Author Interviews
26 May Healthcare Leadership: Apply These 7 Tips and Your Patient Satisfaction Score Will Soar
Posted at 14:15h
in Author Interviews
Medical professionals move from person to person throughout the day. If they get behind, they may become harried. Don't let this interfere with patient interactions....
26 May USPSTF: New Recommendation Lowers First Colon Cancer Screening Age to 45
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57486" align="alignleft" width="133"] Dr. Kubik[/caption]
Martha Kubik, Ph.D., R.N.
Professor and Director
School of Nursing
College of Health and Human Services
George Mason University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, yet about a quarter of people ages 50 to 75 have never been screened for this devastating disease. Fortunately, we know that screening for colorectal cancer is effective and saves lives. New science about colorectal cancer in people younger than 50 years old has enabled us to expand our previous guidelines to recommend that all adults ages 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer to reduce their risk of dying from this disease.
24 May Significant Reduction in Overall Emergency Department Costs and Patient Length of Stay When Treating Opioid-Induced Constipation with FDA-Approved Medications
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57478" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Peacock[/caption]
Frank Peacock, MD, FACEP, FACC
Professor of Emergency Medicine, Associate Chair
Research Director, Department of Emergency Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Emergency medicine (EM) physicians, like myself, are always looking for ways to improve the patient experience. Often times, we will encounter a patient in the emergency department (ED) who is presenting with one of the most common side effects of opioids, which is opioid-induced constipation (OIC). OIC impacts 40-80% of patients on long-term opioid therapy[i],[ii] and may lead to emergency room visits which are associated with a significant burden on patients and the healthcare system. We wanted to compare the impact of treating OIC patients with FDA-approved prescription medications for OIC versus the impact of not treating OIC patients with an FDA-approved prescription medication for OIC in the ED setting to better understand the impact to overall ED costs and the length of stay for a hospitalized patient.
24 May Eosinophilic Stomach & Intestinal Disorders Frequently Misdiagnosed
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57458" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Talley[/caption]
Nicholas J. Talley, MD, PhD
Pro Vice-Chancellor, Global ResearchUniversity of Newcastle, Australia
Adjunct Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Department of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What is meant by Eosinophilic Gastritis and/or Duodenitis?
Response: Eosinophilic gastritis and/or eosinophilic duodenitis (EG/EoD) is an eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease (EGID) characterized by chronic gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and elevated eosinophils in the stomach and/or the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). When patients have both EG and EoD, it is sometimes referred to as eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE). You may have heard of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), which is the more well understood EGID characterized by elevated eosinophils in the esophagus.
Until recently, EG/EoD was thought to be very rare, but prevalence had never been assessed in a prospective, systematic manner. New research indicates that EG/EoD may be a common cause of chronic, moderate-to-severe GI symptoms. Related, millions of patients in the United States suffer with chronic GI symptoms or are diagnosed with a functional GI disorder (FGID). FGIDs are diagnoses of exclusion, and excitingly the study results we present at DDW 2021 suggest that EG/EoD may be the underlying cause of many of these patients’ chronic, moderate-to-severe GI symptoms.
23 May Minorities and Women Underrepresented in Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Trials
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57471" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Herremans[/caption]
Kelly Herremans, MD
Lead researcher on the study
Surgical research fellow
University of Florida College of Medicine
Gainesville
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Pancreatic cancer is a deadly malignancy with an estimated 5-year survival rate of only 9%. Significant racial and ethnic disparities exist in pancreatic cancer. Underrepresentation in the clinical trials that determine safety and efficacy may contribute to these disparate outcomes.
23 May Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Less Common Among Non-White and Hispanic Patients
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57461" align="alignleft" width="142"] Dr. Barnes[/caption]
Edward L. Barnes, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
UNCHealth Care and a medical advisor to the Global Healthy Living Foundation
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Although historically inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) have been considered diseases of non-Hispanic whites, the current burden of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in minority populations is largely unknown. I
n our study, we evaluated the relative prevalence of CD and UC across racial and ethnic groups within the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet) and compared the racial/ethnic distribution of IBD in PCORnet to that of the United States (US) census data, the overall PCORnet population, and PCORnet patients with selected immune-mediated conditions.
23 May e7health.com CEO Discusses COVID-19, Masks and J&J Vaccine
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57466" align="alignleft" width="149"] Dr. Baktari[/caption]
Jonathan Baktari, MD
CEO of e7health.com
Dr. Baktari dicusses COVID-19 vaccinations as well as the nine vaccinated New York Yankees have now tested positive for COVID-19. They all received the J&J vaccine.
MedicalResearch.com: There are nine known COVID positive results among members of the Yankees, previously immunized with the J&J vaccine. Do you know if the players have become ill or just tested positive on routine testing?
Response: Only 1 out of the 9 was mildly symptomatic and were all picked up as part of MLB testing protocol.
MedicalResearch.com: Do you know how long after they were vaccinated that they tested positive? Do you know of other incidences of positive reactions after vaccinations?
Response: According to MLB, all players tested positive after receiving the J&J vaccine. All were at least 14 days after the vaccine was administered. The 14 days post vaccination is when J&J is supposed to be effective in preventing serious illness and death.
22 May Migraine with Aura May Be Linked to Blood Clotting Factors
Posted at 13:42h
in Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Clots - Coagulation, Hematology, Neurological Disorders, Pain Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Daniel Chasman, PhD
Pamela Rist, ScD,
Yanjun Guo, MD, PhD
Division of Preventative Medicine
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: There has been speculation in the field about relationships between coagulation and migraine susceptibility for some time, but previous research has been largely inconclusive. In this study, we leveraged Mendelian randomization, a mode of genetic analysis that can support or refute potential causal effects on a health outcome, to examine whether hemostatic factors may contribute to risk of MA.
22 May No Difference in Dementia or Memory Decline After CABG or PCI
Posted at 13:30h
in Anesthesiology, Author Interviews, Cognitive Issues, Heart Disease, JAMA, Surgical Research, UCSF
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_57417" align="alignleft" width="117"] Dr. Whitlock[/caption]
Elizabeth L. Whitlock, MD, MSc
John W. Severinghaus Assistant Professor In Residence
Anesthesia & Perioperative Care
UCSF Medical Center
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: We have known for a while that, rarely, some older adults suffer substantial, durable cognitive decline after surgery, particularly after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery; a larger proportion experience a decline in cognitive test performance which doesn't necessarily affect function, but which has caused concern among researchers. This cognitive decline was attributed, in part, to the cardiac bypass pump. Many of the studies had methodological limitations which made it difficult to be sure that the cognitive change was due to surgery and not due more generally to heart problems or atherosclerotic disease, which may also imply cerebrovascular atherosclerosis.
Using a large database of older adults who undergo regular cognitive testing, we identified individuals who underwent CABG and compared them to those who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a minimally invasive, non-surgical method of opening blocked coronary arteries. This allowed us to model the rate of memory decline before surgery - which hadn't been done in previous studies - and compare it to the rate of memory decline after surgery in older adults who had serious heart disease (some of whom were treated with CABG, and some treated with PCI).
22 May Pregnant Women Should Discuss DHA Intake With Health Care Provider
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57449" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Carlson[/caption]
Susan E. Carlson Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Research
Program Director,, AJ Rice Professor
Department of Dietetics and Nutrition
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, KS
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are its benefits?
Response: DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid. Good food sources include some types of seafood (e.g., salmon, tuna, trout) and chicken eggs. Persons in the USA and in much of the developing world consume little dietary DHA. DHA supplements in pregnancy have been linked to lower risk of preterm birth for 20 years, especially early preterm births (<34 weeks gestation). For about 10 years, prenatal supplements with about 200 mg DHA have been readily available in the USA, however, no study has asked if this amount of DHA is optimal to reduce early preterm birth. Participants were given a supplement of 1000 mg or 200 mg DHA beginning before 20 weeks gestation using an adaptive randomization that periodically assigned more participants to the group with the fewest early preterm births.
19 May Dental Caries: New Approach Breaks Down Harmful Biofilm
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57436" align="alignleft" width="125"]
Dr. Hwang[/caption]
Geelsu Hwang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Preventive and Restorative Sciences
Center for Innovation and Precision Dentistry (CiPD)
School of Dental Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What is the significance of this oral biofilm?
Response: Dental caries is one of the most common and costly biofilm-dependent diseases that afflict children and adults worldwide. Particularly, Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a hyper-virulent type of chronic tooth decay that most frequently afflicts underprivileged preschool children. The onset and progression of carious lesions in ECC are rapid and aggressive, causing rampant destruction of the smooth surfaces of teeth.
ECC is painful and often requires surgical procedure under general anesthesia, while current treatment modalities are inefficient and recurrence of ECC is common. Notably, interactions between a fungus, Candida albicans, and a bacterium, Streptococcus mutans, have been known to play important roles in the pathogenesis of dental caries.
Thus, we attempted to strategically develop a targeted measure to effectively prevent cross-kingdom interactions and subsequent biofilm development.
17 May Heart Disease Biomarkers, Including Lipoprotein(a) Elevated in Psoriasis
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57322" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Garshick[/caption]
Michael S. Garshick, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
Grossman School of Medicine
NYU
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Patients with psoriasis have a 50% higher risk of cardiovascular disease when compared to patients without psoriasis, the mechanisms of which are still under investigation
Dyslipidemia is also highly prevalent in psoriasis including elevation in a variety of lipoproteins causal in atherosclerosis. Lipoprotein(a) is an LDL like particle which is associated with atherosclerosis, atherothrombosis, and the development of clinical cardiovascular disease. Traditionally lipoprotein(a) is felt to be inherited rather than acquired, but some evidence suggest that lipoprotein(a) is elevated in those with underlying inflammatory conditions and associated with systemic inflammation including circulating IL-6.
We therefore aimed to determine if lipoprotein(a) is elevated in psoriasis and associated with underlying systemic inflammatory profiles and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk.
17 May Heart Transplantation Outcomes: Racial Disparities Exist But Narrowing
Posted at 22:14h
in Author Interviews, Heart Disease, JACC, Race/Ethnic Diversity, Transplantation, Yale
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_57306" align="alignleft" width="107"] Dr. Fuery[/caption]
Michael Fuery, MD
Department of Internal Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
[caption id="attachment_57307" align="alignleft" width="100"]
Dr. Clarke[/caption]
Katherine Clark, MD MBA
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Racial and ethnic disparities affect cardiac transplantation outcomes. In cohort analyses of racial and ethnic groups from the previous three decades, Black patients were constantly at a higher risk of mortality after cardiac transplantation. In 2018, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) revised the allocation system to expand access to organs for the most medically urgent patients and reduce disparities and regional differences. We sought to evaluate contemporary trends and impact of the new 2018 allocation system.
17 May Triple Negative Breast Cancer More Deadly in African Americans
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57430" align="alignleft" width="108"] Dr. Ying Liu[/caption]
Ying Liu, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Washington University School of Medicine
Department of Surgery, Division of Public Health Sciences
St. Louis, MO
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Non-Hispanic African American women experience a disproportional burden of poor breast cancer outcomes than non-Hispanic White women, which is associated with a higher incidence of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), more advanced stages at diagnosis, and lower treatment adherence. However, the differences in clinical treatment and outcomes between African American women with TNBC and their White counterparts have not been well defined.
16 May DDW21: Semaglutide Augments Weight Loss With Minimal Surgical Procedure
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57425" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Hoff[/caption]
Anna Carolina Hoff, MD
Lead researcher on the study
Founder and Clinical Director
Angioskope Brazil
São José dos Campos
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Obesity is a chronic disease that has become a global pandemic, and its prevalence continues to increase. Overweight (Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 27 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30kg/m2) lead to numerous clinical comorbidities, including metabolic, cardiovascular, oncologic, and mental health disorders. It is challenging to achieve significant and sustained weight loss with diet and lifestyle modification alone. Additionally, a reversal of obesity-related co-morbidities and improvement in quality of life entails a percent total body weight loss (%TBWL) of between 5-10%, which is rarely achieved with medications alone. The Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) results in a %TBWL between 14.6%-19.7% at 18-24 months, and improvements in systolic blood pressure (SBP), HbA1c, and dyslipidemia at 12 months.
16 May DDW21: Fewer Respiratory Infections In Obese Patients Taking Daily Probiotics
Posted at 11:08h
in Author Interviews, Gastrointestinal Disease, Imperial College, Probiotics, Pulmonary Disease, Weight Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_57422" align="alignleft" width="187"] Dr. Mullish[/caption]
Benjamin Mullish PhD
NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer
Department of Metabolism
Digestion and Reproduction
Imperial College
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Which probiotic did you use and why?
Response: We recently reported the results of a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial in which participants who were overweight or with obesity (aged between 30-65 years of age) were randomized to receive probiotics or placebo for six months. The primary focus was on weight loss and metabolism. The probiotic used was Lab4P, containing three different strains of Bifidobacteria and two of Lactobacilli, which have shown to be safe and efficacious for use in rodent models and earlier clinical studies.
Of note, probiotics have also been shown to have other beneficial effects upon human health. Previous studies have suggested that they may have a role in preventing upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in healthy people and children; however, this has not been explored in older people or overweight/ people with obesity, even though such groups have higher rates of URTIs.
We looked back at our trial, and reviewed symptom diaries completed by participants daily during the study. We were looking at recorded symptoms most consistent with upper respiratory tract symptoms (including cough, wheezing and headache), and explored if rates of these were different between those participants taking probiotics compared to placebo over the six month course of the study.
13 May Ear Infections in Children: Tubes vs Medical Management Compared
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57406" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Hoberman[/caption]
Alejandro Hoberman, M.D.
Vice Chair of Clinical Research, Division Director, General Academic Pediatrics, and Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical and Translational Science
Jack L. Paradise, MD Endowed Professor of Pediatric Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of PittsburghPresident, UPMC Children's Community Pediatrics
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most frequently diagnosed illness in children in the United States for which antibiotics are prescribed. Recurrent AOM is the principal indication for tympanostomy-tube placement, the most frequently performed operation in children after the newborn period. Supporting the performance of tympanostomy-tube placement for recurrent acute otitis media has been the commonplace observation, after surgery, of acute otitis media–free periods of varying duration. Counterbalancing this view have been the cost of tympanostomy-tube placement; risks and possible late sequelae of anesthesia in young children; the possible occurrence of refractory tube otorrhea, tube blockage, premature extrusion, or dislocation of the tube into the middle-ear cavity; various structural tympanic membrane sequelae; and the possible development of mild conductive hearing loss. Tempering support for surgery is the progressive reduction in the incidence of acute otitis media that usually accompanies a child’s increasing age.
Previous trials of tympanostomy-tube placement for recurrent acute otitis media, all conducted before the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, have given mixed results and were limited, variously, by small sample size, uncertain validity of diagnoses of acute otitis media determining trial eligibility, short periods of follow-up, and substantial attrition of participants. Official recommendations regarding tympanostomy-tube placement for children with recurrent acute otitis media differ — an otolaryngologic guideline recommends the procedure for children with recurrent acute otitis media, provided that middle-ear effusion is present in at least one ear; a contemporaneous pediatric guideline discusses tympanostomy-tube placement as an “option [that] clinicians may offer.”
Given these uncertainties, we undertook the present trial involving children 6 to 35 months of age who had a history of recurrent acute otitis media to determine whether tympanostomy-tube placement, as compared with medical management (comprising episodic antimicrobial treatment, with the option of tympanostomy-tube placement in the event of treatment failure), would result in a greater reduction in the children’s rate of recurrence of acute otitis media during the ensuing 2-year period.
13 May OCD: Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Expand Access to Treatment for Children
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Kristina Aspvall | Psychologist, PhD Eva Serlachius MD PhD Adjunct professor Professor David Mataix-Cols, PhD Karolinska Institutet Department of Clinical Neuroscience Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Research Center Stockholm MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The problem we were trying to solve is the shortage of specialist Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for children and adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). CBT is the first line treatment for children and adolescents with OCD but is a highly specialist treatment rarely available outside large medical centres, typically located in big cities. Previous work by our group and others had shown that it is possible to deliver CBT via the internet in the form of a self-help programme with minimal support from a clinician. The clinician can be located anywhere and provide asynchronous support via a built-in messaging system. Parental support is a key component of the treatment. In essence, the parents take over as the child’s main therapist, under the guidance of the expert clinician.
12 May Low Bone Mineral Density Linked to Heart Disease in Women
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57338" align="alignleft" width="120"] Dr. Yoon[/caption]
Yeonyee E. Yoon, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center
Seoul National University Bundang Hospital
South Korea
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Although atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) has been traditionally considered to affect men predominantly, it is nearly common in women. ASCVD is the leading cause of death in both men and women globally, and the population-adjusted risk of ASCVD mortality in women is significantly greater than that in men. Nevertheless, the current focus on the 10-year ASCVD risk estimated by a risk-scoring algorithm such as the Pooled Cohort Equation has shown unsatisfactory accuracy in women. Therefore, new strategies beyond the conventional risk stratification algorithm are needed to improve identification for women at high risk for ASCVD.
ASCVD and osteoporosis are major age-related diseases contributing to significant morbidity and mortality in women, and previous epidemiologic studies have suggested a potential association between these diseases. Given that millions of women are screened for osteoporosis using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), potential associations between low bone mineral density (BMD) and ASCVD in women would provide an opportunity to improve the risk stratification of women without any additional costs. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether the evaluation of BMD provides independent and incremental prognostic values for ASCVD prediction in women.
12 May COVID-19: Mitigation Measures Correlate With Social Risk Profile
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57355" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Hagan[/caption]
Kobina Hagan MBBS, MPH Postdoctoral Fellow
Center for Outcomes Research,
Houston Methodist Research Institute
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Before the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out, risk mitigation guidelines including respiratory hygiene, social distancing, and job flexibility, were the most effective preventive measures against coronavirus transmission. Social determinants of health scholarships had identified social circumstances to limit adherence to these mitigation guidelines. Individuals with underlying cardiovascular disease are identified as high-risk phenotypes for severe COVID-19 outcomes. In addition, research efforts during the early and middle waves of the pandemic had identified coronavirus exposure risk as a greater mediator of the observed COVID-19 disparities, compared to clinical susceptibility from comorbidities. Yet, population-based evidence on the practice of these mitigation guidelines in this high-risk group were lacking. Consequently, we believed there was a need to robustly characterize COVID-19 risk mitigation practices among adults with cardiovascular disease in the nation.
The COVID-19 Household Impact Survey was a survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, to provide statistics about health, economic security, and social dynamics of the US adult household population nationwide and for 18 geographic areas (10 states, 8 metropolitan statistical areas) between April and June 2020. This survey complemented the Household Pulse Survey by the Census Bureau.
In this study we described the COVID-19 risk mitigation practices among patients with CVD and evaluated the association between cumulative social determinants of health burden (a measure of social adversity) and adherence these measures.
11 May Young Women With Chest Pain Evaluated Differently Than Men
Posted at 10:32h
in Author Interviews, Gender Differences, Heart Disease, NYU/NYMC, Women's Heart Health
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_57403" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Banco[/caption]
Darcy Banco, MD, MPH
Internal Medicine Resident
NYU Langone Health
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: We became interested in this question because of recent epidemiological data showing that despite improvements in the number of heart attacks in overall population, that number is rising among young adults (<= 55 years old) and in particular, young women. Compared to young men, young women with heart attack experience more delays in care and have higher mortality and poorer quality of life after heart attack.
Despite these findings, there was also a study that asked young adults who had experienced heart attack: “When you first went for help, did the health care providers think that you were having a problem with your heart?” Women were more likely to answer no to this question.
Therefore, our study asked: Are young women evaluated and treated differently than men when presenting to the emergency room with symptoms of chest pain?
11 May COVID-19: More Hand Scrubbing Linked to Greater Risk of Cracked Dry Hands
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr Monisha Madhumita Father Muller Medical College India MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?Response: The COVID‐19 pandemic requires stringent adoption of hand hygiene practices. Health Care Workers (HCW) and the general population are at increased risk of irritation, dryness, redness and cracked hands (irritant dermatitis) due to frequent hand washing and the use of alcohol-based hand rubs. An effective hand sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol to kill germs. Thus, it can be very drying to the skin. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is a way to measure the water lost from the skin. It is an essential parameter for characterizing skin hydration and protective function. Both of which are disrupted in irritant hand dermatitis.
This research study was conducted on 582 participants: 291 health care workers and 291 healthy individuals of the general population. Measurements of TEWL were made using a noninvasive, closed- chamber system (VapoMeter) in a standardized environment. The study participants were asked to identify the challenges to compliance in hand hygiene practice
09 May Tailored Symptom Management May Be More Appropriate for Breast Cancer Survivors
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57385" align="alignleft" width="99"] Dr. de Ligt[/caption]
Kelly de Ligt, PhD
Postdoctoral researcher | Project lead ‘PRO implementation in clinical care’
Psycho Social Research and Epidemiology (PSOE)
Netherlands Cancer Institute – Antoni van Leeuwenhoek
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and survivorship has become increasingly important within breast cancer care, as the majority of women survives at least 10 years after breast cancer diagnosis. Breast cancer survivors may experience multiple co-existing symptoms that affect their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Previous studies have mainly studied these symptoms as separate, independent items. However in reality, survivors usually experience multiple symptoms that can add up. We therefore studied the overall symptom burden in breast cancer survivors and tried to identify patterns in this. We believe this may be more relevant, as currently the needs of breast cancer survivors are not fully met and there is a growing demand for personalized follow-up care.
We selected breast cancer survivors from the Netherlands Cancer Registry, which contains comprehensive information about diagnosis and treatment for all cancer patients in the Netherlands. Women who had been surgically treated with or without adjuvant treatment for breast cancer stages I to III and between one and five years after diagnosis were invited to participate in our survey. A total of 404 participating survivors were questioned about their experienced burden for fatigue, nausea, pain, shortness of breath, insomnia, appetite, constipation, diarrhoea, as well as emotional and cognitive symptoms
09 May COVID-19: Asthma Attacks Drop Dramatically Among Black & Latinx Communities During Epidemic
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57391" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Salciccioli[/caption]
Justin Salciccioli, MBBS, MA
Research Fellow in Medicine
[caption id="attachment_57392" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Israel[/caption]
Elliot Israel, MD
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Pulmonary and Critical Care, Rheumatology, Medicine
Brigham and Women's Hospital
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Asthma attacks account for almost 50% of the cost of asthma care, which costs $80 billion each year in the United States. Asthma is more severe in African-American/Black and Hispanic/Latinx patients, with these groups having double the rates of attacks and hospitalizations as the general population. The PREPARE study is an ongoing national clinical trial for African American/Black and Hispanic/Latinx adults with moderate-to-severe asthma from different U.S. cities in which reporting of asthma control and asthma exacerbations was monitored entirely remotely.
With the arrival of the Covid19 pandemic, several studies suggested that asthma exacerbations may have decreased during the pandemic. However, multiple reports have suggested people were avoiding health services because of the pandemic, making it difficult to tell whether exacerbations truly decreased or whether people were simply avoiding their doctors. This is the first study done to assess asthma exacerbations before and during the pandemic that is unlikely to be impacted by patient healthcare avoidance.
09 May Reassuring Study of Topical Steroids During Pregnancy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57303" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Andersson[/caption]
Niklas Worm Andersson, MD
Department of Epidemiology Research
Statens Serum Institut,
Copenhagen Denmark
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: "Findings from some previous fetal safety studies on topical corticosteroid use in pregnancy have raised concerns for an increased risk of newborns being small for gestational age or having low birth weight, in particular among pregnancies where larger amounts of potent to very potent agents have been used."
09 May Moderate Alcohol Intake May Reduce Cardiovascular Events Through Stress Reduction
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57388" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Mezue[/caption]
Kenechukwu Ndubisi Mezue, M.D
Fellow in Nuclear Cardiology
Massachusetts General Hospital
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Observational studies have shown that moderate alcohol intake may have beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanisms through which this benefit occurs is mostly unknown. Chronic stress is also known to associate with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and our group has shown in previous work that increased activity in the stress-associated regions of the brain (such as the amygdala) is significantly associated with increased bone marrow activity, arterial inflammation, and cardiovascular events.
Our current study hypothesizes that moderate alcohol intake reduces cardiovascular events by reducing chronic stress-associated brain activity.
07 May USPSTF: Recommends All Adults Be Screened for Hypertension
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_57380" align="alignleft" width="100"]
Dr. Wong[/caption]
John B. Wong, M.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
Vice chair for Clinical Affairs
Chief of the Division of Clinical Decision Making and
Primary care Clinician
Department of Medicine at Tufts Medical Center
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Hypertension affects nearly half of all adults in the United States and is a major risk factor for many serious health conditions. Fortunately, by screening all adults for hypertension, clinicians can improve their patient’s health. The Task Force continues to recommend screening all adults for hypertension so that they can get the care they need to help prevent health conditions such as heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.
07 May Even Mild COVID-19 Carries Increased Risk of Depression, Anxiety and PTSD
Posted at 09:44h
in Author Interviews, Columbia, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Depression, Mental Health Research, PTSD
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_57358" align="alignleft" width="137"] Dr. Castaldelli-Maia[/caption]
João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia, MD, PhD (he/him)
NIDA INVEST Drug Abuse Research Fellow
Policy and Health Initiatives on Opioids and Other Substances (PHIOS)
Department of Epidemiology
Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia University
New York, NY 10032
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: It remains unclear whether COVID-19 is associated with psychiatric symptoms during or after the acute illness phase. Being affected by the disease exposes the individual to an uncertain prognosis and a state of quarantine. These factors can predispose individuals to the development of mental symptoms during or after the acute phase of the disease. There is a need for prospective studies assessing psychiatric symptoms in COVID-19 patients in the post-infection period.
06 May Parkinson’s Disease: Brigham and Women’s Scientists Identify Five Genetic Loci Linked to Rapid Disease Progression
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:Clemens R. Scherzer, M.D.
Center for Advanced Parkinson Research
Harvard Medical School
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, MA
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Parkinson's disease is the fastest growing brain disorder. The number of patients is projected to double to 14 million by 2040. The total cost of Parkinson's is $52 billion every year in the U.S. Yet, there are no medicines available to slow the disease. Current treatments temporarily alleviate symptoms, but do not address the underlying disease process, which continues to relentlessly progress.
To begin to solve this puzzle, we searched the genome of 3,821 Parkinson's disease patients for genetic variants linked to rapid progression over time to dementia, which is a major determinant for a Parkinson's disease patient’s quality of life. These patients were deeply characterized in the International Genetics of Parkinson Disease Progression (IGPP) Consortium, a grass-roots, collaborative network of Parkinson’s investigators, with 31,578 longitudinal study visits over up to 12 years from disease onset.