiveness in the activity of the caudate nucleus that we could detect using functional MRI scans. In the control group, when the memory questions became more difficult, the caudate nucleus became more active, and this appeared to help the control group perform well; in the adolescent ADHD group, the caudate nucleus kept the same level of activity throughout the test. It was as if, for the controls, when the test got harder, the caudate nucleus went up a gear in its activity, and this is likely to have helped solve the memory problems. But for the adolescence ADHD group, the caudate couldn’t go up a gear when the test became harder, and this likely resulted in poorer performance.  (more…)
Author Interviews, BMJ, Nutrition, Weight Research / 28.08.2015

Dr Aseem Malhotra MBChB, MRCP Honorary Consultant Cardiologist - Frimley Park Hospital Consultant Clinical Associate to the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Science Director- Action on Sugar Saving Londoners Lives - External Advisory Board MemberMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr Aseem Malhotra MBChB, MRCP Honorary Consultant Cardiologist - Frimley Park Hospital Consultant Clinical Associate to the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Science Director- Action on Sugar Saving Londoners Lives - External Advisory Board Member   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Malhotra: It is a review of all the research up to date on what is the impact of diet on health. What type of diet has the most robust evidence for weight and health and how this can be translated into policy to rapidly reduce the burden of chronic disease. Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report? Dr. Malhotra:
  • That "low fat" diets to do not improve health outcomes and the public should stop counting calories.
  • That a high fat Mediterranean diet is more powerful in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke than any medical treatment.
  • That it's effect is independent of cholesterol lowering.
  • That rapid weight loss through calorie counting combined with exercise doesn't only not improve health outcomes in the long term for diabetics but can also be potentially harmful by increasing CVD risk.
(more…)
Author Interviews, PLoS, Vaccine Studies / 28.08.2015

Dr Javier Martin PhD Principal Scientist Division of Virology National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar United KingdomMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr Javier Martin PhD Principal Scientist Division of Virology National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) United Kingdom Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Martin: The global eradication of polio appears to be within reach.  There has been no case of poliomyelitis caused by circulating wild type 2 poliovirus since 1999, no case of type 3 since November 2012 and the last case of type 1 in Africa was in August 2014, leaving some areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan as the main remaining reservoirs of circulating wild type 1 poliovirus. Poliovirus strains in the live-attenuated oral polio vaccine (OPV) are known to quickly revert to neurovirulent phenotype following replication in humans after immunisation. These vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) strains can transmit from person to person in populations with low immunity potentially leading to poliomyelitis outbreaks. (more…)
Author Interviews, Biomarkers, Pancreatic / 28.08.2015

Jenny Permuth Wey, PhD, MS Assistant Member Departments of Cancer Epidemiology and Gastrointestinal Oncology Moffitt Cancer Cente MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jenny Permuth Wey, PhD, MS Assistant Member Departments of Cancer Epidemiology and Gastrointestinal Oncology Moffitt Cancer Center   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Wey: Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers world-wide. It is currently the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and is predicted to become the second leading cause by 2030. Currently there are no accurate methods to diagnose pancreatic cancer early when a patient may be eligible for surgery to remove the tumor and hopefully survive longer. To beat this disease, early detection is key, and our team has dedicated efforts to studying pancreatic cancer in its ‘precancerous’ state because we and other researchers believe that the identification and treatment of precancerous pancreatic lesions offers a promising strategy to reduce the number of people losing their lives to this disease. Similar to how colon polyps can progress into colon cancer, we now know that certain types of pancreatic cystic lesions can progress into pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer precursors/pre-cancers known as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) account for nearly one-half of the estimated 150,000 asymptomatic pancreatic cysts detected as ‘incidental findings’ on computed tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans each year during the clinical work-up for an unrelated condition.  Imaging alone cannot reliably distinguish between benign, pre-cancerous, and cancerous cysts, and cannot differentiate ‘low-risk’intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms' (defined as low- or moderate-grade disease) that can be monitored from ‘high-risk’ IPMNs (defined as high-grade or invasive disease) that should be surgically removed.  The decision to undergo pancreatic surgery is not trivial for the patient and medical team since pancreatic surgery can be associated with an estimated 40% chance of complications and a 4% chance of death. Noninvasive tests are needed to accurately detect precancerous lesions of the pancreas so that personalized risk assessment and care can be provided. microRNAs (miRNAs) are small molecules that act as ‘master-regulators’ of cancer-related processes in the body. One of the main purposes of our ‘proof of principle’ study was to measure miRNAs in the blood and determine whether a set of miRNAs could distinguish patients with IPMNs from healthy individuals. We then sought to determine whether a set of miRNAs could distinguish patients known to have ‘low-risk’ IPMNs from those with ‘high-risk’ IPMNs.  We show that new, relatively inexpensive digital technology could reliably measure miRNAs in blood plasma (the pale yellow liquid component of blood) from individuals newly-diagnosed with pancreatic cancer precursors (IPMNs) and healthy individuals.  Thirty miRNAs out of 800 tested showed higher levels in IPMN patients compared to healthy individuals, providing a preliminary ‘miRNA signature’ that may be found only in people with early pancreatic disease, suggesting it could serve as an early diagnostic tool.  Furthermore, we also provide preliminary data to suggest that a 5-miRNA signature can partially distinguish high-risk IPMNs that warrant resection from low-risk IPMNs that can be watched.  This is important clinically because it would be opportune to personalize care such that high-risk IPMNs that warrant resection are properly identified while individuals with low-risk IPMNs are spared the substantial  risks of mortality and morbidity associated with overtreatment from unnecessary surgery. (more…)
Author Interviews, Depression, Fertility / 28.08.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Camilla Sandal Sejbaek PhD Department of Public Health University of Copenhagen Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Previous literature have shown ambiguous results when investigating the association between becoming a mother and depression among women in fertility treatment. Small questionnaire-based studies with self-reported depression have shown that women in unsuccessful fertility treatment had a higher risk of depressive symptoms compared to women in successful fertility treatment. Two larger register-based studies using clinical depression (depression diagnosed at the psychiatric hospitals) have shown that women becoming a mother are at increased risk of clinical depression. Our findings, from a large register-based study with about 41,000 women in assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment, showed that women WHO became mothers had a higher risk of clinical depression compared to women in ART treatment WHO did not become mothers. The risk of clinical depression were more than five-fold higher within the first 6 weeks after becoming a mother to a live-born child. (more…)