Author Interviews, Columbia, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Kidney Disease, Transplantation / 09.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Syed Ali Husain, MD, MPH Assistant Professor of Medicine Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York Presbyterian Hospital The Columbia University Renal Epidemiology Group New York, New York  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: One group of patients thought to be at a high risk of severe COVID-19 manifestations is kidney transplant recipients, since they take medications that suppress their immune system and they often have other medical problems that have been associated with severe infection. We wanted to understand whether it is safe to manage kidney transplant recipients who develop COVID-19 as outpatients, without admitting them to the hospital. (more…)
Author Interviews, End of Life Care, Hearing Loss / 09.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Elizabeth Blundon PhD Department of Psychology University of British Columbia – Vancouver  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Many healthcare workers have noticed that dying patients appear to be comforted by the words of their loved ones, even when patients appear to be unconscious and are no longer able to communicate. There is a persistent belief, therefore, that hearing may persist into the last hours of someone's life. Our study attempts to detect evidence of hearing among a small group of unresponsive hospice patients at the end of life. To do this, we compared the brain activity of young, healthy control participants, with the brain activity of hospice patients, both when the patients were awake and responsive, and again when they became unresponsive. The brain activity we measured was in response to a complex series of tone-patterns, where participants were asked to identify by pressing a button (control participants) or by counting (hospice patients) every time they heard a tone-pattern that was different from the rest of the series.   (more…)
Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Heart Disease / 08.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof. Emiliano Cè Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health University of Milan Via Giuseppe Colombo, 71(2nd Building) Milan, Italy MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: We investigated the effects of long-term passive stretch training of the lower limb on vascular function and stiffness of the arteries involved (femoral and popliteal) and uninvolved (brachial) in the stretching protocol. Thirty-nine healthy participants of both sexes were randomly assigned to bilateral, unilateral or control (i.e., no passive stretch training). Passive stretch training was performed on knee extensor, plantar flexor muscles, and posterior muscle chain, 5 times a week for 12 weeks. Before and after the training period, vascular function was measured by Doppler ultrasounds during single passive limb movement (i.e., passive knee flexion-extension) and flow-mediated dilation (i.e., brachial and popliteal arteries). Measures of central (carotid-femoral artery) and peripheral (carotid-radial artery) arterial stiffness were performed by applanation tonometry technique. The same technique was used to assess the pulse wave velocity at the carotid artery level.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Geriatrics, Lipids / 08.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ariela Orkaby, MD, MPH Geriatrics & Preventive Cardiology Associate Epidemiologist Division of Aging, Brigham and Women's Hospital Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Statins are cholesterol lowering medications that have been proven to prevent heart attacks, strokes and death in middle-aged adults. Current guidelines for cholesterol lowering therapy are uncertain as to treatment for older adults due to a lack of available data, even though older adults are at the highest risk of heart disease and death. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, JAMA / 07.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Steven H. Woolf, MD, MPH Center on Society and Health Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine Richmond MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Our concern since the pandemic began was that lives would be lost not only to the virus but also to the ripple effects of how society responds to the crisis, such as reduced access to health care, extreme economic hardships, and psychological stress.  (more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Sleep Disorders, Stanford / 07.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Eileen B. Leary, Ph.D. Student Epidemiology and Clinical Research Stanford University MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly explain what is meant by REM sleep? Response: Sleep is a regulated, reversible, and recurring loss of consciousness that is a critical requirement for a happy, healthy life. REM sleep is an important component of sleep defined by rapid eye movements and commonly associated with dreaming. We learned from previous studies that sleep duration is associated with mortality, however little was known about how the different sleep stages relate to timing or cause of death. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus / 06.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Samia Arshad, MPH Epidemiologist II Infectious Disease Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI I would like to start off by saying: We need to keep partisanship out of science. ​During this pandemic, we hope we can stick to science and help save lives with purposeful data driven facts.  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial and immunomodulatory agent has demonstrated antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. We are in an acceleration phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 25% of the world’s cases occurring in the United States. Currently there is no known therapy or vaccine for treatment of SARS-CoV-2, highlighting the urgency around identifying effective therapies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of hydroxychloroquine therapy alone and in combination with azithromycin in hospitalized patients positive for COVID-19.   (more…)
Author Interviews, Biogen, Rheumatology / 06.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Nathalie Franchimont, M.D., Ph.D. Vice President Multiple Sclerosis and Immunology Development Unit Biogen MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: BIIB059 is an investigational fully humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting blood dendritic cell antigen 2 (BDCA2) expressed on plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), a protein present in specific cells within the immune system. An antibody against BDCA2 may potentially interrupt production of interferons, which are inflammatory molecules that are increased in patients with lupus and thought to contribute to disease activity. The LILAC study is two-part, Phase 2, randomized, double-blind trial investigating the efficacy and safety of BIIB059 in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Data from the CLE portion of the study were recently presented at the European E-Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2020, which was held virtually from June 3-6, 2020. Overall, study participants with CLE who received BIIB059 demonstrated statistically significant reduction of disease activity compared to those who received placebo, as assessed by the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index Activity (CLASI-A) score. The results were encouraging and it warrants continued evaluation of BIIB059 in patients with CLE. Cutaneous lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease wherein the body’s immune system attacks healthy skin, often causing rashes and skin lesions which can be painful or itchy. There is substantial unmet medical need for people with lupus given the limited number of treatment options available to manage this difficult-to-treat and chronic disease. Ultimately, we are motivated by the possibility of bringing potential new treatment options to lupus patients in need. (more…)
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Surgical Research, Weight Research / 03.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Carlos KH Wong, PhD, MPhil, BSc Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care LKS Faculty of Medicine The University of Hong Kong MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The background is that bariatric surgery has been widely indicated for the management of obesity and related comorbidities. However, there are uncertainties pertaining to the risks of post-bariatric severe hypoglycaemia (SH), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), end-stage kidney diseases (ESKDs) and all-cause mortality in obese patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), especially among Asian populations.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Cognitive Issues, Sleep Disorders / 01.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Rebecca Robbins, PhD MS Fellow at Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Sleep difficulties are common among older adults and are associated with cognitive decline. We used data collected over 10 years from a large, nationally representative longitudinal survey of adults over the age of 50 in the U.S. We examined the relationship between specific sleep difficulties and cognitive function over time. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?  Response: Our results show that early difficulty falling asleep and early morning awakenings, when experienced "most nights" of the week, were each associated with worse cognitive function. Conversely, reports of waking feeling rested was associated with better cognitive function, over time.   (more…)
Author Interviews / 01.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ruiyuan Zhang, MD, MS Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics University of Georgia College of Public Health Athens, Georgia MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Although there are several studies that focused on the effect of alcohol drinking on cognitive function, their findings were still mixed. So we want to use some new analysis techniques on this topic to see if we can have new findings. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings? Response: The main finding of our study is that low-to-moderate alcohol drinking is associated with better cognitive function outcomes. (more…)
Author Interviews, OBGYNE / 30.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof Roger Gadsby MBE Honorary Associate Clinical Professor Warwick Medical School University of Warwick MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The term "morning sickness" is widely used to describe the nausea and vomiting symptoms that occur in pregnancy. Previous research has reported that symptoms can occur both before and after midday but little has been published describing the daily and weekly pattern of symptoms. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings? Response: Using a database of 256 women who kept daily symptom diaries from the onset of symptoms till around 7 weeks of pregnancy, the study modeled the daily symptom patterns and changes in daily patterns by week of pregnancy. Nausea occurred throughout the day. Vomiting had a defined peak in the morning, but can occur throughout the day (more…)
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Mammograms / 30.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Rachel Farber, MPH School of Public Health Faculty of Medicine and Health University of Sydney New South Wales, Australia MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Most breast screening programs worldwide have replaced the use of film mammography with digital mammography. While digital mammography provides significant technical and practical advantages over film mammography in the provision of population screening programs, the effect of this move on health outcomes remained unclear. An increase in screen detected cancer rates is only beneficial if the additional cancers detected would have otherwise presented at a later stage and caused morbidity and premature mortality. An indirect measure of this is an observed decrease in interval cancer rates. Interval cancers are cancers that are diagnosed after a woman has a negative screening result and before her subsequent scheduled screening. (more…)
AstraZeneca, Author Interviews, NEJM, Pulmonary Disease / 29.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Frank Trudo, MD MBA Vice President, US Medical Affairs Respiratory & Immunology AstraZeneca MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: ETHOS is a randomized, double-blinded, multi-center, parallel-group, 52-week trial to assess the efficacy and safety of PT010 in symptomatic patients with moderate to very severe COPD and a history of exacerbation(s) in the previous year. Outcomes in the ETHOS trial included, as a primary endpoint, the rate of moderate or severe exacerbations. MedicalResearch.com: How does PT010 differ from other treatments for COPD?
  • Highly competitive: PT010’s Phase III clinical trial program demonstrates it has a highly competitive clinical profile in decreasing moderate or severe exacerbations. Severe exacerbations were defined as exacerbations leading to hospitalization or death.
  • All-cause mortality: In a secondary endpoint, PT010 showed a 46% reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality compared with glycopyrronium/formoterol fumarate. The data from ETHOS show that reducing risk of all-cause mortality is achievable for patients with this progressive disease and could transform treatment goals in COPD.
  • Two potential dose options: This is also the first time we have seen the benefit of closed triple-combination therapy at two ICS doses, which could transform care by allowing physicians to select the optimal dosing option for individual patients. 
(more…)
Author Interviews, CDC, Diabetes, Gender Differences, Race/Ethnic Diversity / 29.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Giuseppina Imperatore, MD, PHD CDC, Atlanta MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The lifetime risk of diabetes (LRD), a probability of developing diabetes during a person’s lifespan, is a measure of future disease burden that reflects the impact of incidence (occurrence of new cases per year) and mortality. The years of potential life lost to diabetes (YPLLD) is the number of life-years lost due to diabetes, calculated as the difference between the life expectancy of a person without diabetes and a person with diabetes at the age of diagnosis. For example, the number of life-years lost for a person diagnosed at age 20 years is the difference in life expectancy of a person who died without developing diabetes and a person who was diagnosed with diabetes at 20 years of age.  Both incidence and mortality of diabetes have been decreasing for more than a decade. The effects of those changes on lifetime risk of diabetes and years of potential life lost to diabetes are not known. In this study, we used nationally representative diabetes surveillance data to provide updated estimates for the lifetime probability of development of diabetes, and to assess changes in incidence and mortality on lifetime risk and life-years lost due to diabetes in the USA. (more…)
Annals Internal Medicine, Author Interviews, CDC, Vaccine Studies / 28.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Elisabeth Hesse, MD Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS Officer) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Over the last decade, there has been increasing attention given to shoulder injuries diagnosed after intramuscular vaccinations, with multiple publications of case reports and case series. However, to the best of our knowledge, there haven’t been any robust studies to determine how frequently this happens and what may make some people more likely than others to have shoulder injuries after vaccination. The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) is an ideal system to use for such a study, because it contains medical and vaccination records of over 10 million people across the United States. We found that out of the 2.9 million people over the age of 3 who received an injectable flu vaccine (specifically, inactivated influenza vaccine) during the 2016-2017 flu season, fewer than 8 people per million vaccinated developed shoulder bursitis that can be attributed to the vaccination. (more…)
Author Interviews, Emergency Care, Heart Disease, Social Issues / 28.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Sriman Gaddam The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 78705 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The quality of care that patients receive from the US healthcare system continues to be influenced by socioeconomic status (SES). Given that cardiac arrest is one of the most common causes of death in the US and that the prehospital setting has an especially high mortality for cardiac arrest, we wanted to determine if the socioeconomic disparities found in the overall US healthcare system continued into the prehospital cardiac arrest setting. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings? Response: We found that socioeconomic disparities were present in the prehospital cardiac arrest setting. As the SES of a patient declines, so does the patient's likelihood of achieving return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Between the most and least wealthy patients, there was nearly a 13% difference in the probability of achieving ROSC. However, we recognized that not all patients who achieve ROSC are equal as patients can have significantly different neurological functioning depending on the length of time spent in cardiac arrest. Consequently, this paper analyzed cardiac arrest outcomes not only through the occurrence of ROSC but also through the duration of time spent in cardiac arrest. In line with the socioeconomic disparities found in ROSC occurrence, it was found that as a patient's SES declines, the duration of time spent in cardiac arrest before ROSC is achieved increases. This indicates that patients with a low SES are both more likely to not achieve ROSC and if ROSC is achieved more likely to have neurological impairment due to longer time spent in cardiac arrest compared to patients with a high SES. (more…)
Author Interviews, Biomarkers, Cancer Research / 28.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Kathryn Lang VP, Outcomes and Evidence Guardant Health  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Despite a wide variety of screening methods available and increasing public awareness of the value of early detection, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths.  However nearly 1 in 3 adults in the United States  is not compliant with screening recommendations, with most citing that current screening methods are time consuming, unpleasant (stool-based testing), and in the case of colonoscopy, invasive. A blood-based CRC screening test could improve compliance rates by providing physicians with an opportunistic, in-office screening modality. However, demonstrating the clinical utility of blood-based cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) fractions  for the detection of cancer in asymptomatic individuals has thus far been challenged by the failure to achieve clinically meaningful sensitivity and specificity thresholds due to significantly lower tumor cell-free free DNA  fractions and the increasing relevance of biological confounders. The multi-modal approach of Guardant Health’s LUNAR-2 assay (genomics, methylation and fragmentomics) coupled with advanced bioinformatic analysis and a focused approach of honing in on the unique signals of CRC  has been shown in previously reported cohorts to perform with sensitivity and specificity which satisfies the needs of clinicians in screening for CRC. (more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Nutrition, Social Issues / 28.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Erin Brantley, PhD, MPH Senior Research Associate Department of Health Policy and Management Milken Institute School of Public Health Preferred pronouns: she/her/hers  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We looked at what happened when work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation, or SNAP, were turned on in many places after the Great Recession. We found large drops in participation in SNAP benefits due to work requirements, and that black recipients were more likely to lose benefits than white recipients. We think this is driven by the fact that black workers face higher unemployment rates than white workers, and work requirement policies do not take this into account. We also found that some people who report having disabilities lost benefits, even though the intent of work requirements is that they apply to people without disabilities.  (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Dermatology, Environmental Risks, JAMA / 26.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr Herman Anne MD Service de Dermatologie Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, several cases of acro-located lesions (on foot or hands) suggestive of chilblains have been reported and were possibly related to COVID-19. We wanted to determine if chilblains, observed in many patients recently referred to our department, are indicative of COVID-19. MedicalResearch.com: Would you briefly explain what is meant by chilblains? Response: Chilblains are frequent cold induced inflammatory lesions. Chilblains are typically seen in winter and occur after repeated exposure to cold temperatures. Clinical presentation includes erythema and swelling on toes and/or digits followed by red-purple macules or patches. However, given the large number of patients affected, and the exceptionally high outdoor temperatures for the spring season over the past month and at the time of case-observation, cold-exposure seemed unlikely. These lesions were, therefore, suspected to be associated with COVID-19. However, to date, no study has proven a pathological link between these lesions and COVID-19. (more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Metabolic Syndrome, Race/Ethnic Diversity, Weight Research / 26.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Robert Wong, MD, MS Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System Stanford University School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Prior to this study, we already knew that obesity and metabolic syndrome were major public health issues in the U.S.  A previous analyses by our team which analyzed data through 2012 observed than one in three adults in the U.S. have metabolic syndrome.  The aim of our current study was to evaluate more recent trends in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and to identify whether certain groups are at higher risk of having metabolic syndrome.  (more…)
AACR, Author Interviews, Biomarkers, Cancer Research, Colon Cancer / 26.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Guardant HealthVan Morris, M.D. Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Division of Cancer Medicine MD Anderson Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Stage II colon cancer is diagnosed in approximately 25% of all colon cancer cases.  Oncologists do not have a reliable biomarker to identify patients who do or do benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy for this population of patients.  Circulating tumor DNA is shed by tumor cells as they die and harbors somatic mutations which distinguish its DNA from that of normal cells. Recently, circulating tumor DNA has shown great promise in distinguishing patients with colon cancer (as well as other solid tumors) that do or do not recur after surgery.  Here, patients who have detectable circulating tumor DNA - a surrogate for the presence of microscopic, minimal residual disease – inevitably recur, whereas the likelihood of recurrence is much lower for patients who do not have detectable ctDNA. (more…)
Author Interviews, Hematology / 25.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: TakedaDr. med. Wolfhard Erdlenbruch, M.D. Vice President Head of Global Medical Affairs Hematology MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: At the World Federation of Hemophilia Virtual Summit 2020 (WFH 2020), results were presented from a real-world, post-marketing surveillance study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of RIXUBIS® in adult and pediatric patients with hemophilia B in South Korea, entitled “Safety and Effectiveness of Rixubis in Patients with Hemophilia B in South Korea: A Real-World, Prospective, Post-marketing Surveillance Study”. Data from the study demonstrate the safety and efficacy profile of RIXUBIS® for treatment of bleeds, perioperative/surgery, and prophylaxis in adult and pediatric patients with hemophilia B in the real-world setting in South Korea. The study showed that 86.6% (123/142) of hemostatic effectiveness assessments for RIXUBIS® were reported as good or excellent, and of the 11 adverse events reported, all were mild in severity, with 10 resolved/recovered events not related to RIXUBIS®, and one event (inhibitory antibody development) unconfirmed.1 RIXUBIS® [Nonacog gamma, recombinant FIX concentrate] is a recombinant coagulation factor IX product, indicated for the control and prevention of bleeding episodes in patients with hemophilia B. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology / 25.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Jonathan L. Silverberg MD PhD MPH Assistant Professor in Dermatology Medical Social Sciences and Preventive Medicine Northwestern, Chicago, Illinois MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Topical anti-inflammatory therapy is often inadequate to achieve disease control in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD), and systemic therapy is often warranted. Tralokinumab is a fully human immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the IL-13 cytokine with high affinity and inhibits downstream IL-13 pro-inflammatory signaling. Tralokinumab was previously studied as a monotherapy in moderate-severe AD in the ECZTRA1 and ECZTRA2 studies. In this Phase 3 randomized controlled study, ECZTRA3, tralokinumab was studies in combination with topical corticosteroids compared to placebo with topical corticosteroids. The use of topical anti-inflammatory therapy is more akin to the way in which systemic and biologic therapies are typically used in the real-world. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Heart Disease / 24.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Spyridon G. Deftereos MD PhD Prof. of Cardiology, Medical School National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Greece MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Research on COVID-19 early revealed that inflammation plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of the disease. Therefore, we designed GRECCO-19 study in order to evaluate the effect of colchicine, a relatively safe drug with known anti-inflammatory properties, in patients hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 infection. (more…)
Author Interviews, Gout, Kidney Disease, NEJM / 24.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Sunil Badve MBBS, MD, DNB, FRACP, PhD, FASN Staff specialist nephrologist | St George Hospital Conjoint Associate Professor | University of New South Wales Senior Research Fellow, Acute Kidney Injury and Trials The George Institute for Global Health Australia  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Elevated serum urate levels are associated with progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD patients often have elevated serum urate levels due to decreased excretion. We conducted this placebo-controlled randomized trial to evaluate if urate-lowering treatment with allopurinol would attenuate decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over 2 years in patients with CKD. We enrolled 369 CKD patients with high progression risk and no prior history of gout. (more…)
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Critical Care - Intensive Care - ICUs, NEJM, Pediatrics / 24.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Christopher P. Landrigan, MD, MPH Chief, Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital Director, Sleep and Patient Safety Program, Brigham and Women's Hospital William Berenberg Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School Boston Children's Hospital Boston, MA 02115 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: An enormous body of literature demonstrates that sleep deprivation adversely affects the safety and performance of resident physicians, as well as individuals across other occupations.  Resident physicians are at greatly increased risk of suffering motor vehicle crashes and needlestick injuries, and are at substantially increased risk of making medical errors, when working on traditional schedules that include 24-hour shifts. We previously conducted a randomized controlled trial in two intensive care units that found resident physicians made 36% fewer medical errors when a scheduling intervention was introduced that eliminated 24-hour shifts but held resident workload constant. The current study, ROSTERS, was a 6-center study that again introduced a scheduling intervention to eliminate 24-hour shifts in intensive care units.  Due to varying resources and unit organization across sites, each hospital developed its own staffing plan to accommodate the intervention​. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Genetic Research / 24.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Andrea Bodnar, Ph.D., Science Director Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI) MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? How does gene expression differ in the red sea urchin from humans?  Why is this animal not susceptible to age-related deterioration? Response: The red sea urchin is one of the earth’s longest-lived animals, living for more than 100 years without showing signs of aging. These animals grow and reproduce throughout their lives and show no increase in mortality rate or incidence of disease with age. This includes no reported cases of neoplastic disease, like cancer. To begin to understand the cellular mechanisms underpinning this extraordinary life history this study investigated gene expression patterns in the tissues of young and old red sea urchins. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, JAMA, Race/Ethnic Diversity / 24.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Megan B. Cole Brahim, PhD, MPH Assistant Professor | Dept. of Health Law, Policy, & Management Boston University School of Public Health Boston, MA MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Enrollment in high deductible health plans (HDHPs)—which require patients to pay on the upwards of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs before they can use their health insurance coverage for most services—has skyrocketed over the last decade. For cancer survivors in particular, this is really concerning, as patients may avoid or delay necessary health care services or important medications because they can’t afford their deductible. We know from previous work that HDHPs are associated with less use of health care, including less cancer screening and treatment. However, there has been very little work to assess how HDHPs may contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in care, and our study is the first known study to assess how HDHPs may contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in cancer survivors. To fill this gap, we used nationally representative survey data from 2013-2018 to assess how enrollment in high deductible health plans was associated with cost-related barriers to care among cancer survivors with private insurance, and how this relationship varied across racial/ethnic groups. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Regeneron / 23.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Brad Shumel, MD Senior Director of Medical Affairs, Immunology Regeneron MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory disease and one of the most common skin disorders in children. Severe atopic dermatitis is characterized by skin lesions that often cover a large body surface area and can include intense, persistent itch. Uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis can have a physical, emotional and psychosocial impact on children, resulting in sleep deprivation, activity restriction, poor school performance, depression and anxiety that can have a greater impact on quality-of-life. The standard of care for this pediatric population has been topical corticosteroids. Children with severe atopic dermatitis who remain uncontrolled with topical therapies have limited treatment options. This Phase 3 trial was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of dupilumab plus topical corticosteroids (TCS) compared with TCS alone in children with uncontrolled severe atopic dermatitis across two treatment arms – every four weeks and every two weeks (Q4W and Q2W). (more…)