Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, JAMA, Mammograms / 03.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Anne Marie McCarthy, PhD Department of Medicine Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School Boston MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Mammography is effective in reducing breast cancer mortality. However, it is not perfect, and approximately 15% of breast cancers are diagnosed despite a negative mammogram before the next recommended screening. MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report? Response: Using data from the NCI funded PROSPR (Population-Based Research Optimizing Screening through Personalized Regimens) Consortium, we determined the rates of cancer diagnosis within one year following a negative or positive screening mammogram. The rate of cancer diagnosis within one year of a negative mammogram was small (5.9 per 10,000 screenings), but those cancers were more likely to have poor prognosis than cancers diagnosed after a positive mammogram (43.8% vs. 26.9%). As expected, women with dense breasts were more likely to have cancer diagnosed within 1 year of a negative mammogram. However, breast density was not a good predictor of poor prognosis among women diagnosed with cancer after a negative mammogram. Younger women were more likely to be diagnosed with poor prognosis breast cancer after a negative screening mammogram. (more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Outcomes & Safety, Race/Ethnic Diversity, Surgical Research / 03.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr-Hillary-J-Mull Hillary J. Mull, PhD, MPP Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine Boston, Massachusetts MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Little is known about outpatient procedures that can be considered invasive but are not conducted in a surgical operating room. These procedures are largely neglected by quality or patient safety surveillance programs, yet they are increasingly performed as technology improves and the U.S. population gets older. We assessed the rate of invasive procedures across five specialties, urology, podiatry, cardiology, interventional radiology and gastroenterology in the Veterans Health Administration between fiscal years 2012 and 2015. Our analysis included examining the rates of post procedure emergency department visits and hospitalizations within 14 days and the key patient, procedure or facility characteristics associated with these outcomes. We found varying rates of post procedure ED visits and hospitalizations across the specialties with podiatry accounting for a high volume of invasive outpatient care but the lowest rate of postoperative utilization (1.8%); in contrast, few of the procedures were in interventional radiology, but the postoperative utilization rate was the highest at 4.7%. In a series of logistic regression models predicting post procedure healthcare utilization for each specialty, we observed significantly higher odds of post procedural outcomes for African American patients compared to white patients. (more…)
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Cost of Health Care, Kaiser Permanente, Lung Cancer, Prostate Cancer / 02.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Matthew P. Banegas, PhD, MPH Center for Health Research Kaiser Permanente MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Despite a large body of research on cancer care costs, we observed a significant evidence gap. Namely, while about one-half of cancer diagnoses in the U.S. occur among people under age 65, it can be difficult to find good data on the costs of care for this population. That’s because most of the current literature on cancer care costs is based on SEER Medicare data, which are limited to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. At a time of rising costs and an ever-increasing number of new therapies, we felt it was important to improve our understanding of cancer costs for U.S. adults of all ages. We examined medical care costs for the four most common types of cancer in the United States: breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer. (more…)
Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, Merck, NEJM / 02.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Michael F. Egan MD Merck & Co. North Wales, PA 19454   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: A leading theory of Alzheimer's Disease is that it is caused by the buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain. Amyloid is composed of a sticky peptide called Abeta.  Abeta production can be blocked by Inhibiting an enzyme called BACE.  In animal models, BACE inhibtion prevent amyloid accumulation.  We aimed to see if a potent BACE inhibitor would slow clinical decline in Alzheimer's Disease. EPOCH was a Phase 2/3 randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, double-blind study evaluating efficacy and safety of two oral doses of verubecestat an investigational BACE inhibitor, administered once-daily versus placebo in patients with mild-to-moderate AD currently using standard of care treatment. The primary efficacy outcomes of the study are the change from baseline in cognition (assessed using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive Subscale, or ADAS-Cog),  as well as the change from baseline in function (assessed using the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study – Activities of Daily Living, or ADCS-ADL)  after 78 weeks of treatment. Following the recommendation of the external Data Monitoring Committee (eDMC), which assessed overall benefit/risk during  the trial,  the study was stopped early, as there was “virtually no chance of finding a positive clinical effect.” Verubecestat did not reduce cognitive or functional decline in patients with mild-to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and was associated with treatment-related adverse events.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Orthopedics, Pain Research, Rheumatology / 02.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: “dog” by Neil Mullins is licensed under CC BY 2.0Deborah S. Cummins, PhD Director, Research, Quality and Scientific Affairs American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons On behalf of the researchers: David Jevsevar, MD, MBA; Gregory A. Brown, MD, PHD, and Deborah S. Cummins, PhD MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: It is estimated that individuals have a 45% risk of developing knee osteoarthritis (OA) in their lifetime. As a result of the shifting demographics of the US, where an increasing percentage of the population is older than 65, the burden of knee OA will continue to increase. To help deal with this burden, effective nonsurgical treatments are needed to manage knee OA symptoms associated with pain and function before surgical intervention becomes necessary. To determine which non-surgical options are best, we performed a network meta-analysis exploring mixed treatment comparisons for nonsurgical treatment of knee osteoarthritis in order to effectively rank the various nonsurgical treatment options from best to worst. Our network meta-analysis suggests that the single most effective nonsurgical treatment for improving knee function is function is naproxen, followed by diclofenac, celecoxib, and ibuprofen. When considering pain and function together, our data suggest that naproxen is the most effective treatment followed by IA corticosteroid injection. The single most effective short-term (4-6 weeks) treatment for decreasing pain is intra-articular (IA) corticosteroid injection, followed by ibuprofen, IA platelet rich plasma, and naproxen. Additionally, intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections never achieved a rank in the top five treatments for pain, function, or combined pain and function. An analysis of 12 articles also found that HA is not significantly different than IA placebo in effect. (more…)
Author Interviews, Mental Health Research, Pediatrics / 02.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: “dog” by Neil Mullins is licensed under CC BY 2.0Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Stefan O. Reber Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy University Clinic Ulm Ulm, Germany  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Our hypothesis was that people who grew up in cities with more than 100.000 inhabitants  and without pets will show a more pronounced immune activation towards psychosocial stressors compared with people raised in rural areas in the presence of farm animals. This hypothesis is based on the fact that stress-associated psychiatric disorders, which are linked to or even promoted by an over(re)active immune system and chronic low grade inflammation,  are more prevalent in urban compared with rural areas. One possible explanation for a hyper(re)active immune system in people raised in urban relative to rural environments might be a reduced contact to immunoregulatory microorganisms (the so called “old friends”), which is significantly increased in rural people with regular contact with farm animals compared with urban people in the absence of pets. Our results show that a standardized laboratory psychosocial stressor causes a greater inflammatory response in young healthy participants with an urban upbringing in the absence of pets, relative to young healthy participants with a rural upbringing in the presence of farm animals. (more…)
Author Interviews, Surgical Research / 02.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: David H. McDanielDavid H. McDaniel, MD is Board Certified by the American Board of Dermatology. He is a Co-Director of the Hampton University Skin of Color Research Institute, Adjunct Professor in the School of Science, Hampton University.  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The study was designed to evaluate at multiple sites the effects on submental fat of a 1060nm diode laser treatment which was already FDA cleared for non-invasive lipolysis of the abdomen, flanks, back, inner and outer thighs. A total of 19 volunteers were treated at our study site with typically two 25 minute treatments.  There was a 12 week follow-up period after treatment and photography (both 2D and 3D) was used to evaluate with expert physician grader along with other 3D analytics and a subject satisfaction questionnaire. The main findings were reduction in submental fat both from the expert grader and as well as the 3D metrics.  The 3D metrics also showed a lifting effect.  The study volunteers reported a ‘satisfied’ or ‘extremely satisfied’ score from the subject assessments. (more…)
Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Orthopedics, Pediatrics / 02.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: “Pitching Crop” by slgckgc is licensed under CC BY 2.0Jason L. Zaremski, MD, CAQSM, FACSM, FAAPMR Assistant Professor│Divisions of PM&R, Sports Medicine, & Research Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Co-Medical Director Adolescent & High School Outreach Program University of Florida College of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Throwing injuries are common in baseball and can be caused by excessive pitch counts, year-round pitching, and pitching with arm pain and fatigue. Despite the evidence, pitching injuries among high school players have not decreased. With a multitude of research in overhead throwers, yet the volume of overuse throwing injuries not decreasing, our team suspected there was a missing workload factor in baseball pitchers. Therefore, our team conducted research to determine whether an important factor was being overlooked: volume of pitches thrown during warm-up between innings and bullpen activity in high school varsity baseball pitchers. In the study, our team counted all pitches thrown off a mound during varsity high school baseball games played by 34 different high schools in North Central Florida during the 2017 season. After counting nearly 14,000 pitches in 115 pitch outings, our team found that 42% of the pitches thrown off a mound were not accounted for in the pitch counts, and that there is a large variability of bullpen pitches being thrown from pitcher to pitcher. Even with a greater focus on pitch counts as a way to prevent injuries, a substantial number of pitches are going unaccounted for in high school players as part of warm-up and bullpen activity. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cognitive Issues, OBGYNE, Sugar / 02.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: “Soda” by Jannes Pockele is licensed under CC BY 2.0Juliana F. W. Cohen, ScM, ScD Department of Health Sciences Merrimack College North Andover MA 01845. MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Sugar consumption among Americans is above recommended limits and this excess intake may have important health implications. This study examined the associations of pregnancy and offspring sugar consumption, as well as sugar-sweetened beverages, other beverages (diet soda, juice), and fruit consumption with child cognition. This study found that when pregnant women or their children consumed greater quantities of sugar, as well as when women consumed diet soda during pregnancy, this was associated with poorer childhood cognition.  However, children’s fruit consumption was associated with higher cognitive scores. (more…)
Author Interviews, Lung Cancer / 02.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Cary P. Gross, MD Department of Internal Medicine Section of General Internal Medicine Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy, and Effectiveness Research (COPPER) Center National Clinician Scholars Program Yale School of Medicine New Haven, CT  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: In both the US and England, lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths, and there is particular concern about access to high quality care among older persons in both countries. However, little is known about how the two nations compare regarding lung cancer care. We studied over 170,000 patients with lung cancer, and found that patients in the US were more likely to be diagnosed at an early stage (25% in US vs 15% of patients in England).  Our international team also found that patients in the US were more likely to receive treatment for their cancer, and were more likely to survive. (more…)
Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Nutrition, Weight Research / 01.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Edward "Ted" Weiss, Ph.D. Professor Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Saint Louis University Saint Louis MO 63104 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Ketogenic diets are popular. They are very low in carbohydrate, with moderate protein and large amounts of fat. They are popular for weight loss but definitive studies of this are lacking. We tested the effects of a ketogenic diet on high-intensity exercise performance, such as sprinting. The result showed that the ketogenic diet was harmful to performance, reducing performance by 6 - 7% when compared to a high-carbohydrate diet. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, End of Life Care, JAMA / 01.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: R. Sean Morrison, MD Ellen and Howard C. Katz Professor and Chair Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY 10029 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Palliative care is team based care that is focused on improving quality of life and reducing suffering for persons with serious illness and their families.  It can be provided at any age and in concert with all other appropriate medical treatments.  Palliative care has been shown to improve patient quality of life, patient and family satisfaction, and in diseases like cancer and heart failure, improve survival.  A number of individual studies have shown that palliative care can reduce costs by providing the right care to the right people at the right time. This study pooled data from six existing studies to quantify the magnitude of savings that high quality palliative care provides. (more…)
Author Interviews, Sleep Disorders / 01.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: “New York at Night” by Louis Michel Eilshemius (American, Newark, New Jersey 1864–1941 New York) via The Metropolitan Museum of Art is licensed under CC0 1.0Dr Denholm Aspy PhD School of Psychology University of Adelaide MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: There are many anecdotal reports of vitamin B6 being used to enhance dream recall, and poor dream has sometimes been considered a possible sign of vitamin B6 deficiency by some clinicians. However, until now there was only a single study that investigated this scientifically. This was a small pilot study in 2002 that included only 12 participants. My new study now provides the strongest evidence to date that vitamin B6 does in fact enhance dream recall. The double-blind placebo-controlled study included 100 participants from around Australia who took either Vitamin B6, a B vitamin complex (with a range of other B vitamins as well), or placebo directly before bed for five days. Participants recorded their dream recall using a logbook containing a range of measures each morning. Results showed the people who took B6 recalled around 64% more content from their dreams on average compared to the placebo group, and that this had no negative impact on sleep quality. (more…)
AHA Journals, Author Interviews, Smoking / 01.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: “Stop smoking!” by Emil_95 is licensed under CC BY 2.0Janina Markidan MS III, MD Student University of Maryland School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: In a study of 1,145 young men, we found a strong dose-response relationship between the number of cigarettes smoked daily and the risk of ischemic stroke. We categorized the participants as never smokers, former smokers and current smokers. Current smokers were divided into groups based on the number of cigarettes smoked daily, 1 to 10, 11 to 20, 21 to 39, or 40 or more. We found that men who smoked were 88 percent more likely to have a stroke than men who never smoked. Among current smokers, men who smoked fewer than 11 cigarettes daily were 46 percent more likely to have a stroke than those who never smoked. But the heavier smokers, smoking at least two packs a day, were nearly 5 times (466%) more likely to have a stroke than those who never smoked.  (more…)
Author Interviews, JACC, Weight Research / 30.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Morgana Mongraw-Chaffin, PhD MPH Wake Forest School of Medicine North Carolina MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: While some large studies and meta-analyses of this topic suggest that metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) is not a benign condition, discrepancies persist in the results of individual studies. Lack of a clear explanation for these differences drives the continuing controversy over whether MHO is a useful tool for risk stratification or an intermediate condition on the pathway to cardiometabolic risk. In the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), we found that 48% of those with metabolically healthy obesity transitioned to unhealthy obesity by the end of follow-up. Those who transitioned had higher odds of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those who maintained normal weight. We further found that earlier transition from MHO to unhealthy obesity was associated with higher odds. (more…)
Addiction, Author Interviews, Opiods, Pharmacology / 30.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Maria Sullivan, M.D., Ph.D Senior Medical Director of Clinical Research and Development Alkermes MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Extended release injectable naltrexone is approved for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence after detoxification and when used with counseling. It is recommended that patients abstain from opioids for a minimum of seven to 10 days prior to induction onto XR-naltrexone to avoid precipitating opioid withdrawal. This requirement of detoxification represents a substantial clinical challenge, particularly in the outpatient setting. There is currently no single recognized best method for opioid detoxification prior to first dose of extended-release naltrexone (XR-naltrexone). A number of induction regimens have been explored, including the use of low doses of oral naltrexone to shorten the transition period from dependence on opioids to XR-naltrexone treatment. The goal of the study was to help establish an outpatient regimen to transition subjects from physiological opioid dependence to XR-naltrexone treatment and mitigate the severity of opioid withdrawal symptoms. We hypothesized that low-dose oral naltrexone, combined with buprenorphine and psychoeducational counseling, would assist with the transition of patients with opioid use disorder onto XR-naltrexone. In this 3-arm trial, we examined the utility of oral naltrexone, buprenorphine, and a fixed regimen of ancillary medications (oral naltrexone + buprenorphine vs. oral naltrexone + placebo buprenorphine vs. placebo +placebo), to determine whether any of these regimens was associated with higher rates of induction onto XR-naltrexone. (more…)
Author Interviews, NEJM, Stroke / 30.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: A/Prof Bruce Campbell MBBS(Hons), BMedSc, PhD, FRACP Consultant Neurologist, Head of Stroke Department of Neurology, Royal Melbourne Hospital Principal Research Fellow,Melbourne Brain Centre @ RMH Department of Medicine University of Melbourne Australia  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?  Response: Patients with stroke due to a large blood vessel in the brain receive a clot-dissolving medication followed by clot retrieval surgery performed via an angiogram. The standard clot dissolving medication "alteplase" rarely opens the artery prior to clot retrieval surgery. Tenecteplase is genetically modified form of alteplase that may be more effective and is widely available (it is the standard clot dissolving medication used for heart attacks). It can be given over 10 seconds instead of the 1 hour required to infuse alteplase, meaning that patients can be transferred between hospitals to receive treatment more easily. Tenecteplase is also less expensive than alteplase. In EXTEND-IA TNK we found that tenecteplase doubles the number of patients who have blood flow restored to the brain earlier than is possible with clot retrieval surgery (22% vs 10%) and improves patient outcomes compared to the current standard medication called alteplase. 1 in 5 tenecteplase treated patients have blood flow rapidly restored and do not require clot retrieval surgery compared to 1 in 10 with alteplase. (more…)
Author Interviews / 27.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. med. Carsten Lennerz, M.Sc. Deutsches Herzzentrum München München  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Knowing that strong electric motors cause electromagnetic fields (EM) and  that CIED (Cardiac implanted electronic devices) may malfunction due to electromagnetic fields raises serious concerns when electric cars are considered. Moreover the use of electric cars for private and public transport is increasing and thus the question of safety is becoming more and more important. 108 CIED patients drove and charged 4 commercially available e-cars on a roller bench test (simulating road driving in a safe environment). There were no adverse events and no electromagnetic interference was detected during driving or charging of the cars. (more…)
Author Interviews, Emory, Infections, JACC, Orthopedics / 26.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Robert Taylor, MD, PhD Marcus Chair in Vascular Medicine Executive Vice Chair, Medicine Director, Division of Cardiology Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering Emory University School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The early identification and localization of bacterial infections is a critical step for initiating effective treatment.   This is particularly challenging in the setting of infections associated with implanted medical devices.  We have developed a highly specific probe for bacteria that is based on the fact that bacteria have a specific system for taking up maltodextrins which are polysaccharides that mammalian cells cannot take up directly.  We can label this probe with either a fluorescent of radioactive tag that allows visualization of the bacteria. In the current article, we have used an animal model of implantable cardiac devices to demonstrate that our probe is very specific and sensitive for detecting bacterial infections.  It is worth noting that these are subclinical infections that could not be detected by any other means except for surgical removal. (more…)
Accidents & Violence, Author Interviews, Geriatrics, Vitamin D / 25.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Alex Krist, M.D., M.P.H. Dr. Krist is is a professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University and active clinician and teacher at the Fairfax Family Practice residency. What is the background for these recommendation statements? What are the main findings? Response: Falls are the leading cause of injuries in adults age 65 and older and can lead to serious disability and even death. Bone fractures—which may result from a fall—can also cause serious disability and death in older adults. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force looked into the most recent evidence on the best ways to prevent falls and fractures in older adults. We found that clinicians should recommend exercise or physical therapy to help prevent falls by older adults who live at home and are at higher risk for falling. Additionally, we concluded that taking a low dose of vitamin D and calcium does not help prevent fractures due to osteoporosis, but we don’t know if taking a higher dose is effective or not, so we are calling for more research. (more…)
Author Interviews, Opiods / 25.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Peter Grace PhD Professor in the Department of Critical Care Research University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He was a NHMRC Postdoctoral Fellow University of Colorado Boulder in the lab of Prof Linda Watkins MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?  Response: Opioids are effective for managing pain after surgery. However, we previously showed that opioids like morphine can have unexpected long-term effect when used to treat nerve pain in rats: just 5 days of morphine treatment shortly after nerve injury doubled the duration of pain (Grace et al., 2016; PNAS). Our current study shows that something similar happens in post-operative pain. When we gave daily morphine for a week after exploratory abdominal surgery (laparotomy), the postoperative pain lasted more than twice as long compared to rats that didn’t receive morphine at all. We also showed that the prolonged pain was correlated with immune signaling in the spinal cord, similar to what we showed in our previous study (Grace et al., 2016; PNAS). Importantly, this suggests that the long-term pain caused by morphine could be blocked while retaining short-term analgesia by inhibiting immune activation.  (more…)
Annals Internal Medicine, Author Interviews, Hepatitis - Liver Disease, Johns Hopkins, Opiods / 24.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Christine Marie Durand, M.D. Assistant Professor of Medicine Johns Hopkins Medicine  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study Response: Most Americans know that the United States faces an epidemic of deaths due to drug overdose.  And many are also aware that there is a critical shortage of organs available for transplant.  Perhaps less widely known is that today, more than 1 in every 8 deceased organ donors died from a drug overdose.  The objective of our study was to look at the outcomes of patients who received transplants with organs donated after an overdose. (more…)
Author Interviews, Emory, Hematology, JAMA, Neurological Disorders, Stroke / 23.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with : Dr. Hyacinth I Hyacinth MD Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, Emory Children’s Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, GA 30322 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? This study was conducted against the backdrop of a significantly higher risk for stroke among African Americans compared to non-Hispanic Whites, despite adjusting for traditional risk factors. Also, sickle cell disease is a well-known genetic risk factor for stroke and recent studies show that sickle cell trait is a risk factor for chronic kidney disease, venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism, all of which are potential risk factors for stroke. (more…)
Author Interviews, Fertility, Sexual Health / 22.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Michael O'Rand, PhD Retired professor of cell biology and physiology in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, and president/CEO of Eppin Pharma, Inc MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: My lab at the UNC School of Medicine discovered the protein Eppin in 2004. It coats the sperm cell. Through our subsequent research, we learned it is essential for sperm protection in the female. We thought it could make an excellent target for a male contraceptive. Subsequently we developed a compound called EP055 that would bind to Eppin and as a result stop sperm from swimming. In our latest study published in PLOS One, we show that EP055 substantially limits sperm motility in non-human primates. And we showed the effect of EP055 is temporary, which would make it a good contraceptive. (more…)
Author Interviews, Education, JAMA, Pediatrics / 20.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: “Children Playing at Swyalana Lagoon” by Doug Hay is licensed under CC BY 2.0Dr Anuja Pandey Population, Policy and Practice Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health London UK  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?  Response: Evidence from longitudinal studies suggests that self-regulation skills can be a powerful predictor of positive health, educational, financial and social outcomes. Hence, self-regulation has received interest as an intervention target and a number of interventions have been evaluated in children and adolescents. Our study summarised the evidence from 50 rigorously evaluated self-regulation interventions in children and adolescents including 23098 participants. We found that while most interventions were successful in improving self-regulation (66%), some of them did not produce a noticeable change (34%).Curriculum based approach was most commonly used to deliver interventions, and this involved training teachers, who implemented these interventions.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Heart Disease / 20.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Sean Lee Zheng BM BCh MA MRCP Cardiovascular Division King's College Hospital London British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence London, UK MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The growing prevalence of type 2 diabetes and its associated burden on cardiovascular disease is a global problem. A number of drug treatments effective in lowering blood glucose are now available, with the three latest drug classes developed being the DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors. While the use of medications from these three classes are increasing, it remains unknown how they compare in lowering the risk of death or cardiovascular disease. This leads to clinical uncertainty when it comes to introducing new medicines for our patients. Our study aimed to use data from randomized clinical trials in a network meta-analysis, allowing these three drug classes to be compared with one another. Our study, which included 236 studies enrolling 176310 participants, showed that the use of SGLT-2 inhibitors or GLP-1 agonists were associated with a lower risk of death than with DPP-4 inhibitors. SGLT-2 inhibitors had additional beneficial effects on heart failure events compared with the other two drug classes. (more…)
Author Interviews, Blood Pressure - Hypertension, NEJM / 20.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: “Blood Pressure” by Bernard Goldbach is licensed under CC BY 2.0José R. Banegas, M.D. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid, Spain MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Population-based studies and a few relatively small clinical investigations have defined the prognostic role of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in hypertensive patients. However, previous studies were mostly limited by relatively small number of outcomes. Our study is the largest worldwide and provides unequivocal evidence that ABPM is superior to clinic pressure at predicting total and cardiovascular mortality across a wide range of clinical scenarios – the differences are striking. Also, whether white-coat hypertension is a benign phenotype is still debated. Our study demonstrates that white-coat hypertension was not benign. Lastly, masked hypertension patients (clinic BP normal but ABPM elevated) experienced the greatest risk of death.   (more…)