Author Interviews
14 Jul Chronic Inflammation Associated With Increased Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr Alex Dregan Lecturer in Translational Epidemiology and Public Health, Division of Primary Care and Public Health Research King's College London, London Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Dregan: Our study showed that chronic inflammation was associated with increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, specifically type II diabetes and coronary heart disease. The risk of cardiovascular disease increased with the severity of inflammatory disorders. In addition, inflammation also increased the risk of multiple morbidity (two or more cardiovascular diseases).14 Jul Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical Features and MRI Changes of Decision-Making Difficulties
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr Nils Muhlert
Wellcome Trust ISSF Research Fellow
School of Psychology
Cardiff University
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Muhlert: Decision making impairments are known to occur in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and are important, given they can contribute to employment status, treatment compliance and function in everyday life. Studies by Kleeberg, Simioni and others have demonstrated that decision-making impairments can occur early in the course of multiple sclerosis and get worse as the disease progresses. Questions however remain over whether these impairments are linked to more general cognitive difficulties, differences between multiple sclerosis subtypes, and their relationship with MRI changes.
We assessed decision-making and examined MRI changes in a relatively large sample of people with multiple sclerosis (N = 105) and healthy controls (N = 43). All participants performed the Cambridge Gambling Task, which independently measures risk-taking, impulsivity, deliberation and risk adjustment, and underwent an MRI scan including T1-weighted and diffusion MRI sequences.
We demonstrate that people with multiple sclerosis experience difficulties with risk adjustment (gauging risk and adapting accordingly) and in the speed of making decisions but not in impulsivity. These problems were seen in those classified as having cognitive impairment and those not (i.e. cognitively unimpaired). We found that decision-making impairments were twice as common in people with relapsing-remitting and primary progressive MS than healthy controls, and almost four times as common in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. In addition, decision making impairments in multiple sclerosis were linked to MRI changes in regions previously linked to decision-making in other conditions, including fronto-striatal and hippocampal regions. These findings offer insight into the precise decision-making difficulties experienced by people with multiple sclerosis, the relative prevalences in different subtypes of the disease and the pathological processes that may underlie them.
13 Jul Hypoxia Associated With Improved Insulin Sensitivity
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Eric Ravussin, Ph.D., Boyd Professor
Director Nutrition Obesity Research Center
Douglas L. Gordon Chair in Diabetes and Metabolism
Associate Executive Director for Clinical Science
Baton Rouge LA
Medical Research: What is the background of this study?
Dr. Ravussin: It has long been postulated that hypoxia is bad for metabolic health.
Hypoxia of adipose tissue has been thought to cause oxidative stress, resulting in the recruitment of macrophages with resultant secretion of cytokines and inflammation. However, repeated bouts of hypoxia induced during vigorous exercise results in increased glucose uptake and vascularization of muscle tissue. In addition, living at high altitude is associated with a lower prevalence of impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes compared with living at low altitude.
Therefore, we asked the question, “What is the balance between the beneficial effects of hypoxia in muscle tissue and ‘bad’ effects in adipose tissue”? We devised a study in eight healthy men of different ethnicities, put into a hypoxic environment for 10 consecutive nights for 10 hours. The subjects slept in a hypoxic tent, using nitrogen dilution.
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Ravussin: The main findings of this study included:
- Adipose tissue hypoxia was confirmed;
- Subjects lost an average of 1.2 kg;
- This study reports for the first time a reduced fasting glucose level and improved whole-body (skeletal muscle) and hepatic insulin sensitivity after nightly exposure to moderate hypoxia.
12 Jul Kidney Stone Risk Rises With the Temperature
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Gregory Tasian, MD, MSc, MSCE
Attending Urologist
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Tasian: The risk of developing kidney stones increased during the study period in all the cities except Los Angeles when mean daily temperatures rose above 50°F (10°C). Mean daily temperatures reaching 86°F (30°C) were associated with risk increases of 38% in Atlanta, 37% in Chicago, 36% in Dallas, and 47% in Philadelphia compared with 50°F (10°C). Kidney stone risk peaked within 3-5 days of exposure to high temperatures but then decreased within 7 to 10 days afterward.
12 Jul Psychiatric Medications Linked To High Number of ER Visits
MedicalResearch.com interview with: Lee M. Hampton, MD, MSc: Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, Georgia Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Hampton: The study, which used CDC's national outpatient adverse drug event surveillance system (NEISS-CADES), found that there are almost 90,000 estimated annual emergency department visits by adults for adverse drug events from therapeutic use of antipsychotics, antidepressants, sedatives and anxiolytics, lithium salts or stimulants between 2009 and 2011. Almost one in five of those emergency department visits (19.3%) resulted in hospitalization. Sedatives and anxiolytics, antidepressants, and antipsychotics each caused 20,000 to 30,000 emergency department visits annually. However, relative to how often each of these types of medications was prescribed at outpatient visits, antipsychotics and lithium salts were more likely to cause emergency department visits for adverse drug events than were sedatives, stimulants, and antidepressants. Antipsychotics caused 3.3 times more emergency department visits for adverse drug events than sedatives, 4.0 times more emergency department visits than stimulants, and 4.9 times more emergency department visits than antidepressants relative to their outpatient use. Out of the 83 specific drugs the study looked at, ten drugs were implicated in nearly 60% of the emergency department visits for ADEs from therapeutic use of antipsychotics, antidepressants, sedatives and anxiolytics, lithium salts or stimulants. Zolpidem was implicated in nearly 12% of all such emergency department visits and 21% of such emergency department visits involving adults aged 65 years or older, more than any other antipsychotic, antidepressant, sedative or anxiolytic, lithium salt or stimulant.11 Jul End Stage Kidney Disease: Does Peritoneal Dialysis Offer A Survival Advantage?
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Victoria A. Kumar, M.D. Internal Medicine/Nephrology Division of Nephrology Department of Internal Medicine Southern California Permanente Medical Group Los Angeles, California, USA Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Kumar: There was over a 2 fold increase in patient survival in incident peritoneal dialysis patients in the first year on dialysis compared to propensity matched incident hemodialysis patients. We excluded any patients who utilized a central dialysis catheter at any point during the first 90 days on hemodialysis in an effort to reduce the mortality bias associated with hemodialysis patients who start with a catheter. All hemodialysis patients had pre-dialysis care by a nephrologist prior to starting dialysis. The 2+ fold increase in survival among peritoneal dialysis patients resulted in a 2-3 year cumulative survival advantage for peritoneal dialysis patients, using both intent to treat and as-treated analyses.10 Jul Reducing Overuse of Cardiac Biomarkers Generates Substantial Health Care Savings
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Jeff Trost, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Trost: In our study, we reported the use of two relatively simple tactics to significantly reduce the number of unnecessary blood tests to assess symptoms of heart attack and chest pain and to achieve a large decrease in patient charges.
Specifically, we
- 1) Provided information and education to physicians about proven testing guidelines and
- 2) Made changes to the computerized provider order entry system at the medical center, part of the Johns Hopkins Health System. The guidelines call for more limited use of blood tests for so-called cardiac biomarkers. A year after implementation, our intervention led to an estimated $1.25 million reduction in laboratory charges.
10 Jul Smoking Plus Mental Illness Leads To Substantial Economic Burden
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Ms Qi Wu:
Mental Health and Addiction Research Group, Department of Health Sciences
University of York, Heslington
York UK
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Ms Qi Wu: At any time in the UK about one in six adults has a mental health problem, the prevalence of smoking in this group is over 33%, which is around 50% higher than in the general population. It is estimated that 3 million adults with mental disorders were smokers in 2009-10. Meanwhile, people with mental health disorders are also more likely to smoke heavily, this group accounts for as much as 42% of the total national tobacco consumption. In this study, we calculated the avoidable economic burden of smoking in people with mental disorders.
The main finding was that people with mental disorders who smoke cost the UK economy £2.34 billion a year. The total costs are more or less equally divided among losses sustained from premature death, lost productivity, and healthcare costs to treat smoking related diseases such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in this group. An estimated £719 million (31% of the total cost) was spent on treating diseases caused by smoking. Productivity losses due to smoking-related diseases were about £823 million (35%) for work- related absenteeism and £797 million (34%) was associated with premature mortality.
10 Jul Childhood Tuberculosis Likely Under-diagnosed and Under-reported
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Pete Dodd (BA, BSc, MMath, PhD)
Research associate in health economic modelling
Health Economics and Decision Science
ScHARR
Regent Court Sheffield
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Dodd: We found that over 650,000 children under the age of 15 developed tuberculosis in the 22 highest burden countries in 2010, with around 7.6 million becoming infected with the bacillus and more than 50 million harboring latent infection.
Our work points to a much larger gap between notifications and incidence in children compared to adults.
10 Jul Regular Use of Some NSAIDs May Increase Adverse Cardiovascular Events.
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Anthony Bavry, MD MPH
Interventional Cardiology, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System
Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32610
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Bavry:
1) Among post-menopausal women, the regular use of NSAIDs was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke.
2) Cardiovascular risk was observed among users of celecoxib, naproxen, but not ibuprofen.
10 Jul Premenopausal Breast Cancer: Exemestane Found Superior to Tamoxifen in Estrogen Positive Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Olivia Pagani
Clinical Director of the Breast Unit of Southern Switzerland
Ospedale San Giovanni, Switzerland
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Pagani: The study showed that the aromatase inhibitor Exemestane is superior to Tamoxifen (both given together with ovarian function suppression) in preventing breast cancer recurrence in premenopausal women with oestrogen receptor positive early breast cancer.
10 Jul ICU Admission For Pulmonary Embolism Varies By Hospital
Posted at 01:08h
in Author Interviews, CHEST, Critical Care - Intensive Care - ICUs, Thromboembolism
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Colin Cooke MD, MSc, MS
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
University of Michigan
Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy
Ann Arbor, MI
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Cooke: We determined that when patients who are hospitalized for pulmonary embolism (PE), a blood clot in the lung, approximately 1 in 5 will be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). However, the chances that a patient will go to an ICU is highly dependent upon which hospital they are admitted to. For example, some hospitals admitted only 3% of patients with pulmonary embolism to an ICU while others admitted almost 80%.
Importantly, the differences in how hospitals use their ICU for patients with pulmonary embolism was not entirely related to the patient’s need for life support measures, the things that the ICU is designed to deliver. For example, the ICU patients in high ICU-use hospitals tended to receive fewer procedures, including mechanical ventilation, arterial catheterization, central lines, and medications to dissolve blood clots. This suggest that high utilizing hospitals are admitting patients to the ICU with weaker indications for ICU admission.
10 Jul Opioid Deaths Particularly High Among Young People
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Tara Gomes
St Michael's Hospital
Toronto, ON, Canada
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Tara Gomes: We found that rates of opioid overdose in Ontario have increased more than 3-fold over the past 2 decades. Furthermore, these deaths are clustered among younger Ontarians; in 2010, 1 in 8 deaths among those aged 25 to 34 years were related to opioids. This has led to considerable burden due to loss of life.
09 Jul Diabetes, Age and Obesity Drive Demand for Endocrinologists
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Robert A. Vigersky, MD
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Bethesda, MD
Medical Research: What type of patients do endocrinologists typically treat and why is the demand for their services anticipated to grow?
Dr. Vigersky: Endocrinologists are physicians trained in managing, diagnosing, and treating disorders of the endocrine system: thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands, hypophyseal and hypothalamic axes, ovaries, testes, and pancreas. Their role involves controlling diabetes mellitus, menopause, hyperthyroidism and other conditions involving metabolism.
A major factor affecting the anticipated demand for health care services is the aging population. In 2010, there were 37.5 million people age 65 or over, constituting about 12.7 percent of the total population, and by 2025 the population age 65 or over will number 62.5 million (17.9 percent of the population). Due to the greater prevalence of many of the diseases in older age groups, like osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, and thyroid nodules, the growth in the population age 65 or over will exert a major influence on the demand for endocrine services.
Diabetes, by itself, is a major driver of demand. The incidence of Type 2 diabetes rises dramatically with age, and with obesity. In an increasingly overweight population an estimated 22.3 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with diabetes as of 2012, representing about 7 percent of the population. This estimate is higher than but consistent with those published by the CDC for 2010. The percentage of the population with diagnosed diabetes continues to rise, with one study projecting that as many as one in three U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue.
09 Jul Venous Thromboembolism Associated With Short and Long Term Increase In Mortality
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Kirstine Kobberøe Søgaard, MD
Department of Clinical Epidemiology,
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Response: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is mainly considered an acute illness with a high mortality right after the event, whereas knowledge on the impact on long-term survival has been sparse. In our study, we used nationwide data on VTE since 1977, and included 128,223 patients with VTE and 640,760 individuals from the general population without a VTE diagnosis. We had complete follow-up data on individual patient level and were able to link information from other hospital admissions and thereby obtain each patient’s entire hospital history, as well as death statistics with specific cause of death. We confirmed the high mortality immediately after the thromboembolic event, but more interestingly, we found that mortality remained increased during the entire follow-up period of 30 years, with venous thromboembolism as an important cause of death among patients with deep venous thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism.
09 Jul Biomarker BNP Linked To Severity of Aortic Stenosis
MedicalResearch.com Interview with :
Philippe Pibarot, DVM, PhD, FAHA, FACC, FESC, FASE
Professeur titulaire, Département de Médecine, Université Laval
Professor, Department of Medicine, Laval University
Directeur, Chaire de Recherche du Canada sur les Maladies Valvulaires Cardiaques
Chair, Canada Research Chair in Valvular Heart Diseases
Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de QuébecQuébec Heart & Lung Institute - Local Y4165
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Pibarot: The optimal timing of aortic valve replacement (AVR) in asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) remains a matter of debates. Both the American and European guidelines recommend AVR for patients with severe AS who present with symptoms or left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. However, patients with aortic stenosis are often older, less physically active and have more comorbidities, which make the assessment of AS-related symptoms challenging and unreliable. In this study by Capoulade et al, plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were obtained in 157 patients with severe asymptomatic aortic stenosis and preserved LV ejection fraction at peak of exercise-stress echocardiography. Patients in the upper (>95 pg/ml) and mid (>45 pg/ml) tertiles of exercise BNP respectively had a 5- and 3- fold increase in the risk of events (i.e. AVR or death) compared to those in the lower tertile. Similar results were obtained in the subset of patients with low resting BNP.
09 Jul Do Antibiotics Improve Post-Op Course Following Cholecystectomy?
MedicalResearch.com Interview with :
Pr. Jean-Marc Regimbeau
Service de Chirurgie Digestive Oncologique et Métabolique,
CHU dAmiens
Medical Research : What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: In our study we found that the absence of postoperative administration of amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid did not improve the occurrence of postoperative infections in patients with mild or moderate acute calculous cholecystitis. The bile cultures were pathogen free in 60.9% of case. Moreover we show that less than 2 percent of the overall population presented a major complication defined according to the Clavien Dindo Classification (Clavien score ≥3a). After cholecystectomy the readmission rate was 6%.
09 Jul Smoking Cessation: Odds Improved By Combining Chantix With Nicotine Patches
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Coenie Koegelenberg, MBChB, MMed (Int), FCP (SA), MRCP (UK), Cert Pulm (SA), PhD
Associate Professor: Pulmonology
Stellenbosch University & Tygerberg Academic Hospital
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Koegelenberg: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of combining varenicline and a nicotine patch versus varenicline alone as an aid to smoking cessation in a double-blind study design in a larger group and with a longer assessment period than has been studied to date. It was found that the combination treatment was associated with a statistically significant and clinically important higher continuous abstinence rate at 12 weeks (55.4% vs. 40.9%; P=.007) and 24 weeks (49.0% vs. 32.6%; P=.004), and point prevalence abstinence rate at 6 months (65.1% vs. 46.7%; P=.002). The present study was not adequately powered to fully assess safety and tolerability endpoints, but the results suggest that adverse events were balanced across treatment arms, except for mild skin reactions that were more frequently observed in the nicotine patch group (14.4% vs. 7.8%, P=.03).
09 Jul Study Finds No Link Between HPV Vaccine and Blood Clots
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Nikolai Madrid Scheller Department of Epidemiology Research Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: In a large and comprehensive study of more than 1.5 million women including more than 500,000 HPV vaccinated there was no association between HPV vaccination and blood clots.08 Jul Childhood Obesity: Sibling Influence May Be Greater Than Parents
MedicalResearch:.com Interview with:
Mark C. Pachucki, PhD
Senior Scientist, Mongan Institute for Health Policy
Affiliated Faculty, MGHfC Division of General Academic Pediatrics
Instructor in Medicine and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA 02114
MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Pachucki: We found that in in one-child families, having an obese parent made a child about twice as likely to be obese themselves. However, in two-child families, a child’s obesity status was more strongly related with their sibling than with their parent. Even more interesting, in the case of the younger sibling, the parent’s obesity status was not related with that child’s obesity status at all. These findings matter because family members are primary sources of social influence for children – understanding how health status is correlated within a family gives us a better foothold on possible intervention strategies.
08 Jul Diabetes: Whey Protein Before Meals May Improve Glucose Control
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Professor Daniela Jakubowicz MD
Diabetes Unit. E. Wolfson Medical Center
Sackler Faculty of Medicine,
Tel Aviv University
and Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Prof. Jakubowicz: In type 2 diabetes there is a deficit of post-meal insulin secretion (from pancreatic beta-cells) that contributes to an exaggerated elevation in blood glucose. In this study we found that consumption of whey protein shortly before breakfast augmented GLP-1 (a gut hormone that stimulates insulin secretion) enhancing insulin response and lowering glucose excursions after breakfast.
08 Jul Nurse Visitation During Pregnancy and Infancy Reduced Maternal and Child Mortality
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
David Olds, Ph.D.
Professor of Pediatrics and Director
Prevention Research Center for Family and Child Health
University of Colorado Department of Pediatrics
Aurora, Colorado 80045
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Olds: We’ve conducted a randomized controlled trial of a program of nurse home visiting for low-income women with no previous live firths during pregnancy and the first two years of the child’s life, with randomization of participants beginning in 1990. In our most recent follow-up of mothers and children in Memphis, those who received nurse-visitation were less likely to have died over a 2-decade period following the child’s birth than those in the control group. Death among mothers and children in these age ranges in the US is rare and extraordinarily important for what it tells us about the health of the population studied in this trial.
For children, the reduction in death was present for preventable causes, that is, sudden infant death syndrome, injuries, and homicide. All of the child deaths for preventable causes were in the control group, for whom the rate was 1.6%. None of the nurse-visited children died of preventable causes.
The reductions in maternal mortality were found for two nurse-visited groups combined for this report: one received prenatal and newborn visitation and a second received visitation during pregnancy and through child age two. Overall, mothers assigned to the control group were nearly 3 times more likely to die than those assigned to the two nurse-visited conditions. The relative reduction in maternal mortality was particularly pronounced for deaths linked to maternal behaviors -- suicide, drug overdose, injuries, and homicide; for these external causes of death, 1.7% of the mothers in the control group had died, compared to 0.2% of those visited by nurses.
08 Jul Recalled Yogurt Harbored Harmful Fungus
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Soo Chan Lee, PhD
Senior Research Associate,
Center for Microbial Pathogenesis,
Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology,
Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, N.C. 27710
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Soo Chan Lee: Mucor circinelloides strain isolated from recalled Chobani yogurt was found to be the most virulent subspecies M. circinelloides forma circinelloides that is commonly associated with human infections. When mice were infected with this fungus through the tail-vein, 80% mortality was observed 5 days post infection. When mice were fed with spores, the fungus survived passage through the GI tract as many as 10 days, indicating the fungus can colonize to cause infections. Whole genome sequence analysis revealed the possibility that this fungus could produce harmful secondary metabolites that are unknown in this fungal species.
08 Jul Sleep Deprivation Can Induce Symptoms Resembling Schizophrenia
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Ettinger
Departments of Psychology
University of Bonn
Bonn, Germany
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Prof. Ettinger: We found that 24-hour sleep deprivation induced subjective cognitive, perceptual and emotional alterations resembling the symptoms of schizophrenia. We also observed that sleep deprivation led to a deficit in a sensorimotor filter mechanism called prepulse inhibition (PPI), similar to the disturbance seen in schizophrenia.
08 Jul Painful Diabetic Neuropathy Linked To Higher Nocturnal Blood Pressure
Posted at 01:33h
in Author Interviews, Blood Pressure - Hypertension, Diabetes, Diabetes Care, Sleep Disorders
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Vincenza Spallone MD PhD
Endocrinology and Neurology
Department of Systems Medicine
Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Spallone:To investigate a possible relationship between painful diabetic polyneuropathy (PDPN) and the circadian pattern of blood pressure (BP), we performed ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in 113 diabetic patients with PDPN, with painless diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) and without DPN. In addition, we evaluated neuropathic pain, sleep, risk for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), autonomic function, and in a subgroup of patients, depressive symptoms.
The main finding was that patients with painful diabetic polyneuropathy displayed impaired nocturnal fall in BP compared to those without neuropathy, and higher nocturnal systolic blood pressure than the other two groups. Although the day-night change (∆) in blood pressure failed to reach a significant difference between painful diabetic polyneuropathy and DPN groups, nondipping (the loss of nocturnal fall in systolic BP) was more strictly associated with painful diabetic polyneuropathy than DPN and in multivariate analysis, including comorbidities and most potential confounders, neuropathic pain was an independent determinant of ∆ BP and nocturnal systolic blood pressure.
In summary, we showed a novel association of peripheral diabetic neuropathic pain with nondipping and higher systolic nocturnal blood pressure, which was not entirely explained through pain dependent sleep problems or other pain- or diabetes-related comorbidities, like CAN, OSA and depression.
08 Jul Diabetes: Even High Risk Patients May Have Modifiable Risk Factors
MedicalResearch.com: Interview with: Interview with Professor Donald W Bowden and Dr. Amanda J Cox Center for Diabetes Research, Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The study examined modifiable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and risk for mortality in a subset of individuals from the Diabetes Heart Study who were at high risk based for cardiovascular disease based on burden of subclinical CVD assessed by coronary artery calcified plaque scores greater than 1000. Even among this high risk group, known CVD risk factors were still useful in assessing ongoing risk for mortality. Use of cholesterol-lowering medication was one factor identified to be protective against mortality.07 Jul Treating Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures With Psychotherapy Workbook Approach
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
W Curt LaFrance Jr MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology,
Alpert Medical School, Brown University
Director of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology,
Rhode Island Hospital
Providence RI 02903-4923
MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. LaFrance: Patients treated with the 12 session, 1 hour, individual psychotherapy seizure treatment workbook had significant reductions in their seizures and improvement in their comorbid symptoms, quality of life and functioning. In contrast, treatment as usual /standard medical care (TAU/SMC) showed no improvement in seizures, comorbid symptoms or other outcomes.
07 Jul Brain Imaging Of Psychedelic State Shows Resemblance To REM Sleep
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Enzo Tagliazucchi: Goethe University, Germany MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Tagliazucchi: The main finding of the study is the objective discovery of an "expanded mind" and a more "unpredictable mind" after the ingestion of a psychedelic (in this case psilocybin, a compound found in...
07 Jul Diabetes: Combining Resistance with Aerobic Exercise May Be More Effective For Glucose Control
MedicalResearch.com: Interview with:
Lukas Schwingshackl, MSc
Department of Nutritional Sciences
University of Vienna
Vienna, AUSTRIA
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Lukas Schwingshackl: The results of the present meta-analyses showed that, in patients with established diabetes, aerobic training might be more effective in reducing glycosylated haemoglobin and fasting glucose when compared with resistance training. Combined aerobic and resistance training was more powerful in reducing glycosylated haemoglobin compared with aerobic training, and more effective in reducing glycosylated haemoglobin, fasting glucose and tricylglycerols when compared with resistance training. However, these results could not be confirmed when only low risk of bias studies were included.