Author Interviews, Dermatology, Exercise - Fitness, Herpes Viruses, Infections / 06.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21338" align="alignleft" width="200"]High School Wrestling Wikipedia High School Wrestling
Wikipedia Image[/caption] Kurt Ashack Fourth year medical student at Michigan State University, Michigan Kyle Burton University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Skin infections associated with high school athletics have been reported in literature since the late 20th century and while many skin infections are relatively minor, others can cause serious morbidity. Prior reports on skin infections among high school athletes have focused on specific sports or have evaluated relatively small numbers of athletes. No prior report has evaluated skin infections in a large national sample of United States (US) high school athletes across multiple sports. During the study period, 474 skin infections were reported among 20,858,781 athlete exposures (AE); a rate of 2.27 infections per 100,000 AE. The largest number of skin infections occurred in wrestlers (73.6%), followed by boys’ football (17.9%) and boys’ basketball (1.9%). Baseball and swimming had much fewer cases. The most common infections were bacterial (60.6%), tinea (28.4%) and herpetic (5.2%) infections. Body parts most often affected were the head/face (25.3%), forearm (12.7%) and upper arm (8%). The average time for return to play was 3-6 days (45.5%). It was also interesting to note how many more infections there were in boys than girls. Girls’ volleyball had the most of girls’ sports, but all girl reports did not near the boy's number.
Author Interviews, Education, NYU/NYMC, Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Social Issues / 05.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21333" align="alignleft" width="112"]Alan Mendelsohn, MD Associate professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Population Health Dr. Alan Mendelsohn[/caption] Alan Mendelsohn, MD Associate professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Population Health Adriana Weisleder, PhD [caption id="attachment_21334" align="alignleft" width="100"]Adriana Weisleder, PhD Research scientist, Department of Pediatrics NYU Langone Medical Center Dr. Adriana Weislander[/caption] Research scientist, Department of Pediatrics NYU Langone Medical Center Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: In the last decade, scientists have begun to understand the mechanisms by which poverty can cause changes in brain development that can lead to higher rates of behavior problems and lower educational achievement for disadvantaged children. This study shows that pediatric-based programs that promote reading aloud and play can help prevent these problems before they arise. The Video Interaction Project (VIP) – the main program studied in the research – takes place at regular pediatric check-ups starting at birth. A trained parenting coach meets with the family at each visit and records the parent and child playing and reading together with materials provided by the program. The coach then reviews the video with the parent to identify and reinforce positive interactions and encourage strong parent-child relationships. The second intervention program, Building Blocks, is a lower-intensity option in which families receive parenting pamphlets and learning materials monthly by mail to facilitate reaching specific developmental goals. The results of the three-year randomized-controlled trial showed notable benefits for children’s social and emotional development. Children of families who participated in the Video Interaction Project had better attention and play skills as toddlers and reduced hyperactivity and aggression at three years, compared to children in a control group. For the highest risk families, hyperactivity was reduced by more than half.  These findings are important because a child’s ability to control or regulate his or her behavior is a critical factor in their learning and success at school.
Author Interviews, Blood Pressure - Hypertension, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Nutrition / 05.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Lea Borgi, MD Joint Fellowship Program in Nephrology Brigham and Women’s/ Massachusetts General Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Borgi: Hypertension is one of the most common diseases in the United States and in the world. It is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Even when hypertension is well-controlled with anti-hypertensives, these individuals are at an increased cardiovascular risk. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle is critical for normotensive individuals. This usually includes dietary patterns. However, if we could restrict dietary patterns to specific foods, then we would be able to provide better advice to our patients. In this study, we analyzed the association of fruits and vegetables with the incidence of hypertension. We were also interested in studying the change in consumption of fruits and vegetables over time and the incidence of hypertension. We used data from 3 large prospective cohort studies: the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II and the Health Professional Follow-up study (total of 187,453 participants). Information about health and food intake was updated every 2 and 4 years, respectively. We found that participants who consumed ≥4 servings/day of fruits (not including fruit juice) had a lower risk of developing hypertension (follow-up was more than 20 years), when compared to participants whose consumption was ≤4 servings/weeks (Hazard ratio=0.92; 95%CI= 0.87-0.97). However, the association of vegetable intake with hypertension was different; indeed, we found no significant association with a HR of 0.95(0.86-1.04). To better understand these associations, we further analyzed individual fruits and vegetables with the incidence of hypertension. We found lower risks of developing hypertension when these individual fruits and vegetables were consumed ≥4 servings/week as compared to <1 serving/month: broccoli, carrots, tofu or soybeans, raisins and apples. In contrast, we found that eating more string beans or brussel sprouts was associated with an increased risk of hypertension with HRs of 1.11(1.05-1.17) and 1.23(1.04-1.46), respectively. In all of our analyses, we adjusted for potential cofounders (such as age, gender, body mass index and more). Finally, we also found that increasing total fruit (but not total vegetable) consumption by ≥7servings/week in the preceding 8 years was associated with a lower risk of hypertension with a pooled HR 0.94(0.90-0.97).
Author Interviews, Surgical Research / 05.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21319" align="alignleft" width="200"]Dr Ross Davenport PhD Post doctoral clinical academic working at the Royal London Hospital Queen Mary University of London Dr. Ross Davenport[/caption] Dr Ross Davenport PhD Post doctoral clinical academic working at the Royal London Hospital Queen Mary University of London MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Davenport: Bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death in trauma. Globally, bleeding following injury is estimated to be responsible for over two million deaths per year. Current treatment strategies focus on the rapid delivery of red blood cells, plasma and other clotting products. However, the logistics of providing the correct quantities in the right proportion during the first minutes and hours of emergency care can be extremely challenging. Our UK NIHR-funded study, conducted at the Centre for Trauma Sciences - Queen Mary University of London, estimates that nearly 5,000 trauma patients sustain major haemorrhage in England and Wales each year and that one-third of those die. The research spotlights how delays in blood transfusion practices may contribute to this high death rate. The rapid and consistent delivery of blood, plasma, platelets and other clotting products to trauma patients is essential to maintain clotting during haemorrhage, and in previous research from both civilian and military studies, has been shown to halve mortality. Overall, only two per cent of all patients with massive haemorrhage received what might be considered the optimal transfusion of a high dose of clotting products in conjunction with red blood cells during the first hour of arrival within the Emergency Department. The study, published this week in the British Journal of Surgery, is the first to describe patterns of blood use and outcomes from major trauma haemorrhage on a national level. Looking at 22 hospitals in England and Wales, our research team studied 442 patients who had experienced major trauma haemorrhage as a result of their injuries. Mortality from bleeding tended to occur early, with nearly two-thirds of all deaths in the first 24 hours. An unexpectedly high number of deaths (7.9 per cent) occurred once the patient left hospital, the reasons for which are unclear. The average time to transfusion of red blood cells was longer than expected, at 41 minutes. Administration of specific blood components to aid with blood clotting such as plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate was significantly delayed, on average 2-3 hours after admission. The incidence of major haemorrhage increased markedly in patients over 65 years, who were twice as likely to suffer massive haemorrhage as a result of an injury compared to younger groups. The causes for this increased incidence were unclear and the researchers say further investigation is needed to examine the role of associated medical problems and prescribed medication. Transfusion procedures may also need to be adapted for older patients. Study limitations include the data not being complete for all patients, such as timings of transfusions. The study was also undertaken at an early stage in national trauma network reorganization.
Author Interviews, Radiology / 05.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jeffry A. Siegel, PhD President & CEO, Nuclear Physics Enterprises, Marlton, NJ Charles W. Pennington, MS, MBA NAC International, Norcross, GA, Retired; Executive Nuclear Energy Consultant Bill Sacks, PhD, MD Emeritus Medical Officer, FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health Silver Spring, MD James S. Welsh, MS, MD, FACRO Department of Radiation Oncology Stritch School of Medicine Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The background is the falsity of the widespread claim that all ionizing (high energy) radiation is harmful regardless of how low the dose.  This claim is expressed in the official policies of almost all radiation regulatory agencies around the world, as well as in many scientific journal papers.  It has been responsible for a common fear of radiation (radiophobia) among the public and members of the medical profession, including even most radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians. The radiophobia resulting from this false allegation has been instrumental in the forced evacuations of hundreds of thousands of people near nuclear energy plants at Chernobyl and Fukushima that have produced thousands of deaths from the evacuations themselves of sick and/or elderly people, from consequent suicides, alcoholism, heart attacks, and strokes, as well as other health destroying reactions to the loss of homes, possessions, jobs, and communities. This erroneous belief has acted to prevent many people from getting needed CT scans and x-ray studies, and to prevent many parents from permitting their children to get such imaging studies, with consequences such as surgical explorations that might have been otherwise unnecessary and carry risks of injury and mortality, or such as the foregoing of treatment that would otherwise be health restoring. This unfounded proclamation and its resultant radiophobia have acted as obstacles to the development of clean and sustainable nuclear energy, and have underlain widespread irresponsible propaganda by all sorts of would-be anti-nuclear gurus.  There are other harmful effects of this unwarranted contention, including severe limitations on funding for further research into the beneficial effects of low-dose radiation. The main findings in this article are that the very scientists whose experimental work gave rise to this false claim in the 1940s – Hermann Muller and Curt Stern and their colleagues – in fact demonstrated the exact opposite, namely that below certain threshold radiation doses there were no harmful effects at all and possible beneficial effects.  Even more importantly, there were no scientists at the time who realized that Muller and Stern’s conclusions flew in the face of their actual experimental results.  Or at least there were none who were inclined to point out the falsity of Muller and Stern’s unwarranted conclusions, perhaps intimidated by Muller’s status as a Nobel Prize winner (1946, for his earlier work on radiation-caused mutations in fruit flies).
Author Interviews, Brain Cancer - Brain Tumors, Genetic Research, Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania / 04.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21295" align="alignleft" width="112"]Dr. Adam C. Resnick, Ph.D Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery Faculty, Abramson Cancer Center Director of Children's Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium Division of Neurosurgery Director, CHOP/PENN Department of Neurosurgery Brain Tumor Tissue BiorepositoryDirector for Neurosurgical Translational Research, Division of Neurosurgery Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Dr. Adam Resnick[/caption] Dr. Adam C. Resnick, Ph.D Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery Faculty, Abramson Cancer Center Director of Children's Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium Division of Neurosurgery Director, CHOP/PENN Department of Neurosurgery Brain Tumor Tissue BiorepositoryDirector for Neurosurgical Translational Research, Division of Neurosurgery Children's Hospital of Philadelphia   [caption id="attachment_21297" align="alignleft" width="150"]Payal Jain, PhD Candidate Division of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Department of Neurosurgery Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group Gene Therapy and Vaccines Program Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Payal Jain[/caption] Payal Jain, PhD Candidate Division of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Department of Neurosurgery Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group Gene Therapy and Vaccines Program Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: This study originates from our long-standing interest in studying pediatric low-grade gliomas (PLGGs), which are the most commonly diagnosed brain tumor in children. While several PLGGs have been found to harbor mutations/gene fusions driving the mitogen-associated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway leading to clinical trials testing MAPK inhibitors, these tumors remain poorly categorized and not enough is known about specific genetic mutations driving different tumor sub-types and the potential for specific targeted therapeutics. Our current study encompasses analysis of the largest combined genomic dataset of pediatric low-grade gliomas samples.  In doing this we, identified the MYB-QKI gene fusion, a non-MAPK related event, as the common genetic event driving a rare PLGG sub-type, called angiocentric gliomas. We have reported a novel tri-partite mechanism by which MYB-QKI mediates its oncogenic effect, this being the first report of a single gene rearrangement utilizing three different paths to cause cancer.
  • First, this gene rearrangement activates MYB, which is a proto-oncogene that is normally not expressed in the developed brain.
  • Second, we found that the rearrangement leads to translocation of QKI-related enhancers close to MYB’s promoters, thereby driving MYB-QKI expression in these tumors. Furthermore, MYB-QKI can also regulate its expression in a positive feedback loop.
  • Third, the tumor suppressor activities of QKI are disrupted in MYB-QKI. Such collaboration of genetic and epigenetic dysregulation in a single genetic rearrangement has previously not been reported.
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, JAMA, Schizophrenia / 04.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21290" align="alignleft" width="90"]Hannah J. Jones, PhD Centre for Academic Mental Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, 2Medical Research Council (MRC) Integrative Epidemiology Unit University of Bristol, Bristol, England Dr. Hannah Jones[/caption] Hannah J. Jones, PhD Centre for Academic Mental Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, Medical Research Council (MRC) Integrative Epidemiology Unit University of Bristol, Bristol, England MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Jones: Schizophrenia is a highly heritable condition characterised by relatively diverse symptoms and frequent comorbid disorders. However, at present we don’t know how genetic risk for schizophrenia is expressed in children/adolescents in the general population. To investigate this, we studied data from individuals within the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort which consists of approximately 14,000 children born to women living in the former Avon Health Authority area in England with an expected delivery date from April 1, 1991, to December 31, 1992. We used genetic data from approximately 5,000 ALSPAC children and measures from adolescence relating to psychopathology to determine whether genetic risk for schizophrenia is associated with variation in psychotic experiences (e.g. delusions, hallucinations), negative symptoms (e.g. apathy, withdrawal), depressive disorder and anxiety disorder during this developmental period. We derived a score of genetic risk for schizophrenia in each individual within our study. This score is normally distributed such that most people have some genetic risk and a few people have very high or very low genetic risk. We found very weak evidence of an association between genetic risk for schizophrenia and psychotic experiences in adolescence and no evidence of an association with depressive disorder. However, we found strong evidence of association between genetic risk for schizophrenia and negative symptoms and anxiety disorder. 
Author Interviews, Tobacco Research / 04.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21286" align="alignleft" width="200"]Dr. Kate Frazer University College Dublin School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems Dublin , Ireland Dr. Kate Frazer[/caption] Dr. Kate Frazer University College Dublin School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems Dublin , Ireland MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Frazer: The review is an update of a 2010 Cochrane systematic review publication ‘Legislative smoking bans for reducing secondhand smoke exposure, smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption’. The 2010 review identified
  • Evidence of secondhand smoke exposure and reduced cotinine levels after the implementation of legislative smoking bans.
  • Evidence of reduced admissions for acute coronary syndrome.
  • Limited evidence of an impact on active smoking rates.
The update was undertaken because more countries have since implemented legislative smoking bans since the review was published in 2010 and the body of research was growing in the intervening period. The new review, published 4th February 2016, presents evidence from 77 observational studies in 21 countries. MedicalResearch: What are the main findings? Dr. Frazer: There is consistent evidence identifying reduced admissions in the post ban period for acute coronary syndrome/ acute myocardial infarction in 33 of 43 studies. There is evidence of reduced mortality from smoking related illnesses in 8 out of 11 studies. There is evidence of reduced admissions for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but the evidence of reduced admissions was not consistent in all studies. There is evidence of an impact on perinatal health outcomes including low birth weight and risk of pre term birth, but the evidence was not consistent in all studies. The evidence of an impact of legislative smoking bans on active smoking and tobacco consumption is not consistent. There have been reductions in smoking rates. The impact of the ban on reducing admissions was observed in smokers and in non-smokers.
Author Interviews, CDC, Flu - Influenza, OBGYNE, Vaccine Studies / 04.02.2016

[caption id="attachment_21281" align="alignleft" width="145"]Ikwo Oboho, MD, ScMLCDR, United States Public Health Service Medical Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionPriority Populations Treatment Team| HIV Care & Treatment Branch | Division of Global HIV/TB Atlanta, GA 30333 Dr. Ikwo Oboho[/caption] MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ikwo Oboho, MD, ScMLCDR United States Public Health Service Medical Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionPriority Populations Treatment Team| HIV Care & Treatment Branch | Division of Global HIV/TB Atlanta, GA 30333 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Dr. Oboho: ·Pregnant women with flu are at high risk of serious illness and complications, including death. The study is based on data gathered from a nationwide flu surveillance network that includes 14 states. The analysis focused on pregnant women hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed flu over four recent flu seasons, from 2010 to 2014. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?  Dr. Oboho: ·       During the study period, 865 pregnant women were hospitalized with flu. Sixty-three of these patients, or about 7 percent, had severe illness.
  • After adjusting for underlying medical conditions, vaccination status, and pregnancy trimester, we found that early treatment with the antiviral drug oseltamivir was associated with a shorter hospital stay.
  • Among pregnant women with severe flu illness who were treated early with oseltamivir — within two days of the start of symptoms — the median length of stay was about five days shorter compared to hospitalized pregnant women with severe flu illness who were treated later
  • Pregnant women who were hospitalized with severe cases of flu illness were half as likely to have been vaccinated as women with non-severe illness.
Allergies, Asthma, Author Interviews, JAMA / 04.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21055" align="alignleft" width="124"]Prof Dr. Dr. h.c. Claus Bachert Head Upper Airways Research Laboratory (URL) Chief of Clinics ENT-Department University Hospital Ghent Ghent, Belgium Prof. Claus Bachert[/caption] Prof Dr. Dr. h.c. Claus Bachert Head Upper Airways Research Laboratory (URL) Chief of Clinics ENT-Department University Hospital Ghent Ghent, Belgium Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Prof. Bachert: Chronic sinusitis with nasal polyposis represents mucosal inflammation, and polyps in the nasal cavity and sinuses, which result in long-term symptoms of nasal obstruction and congestion, reduction in or loss of sense of smell, and loss of quality of life. Patients with nasal obstruction or congestion have a two-fold higher risk of sleep dysfunction, increased fatigue, and decreased work productivity. About 40 percent of chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps patients develop asthma, which often is non-allergic late-onset disease. Treatment options consist of nasal and systemic glucocorticosteroids; long-term or repeated treatment with oral GCS carries a great risk of side effects in these patients. Surgery of the sinuses is another option, but recurrence of polyps is frequent. Further treatment options are highly needed. About 85% of nasal polyps represent a type 2 inflammation, with increased eosinophils and IgE formation. Dupilumab is an investigational therapy that inhibits signaling of IL-4 and IL-13, two key cytokines required for type 2 (Th2) immune responses. Dupilumab has been successfully administered in patients with asthma and atopic dermatitis. The current randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled group study enrolled 60 adult patients with chronic sinusitis with nasal polyposis refractory to intranasal corticosteroids at 13 sites in the United States and Europe. Following four weeks of mometasone furoate nasal spray (MFNS) run-in, patients in the study received 300 milligrams (mg) of dupilumab or placebo once per week subcutaneously for 16 weeks, after an initial loading dose of 600 mg. All patients in the study continued to receive daily MFNS. Eligible patients had bilateral nasal polyposis and showed chronic symptoms of sinusitis, despite treatment with an intranasal corticosteroid for at least two months. Fifty-eight percent of patients in the study had received prior nasal surgery for their condition.  ​ We found that dupilumab treatment was associated with significant improvements in endoscopic, clinical, radiographic, and pharmacodynamic end points after 16 weeks. Significant improvements in quality of life and in major symptoms, such as sense of smell, nasal congestion, and nocturnal awakenings,were reported. In those patients with asthma, also lung function and asthma control were significantly better with Dupilumab compared to placebo. Dupilumab was generally well tolerated, and no serious adverse events were considered to be related to dupilumab.​
Accidents & Violence, Author Interviews / 03.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21274" align="alignleft" width="200"]Erin Grinshteyn, PhD Assistant Professor University of Nevada-Reno School of Community Health Science Dr. Grinshteyn[/caption] Erin Grinshteyn, PhD Assistant Professor University of Nevada-Reno School of Community Health Science Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Grinshteyn: Gun deaths are a serious public health issue in the United States. This paper compared the US to 22 other high-income nations, and found that Americans are ten times more likely to be killed by a gun than their counterparts in the developed world. Gun homicide rates are 25 times higher in the U.S. and, while the overall suicide rate is on par with other high-income nations, the U.S. gun suicide rate is eight times higher. Ninety percent of women, 91% of all children aged 0 to 14 years, and 92% of youth aged 15 to 24 years who were killed by firearms were in the United States.
Cancer Research / 03.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com [caption id="attachment_21268" align="alignleft" width="133"]Prof. Norbert Stefan, MD Department of Molecular Epidemiology German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke Nuthetal, Germany Prof. Norbert Stefan[/caption] Prof. Norbert Stefan, MD Department of Molecular Epidemiology German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke Nuthetal, Germany MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? Prof. Stefan: Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer are among the most important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although the body mass index and waist circumference are established variables that help to predict the risk of these disease, adult height also predicts mortality independently of adiposity measures. However, compared to these risk factors, it has been somewhat neglected in clinical practice. Based on the finding that in recent decades the height of children and adults has steadily increased throughout the world, the question arises whether this secular trend in height might be a marker of a yet not well understood mechanism that affects not only stature, but also the development of cardiometabolic disease and cancer.  MedicalResearch: What are the main findings? Prof. Stefan: We summarized and interpreted data from different areas of research and also could provide some novel data to better understand the causes of the worldwide increase in height and its relationships with cardiometabolic disease and incidence of cancer. There is strong epidemiological evidence that tall people, in comparison to short people, have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes but have a higher cancer risk. Per 6.5 cm in height the risk of cardiovascular mortality decreases by six percent, but cancer mortality, by contrast, increases by four percent. We suspect that the increase in body height is a marker of overnutrition of high-calorie food rich in animal protein during different stages of growth. Thus, already in utero, lifelong programming might take place that until now has mainly been established for the insulin-like growth factor 1 and 2 and the IGF-1/2 system. Among other consequences, activation of this system causes the body to become more sensitive to insulin action, thus positively influencing the lipid metabolism. Accordingly, our new data show that tall people are more sensitive to insulin and have lower fat content in the liver, which may explain their lower risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. However, this activation of the IGF-1/2 system and other signaling pathways may be related to an increased risk of certain cancers, especially breast cancer, colon cancer, and melanoma because cell growth is permanently activated.
Author Interviews, Technology, Zika / 03.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21263" align="alignleft" width="200"]Christopher Bibbs Anastasia Mosquito Control District Florida Christopher Bibbs[/caption] Christopher Bibbs Anastasia Mosquito Control District Florida Medical Research: What is the background for this report? Mr. Bibbs: In vector management, the uphill battle is always against the mosquito. And of those, the anthropophilic Yellow Fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, has become established world-wide as a vector of several emergent diseases. Historically, these mosquitoes carried Yellow Fever and to this day still carry Dengue. Chikungunya, a newly established virus in the Caribbean, has joined the western hemisphere since 2014. And most recently, Zika virus made its way to Brazil and others in South America during 2015. This mosquito thrives in the United States as well, and should a traveler visit a country suffering from these disease and return home sick they risk passing it along to the representative mosquito in your home country. In order to manage these risks, vector management programs employ an integrated approach using multiple techniques and surveillance tools. But oft-neglected are what is available over-the-counter to consumers wanting relief. One such tool is called "spatial repellents." By vaporizing a minute amount of chemical into the air, it creates a flight barrier to the mosquito. The mosquito, upon encountering this vapor, will become disoriented and leave the area, thusly reducing bite contact. But as yet these tools are exclusively considered as repellent. But is that all they do?  
Author Interviews, Compliance, HIV, Lancet / 03.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21259" align="alignleft" width="134"]Dr Marcel Yotebieng, PhD Department of Epidemiology Ohio State University, 304 Cunz Hall Columbus, OH Dr. Marcel Yotenbieng[/caption] Dr Marcel Yotebieng, PhD Department of Epidemiology Ohio State University, 304 Cunz Hall Columbus, OH Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: With the current World Health Organization recommended treatment for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT), the risk of transmission of HIV from an infected mother to her baby can be cut from 35-45% to less than 5% in breastfeeding population and <1% in non-breastfeeding population. But in sub-Saharan Africa where over 90% of HIV-infected pregnant women worldwide live, transportation costs and opportunity costs to attend regular clinic visits (to collect drugs) have been identified as important barriers to PMTCT. The provision of economic incentives has the potential to help women overcome these economic barriers. In addition, by creating immediate rewards that “nudge” individuals towards positive health behaviors, financial incentives can also address psychological barriers to health-seeking behavior of HIV-infected pregnant and breastfeeding women. This is the first study to use small cash incentives to encourage women to attend clinic visit and received available PMTCT care. We found that, among newly diagnosed HIV-infected women, small, incremental cash incentives resulted in increased retention along the  prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission cascade and uptake of available services.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Lifestyle & Health / 03.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21251" align="alignleft" width="139"]David Drozek, D.O. Assistant Professor of Surgery Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Athens, Ohio 45701 Dr. David Drozek[/caption] David Drozek, D.O. Assistant Professor of Surgery Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Athens, Ohio 45701 Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Response: Half of the U.S. population has diabetes or prediabetes.  The rate is even higher in Appalachia.  As a society, we cannot sustain this level of disease.  It exacts a heavy toll on our productivity and our health care costs. Current approaches to diabetes, primarily with medication, are not sufficient.  More attention needs to be placed on the underlying cause of diabetes, and its traveling partners, overweight / obesity, heart disease and many common cancers.  That cause is our lifestyle.  Medical Research: What are the main findings? Response: As has been demonstrated in many other studies of lifestyle modification programs, chronic illnesses, like diabetes, can actually be reversed, and in some cases, even cured, by instituting a plant-based, whole food diet, increased physical activity and stress management techniques.  Our study reinforces that this is possible, even in a rural, poverty stricken region, when people are ready to make healthy changes.  Our study participants, on average, lost weight, and improved their blood sugar, lipid panel and blood pressure, by participating in The Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP), a lifestyle medicine program.
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, JAMA, Pediatrics, Surgical Research / 03.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21247" align="alignleft" width="144"]Silje Steinsbekk PhD Associate Professor Dept. of Pschology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Dr.Steinsbekk[/caption] Silje Steinsbekk PhD Associate Professor Dept. of Pschology Norwegian University of Science and Technology  Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Steinsbekk:  More than every third American child is overweight or obese. Childhood obesity is associated with multiple negative health outcomes such as metabolic syndrome and hypertension, as well as mental health problems, reduced self-esteem and impaired quality of life. Further, overweight and obesity tend to persist from childhood into adulthood, and the risk of adult overweight increases the longer a child has been overweight. Identifying modifiable factors contributing to the development and continuity of unhealthy weight is therefore needed. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic risks for obesity and these genetic risks have shown to influence development of obesity partly by accelerating weight gain in childhood. Identification of mechanisms through which genetic risks for obesity accelerate weight gain in childhood can therefore provide insight into the developmental pathogenesis of obesity and thus inform intervention. Cross-sectional studies suggest appetite traits as a candidate mechanism. Appetite traits may therefore be targets of intervention to protect children against the effect of genetic predispositions to develop obesity. However, such a preventive approach presupposes that appetite traits indeed transmit the genetic effect upon later development of obesity. Notably, cross-sectional studies cannot establish whether appetite traits precede the development of obesity or are caused by it—a critical piece of information for clinicians seeking treatment targets to prevent childhood obesity. We therefore aimed to test whether genetic risk for obesity was associated with rapid childhood BMI growth and if this genetic effect was mediated by appetite traits, following a representative sample of Norwegian children from age 4 to 8.
Author Interviews, OBGYNE, Rheumatology, Stanford / 03.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Julia Fridman Simard ScD Assistant Professor Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Research & Policy Division of Immunology & Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Stanford School of MedicineDr. Julia Fridman Simard ScD Assistant Professor Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Research & Policy Division of Immunology & Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Stanford School of Medicine  Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Simard: A number of studies have shown that women with lupus who get pregnant have more complications and adverse outcomes, although the methodologies across studies vary considerably. Using population-based data we were able compare the occurrence of these pregnancy complications in mothers with lupus to pregnancies from the general population. We were also interested in whether women in our data set who first presented with lupus up to five years post-partum had more pregnancy-related adverse events. Our descriptive study showed that preterm delivery, infant infection, and preeclampsia were more common in the first singleton pregnancies of women with lupus compared to the general population.  These outcomes were also observed more often among women who appeared to present with lupus up to five years post-partum.
AACR, Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Lymphoma / 03.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21238" align="alignleft" width="92"]Theresa Keegan, PhD, MS Associate Professor Division of Hematology and Oncology UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center Sacramento, California 95817 Dr. Theresa Keegan[/caption] Theresa Keegan, PhD, MS Associate Professor Division of Hematology and Oncology UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center Sacramento, California 95817 Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Keegan: This study expanded upon our earlier work examining survival among the young population diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, which can be cured about 90 percent of the time with it is diagnosed at its earliest stages.  We tracked 9,353 patients ages 15-39 who were diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma between 1988 and 2011. Using California Cancer Registry data, we examined the impact on survival of socio-demographic characteristics such as race/ ethnicity, neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), health insurance, the types of treatment patients received and whether they were diagnosed with subsequent cancers. We found that insurance coverage, neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and the types of treatment provided patients all played a role in survival.  Young adults diagnosed with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma were twice as likely to die if they resided in a lower SES neighborhood. They were also twice as likely to die if they had public health insurance or were uninsured, whether they were diagnosed at an early stage or late stage. While there were improvements in survival over time, disparities in survival persisted for some racial/ethnic groups. African American patients were 68 percent more likely to die of their disease than non-Hispanic white patients, regardless of stage at diagnosis. Hispanic AYA patients diagnosed at a late stage were 58 percent more likely than non-Hispanic white patients to die of Hodgkin lymphoma; there was not a significant disparity for Hispanic patients diagnosed at an early stage.
Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, Blood Pressure - Hypertension, NIH / 03.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Juan M. Saavedra, MD and Dr. Abdel Elkahloun PhD Comparative genomics and Cancer Genetics Branch National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Alzheimer’s disease is the most frequent age-related dementia, a progressing, devastating illness without effective treatment. By the time it is diagnosed, major and irreversible cell injury has already occurred. It is therefore imperative to identify therapeutic agents effective against early, pre-symptomatic injury mechanisms and risk factors increasing vulnerability the disease. We focused on a class of compounds blocking receptors for Angiotensin II, the Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs). These compounds are commonly used for the treatment of hypertension, a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. We and others have found that in addition to their cardiovascular benefits, ARBs are strongly neuroprotective. The present study was designed to explore in depth the neuroprotective effects of one member of the ARB class, candesartan. To this effect we cultured neurons extracted from the rat brain. These neurons were exposed to high concentrations of glutamate, a recently identified early injury mechanism in Alzheimer’s disease. We found that candesartan prevented glutamate-induced neuronal injury. We conducted in-depth examination of our results by genome-wide expression profile analysis. We found that candesartan normalized glutamate-induced alterations in expression of hundreds of genes, including many involved in neuronal inflammation, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and alterations in amyloid metabolism a hallmark for Alzheimer’s disease. This was evidence of direct neuroprotective effects of relevance for this disorder. When we compared our results with published databases obtained from autopsy samples from Alzheimer’s disease patients, we found impressive correlations. The expression of more than 400 genes altered by glutamate and normalized by candesartan in our cultures was similarly changed in the Alzheimer’s databases. The conclusion was that our cell culture results represented alterations found in the human condition. Our observations provide novel evidence of neuroprotection from early mechanisms of injury in Alzheimer’s disease and support testing candesartan in controlled clinical studies including individuals at the early stages of the illness, to unequivocally demonstrate their therapeutic effect.
Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Heart Disease, Lifestyle & Health / 02.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Gabriel E. Shaya MS University of Miami Miller School of Medicine MD/MPH Candidate 2016 Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Response: High exercise capacity has been established as an important protective factor against a wide array of poor health indicators and outcomes including cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Most of the studies assessing the association of exercise capacity and cardiovascular outcomes have done so over an extended period of followup, however, whether high exercise capacity may influence the risk of early mortality following a first myocardial infarction has not been investigated. This is the question that we sought to answer in our study. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Response: Our study found that high exercise capacity was associated with statistically significant and clinically meaningful risk reductions in mortality in the short-term following a first myocardial infarction. Achieving the highest category of fitness in our cohort was associated with as much as a 60% mortality risk reduction relative to those in the least fit category, and similar magnitudes of benefit were observed to persist up to 1 year after a myocardial infarction. Importantly, the greatest risk reductions were observed when comparing the least fit patients to those with moderate fitness, suggesting that those with relatively low fitness may stand to benefit most from even just modest fitness improvements.
Author Interviews, Hospital Acquired / 02.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_16962" align="alignleft" width="133"]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 Dr. Leonard Mermel[/caption] 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:  There is increasing concern in the US and abroad regarding multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs), particularly bacteria resistant to carbapenem antibiotics.  Concern has been raised about MDRO colonization in high-risk populations, such as nursing home patients and transmission between nursing home and acute care hospitals.  Little data exists concerning the incidence of GI tract colonization of such pathogens in nursing home patients at the time of acute care hospitalization.  We used rectal swabs on 500 hospital admissions from nursing homes to assess carriage of bacteria resistant to carbapenem antibiotics.  We found carbapenem-resistant or carbapenemase-producing gram-negative bacteria in 23 of the 500 (4.6%) hospital admissions from nursing homes, which included 7 carbapenemase-producing CRE bacteria (1.4%).  The latter bacteria produce an enzyme that breaks down the carbapenem antibiotic and the resistance genes are located on mobile genetic elements.  We also found that use of gastrostomy tubes was associated with fecal carriage of gram-negative bacteria with detectable carbapenem resistance.
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, JAMA, Pediatrics, Weight Research / 02.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21225" align="alignleft" width="180"]Profa. Patrícia Pelufo Silveira, MD, PhD Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Brazil Profa. Silveira[/caption] Profa. Patrícia Pelufo Silveira, MD, PhD Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Brazil Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Previous studies have shown that women who carry a certain gene variant (namely the 7-repeat allele of the dopamine type 4 receptor) have increased risk for obesity, especially if they also suffer from eating disorders. We have also demonstrated that girls who have this gene variant prefer to eat more fat when allowed to choose. However, for some neuropsychiatric conditions, this gene was shown to function as a “plasticity gene”. That is to say that being a carrier makes the individual more or less vulnerable to the disease, depending if the environment in which the person lives is bad (more risk) or good (less risk for the disease). This is called the “differential susceptibility” model. Therefore, in this paper, we wondered if the above described higher fat intake already reported in 7-repeat girls could be modified by the social environment in which they are raised. We saw that if a girl has the gene variant and is raised in a poorer environment, she is more likely to prefer to eat fat in her diet as we knew. However, if she has the gene variant but is raised in a better socioeconomic environment, she actually eats less fat in her regular diet compared to her counterparts who do not carry the gene variant. This is important because we change the focus from the gene (previously "blamed" for increasing fat preference and obesity as the years pass by) to the environment, as the genetic association will increase or decrease the risk according to the conditions in which the child is raised.
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Cancer Research, Lancet, Pediatrics, Radiation Therapy / 02.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21220" align="alignleft" width="120"]Dr. Torunn Yock, MD Director, Pediatric Radiation Oncology Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School Radiation Oncology Quality Assurance Massachusetts General Hospital, Proton Center Boston, MA Dr. Torunn Yock[/caption] Dr. Torunn Yock, MD Director, Pediatric Radiation Oncology Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School Radiation Oncology Quality Assurance Massachusetts General Hospital, Proton Center Boston, MA Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Yock: Proton radiotherapy is a highly targeted form of radiation therapy that can spare normal tissues better than standard x-ray/photon based radiotherapy. Because, all side effects from radiotherapy come from radiation dose to normal healthy tissues, it is widely believed that proton radiotherapy has great potential to mitigate the side effects of treatment, both acute and long term side effects. There have been many planning studies that show that proton radiation can achieve a more highly conformal dose distribution and appear to spare 50% or more normal tissue from unnecessary irradiation.  However, there have been only a handful of retrospective studies that report disease control and side effects of treatment. While the technology looked promising, the definitive clinical data has been lacking to date. Because of this lack of clinical outcome data, the role and benefit of proton radiotherapy has been a subject of great debate in the oncology community.  Critics assert that proton radiotherapy is expensive and unproven and therefore a leading culprit in escalating costs of oncologic health care. Proponents assert that when used in the appropriate patient setting, the margin of benefit in terms of improved health outcomes, outweighs the increased cost of treatment. We embarked on this study to answer help answer the call for prospectively collected clinical outcome data to better define the most appropriate role for proton radiotherapy. Importantly, this study addresses both disease control and side effects of treatment in a pediatric medulloblastoma cohort of children. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Dr. Yock: This study shows that disease control in the pediatric medulloblastoma population is very much the same as that which is achieved by photon based radiotherapy treatments. However, more importantly, late side effects commonly attributed to radiotherapy such as neurocognitive decline over time and hearing loss appear to be improved compared with published photon treated cohorts of pediatric medulloblastoma patients.  Additionally, adverse late side effects on the cardiopulmonary, GI, and reproductive systems were essentially eliminated.
Author Interviews, BMJ, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Nutrition, Pediatrics / 02.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21216" align="alignleft" width="144"]Dr. Maryam S. Farvid, PhD Takemi Fellow Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Dr. Maryam Farvid[/caption] Dr. Maryam S. Farvid, PhD Takemi Fellow Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Farvid: Previous studies of fiber intake and breast cancer have almost all been non-significant, but none of them examined diet during adolescence or early adulthood, a period when breast cancer risk factors appear to be particularly important. Current study supports protective role of dietary fiber intake on breast cancer. The women who reported the highest amount of fiber consumed during high school, about 28 grams daily, had a 16% lower risk of overall breast cancer compared with those who said they consumed an about 15 grams a day. Also highest verses lowest intake of fiber during early adulthood was associated with a 19% lower risk of overall breast cancer. The associations were more apparent for premenopausal breast cancer than postmenopausal breast cancer. Each 10 grams increase in adolescent fiber intake may lead to a 20% lower risk of premenopausal breast cancer, as was a 15% for overall breast cancer.
Author Interviews, Endocrinology, Toxin Research / 01.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21209" align="alignleft" width="157"]Dr. Nancy Wayne, PhD Member, Brain Research Institute Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology GPB Home Area Neuroscience GPB Home Area David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA Dr. Nancy Wayne[/caption] Dr. Nancy Wayne, PhD Member, Brain Research Institute Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology GPB Home Area Neuroscience GPB Home Area David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Wayne: I started this work because of my concern about our continuous exposure to BPA and other endocrine disrupting chemicals. Our first study published in 2008 showed that low doses of BPA accelerated embryonic development and birth within 24 hours of exposure. We extended this work more recently by investigating the impact of BPA and BPS (a common BPA-substitute) on the timing of birth and development of the reproductive system in embryos. Our research showed that low levels of BPS had a similar impact on the embryo as BPA. In the presence of either BPA or BPS, embryonic development was accelerated leading to abnormal stimulation of the reproductive system. Additionally, BPA caused premature birth. This is cause for concern with human health consequences to long-term exposure to low levels of potentially dozens of endocrine disrupting chemicals that are in our environment.
Author Interviews, Blood Pressure - Hypertension, Kaiser Permanente, OBGYNE / 01.02.2016

MEDICALRESEARCH.COM INTERVIEW WITH: KRISTI REYNOLDS, PHD, MPH  [caption id="attachment_21205" align="alignleft" width="146"]MEDICALRESEARCH.COM INTERVIEW WITH: KRISTI REYNOLDS, PHD, MPH KAISER PERMANENTE RESEARCH RESEARCH & EVALUATION PASADENA, CA 91101 Dr. Kristi Reynolds[/caption] KAISER PERMANENTE RESEARCH RESEARCH & EVALUATION PASADENA, CA 91101  Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Reynolds: Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are common, affecting up to 10 percent of all pregnant women, and include gestational hypertension, preeclampsia (which is a combination of high blood pressure and protein in the urine), and eclampsia, which includes seizures in women with severe preeclampsia. Research has shown that hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are associated with long-term cardiovascular disease risk, but little is known about the effect of these conditions in the early years after delivery. As part of our study, we examined the electronic health records of 5,960 women who had prenatal care and delivered a baby at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Bellflower Medical Center between 2005 and 2010. Women with high blood pressure before their pregnancy were excluded from the analysis. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Dr. Reynolds: We found that women who had a hypertensive disorder during pregnancy were 2.4 times more likely – and women with pre-eclampsia/eclampsia 2.5 times more likely – to develop pre-hypertension or hypertension in the year after delivery than those who maintained a normal blood pressure during their pregnancy, after controlling for differences between the groups. In comparison to women with normal blood pressure during pregnancy, women with pregnancy-related hypertension tended to be slightly younger and overweight or obese before pregnancy. In addition, they were more likely to have had one or more children previously and to gain excess weight and develop gestational diabetes during their pregnancy.
Author Interviews, Depression, JAMA, NYU/NYMC, Pediatrics / 01.02.2016

[caption id="attachment_21201" align="alignleft" width="200"]Briannon O'Connor PhD New York University Child Study Center Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry New York University School of Medicine, New York Dr. Briannon O'Connor[/caption] MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Briannon O'Connor PhD New York University Child Study Center Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry New York University School of Medicine New York Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. O'Connor: a.      As the health care system continues to emphasize accountability for providing high quality care, the development of meaningful quality standards is critical.  This study came from NCQA’s work to develop these quality measures for adolescent depression care.  Prior to this study, little was known about what routine care looked like for adolescents who showed up at their primary care visits with significant symptoms of depression. This study looked at follow up care documented in an electronic health record in the three months after an adolescent was first identified with significant symptoms of depression. Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. O'Connor:    Key findings from this study include:
  1. Most adolescents (nearly two-thirds) with newly prescribed depression symptoms received some treatment, usually including psychotherapy, within the first 3 months after depression symptoms were first identified.
  2. Among those adolescents who were prescribed antidepressant medications, 40% had no other follow up care in three months, which is quite concerning since current black box warnings highlight the risk for increased suicidality for youth prescribed antidepressants and clearly recommend close monitoring in the few months following initial prescription.
  3. There were low rates of other follow up care events in the three month follow up period:  19% of adolescents  did not receive any follow up care at all, 36% did not receive any treatment, and the majority (68%) lacked documentation that symptoms were monitored or re-assessed using a valid questionnaire
  4. The sites that participated in the study are highly regarded health care institutions, often looked to as leaders in cutting-edge care. Thus, results from this study, discouraging as they are, may overstate the quality of care in other settings.
Aging, Author Interviews, Cognitive Issues, JAMA, Mayo Clinic, Weight Research / 01.02.2016

[caption id="attachment_21196" align="alignleft" width="125"]Rosebud O. Roberts, M.B., Ch.B. Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minn. Dr. Rosebud Roberts[/caption] MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Rosebud O. Roberts, M.B., Ch.B. Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minn.  Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Roberts: Decline in weight has been observed 10-20 years prior to onset of dementia. We wanted to study whether this decline also occurs for mild cognitive impairment (an intermediate stage in the progression from normal cognition to dementia). Medical Research: What are the main findings? Dr. Roberts: The main finding was that there was indeed a decline in weight (from the maximum weight in midlife to weight assessed in late life) was associated with a increased risk of mild cognitive impairment.
Author Interviews, Microbiome, Nature, NYU/NYMC, OBGYNE / 01.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21187" align="alignleft" width="150"]Maria Dominguez-Bello, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Translational Medicine NYU Langone Medical Center Dr. Dominguez-Bello[/caption] Maria Dominguez-Bello, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Translational Medicine NYU Langone Medical Center and [caption id="attachment_21188" align="alignleft" width="150"]Jose Clemente, PhD Assistant Professor, Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, and Medicine Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Dr. Jose Clemente[/caption] Jose Clemente, PhD Assistant Professor, Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, and Medicine Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai       Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Humans and animals are a composite of their own cells and microbes. But where they get their microbes from?  For mammals, labor and birth are major exposures to maternal vaginal bacteria, and infants are born already with a microbiota acquired from the mother. Mom’s birth canal is heavily colonized by bacteria that are highly related to milk: some will use milk components and become dominant during early development, an important window for maturation of the immune system, the intestine and the brain. Thus, the maternal vaginal microbiota is thought to be of high adaptive value for newborn mammals. Indeed, studies in mice confirm that microbes acquired at birth are important to develop adequate immune and metabolic responses, and the mature adult microbiome will continue to modulate host metabolism and immunity. Humans are the only mammals that interrupt the exposure to maternal vaginal microbiota, by delivering babies by Cesarean section. C-sections save lives of babies and moms, and they are estimated necessary in 10-15% of the cases. But most Western countries have rates above 30%, with the notable exception of the Scandinavian countries, Holland and Japan, which have excellent health systems and low maternal-infant mortality rates. Previous work by us an others has shown that infants born by C-section acquire different microbiota at birth, and those differences are sustained over time, altering the normal age-dependent maturation of the microbiome. The fundamental questions are then, can we restore the microbiota of Cesarean delivered babies? And if we can, does that reduce the associated disease risks? In relation to the first question, we present here the results of a pilot study in which infants born by Cesarean delivery were exposed to maternal vaginal fluids at birth. A total of 18 infants were recruited for the study. Seven of them were vaginally delivered, the remaining 11 were born by scheduled C-section. Among the C-section infants, 4 were exposed to maternal vaginal fluids at birth and 7 were not. We sampled all infants and their mothers for the first month of life across different body sites (oral, skin, anal, maternal vagina) and determined the microbiome composition on a total of over 1,500 samples.
Author Interviews, Compliance, JAMA, Technology / 01.02.2016

[caption id="attachment_21177" align="alignleft" width="64"]Dr. Clara Chow PhD Director of the Cardiovascular division The George Institute, Westmead Hospital Sydney, Australia Dr.  Chow[/caption] MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Clara Chow PhD Director of the Cardiovascular division The George Institute, Westmead Hospital Sydney, Australia Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Chow: Text messaging has immense potential in healthcare. Not only for supporting medication adherence, but we have shown in the “TEXT ME” study its ability to simultaneously influence multiple lifestyle domains like increasing physical activity, embarking on healthier diets and reducing smoking rates. With increasing penetration of mobile phone use in developed as well as developing countries, there is a potential for wider reach, however there remains a need to evaluate the value of text messaging programs in various patient populations to establish the generalizability of these research findings.