Author Interviews
25 Jan Hormone Replacement Therapy Found Protective of Hip, Knee Joint Replacements
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Professor Nigel Arden
Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences
Botnar Research Centre
Oxford OX3 7LD
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Professor Arden: We found that in a cohort of women who had used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and underwent knee or hip replacement their risk of implant revision was reduced by about 40% compared to non-users of HRT.
24 Jan Vitamin D: Study Finds Little Justification For Prescribing For Most Disease Prevention
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor Mark Bolland Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Medicine University of Auckland, New Zealand MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Prof. Bolland: We pooled data from randomised controlled trials of vitamin D supplements in traditional meta-analyses and trial sequential analyses to assess the effect on important health outcomes. We found that vitamin D supplements (with or without calcium) had no effect on myocardial infarction, stroke, total cancer, or total fracture, and further similar trials are unlikely to alter these conclusions. For hip fracture, the results were more complicated. There was uncertainty as to whether vitamin D by itself increased the risk of hip fracture or had no effect, whereas the combination of vitamin D with calcium had no effect on hip fracture in people living in the community, but reduced hip fracture risk in two trials of elderly women living in residential care.24 Jan Alzheimer’s: Two Phase 3 Trials of Bapineuzumab in Mild-to-Moderate Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Stephen Salloway, MD, MS Director of Neurology and the Memory and Aging Program, Butler Hospital Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry Warren Alpert Medical School Brown University MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of this study? Dr. Salloway: With the aging of the population, the G-8 and the US Congress have made finding...
23 Jan FDA Drug Approvals Have Variable Clinical Trial Evidence Record
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Nicholas S. Downing, AB Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, Connecticut MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: In our systematic review of all new drugs approved by the FDA over an 8 year period, we found that there was real variability in the quality and quantity of clinical trial evidence used as the basis of the agency’s approval decisions. Some drugs were studied in multiple randomized, double-blinded, controlled clinical trials that provide very helpful information for patients and physicians. However, other drugs were studied in clinical trials that did not produce as much information about their safety and effectiveness.22 Jan Bereavement During Pregnancy, Early Childhood and Psychosis Risk
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof. Kathryn M Abel Professor of Psychiatry & Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist University of Manchester and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, London. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The main study findings were that exposure of a mother to a severe psychological stress of losing a close family member up to either 6 months before conception or at any time during pregnancy did not increase risk of subsequent psychotic illness in the offspring. Secondly, we found during childhood, if a close family member died then, especially a sibling of the child or one of their parents, these children were at slightly increased risk of developing a psychotic illness later in life. This was most likely to happen following a sudden death especially suicide and in particular following suicide a psychotic mood disorder was more likely than other kinds of psychosis such as schizophrenia (although the risk of schizophrenia was also increased following suicide). This effect was not accounted for by having a family history of a psychotic illness or suicide.22 Jan Concussions in Young Female Soccer Players
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
John W. O'Kane M.D.
Associate Professor Family Medicine and Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine
Medical Coordinator, U.W. Intercollegiate Athletics
University of Washington Sports Medicine Clinic, Seattle
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. O’Kane: In 11 to 14 year old female elite soccer players the concussion incidence was 13% with a rate of 1.2 per 1000 athletic exposures. Symptoms lasted a median of 4 days and players with light or noise sensitivity, emotional lability, memory loss, nausea, and concentration problems took significantly longer to recover. Heading the ball accounted for 30.5% of concussions and the vast majority of concussions (86%) occurred in games. The majority of players (58.6%) reported playing with symptoms and less than half (44.1%) sought medical attention for their symptoms. Those seeking medical attention were symptomatic longer and were less likely to play with symptoms.
22 Jan Transfers of Hospitalized Patients and Insurance Status
Posted at 01:00h
in Annals Internal Medicine, Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, Health Care Systems, University of Pittsburgh
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Janel Hanmer, MD, PhD
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Montefiore Hospital
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Hanmer: We used the National Inpatient Sample - a sample of about 20% of US community hospitals with all discharges from those hospitals - to examine if insurance status is associated with transfer from one hospital to another. We were looking at patients who were already admitted to the hospital, not the patients who presented to the Emergency Department. We selected the five most common general medicine admissions for adults aged 18 to 64. We found that uninsured patients were less likely to be transferred than privately insured patients in four of the five conditions (about 20-40% less likely). We also found that women were less likely than men to be transferred in five of the conditions (about 35 to 40% less likely).
22 Jan Breast Cancer: Cognitive Therapy Plus Hypnosis For Radiation Fatigue
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Guy H. Montgomery, Ph.D.
Director, Integrative Behavioral Medicine Program
Cancer Prevention and Control
Department of Oncological Sciences
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY 10029-6574
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Montgomery: A brief psychological intervention comprised of cognitive behavioral techniques and hypnosis (CBTH) reduced fatigue during, and for up to six months after, radiotherapy in breast cancer patients.
21 Jan Genetic Factors Explain Substantial Part of Physical Aggression Differences
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Eric Lacourse, Ph.D.
Professeur agrégé
Département de sociologie
Université de Montréal
Groupe de Recherche sur l'Inadaptation Psychosociale chez l'enfant Centre de Recherche de l'Hôpîtal Ste-Justine
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Lacourse: The gene-environment analyses revealed that early genetic factors were pervasive in accounting for developmental trends, explaining most of the stability and change in physical aggression, ” Lacourse said. “However, it should be emphasized that these genetic associations do not imply that the early trajectories of physical aggression are set and unchangeable. Genetic factors can always interact with other factors from the environment in the causal chain explaining any behaviour.”
21 Jan Reducing Risk of Diabetes with Berries in Diet
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof Aedin Cassidy University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: We know fruits and vegetables seem to be particularly important for prevention of heart disease and diabetes but what constituent may responsible for these benefits is unclear. These foods contain powerful bioactive compounds called flavonoids and in lab and animal experiments we know that flavonoids can reduce inflammation, improve BP, keep our arteries healthy and flexible, improve blood flow and reduce cholesterol levels. Our previous work had shown that a higher level of one class of flavonoids, the anthocyanins, responsible for the brilliant red/blue colours in fruits and other plant foods/products, could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and of having a heart attack. This study builds on this and now we have evidence in humans that following intake of one portion of berries per day we can see these heart health benefits, and benefits on how we control our insulin and glucose levels.21 Jan Most Advanced Age Adults are Women, Many Living in Community
MedicalResearch.com Interview with
Paula A. Rochon MD, MPH, FRCPC
Vice President, Research, Women's College Hospital
Senior Scientist, Women's College Research Institute
Professor, Department of Medicine
University of Toronto, Ontario Canada
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Rochon: Our main findings are that there are now more than 1800 centenarians in Ontario. Among those over 100 years of age, 60 per cent are 101 years of age or older. In addition, most centenarians are women (85 per cent), and this percentage increases to 90 per cent among those who are 105 years of age and older.
21 Jan Cannabis Withdrawal: Nabiximols as an Agonist Replacement Therapy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
David J. Allsop, PhD
National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine
Now with the School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Allsop: We found that administering a botanical preparation of the cannabinoids Tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC - the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis) and Cannabidiol (a lesser known component of the cannabis plant that
counteracts the psychotogenic effects of THC with anxiolytic properties) to
dependent cannabis smokers during initial abstinence from cannabis
substantially dampened their withdrawal experience. In essence this is akin
to Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) but for cannabis users. It might seem
obvious - sure you give cannabis users a cannabis preparation and they find
it easier to quit - but this is important because it has never been done
before - and we currently have no consensus evidence based medicines to
offer cannabis users who ask for help.
20 Jan Macular Degeneration: Incidence, Susceptibility and Dietary Antioxidants
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Jie Jin Wang MMed (Clin Epi) MAppStat PhD
Professor Australian NHMRC Senior Research Fellow (Level B)
Centre for Vision Research
Westmead Millennium Institute University of Sydney C24
Westmead Hospital, NSW 2145 Australia
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: We documented a consistent association between high dietary intake of lutein/zeaxanthin (LZ) and a reduced long-term risk of early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in persons who carry ≥2 risk alleles of either or both the complement factor H (CFH-rs1061170) and/or the age-related maculopathy susceptibility gene 2 (ARMS2-rs10490924) in two older population-based cohorts.
20 Jan Sepsis: Hospital Case Volume and Outcomes
Posted at 11:39h
in Author Interviews, Critical Care - Intensive Care - ICUs, Infections, Outcomes & Safety
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Allan J. Walkey, M.D., M.Sc
Boston University School of Medicine
Pulmonary Center
Boston, Massachusetts
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Walkey: Thank you for the interest in our study. Current evidence-based treatments for severe sepsis (ie, infection+systemic inflammatory response+ end organ dysfunction) include specific processes of care rather specific therapeutics. These processes include early administration of antibiotics, early fluid resuscitation, and lung protective ventilation strategies. We hypothesized that hospitals with more ‘practice’ at treating patients with severe sepsis may have more effective care processes leading to improved patient outcomes. We examined more than 15,000 severe sepsis admissions from 124 US academic medical centers. Our findings supported our hypothesis. After adjustment for patient severity of illness and hospital characteristics, mortality in the highest quartile severe sepsis case volume hospitals was 22% and mortality in lowest severe sepsis case volume hospitals was 29%. The 7% absolute mortality difference would result in an estimated number needed to treat in high severe sepsis volume hospitals to prevent one death in low case volume hospitals of 14 (though we advise caution in interpretation of a number needed to treat in an observational study). Costs and length of stay were not different across levels of severe sepsis case volume. Results were robust to multiple subgroup and sensitivity analyses.
17 Jan High Volume Hospitals and Discharge to Home after Colon Surgery
Posted at 19:17h
in Author Interviews, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, JAMA, Outcomes & Safety, Surgical Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Daniel A. Anaya, MD, FACS
Associate Professor of Surgery - Surgical Oncology
Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery
Baylor College of Medicine
Chief, General Surgery & Surgical Oncology SectionDirector, Liver Tumor Program
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center Houston, TX 77030
and
Dr. Courtney J. Balentine, MD
First author and surgical resident at Baylor College of Medicine
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Anaya: That a good proportion of patients having colorectal operations will need additional assistance to recover during the postoperative period, resulting in being discharged to other facilities (nursing facilities, skilled care, etc) after surgery, and that hospitals where a higher-volume of colorectal operations are performed are more likely to discharge patients back to home after surgery.
17 Jan Metastatic Breast Cancer: Surgical Removal of Primary Tumor and Axillary Nodes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. R.A. Badwe, MS Director, Tata Memorial Centre E. Borges Marg, Parel Mumbai 400 012 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The trial was a randomized control study involving 350 women with per primum metastatic breast cancer. These women were divided into two groups from February 2005 to May 2013. One group underwent surgery and radiotherapy (LRT) (n=173) while another group of 177 women were spared these (no LRT). Both groups had undergone six successful rounds of chemotherapy before their recruitment into the trial. Women who underwent surgery had the primary breast tumour and lymph nodes removed, followed by locoregional radiation therapy. The primary endpoint of the study was overall survival (OS). At a median follow-up of 17 months, no difference was observed in OS between the groups; the OS rates were 19.2% and 20.5%, respectively, (HR = 1.04; 95%CI, 0.80-1.34; P = 0.79). The lack of a survival benefit is due to a trade-off between local control and distant disease progression. The results indicated that women who underwent surgery and had improved locoregional control and significantly worse distant progression-free survival compared with women who did not undergo surgery (HR = 1.41; 95% CI, 1.08-1.85; P = .01). Progression of distant disease was 42% more likely (P = .01) in the LRT arm whereas the risk of local progression was 84% lower with LRT.17 Jan Sedentary Behavior Associated with Higher Risk of Death
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Rebecca Seguin, PhD, CSCS
Cornell University, Division of Nutritional Sciences
Ithaca NY 14853
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: The main findings of the study are that regardless of demographic factors and physical activity levels, women who spent the most time engaged in sedentary behaviors had higher risk of death and women who spent the least amount of time engaged in sedentary behaviors.
17 Jan Workplace Strategies to Reduce Sitting Time
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Maike Neuhaus, MPsych Australian Postgraduate Award PhD Candidate Cancer Prevention Research Centre School of Population Health The University of Queensland Herston, QLD 4006 Australia MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: Substantial epidemiological evidence shows that high volumes of sedentary behaviour – simply put too much sitting- are linked to detrimental health outcomes such as overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and all-cause mortality. Desk-based office workers typically spend around 75% of their work hours sitting at their desks or in meetings. Furthermore, they are unlikely to compensate for these high volumes of sitting time at work with less sedentary activities outside of work. Office workers are thus a high-risk group and an important target for intervention. The Stand Up UQ study examined best-practice approaches to reduce excessive sitting in office workers. Three separate groups of administrative office workers from The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, participated in this study: One group received height-adjustable workstations only; another group received the same height-adjustable workstations plus additional individual (e.g. face-to-face coaching) and organisational strategies (e.g. management consultation, staff information session) to reduce workplace sitting; the third group served as control group and maintained their usual work-practice. Results showed that relative to the control group, the group receiving height-adjustable workstations and additional strategies had a three-fold greater reduction in sitting time than the group receiving height-adjustable workstations only. These findings have important practical and financial implications for workplaces targeting sitting time reductions.17 Jan Low Daily Alcohol Consumption Associated with Longer Survival
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Andrea Bellavia MSc
Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet
Stockholm, Sweden
Dr. Montgomery: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: We evaluated for 15 years a cohort of Swedish men and women and observed, after taking into account various socio-demographic, dietary, and lifestyle factors, that a low daily consumption of alcoholic beverages is tied with longer survival.
17 Jan Adverse Drug Events and Preventability
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Katja M Hakkarainen, M.Sc.Pharm.
Doctoral researcher Nordic School of Public Health NHV
Guest teacher, Doctoral studentSection for Social Medicine
Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg
Gothenburg, Sweden
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: In total 12% of the adult general public was found to experience harm from medicines, i.e. adverse drug events (ADEs), when we scrutinised the medical and dispensing records of 4970 adults in Sweden during three months, including 29 inpatient care departments in three hospitals, 110 specialised outpatient clinics, and 51 primary care units. Most ADEs were adverse drug reactions (also called side effects) and sub-therapeutic effects. Commonly used drugs caused most ADEs, with a high frequency of adverse drug reactions from antidepressants and cardiovascular drugs as well as sub-therapeutic effects of analgesics and cardiovascular drugs. Of all ADEs, 39% were potentially preventable, because the drug therapy or use was judged suboptimal.
17 Jan Safety Net Hospitals: Death Rates After Major Complications
Posted at 02:32h
in Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Health Care Systems, JAMA, Medical Research Centers, Outcomes & Safety
MedicalResearch.com Interview with
Elliot Wakeam MD
Center for Surgery and Public Health
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston MA 02115
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Wakeam: Our study examined failure to rescue (FTR), or death after postoperative complications, in safety net hospitals. Prior work has shown that hospital clinical resources can improve rescue rates, however, despite having higher levels of technology and other clinical resources that should lead to better rates of patient rescue, safety net hospitals still had greater rates of death after major complications.
17 Jan OTC Pediatric Liquid Medications: Recommendations for Dosing Directions
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Daniel S. Budnitz MD MPH CAPT, USPHS
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Medication Safety Program
Atlanta, Georgia
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Budnitz: To reduce dosing errors when administering orally ingested over-the-counter (OTC) liquid medications, especially among children, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) released recommendations for how to display dosing directions and markings on dosing devices.
This study assessed recommendation adherence for national brand name orally ingested OTC liquid pediatric analgesics/antipyretics and cough, cold, and allergy products available after the FDA guidance was finalized in 2011. To identify and prioritize specific areas for improvement, recommendations were categorized as ‘top tier’ (potential to address ≥3-fold errors) or ‘low tier’ (intended to improve clarity and consistency).
Of 68 products, 91% of dosing directions and 62% of dosing devices adhered to all top tier recommendations; 57% of products adhered to every top tier recommendation, and 93% adhered to all or all but one. A dosing device was included with all products (e.g., oral syringe, dosing cup). No dosing directions used atypical volumetric units (e.g., drams), and no devices used volumetric units that did not appear in dosing directions. Six products used trailing zeros or failed to use leading zeros with decimal doses; eight did not use small font for fractions. Appropriate use of zeros and decimals is important to avoid 10-fold overdoses; using small font for fractions (½ vs. 1/2) helps avoid potential 4-fold errors if 1/2 interpreted as 1 or 2. Product adherence to low tier recommendations ranged from 26% to 91%.
16 Jan SSRIs During Late Pregnacy and Infant Pulmonary Hypertension
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Sophie Grigoriadis, MD, MA, PhD, FRCPC
Head, Women's Mood and Anxiety Clinic: Reproductive Transitions,
Fellowship Director, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre,
Scientist, Sunnybrook Research Institute
Adjunct Scientist, Women's College Research Institute,
Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Grigoriadis: Infants of women exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during late pregnancy (but not early) are at risk for developing persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). PPHN is a condition in which blood pressure remains high in the lungs following birth and which results in breathing difficulties. The symptoms can range from mild to severe, but the condition can be managed successfully typically after SSRI exposure. It is important to note that the baseline risk for PPHN in the general population is low (about 2 per 1,000 live births), and so the increase in risk with SSRIs still represents a low overall risk for developing PPHN following SSRI exposure in late pregnancy (increasing to approximately 5 per 1,000 live births). This increased risk means that 286 to 351 women would have to be treated with an SSRI during late pregnancy in order to result in 1 additional case of PPHN.
16 Jan Adverse Events Reporting: Room for Improvement
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Sunita Vohra MD MSc FRCPC FCAHS
Director, CARE Program
Director, PedCAM Network, AIHS Health Scholar
Professor, Dept of Pediatrics Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
University of Alberta
Edmonton Continuing Care Centre, Edmonton, Alberta Canada
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Vohra: Our main findings were: (i) relative to how often systematic reviews
evaluate the effectiveness of health interventions, the systematic review
of harms is quite neglected; and (ii) even when systematic reviews do aim
to evaluate harms, there is considerable room for improvement in reporting.
16 Jan Alcohol Still Sold to Obviously Drunk Patrons
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Professor Karen Hughes
Professor in Behavioural Epidemiology
Centre for Public Health
Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool L3 2ET
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: We used trained actors to test whether servers in pubs, bars and nightclubs would sell alcohol to people showing signs of extreme intoxication, despite this being illegal in the UK. In over four fifths (83.6%) of purchase attempts, bar servers sold alcohol to the pseudo-drunk actors – even though many clearly identified the actors as being drunk. We also collected data on bar environments, looking specifically at ten factors that have been associated with alcohol-related harm in previous studies: low levels of seating, loud noise, crowding, poor lighting, dirtiness, cheap drink promotions, young bar staff, young customers, rowdiness, and customer drunkenness. We found that the more of these characteristics bars had, the more likely they were to sell alcohol to drunks, with 100% of bars with 8 or more of these characteristics serving the pseudo-drunk actors. However, even in bars with none of these characteristics, two thirds of purchase attempts resulted in an alcohol sale. Having security staff managing entrance to the premises was also associated with alcohol service; possibly suggesting that bar servers in premises with door staff believe responsibility for vetting customers lies with such staff.
15 Jan Allergic March of Asthma Eczema and Rhinitis
MedicalResearch.com Interveiw with:
Mariona Pinart, PhD
CREAL-Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology
ISGlobal alliance
Doctor Aiguader, 88 | 08003 Barcelona
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: The study examined 23.434 children at 4 and 8 years from 12 ongoing European population-based birth cohort studies that recorded information on current eczema, rhinitis, and asthma from questionnaires and serum-specific IgE to six allergens. We wanted to assess how often eczema, rhinitis and asthma coexist in the same children (comorbidity) and whether the occurrence of comorbidities was due to causality or casualty and finally we wanted to examine whether the occurrence of comorbidity was modified by IgE sensitization.
We found that comorbidity affects about 4% of children aged 4–8 years and that about 50% of this comorbidity is due to causality, suggesting that these diseases share common pathophysiological mechanisms. In addition, we found that children comorbidity at age 4 are 30 to 60 times more likely to have comorbidity at age 8 years, suggesting that the presence of comorbidity at age 4 years is a strong determinant of comorbidity at age 8 years. Even children with one single disease are also at high risk of developing comorbidity by age 8 years. Interestingly, we found that not only comorbidity is present in children both sensitized and not sensitized to IgE but also that only 38% of incident comorbidity at age 8 years is explained by the presence of IgE sensitization at age 4 years.
15 Jan Type 1 Diabetes: Retinopathy and Cerebral Microbleeds
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Eelco van Duinkerken Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdama MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: In our study we assessed the relationship between cerebral small vessel disease and peripheral microvascular function in type 1 diabetes patients. By MRI cerebral small vessel disease was assessed as white matter hyperintensities and lacunar infarcts (markers of ischemia) and cerebral microbleeds (expression of vascular leakage). We hypothesized that subgroups, i.e. those with (proliferative) retinopathy, are more at risk to develop cerebral small vessels disease. To this end, we selected type 1 diabetes patients with proliferative retinopathy, type 1 diabetes patients without microvascular complications and healthy controls. The main finding of our study was that only cerebral microbleeds, but not ischemic markers of cerebral small vessel disease were more prevalent in type 1 diabetes patients with proliferative retinopathy relative to the other groups. Cerebral microbleeds were also related to microvascular function in skin. This suggest that cerebral microbleeds are part of generalized microangiopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes.15 Jan Dietary Fiber Intake and Cardiovascular Risk
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Prof. Victoria J Burley
Senior Lecturer in Nutritional Epidemiology
School of Food Science and Nutrition
University of Leeds
Biostatistics, University of Leeds, UK
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Prof. Burley: Although it’s been suggested for a long time that foods rich in dietary fiber may protect individuals from having a heart attack or stroke because they lower some of the risk factors for these diseases, trying to determine how much dietary fibre might be beneficial and whether these benefits are apparent in all populations around the world has been less easy to research. Our research at the University of Leeds has pooled the results of published large-scale follow-up studies and has demonstrated a consistent lowering of risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease with increasing dietary fiber intake. This dose-response trend suggests that even small additional increments in intake may be beneficial in the long term.
15 Jan Rotavirus Vaccination and Intussusception Risk
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
W. Katherine Yih Ph.D., M.P.H
Department of Population Medicine
Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Yih: The main findings are that vaccination with the first dose of RotaTeq is associated with a small increase in the risk of intussusception, which is concentrated in the first week after vaccination. The estimated risk is about 1.5 excess cases per 100,000 first doses administered. This risk is fairly small, amounting to roughly 1/10 of the risk seen after the original rotavirus vaccine (called Rotashield) that was used in 1998-1999, before it was withdrawn from the market.
We also found evidence that Rotarix increases the risk of intussusception. However, the number of infants receiving Rotarix and the number getting intussusception after Rotarix were too small to allow us to estimate the risk after Rotarix with any precision.