Author Interviews

13 Jul

Posted at 20:35h in Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, Geriatrics, Pharmacology
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_24349" align="alignleft" width="200"]Leigh Purvis, MPA Director of Health Services Research AARP Public Policy Institute Ms. Leigh Purvis[/caption] Leigh Purvis, MPA Director of Health Services Research AARP Public Policy Institute Editors’ note: In conjunction with the AARP’s new investigative piece, 'Supplement Pills That Promise Too Much', Leigh Purvis, Director of the AARP Health Services Research program discussed the issue of the proliferation of supplements, often with labels that make extraordinary health benefit claims. MedicalResearch.com: How many Americans use nutritional supplements? How big is the business of supplements? Response: Supplements are very popular in the United States. This is particularly true for older adults. A recent study found that the proportion of older adults using supplements increased from 52 percent in 2005 to 64 percent in 2011, and the share using multiple supplements grew by nearly 50 percent. According to the National Institutes of Health, American spent an estimated $36.7 billion on dietary supplements in 2014.

13 Jul

Posted at 20:19h in Author Interviews, Compliance, Hospital Readmissions
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26091" align="alignleft" width="200"]Jennifer Polinski, Senior Director Enterprise Evaluation and Population Health Analytics CVS Health Woonsocket, Rhode Island Jennifer Polinski[/caption] Jennifer Polinski, Senior Director Enterprise Evaluation and Population Health Analytics CVS Health Woonsocket, Rhode Island MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Unnecessary and often preventable hospital readmissions are a growing and costly issue. An estimated one in seven patients discharged from a hospital is readmitted within 30 days, and startlingly, readmissions are associated with more than $41 billion in additional health care costs per year. In addition, evidence suggests that approximately 66 percent of hospital readmissions are the result of adverse health events related to medication non-adherence.

13 Jul

Posted at 20:04h in Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, Chemotherapy, Parkinson's
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26087" align="alignleft" width="133"]Charbel Moussa MD. PhD Assistant Professor of Neurology Director- Laboratory for Dementia and Parkinsonism Clinical Research Director- National Parkinson's Foundation Center for Excellence Translational Neurotherapeutics Program Department of Neurology Georgetown University Medical Center Washington DC. Dr. Charbel Moussa[/caption] Charbel Moussa MD. PhD Assistant Professor of Neurology Director- Laboratory for Dementia and Parkinsonism Clinical Research Director- National Parkinson's Foundation Center for Excellence Translational Neurotherapeutics Program Department of Neurology Georgetown University Medical Center Washington DC. MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We conducted a pilot open label proof-of-concept study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of Nilotinib in participants with advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) with dementia (PDD) or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Our primary objective is to demonstrate that low oral daily doses of 150mg or 300mg Nilotinib (compared to 600-800mg in cancer) are safe and tolerated. Our secondary objectives are that Nilotinib will cross the blood brain barier and may inhibit cerebral spinal fluid Abl. Based on preclinical data we also hypothesized that Nilotinib will increase DA levels. Motor and cognitive functions were also measured as exploratory clinical outcomes. Other exploratory outcomes are that Nilotinib may alter PD-related CSF biomarkers DJ-1 and α-synuclein. As most participants in this study had dementia we also explored the effects of Nilotinib on Alzheimer's Disease-related CSF biomarkers, including Aβ40 and Aβ42, total tau and phosphorylated tau (p-tau).

13 Jul

Posted at 19:26h in Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Orthopedics
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Marcos Muñoz Jimenez University of Jaén MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Barefoot running has become very popular in recent years and remains a hotly debated topic among runners. The debate about the pros and cons of barefoot running is current. Many coaches consider barefoot training to have an effect on muscle strength and to be important for performance and for preventing injuries. The main objective of this study is to determine what changes in foot strike, inversion-eversion and foot rotation are produced after a 12-week programme of barefoot running with progressive volume at the end of the athletes daily training session. Our data support that a 12-week programme of barefoot running training, applied by progressively increasing the volume of barefoot running, causes significant changes to foot strike patterns with a tendency towards midfoot strike, regardless of running speed.

13 Jul

Posted at 03:22h in Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, CMAJ, Pain Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25902" align="alignleft" width="150"]Jason Busse PhD Department of Anesthesia Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics McMaster University Hamilton, ON Dr. Jason Busse[/caption] Jason Busse PhD Department of Anesthesia Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics McMaster University Hamilton, ON MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Persistent pain after breast cancer surgery affects up to 60% of patients. Early identification of those at higher risk could help inform optimal management. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to explore factors associated with persistent pain among women who have undergone surgery for breast cancer. We found that development of persistent pain after breast cancer surgery was associated with younger age, radiotherapy, axillary lymph node dissection, greater acute postoperative pain and preoperative pain. Axillary lymph node dissection increases the absolute risk of persistent pain by 21%, and provides the only high yield target for a modifiable risk factor to prevent the development of persistent pain after breast cancer surgery.

13 Jul

Posted at 03:17h in Author Interviews, CT Scanning, Heart Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26076" align="alignleft" width="150"]Dr Maksymilian P. Opolski Department of Interventional Cardiology and Angiology Institute of Cardiology Warsaw, Poland Dr. Maksymilian Opolski[/caption] Dr Maksymilian P. Opolski Department of Interventional Cardiology and Angiology Institute of Cardiology Warsaw, Poland MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Valvular heart disease (VHD) that requires surgery is increasingly encountered in industrialized countries. Of particular interest, the presence of concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with VHD is related to worse clinical outcomes, and various clinical studies suggested that combined valve and bypass surgery reduces early and late mortality. Consequently, in the majority of such patients, pre-operative evaluation for coronary artery disease (CAD) with invasive coronary angiography is recommended. However, provided that most patients with valvular heart disease are found to have no significant coronary stenoses, coronary computed tomography angiography (coronary CTA) appears as an extremely appealing noninvasive alternative to invasive coronary angiography for exclusion of significant CAD. This is further justified when the risks of angiography outweigh its benefits (e.g. in cases of aortic dissection or aortic vegetation).

13 Jul

Posted at 03:11h in Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Diabetes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26082" align="alignleft" width="159"]Iliana Lega, MD, FRCPC Assistant Professor Department of Medicine and a Clinician Scientist University of Toronto Dr-Iliana-Lega[/caption] Iliana Lega, MD, FRCPC Assistant Professor Department of Medicine and a Clinician Scientist University of Toronto MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Diabetes and cancer share a variety of risk factors that predispose individuals to both conditions. However the exact mechanism of this relationship is unclear. Our study examined differences in cancer diagnosis at different time points around a diagnosis of diabetes. We found two interesting trends. First, people with diabetes have the highest risk for cancer in the first 3 months following a diagnosis of diabetes. Second, we found that people with diabetes are also more likely to have had cancer even prior to being diagnosed with diabetes.

12 Jul

Posted at 19:57h in Author Interviews, Metabolic Syndrome
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ilaria Cavallari, MD Department of Cardiovascular Sciences University Campus Bio-Medico Roma, Italy MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Obesity is a well-known risk factor for metabolic and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, more than the amount of adipose tissue, its function plays important roles in the development of CVD. Distribution of adiposity, evaluated by measuring body circumferences, is related to adipose dysfunction. Wrist circumference has been recently associated with insulin-resistance and diabetes. Therefore, body circumferences, wrist circumference in particular, are candidate easy and fast markers of cardiovascular risk, beyond the classical body mass index (BMI).

12 Jul

Posted at 19:42h in Author Interviews, Fertility, HPV, OBGYNE, STD
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26136" align="alignleft" width="149"]Dejan R. Nonato, MD, PhD Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health School of Medicine Federal University of Goiás Goiânia, GO, Brazil Dr. Dejan Nonato[/caption] Dejan R. Nonato, MD, PhD Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health School of Medicine Federal University of Goiás Goiânia, GO, Brazil MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) share the same route of sexual transmission and possess similar risk factors, indicating that co-infection may act synergistically in the induction of epithelial cell abnormalities.

12 Jul

Posted at 19:32h in Author Interviews, MRI, Weight Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26058" align="alignleft" width="160"]Guido Camps, MSc PhD candidate Wageningen University and Research Centre The Netherlands Guido Camps[/caption] Guido Camps, MSc PhD candidate Wageningen University and Research Centre The Netherlands Editor's note:  The researcher would like readers to be aware that this work is preliminary and has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The background was that we wanted to study gastric distension with actual food. Because using different foods would also change the caloric content, we added water. We wanted to see if we could measure both the stomach and the brain, and what the added distension would feel like to the subjects and what brain effects we could see.

12 Jul

Posted at 18:13h in Author Interviews, Diabetes, PLoS, Race/Ethnic Diversity
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26052" align="alignleft" width="128"]Matthew James O'Brien MD Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Dr. Matthew James O'Brien[/caption] Matthew James O'Brien MD Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In October 2015, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released new diabetes screening guidelines. This government-supported expert group recommended screening asymptomatic adults who are 40-70 years old and overweight or obese for diabetes. Recent population trends show that racial/ethnic minorities develop diabetes at younger ages and lower weights than whites. Therefore, we sought to determine whether these screening criteria may fail to identify racial/ethnic minorities or other high-risk population subgroups. Our study population was 50,515 patients from federally-funded community health centers, which serve large numbers of minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals.

12 Jul

Posted at 11:55h in Author Interviews, Diabetes, Diabetologia
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr Fraser W Gibb MBChB PhD FRCP Edin Consultant Physician / Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer Edinburgh Centre for Endocrinology & DiabetesDr Fraser W Gibb MBChB PhD FRCP Edin Consultant Physician / Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer Edinburgh Centre for Endocrinology & Diabetes MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We know that diabetic ketoacidosis is associated with a low risk of death in those admitted to hospital but we did not know what the risk of death was in the months and years following discharge from hospital. We have found that recurrent DKA admissions (more than 5 in a lifetime) are associated with a greater than 1 in 5 risk of death in the following three years compared to a 1 in 20 risk for those with only a single DKA. Recurrent DKA is more common in younger, more socially disadvantaged people.

12 Jul

Posted at 11:49h in Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Genetic Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26042" align="alignleft" width="150"]Ana I. Vazquez PhD Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan Dr. Ana I. Vazquez[/caption] Ana I. Vazquez PhD Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Precise predictions of whether a tumor is likely to spread would help clinicians and patients choose the best course of treatment. But current methods fall short of the precision needed. We tested whether breast cancer survival predictions could be improved by profiling primary tumor samples with genomic technologies. We found that predictions based on clinical information, such as cancer stage and subtype, improve when they incorporate comprehensive data on which genes are active in tumor samples compared to non-cancerous tissues from the same patient. This is also true for genome-wide methylation data, which maps the parts of the DNA that carry molecular "tags" that influence gene activation. If developed for use in the clinic, our approach could spare some patients from unneeded chemotherapy.

12 Jul

Posted at 11:39h in Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Hospital Readmissions, JACC, NYU/NYMC, Race/Ethnic Diversity
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Matthew Durstenfeld MD Department of Medicine Saul Blecker, MD, MHS Department of Population Health and Department of Medicine New York University School of Medicine NYU Langone Medical Center New York, New York MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Racial and ethnic disparities continue to be a problem in cardiovascular disease outcomes. In heart failure, minority patients have more readmissions despite lower mortality after hospitalization for heart failure. Some authors have attributed these racial differences to differences in access to care, although this has never been proven. Our study examined patients hospitalized within the municipal hospital system in New York City to see whether racial and ethnic disparities in readmissions and mortality were present among a diverse population with similar access to care. We found that black and Asian patients had lower one-year mortality than white patients; concurrently black and Hispanic patients had higher rates of readmission. These disparities persisted even after accounting for demographic and clinical differences among racial and ethnic groups.

12 Jul

Posted at 01:10h in Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Nutrition
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26078" align="alignleft" width="200"]Hsin-Jen Chen, PhD MS Assistant Professor Institute of Public Health National Yang-Ming University Taipei City Dr. Hsin-Jen Chen[/caption] Hsin-Jen Chen, PhD MS Assistant Professor Institute of Public Health National Yang-Ming University Taipei City MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The number of eating occasions may affect health. Laboratory experiments have been showing that splitting daily food consumption into more eating occasions could improve metabolic profiles, such as healthier blood glucose and lipids levels. However, such kinds of experiments usually design a highly controlled diet for the participants in the lab. It is questionable whether such metabolic benefits remain in our daily life (namely, no controlled diets) where we can eat at anytime when we want to eat.

12 Jul

Posted at 00:49h in Author Interviews, Infections
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jenny A. K. Ekberg Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University Institute for Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, School of Medical Science, Griffith University Queensland, Australia MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Melioidosis is a tropical bacterial infection that causes around 90,000 deaths world-wide each year. It is caused by the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei which can cause pneumonia and a serious flu-like illness which can cause death, however if the brain is infected, which happens in particular with the Australian variant of the disease, the mortality is particularly high (~25 %). The route by which the bacteria invade and progress through the central nervous system is to date largely unknown. We have now shown in an animal model that the bacteria can penetrate the trigeminal nerve within the nasal cavity and then rapidly invade the brainstem and spinal cord only 24 hours after intranasal inoculation. By migrating along the trigeminal nerve, the bacteria bypasses the blood-brain barrier.This study constitutes the first characterization of the path by which B. pseudomallei bacteria migrate all the way from the nasal cavity into the spinal cord.

11 Jul

Posted at 21:10h in Addiction, Alcohol, Author Interviews, Neurological Disorders
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:, [caption id="attachment_26029" align="alignleft" width="159"]Jun Wang, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (TAMU/TAMHSC) TAMHSC COLLEGE OF MEDICINE Bryan, TX 77807 Dr. Jun Wang[/caption] Jun Wang, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (TAMU/TAMHSC) TAMHSC COLLEGE OF MEDICINE Bryan, TX 77807 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Alcohol use disorder is a big problem for our society and only a limited number of medicine is available. We hope to find more treatment in animal models of alcoholism. A group of neurons containing dopamine D2 receptors in the brain prevent us from drinking alcohol heavily.

11 Jul

Posted at 19:00h in Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Cost of Health Care, Health Care Systems, JAMA
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25955" align="alignleft" width="160"]Laura B. Vater, MPH MD Candidate 2017 Indiana University School of Medicine Laura Vater[/caption] Laura B. Vater, MPH MD Candidate 2017 Indiana University School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In the United States, cancer center advertisements are common. Previous research has shown that these ads use emotion-based techniques to influence viewers and omit information about benefits, risks, and costs of cancer treatment. There is a concern that cancer center advertising may increase demand for unnecessary tests and treatments, increase healthcare costs, and provide unrealistic expectations about the benefits of cancer treatment. In this study, we examined cancer center advertising spending from 2005 to 2014, with particular attention to trends within media (television networks, magazines, newspapers, radio stations, billboards, and the Internet) and by target audience (national versus local).

11 Jul

Posted at 18:57h in Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Lipids
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Joost Besseling, PhD-student Academic Medical Center Dept. of Vascular Medicine Amsterdam MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?  Response: It was unkown to what extent statin therapy reduces the risk for coronary artery disease and mortality in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). One previous study found that the relative risk reduction was 76%, but the study population in this study consisted of with a very severe FH phenotype. This result is therefore an overestimation of the risk reduction in the general heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia population.

11 Jul

Posted at 18:53h in Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, Brain Injury, JAMA, Parkinson's
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25913" align="alignleft" width="150"]Paul K. Crane, MD MPH Professor Department of Medicine Adjunct Professor Department of Health Services University of Washington Dr. Paul Crane[/caption] Paul K. Crane, MD MPH Professor Department of Medicine Adjunct Professor Department of Health Services University of Washington MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The background is that the most common experience of head injury with loss of consciousness is an apparent recovery. Sometimes this is very fast, sometimes it takes somewhat longer, but typically people return to their prior baseline. Nevertheless there is concern that the head injury may have set in motion processes that would lead to late life neurodegenerative conditions. This is bad enough for someone to deal with but it's made even worse if the head injury isn't even the victim's fault. Previous research has focused especially on Alzheimer's disease. A more limited research has focused on Parkinson's disease. We used data from three prospective cohort studies that included more than 7,000 people to study the relationship between head injury with loss of consciousness and subsequent risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. We collected head injury exposure data at study enrollment, at a time when we administered cognitive tests and knew they did not have dementia, so our exposure data are not biased. Each of these studies also performed brain autopsies on people who died, and we evaluated data from more than 1500 autopsies.

11 Jul

Posted at 18:46h in AHA Journals, Author Interviews, CDC, Heart Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25748" align="alignleft" width="200"]Suzanne Meredith Gilboa, PhD Epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Dr. Suzanne Gilboa[/caption] Suzanne Meredith Gilboa, PhD Epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Because of advancements in care, there has been a decline in mortality from congenital heart defects (CHD) over the last several decades. However, there are no current empirical data documenting the number of people living with CHD in the United States (US). The purpose of this study was to estimate the  congenital heart defects prevalence across all age groups in the US for the year 2010. Using prevalence data from Québec, Canada in the year 2010 as a foundation for a mathematical model, we estimated that approximately 2.4 million people (1.4 million adults, 1 million children) were living with CHD in the US in the year 2010. Nearly 300,000 subjects had severe CHD. Overall, there was a slight predominance of females compared to males.

11 Jul

Posted at 11:21h in Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Stem Cells
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26013" align="alignleft" width="160"]Cédric Blanpain, MD, PhD Professor of Stem Cell and Developmental Biology WELBIO, Interdisciplinary Research Institute (IRIBHM) Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) Belgium Dr. Cédric Blanpain[/caption] Cédric Blanpain, MD, PhD Professor of Stem Cell and Developmental Biology WELBIO, Interdisciplinary Research Institute (IRIBHM) Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) Belgium MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Many cancers arise from tissues maintained by stem and progenitor cells that ultimately give rise to non-dividing terminally differentiated cells. However, little is known about the contribution of stem cells and progenitors to cancer initiation. During tumor initiation, cells targeted by oncogenic mutations undergo a series of molecular changes leading to their clonal expansion and the acquisition of invasive properties. How exactly oncogenic mutations impact on the rate of stem cell and progenitor division, and change the proportion of divisions that result in symmetric and asymmetric cell fate, allowing clonal expansion and tumor progression is poorly understood. In this new study, we define for the first time the clonal dynamics that lead to skin cancer initiation using the basal cell carcinoma, the most frequent tumor in humans, as a model.

11 Jul

Posted at 11:08h in Author Interviews, Biomarkers, Colon Cancer, Science
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26009" align="alignleft" width="104"]Jeanne Tie MBChB, FRACP, MD Division of Systems Biology and Personalised Medicine, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Department of Medical Oncology, Western Health, St Albans, Victoria, Australia. Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria, Australia Dr. Jeanne Tie[/caption] Jeanne Tie MBChB, FRACP, MD Division of Systems Biology and Personalised Medicine, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Department of Medical Oncology, Western Health, St Albans, Victoria, Australia. Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria, Australia MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: This study investigated the ability of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in detecting residual microscopic cancer after surgery with curative intent in patients with stage II colon cancer. Although the majority of patients with stage II colon cancer are cured by surgery alone, our ability to accurately predict the risk of cancer relapse based on current clinical and pathological criteria is imprecise. Population-based study indicated that adjuvant chemotherapy is given to up to 40% of stage II colon cancer patients, meaning that we are over-treating a significant number of patients with cytotoxic therapy. A better indicator of residual disease and recurrence would be very useful clinically. The current study collected tumor and blood samples from 230 patients with stage II colorectal cancer. A personalised assay was then designed to detect patient-specific tumor DNA in the plasma samples collected four to ten weeks after surgery. The presence of ctDNA (positive test) in the post-operative blood sample predicted recurrence in 100% of patients, while the relapse rate is only 10% in those with negative ctDNA test. We have also shown that the ctDNA test is a better predictor of recurrence than the standard clinic-pathological criteria.

11 Jul

Posted at 04:01h in Author Interviews, Orthopedics
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Duong Nguyen, Medicine Professional Corporation MD,MSc(c),FRCSC,DipABOS,DipSportsMed(ABOS),FAAOS,CIME [caption id="attachment_26002" align="alignleft" width="147"]Dr. Duong Nguyen Medicine Professional Corporation MD,MSc(c),FRCSC,DipABOS,DipSportsMed(ABOS),FAAOS,CIME,DipSportMed(CASEM) Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Subspecialty Board Certification in Sports Medicine (ABOS) Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (FRCSC/AAOS) Certified Independent Medical Examiner (ABIME) Diplomate Sport & Exercise Medicine (CASEM) Arthroscopic & Reconstructive Shoulder,Elbow & Knee Surgery Medical Director / Urgent Sports Injury & Fracture Clinic MSc Candidate/ Clinical Epidemiology & Health Research Methodology Adjunct Clinical Professor - McMaster University Toronto, ON. Dr. Duong Nguyen[/caption] Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Subspecialty Board Certification in Sports Medicine Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Certified Independent Medical Examiner (ABIME) Diplomate Sport & Exercise Medicine (CASEM) Arthroscopic & Reconstructive Shoulder,Elbow & Knee Surgery Medical Director / Urgent Sports Injury & Fracture Clinic MSc Candidate/ Clinical Epidemiology & Health Research Methodology Adjunct Clinical Professor - McMaster University Toronto, ON. MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: ACL re-tear after surgery is a serious complication in the sports medicine world with many implications for the athlete such as lost game time, the morbidity of a second surgery and extended rehabilitation, lost scholarship, decreased self esteem and social isolation,as well as decreased academic performance. We found in our study that athletes who are less than 25, are female, and have a graft size less than 8 mm are at increased risk for ACL re-tear after surgery.

11 Jul

Posted at 01:53h in Author Interviews, Cancer, Cancer Research, UCLA
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25998" align="alignleft" width="200"]Karim Chamie MD, MSHS Department of Urology Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center David Geffen School of Medicine University of California at Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Dr. Karim Chamie[/caption] Karim Chamie MD, MSHS Department of Urology Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center David Geffen School of Medicine University of California at Los Angeles Los Angeles, California MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: With improved cancer outcomes, there are 14 million cancer survivors alive in the United States in 2012. That number is expected to increase to nearly 20 million by 2024. With such a large population, many of these cancer survivors are at risk for developing a second primary malignancy. Multiple primary cancers now account for approximately 17% of all incident cancers reported each year in the United States. Cancer survivors may be especially susceptible to developing second primary malignancies due to a variety of unique factors, including genetic syndromes, common etiologic exposures, and the late effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Given the longer duration of cancer survivorship and the substantial proportion of survivors at risk for developing second primary malignancies, the incidence and mortality from second primary malignancies are likely to increase.

11 Jul

Posted at 01:03h in Asthma, Author Interviews, Environmental Risks
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25994" align="alignleft" width="127"]Jamie T Mullins PhD Environmental Economics and Applied Microeconomic Department of Resource Economics University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA 01003 Dr. Jamie Mullins[/caption] Jamie T Mullins PhD Environmental Economics and Applied Microeconomic Department of Resource Economics University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA 01003 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Episodic triggers of asthma are widely known, but the root causes of the condition still aren’t well understood. There is also very limited evidence on the long-term impacts of exposure to air pollution. Speaking to both issues, we find evidence linking the development of asthma to exposure to a significant air pollution event early in life. The 1952 London Smog provides a natural experiment for studying the underlying cause of asthma and the long-term effects of air pollution exposure, while limiting threats from statistical confounding. The London Smog (also called the “Great Smog”) dramatically increased concentrations of air pollution across the city in December of 1952. We compare the incidence of asthma among those exposed to the Great Smog in utero or the first year of life to those in relevant comparison groups, including those conceived after the incident and those residing outside the affected area at the time of the Smog.

11 Jul

Posted at 00:49h in Author Interviews, Infections
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25990" align="alignleft" width="180"]Dr-Harri-Hemilae.jpg Dr. Harri Hemilä[/caption] Hemilä Harri Hemilä, MD, PhD Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Our meta-analysis of 3 randomized controlled trials on zinc acetate lozenges was motivated by an early trial which indicated that zinc lozenges might be more effective for patients with allergies. We found that allergy, sex, age, and ethnic bacground did not influence the effect of zinc acetate lozenges. Thus, the average effect of 3 day reduction in colds seems to be applicable for a wide range of common cold patients.

10 Jul

Posted at 15:55h in Accidents & Violence, Author Interviews, Education, Geriatrics, Nursing
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25985" align="alignleft" width="123"]Dr. Lisa Kirk Wiese PhD, RN, APHN-BC C.E. Lynn College of Nursing Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL 3343 Dr. Lisa Wiese[/caption] MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The impetus for this article was our experience from working at FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing’s Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center with families as we conducted assessments of older adults referred to our program by family members or law enforcement. We realized that there is a need to educate nurses that a) they can help to identify persons who may be at risk for unsafe driving before accidents occur, and b) there are resources to help families and nurses navigate this challenging topic. This awareness is especially important for persons and friend/family members who find themselves trying to cope with a known or potential diagnosis of dementia.

10 Jul

Posted at 13:08h in Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Pancreatic, Weight Research
[caption id="attachment_23151" align="alignleft" width="144"]Rakesh K. Jain, Ph.D. A.W.Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology (Tumor Biology) Director, E.L. Steele Laboratory Department of Radiation Oncology Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA 02114 Dr. Rakesh Jain[/caption] MedicalResearch.com Interview with; Dr. Rakesh K. Jain, PhD A.W.Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology (Tumor Biology) Director, E.L. Steele Laboratory Department of Radiation Oncology Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA 02114 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer death worldwide, and more than half of patients diagnosed with PDAC are overweight or obese. Among patients with PDAC, obesity more than doubles the already high risk of death, and our work aims to reveal the underlying mechanisms. Specifically, we identified that obesity increases desmoplasia – an accumulation of connective tissue and inflammation – hallmark of Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and discovered underlying mechanisms. In our report published online in Cancer Discovery, we describe how interactions among fat cells, immune cells and connective tissue cells in obese individuals create a microenvironment that promotes tumor progression while diminishing the response to chemotherapy. We demonstrated the negative impact of obesity on numerous aspects of tumor growth, progression and treatment response in several animal models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and confirmed some of our findings in samples from cancer patients. Along with finding that tumors from obese mice or patients exhibited elevated levels of adipocytes or fat cells and of desmoplasia, both of which fuel tumor progression and interfere with treatment response, we identified the underlying causes. The elevated desmoplasia in obese mouse models of PDAC was caused by the activation of pancreatic stellate cells through the angiotensin II type-1 receptor (AT1) signaling pathway. This activation was induced by interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) produced by fat cells as well as the immune cells called neutrophils within tumors. Inhibiting AT1 signaling with losartan, which is used clinically to treat hypertension, or the blockade of IL-1ß reduced obesity-associated desmoplasia and tumor growth and increased the response to chemotherapy in the obese mouse model but not in normal weight animals. Analysis of tumors from human PDAC patients revealed increased desmoplasia and fat deposits in samples from obese patients, and data from more than 300 patients showed that excess weight was associated with a reduction in patients.

10 Jul

Posted at 12:50h in Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Cost of Health Care, JAMA
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25980" align="alignleft" width="180"]Lisa Soleymani Lehmann, MD, PhD Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics Director, Center for Bioethics, Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts Dr. Lisa Lehmann[/caption] Lisa Soleymani Lehmann, MD, PhD Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics Director, Center for Bioethics Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The background for this study is the Choosing Wisely Campaign from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). This campaign has asked specialty boards to come up with lists of interventions (e.g., imaging, medications, tests) that patients and doctors should question. When it initially came out, we thought it was a great idea, but wondered if patients and doctors would agree that some of the interventions are low value. It’s hard to cut back on things that patients feel are valuable to their care, especially as patient ratings of their doctor’s care become part of hospital ratings and physician reimbursement.