Author Interviews
23 Apr Transgender Adults Face Barriers to Health Care
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48754" align="alignleft" width="128"] Kellan Baker[/caption]
Kellan E. Baker, MPH, MA
Centennial Scholar PhD Candidate
Health Policy Research Scholar
Department of Health Policy and Management
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: This study shows that transgender adults in the U.S. today have significantly worse health-related quality of life than cisgender (non-transgender) adults, as measured by self-reported health status and number of recent days of poor physical or mental health.
The study is important because it quantifies the gap in health-related quality of life between transgender and cisgender people, and it relies on a survey that allows us to believe that these findings are likely true not just for the people who answered the survey but for the U.S. as a whole.
Health-related quality of life is a very broad term that describes a person’s whole sense of well-being—we might think of it as the answer to the question, “how are you doing these days?” The answer has to do not just with your physical health but also your mental health, your outlook on your life and your community, your feelings of wholeness and happiness. Sources such as the National Academy of Medicine and the U.S. Transgender Survey have documented that transgender people face discrimination in areas of everyday life such as housing, health care, and public spaces. Encounters with discrimination don’t just keep transgender people from getting services they need: they hurt trans people both physically and mentally.
23 Apr Medicaid Payments For Breast Cancer Radiation Vary Widely
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48748" align="alignleft" width="133"] Dr. Agarwal[/caption]
Ankit Agarwal, MD, MBA
PGY-3, Radiation Oncology Resident
UNC Health Care
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Medicaid provides vital health insurance for millions of mostly low income Americans throughout the United States. However, it is well known that patients with Medicaid have worse clinical outcomes than patients with private insurance or Medicare insurance. Part of the reason for this may be due to difficulties with access to care, in part due to the traditionally very low payments in the Medicaid system.
We found that Medicaid payment rates for a standard course of breast cancer radiation treatment can vary over fivefold (ranging from $2,945 to $15,218)
22 Apr NYU Researchers Develop Siri-Like Application to Identify PTSD by Speech Analysis
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48742" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Marmar[/caption]
Charles R. Marmar, MD
The Lucius N. Littauer Professor
Chair of the Department of Psychiatry
NYU Langone School of Medicine
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Several studies in recent years have attempted to identify biological markers that distinguish individuals with PTSD, with candidate markers including changes in brain cell networks, genetics, neurochemistry, immune functioning, and psychophysiology. Despite such advances, the use of biomarkers for diagnosing PTSD remained elusive going into the current study, and no physical marker was applied in the clinic.
Our study is the first to compare speech in an age and gender matched sample of a military population with and without PTSD, in which PTSD was assessed by a clinician, and in which all patients did not have a major depressive disorder. Because measuring voice qualities in non-invasive, inexpensive and might be done over the phone, many labs have sought to design speech-based diagnostic tools
22 Apr It’s Not Just Avoiding Red Meat, It’s the Substitute Diet That Influences Heart Health
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48738" align="alignleft" width="158"]
Dr. Guasch-Ferré[/caption]
Marta Guasch-Ferre, PhD
Research Scientist, Dept of Nutrition
Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
Instructor of Medicine, Channing Division of Network Medicin
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA, 02115
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Previous findings from randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of red meat on cardiovascular disease risk factors have been inconsistent.
But our new study, which makes specific comparisons between diets high in red meat versus diets high in other types of foods, shows that substituting red meat with high-quality protein sources lead to more favorable changes in cardiovascular risk factors. That is, to properly understand the health effects of red meat, it’s important to pay attention to the comparison diet. People do not simply eat more or less meat – it will almost always be in substitution with other foods.
22 Apr Gene Linked to Colon Cancer in Younger Patients Identified
Posted at 12:06h
in Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Colon Cancer, Genetic Research, Surgical Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_48735" align="alignleft" width="133"] Dr. Nfonsam[/caption]
Valentine N. Nfonsam, MD, MS, FACS
Associate Professor of Surgery
Program Director, General Surgery Residency
Colon and Rectal Surgery
Division of Surgical Oncology
University of Arizona, Tucson
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: The overall incidence of colon cancer in the United states has gone down in the last few decades. However, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of sporadic colon cancer is young patients (<50 years old). The etiology of this phenomenon is likely multi-factorial.
These young patients do present with more advanced disease and with aggressive features. We demonstrated in our study that the colon cancer tumor biology was different between young and older patients. We also singled out a particular gene, Cartilage oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) which was significantly over-expressed in young patients and demonstrated its role in cancer proliferation and metastasis and also its potential as a prognostic biomarker since we were able to detect it in plasma.
20 Apr High Lead Levels in Refugee Children Resettled in US
Posted at 11:58h
in Author Interviews, Environmental Risks, Global Health, Pediatrics, Toxin Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_48672" align="alignleft" width="149"] Dr. Bhatta[/caption]
Madhav P. Bhatta, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor, Epidemiology & Global Health
College of Public Health
Kent State University
Kent, OH 44242
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Lead exposure, especially in children, in any amount is harmful. Lead poisoning is a growing global environmental health problem with increasing lead-related diseases, disabilities, and deaths. While exposure to lead in US children, in general, has significantly declined in the last three to four decades certain sub-groups of US children such as African Americans, immigrants and resettled refugees, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are still vulnerable to environmental lead exposure.
Previous studies among resettled refugee children in the United States had found 4- to 5-times higher prevalence of elevated blood lead level (EBLL) when compared to US-born children. However, most of the studies were conducted when EBLL was defined as blood lead level ≥ 10 µg/dL. In 2012, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the reference value for EBLL to ≥ 5 µg/dL. Moreover, because the countries of origin for US resettled refugees change over time, it is important to have epidemiologic studies that provide the current information on EBLL among these vulnerable new US immigrant children.
Using blood lead level data from the post-resettlement medical screening, our study examined the prevalence of elevated blood lead level at the time of resettlement among former refugee children who were settled in the state of Ohio from 2009-2016. We had a large and diverse sample (5,661 children from 46 countries of origin) of children for the study, which allowed us to assess EBLL in children from several countries of origin that had not been previously studied.
20 Apr Pediatric Blood Lead Levels in Public vs Private New York Housing
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48663" align="alignleft" width="200"] Lead paint can crack and form flakes, which can contaminate the surrounding environment.Source: Wikipedia[/caption] Ms. Jacqueline Chiofalo, MPA Director of Policy Research & Analysis The Institute for Family Health Astoria, New York MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Exposure to lead is dangerous and has been banned from use in residential dwellings. However, residual sources of lead still exist. Few studies have examined pediatric lead poisoning between public (NYCHA) and private housing units, and no recent studies performed in New York City. Our study used retrospective chart analysis of routine child lead testing to examine the difference in blood lead levels between the two housing types. Our data showed that children seen in our health centers who lived in New York City public housing had significantly lower mean blood lead levels and fewer children were found with levels over the CDC reference range of 5 μg/dL compared to children who lived in private housing.
19 Apr Stroke: Experimental Antiplatelet Antibody Only Attacks Clots, Without Increasing Bleeding Risk
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48722" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Jandrot-Perrus[/caption]
Martine Jandrot-Perrus MD, PhD.
Emeritus Research Professor
Inserm University Paris Diderot
Acticor Biotech
Hôpital Bichat
France
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Blood platelets are key actors in thrombosis a leading cause of global mortality estimated to account for 1 in 4 death worldwide in 2010.
Thrombosis is associated with cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, stroke, lower limb ischemia, venous thromboembolism), and with numerous pathologies such as cancer, infections or inflammatory diseases. Currently available antiplatelet drugs are the cornerstone of therapy for patients with acute coronary syndromes. However, these drugs all carry an inherent risk of bleeding that restricts their use in sensitive populations and when arterial thrombosis occurs in the cerebral territory. At present the only acute treatment option available for ischemic stroke consists in revascularization by thrombolysis, and/or mechanical thrombectomy. But the number of patients eligible to these treatments is low (» 15% of all patients) and the success rate does not exceed 50%. The responsibility of platelets in the failure for thrombolysis / thrombectomy to restore vascular patency is strongly suspected.
There is thus a clear medical need for new antiplatelet drugs with an improved safety profile. We set out to develop ACT017, a novel, first in class, therapeutic antibody to platelet glycoprotein VI with potent and selective antiplatelet effects. The interest of GPVI resides in the fact that it's a receptor involved in the development of occlusive thrombi but that it is not strictly required for physiological hemostasis.
19 Apr AI Poised to Revolutionize Radiation Therapy for Cancer
Posted at 12:42h
in Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Cancer Research, JAMA, Radiation Therapy, Technology
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_48660" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Mak[/caption]
Raymond H Mak, MD
Radiation Oncology
Brigham and Women's Hospital
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
- Lung cancer remains the most common cancer, and leading cause of cancer mortality, in the world and ~40-50% of lung cancer patients will need radiation therapy as part of their care
- The accuracy and precision of lung tumor targeting by radiation oncologists can directly impact outcomes, since this key targeting task is critical for successful therapeutic radiation delivery.
- An incorrectly delineated tumor may lead to inadequate dose at tumor margins during radiation therapy, which in turn decreases the likelihood of tumor control.
- Multiple studies have shown significant inter-observer variation in tumor target design, even among expert radiation oncologists
- Expertise in targeting lung tumors for radiation therapy may not be available to under-resourced health care settings
- Some more information on the problem of lung cancer and the radiation therapy targeting task here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An-YDBjFDV8&feature=youtu.be
19 Apr “Magic Mouthwash” Can Decrease Mouth Pain from Radiation Therapy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48657" align="alignleft" width="166"] Dr. Miller[/caption]
Robert C. Miller, MD, MS, MBA
Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: "Magic Mouthwash" is one of the most commonly prescribed medications for oral mucositis pain during cancer therapy, but there has not been good evidence in the past to support its use.
This trial is the first large randomized controlled trial to demonstrate that both "Magic" mouthwash and doxepin rinse reduce patient reported pain during cancer therapy.
19 Apr Just a Picture of Coffee Can Give Your Heart Rate, and Brain, a Lift
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Eugene Chan, PhD Senior Lecturer in Marketing Monash Business School Monash University Australia and Sam Maglio PhD Associate Professor of Marketing Department of Management University of Toronto MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The physiological effects of coffee and caffeine consumption have been well-studied, but we were interested in the psychological effects. Especially in Western societies, there is a mental association between coffee and arousal – that coffee is an arousing beverage. This led us to ask, might this association itself produce the psychological “lift” without actually drinking beverages? We found that it does. Merely seeing pictures of coffee or thinking about coffee can increase arousal, heart rates, and make people more focused. The effects are not as strong as actually drinking coffee of course, but they are still noticeable.
19 Apr Better Use of Nicotine Replacement Therapies Can Help Smokers Quit
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48651" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Lindson[/caption]
Dr Nicola Lindson PhD CPsychol
Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group (TAG) Managing Editor & Senior Researcher
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences,
University of Oxford
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: People have been using nicotine replacement therapy, otherwise known as NRT, to quit smoking for more than 20 years. NRT is available in a range of forms: skin patches, chewing gum, nasal and oral sprays, inhalators, and lozenges. We have good evidence that it is safe and that it helps more people to quit than trying to stop smoking using no medication.
We carried out a systematic review to try and find out what the best ways are to use NRT to maximise a person’s chances of quitting successfully. We did this by looking at studies that compared at least two different types of NRT use, such as higher versus lower doses, or longer versus shorter use.
The takeaway message from the review is that using more nicotine (in the form of nicotine replacement therapy, ) to aid quitting can help more people to stop smoking in the long-term. There is high quality evidence that using two forms of nicotine replacement at the same time – a patch as well as a faster-acting form such as gum - increases chances of quitting, and evidence also suggests that starting to use nicotine replacement before the day you give up cigarettes can help more people quit than beginning use on the day you stop.
There is no evidence that using more nicotine replacement is harmful when used as directed.
19 Apr DNA Copy Number Variants Linked to Increased Risk of Depression
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48629" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Kendall[/caption]
Dr Kimberley Kendall MBBCh
Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Fellow
[caption id="attachment_48630" align="alignleft" width="150"] Prof. Walters[/caption]
Professor James Walters
MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics
Professor, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences
Cardiff University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Copy number variants (CNVs) are the deletion or duplication of large sections of DNA. Large, rare CNVs have been shown to increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia. However, the impact of these CNVs on risk of depression was unclear from the existing literature.
18 Apr Pediatric Melanoma Risk Increasing in Adolescents & Young Adults, Including in Non-Whites
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48700" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Swetter[/caption]
Susan M. Swetter, MD
Professor of Dermatology
Director, Pigmented Lesion & Melanoma Program
Physician Leader, Cancer Care Program in Cutaneous Oncology
Stanford University Medical Center and Cancer Institute
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: The Stanford Pigmented Lesion and Melanoma and Program and Pediatric Dermatology Division participated in the long-term management of children, adolescents and young adults (<25 years of age) with melanoma and atypical melanocytic neoplasms, including atypical Spitz tumors (ASTs) that may be histopathologically challenging to differentiate from true melanoma.
Over a 23-year period, we have observed increased racial-ethnic diversity in young patients with these diagnoses, especially in the presentation of young individuals with darker skin phenotypes and more clinically amelanotic (nonpigmented) lesions compared to patients with lighter skin.
18 Apr Oral Peanut Immunotherapy Evaluated for Preschool Children
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48695" align="alignleft" width="162"]
Dr. Soller[/caption]
Lianne Soller, PhD
Allergy Research Manager
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC, Canada
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: In 2017, a clinical trial of 37 subjects demonstrated that preschool peanut oral immunotherapy was safe, with predominantly mild symptoms reported and only one moderate reaction requiring epinephrine. Our study aimed to examine whether these findings would be applicable in a real-world setting (i.e., outside of research).
We found that peanut oral immunotherapy is safe in the vast majority of preschoolers, with only 0.4% of patients experiencing a severe reaction, and only 12 out of ~40,000 peanut doses needed epinephrine (0.03%).
18 Apr Cervical Cancer Subtypes Vary Among Population Sectors
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_46733" align="alignleft" width="120"] Dr. Islami[/caption]
Farhad Islami, MD PhD
Scientific Director, Surveillance Research
American Cancer Society, Inc.
Atlanta, GA 30303
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Despite a continuous decline in cervical cancer incidence rates, earlier studies reported an increase in cervical adenocarcinoma incidence rates. However, those reports had major limitations, as they did not account for changes in hysterectomy prevalence and used cancer occurrence data covering only 10%-12% of the U.S. population (which may not be representative of the entire population, especially racial/ethnic minorities).
Further, the most recent study examined the trends by age and histology through 2010. We examined contemporary trends in cervical cancer incidence rates in the U.S. (1999-2015) by age, race/ethnicity, major histological subtypes, and stage at diagnosis using up-to-date nationwide data after accounting for hysterectomy prevalence.
18 Apr Pulse Ultrasound to the Brain Could Be Used To Affect Decision Making
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48691" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Fouragnan[/caption]
Elsa F. Fouragnan PhD
School of Psychology
(Faculty of Health and Human Sciences)
University of Plymouth
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Counterfactual thinking is a psychological process that involves the tendency to create possible alternatives to life events that are currently happening.
It is very important because it gives us the ability to switch away from uninteresting activities if better ones become available. For example, if you are working or doing the housework, you may be thinking about gardening or watching a movie later. As soon as your duties are finished, you may engage in these more exciting activities.
In our study, macaque monkeys were tasked to find treats under several colored cups (on a screen). Some of these cups were better than others but were not always available, thus the animals had to retain what they had learnt about the good cups in case they became available again. We found that a frontal part of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex was responsible for tracking which cups were the best in order to efficiently switch to them if the opportunity arose. If this part of the brain was not functioning properly, then animals were stuck in non-optimal choices.
To reveal the causal role of the anterior cingulate cortex, we used a new neurostimulation method called low-intensity repetitive ultrasound to modulates activity in this part of the brain with millimetre accuracy.
18 Apr Most Diabetes Apps Do Not Provide Real Time Decision Support (yet)
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48552" align="alignleft" width="150"] Prof. Car[/caption]
Associate Professor Josip Car
MD, PhD, DIC, MSc, FFPH, FRCP (Edin)
Associate Professor of Health Services Outcomes Research,
Director, Health Services Outcomes Research Programme and Director
Centre for Population Health Sciences
Principal Investigator, Population Health & Living Laboratory
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: In 2018, almost 8% of people with diabetes who owned a smartphone used a diabetes app to support self-management. Currently, most apps are not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We downloaded and assessed 371 diabetes self-management apps, to see if they provided evidence-based decision support and patient education.
18 Apr Ying and Yang of Empathy and Aggression Differ for Boys and Girls
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Eider Pascual-Sagastizabal, PhD Professor of Evolutionary Psychology and Education University School of Education of Bilbao (Leioa) University of the Basque Country MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The search for markers of aggression during childhood is a particularly relevant area of research, since the results of intervention and prevention during this developmental stage are more promising than those obtained during later stages. The psychobiological approach to aggressive behavior is of particular importance, as it analyzes the joint, interactive influence of both psychological and biological variables. We have found that there are different interactions on a biological and psychological level that could account for aggressive behavior in children. More deeply, empathy and hormones could together account for aggressive behavior. In fact, the interactions were different for boys and for girls.
18 Apr RNA Genetic Testing Improves Analysis of Hereditary Cancer Genes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:Rachid Karam, PhD
Director, Ambry Translational Genomics Lab
Ambry Genetics
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: DNA genetic testing (DGT) for hereditary cancer genes is now a well accepted clinical practice; however, the interpretation of DNA variation remains a challenge to laboratories and medical providers.
RNA genetic testing (RGT) as a supplement to DGT is a means to clarify the clinical actionability of variants in hereditary cancer genes, improving our ability to accurately apply known strategies for cancer risk reduction.
18 Apr Stem Cell Therapy Improved Motor Deficit in Traumatic Brain Injury Trial
Posted at 12:04h
in Author Interviews, Brain Injury, Stem Cells, Surgical Research, University of Pittsburgh
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_48666" align="alignleft" width="133"] Dr. Okonkwo[/caption]
Dr. David Okonkwo, M.D., Ph.D.,
Professor of Neurological surgery
Director of the Neurotrauma Clinical Trials Center
University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Okonkwo discusses the results from the STEMTRA Phase 2 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of SB623 in patients with chronic motor deficit from traumatic brain injury.
The results were presented at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), April 2019
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in the US and around the globe. The effects of TBI are often long-lasting, with more than one-third of severe TBI patients displaying a neuromotor abnormality on physical examination 2 years following injury and, yet, there are no effective treatments. The public health implications are staggering: there are approximately 1.4 million new cases of TBI in the US annually, resulting in over 50,000 deaths and 80,000 disabilities; over 5 million Americans currently suffer from long-term disability caused by TBI. A successful neuroregenerative or neurorestorative therapy, such as stem cell implantation, would have significant impact.
17 Apr Short Rest Periods Are Performance Enhancers
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48644" align="alignleft" width="156"]
In a study of healthy volunteers, NIH researchers found that taking short breaks, early and often, may help our brains learn new skills.Courtesy of Cohen lab, NIH/NINDS[/caption] Leonardo G. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Investigator Marlene Bönstrup, M.D., Postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Cohen's lab NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Learning a new skill is typically divided into online (during practice) and offline (after practice has ended) components. Particularly motor skill learning occurs to a considerable degree offline, meaning that performance further improves even after practice has ended. A single practice session itself however, is typically divided into short (level of seconds) periods of practice and rest. In this study, we set out to investigate the contribution of those short periods of practice and rest to the learning during a practice session (i.e. online learning). We found that during early motor skill learning, when most of the total learning occurs, performance improvements actually precipitate during short periods of rest whereas during practice periods, performance mostly stagnated. We found a signature of neural activity predictive of those performance improvements during rest: The lower the beta rhythmic activity in the parietofrontal regions of the brain during those short periods of rest, the higher were participant’s performance jumps.
16 Apr Diet Rich in Red Meat Linked to Earlier Death
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48626" align="alignleft" width="145"] Heli Virtanen[/caption]
Heli Virtanen, PhD Student
University of Eastern Finland
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Optimal amount of protein in diet for supporting longevity is unclear. In addition, there have been indications that different protein sources have differential associations with mortality risk. Thus, we investigated the associations of proteins and protein sources with mortality risk in the Finnish men of the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study.
16 Apr Very Low LDL Cholesterol Associated with Hemorrhagic Stroke in Women
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48622" align="alignleft" width="172"] Dr. Rist[/caption]
Pamela M. Rist, ScD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Preventive Medicine
Boston, MA 02215
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Although hypercholesterolemia is a risk factor for ischemic stroke, some prior studies have observed an inverse association between total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and risk of hemorrhagic stroke. However, many studies were not able to study this association specifically among women.
Our main result was very low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or low levels of triglycerides were associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke among women.
16 Apr Unhealthy, Binge Behaviors in College Students Disrupts Brain Chemistry
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48618" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Begdache[/caption]
Lina Begdache, PhD, RDN, CDN, CNS-S, FAND
Assistant Professor
Health and Wellness Studies Department GW 15
Decker School of Nursing
Binghamton University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: College students engage in activities such as binge drinking, abuse of ADHD medications as "study drugs" or use of illicit drugs during a critical brain developmental window that supports maturation of the brain (the prefrontal cortex) necessary for emotional control, cognitive functions and regulation of impulsive behaviors. These activities not only affect brain function, thus mental health and cognitive functions, but may dampen brain development with potential long-lasting effects.
As for findings, we were able to identify neurobehavioral patterns that associate with mental wellbeing and mental distress in young adults. Based on evidence from the literature, we constructed conceptual models that describe how one behavior may lead to another until virtuous or vicious cycles set-in.
16 Apr Despair Rising in Young Middle Aged Adults, Regardless of Ethnicity or Education
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48633" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Gaydosh[/caption]
Lauren Gaydosh, PhD
Assistant Professor
Center for Medicine, Health, and Society
Public Policy Studies
Vanderbilt University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Several years ago, life expectancy at birth in the United States declined, and this decline has continued every year since. Part of the cause underlying this decline is that midlife mortality – deaths among those 45-54 – has been rising. This increase in midlife mortality has been attributed by some to the “deaths of despair” – a cluster of causes of death including suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol-related disease - and has been most pronounced among middle-aged white adults with a HS degree or less.
In our research, we wanted to better understand the indicators of despair that would be predictive of these causes of death. Things like depression, substance use, and suicidal ideation. And study them in individuals before the period of elevated risk of death – in other words, before they reached middle age. Our goal was to evaluate whether these markers of despair were rising for a younger cohort, and whether this pattern was isolated to white adults with low education.
16 Apr Sentinel Lymph Node Drainage Can Be Used to Test For Marker of Melanoma Relapse Risk
Posted at 17:11h
in Author Interviews
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_48601" align="alignleft" width="165"] Dr. Peinado[/caption]
Héctor Peinado PhD
Microenvironment and Metastasis Laboratory
Molecular Oncology Program
Spanish National Cancer Research Center
Madrid, Spain
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: In this study we detected for the first time BRAF mutation by liquid biopsy in melanoma stage III patients that underwent lymphadenectomy. We obtained a novel biofluid from the drainage implanted 24-48 hours post-lymphadenectomy, called exudative seroma, and profiled BRAF mutation in circulating free DNA and extracellular vesicles.
Those patients positive for BRAF mutation in the seroma had increased risk of relapse, therefore we believe that this technique identifies patients at risk of relapse by identifying residual disease.
16 Apr Travelers Can Bring Home Drug-Resistant Bacteria as Souvenirs from Low and Middle Income Countries
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48604" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Meurs[/caption]
Lynn Meurs, PhD
EPIET fellow at Robert Koch Institute
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
Germany
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: It is unknown how Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL) -producing bacteria are spread, but several studies have shown that intercontinental travellers often return home with these drug-resistant bacteria.
The aim of our study was to investigate into more detail what causes colonisation with these bacteria in people travelling to low and/or middle-income countries (LMICs) in the tropics and subtropics. We found that out of the travellers that were ESBL-negative before travelling, 23% of returned with ESBL-producing bacteria. In line with previous studies, we found that travelling to Eastern, Southern, and Western Asia is associated with ESBL colonisation.
Unexpectedly, we furthermore found that staying in a hotel as well as in private accommodation as compared to other types of commercial accommodation such as hostels, camping or guesthouses, was associated with the colonisation with these drug-resistant bacteria.
16 Apr Brain Training Can Strengthen Cognitive Function in Patients With Mild Impairment
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_48608" align="alignleft" width="160"] Dr. Chapman[/caption]
Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman PhD
Founder and Chief Director, Center for BrainHealth,
Co-Leader, The BrainHealth Project
University of Texas, Dallas
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Finding effective treatments to reverse or slow rates of cognitive decline for those at risk for developing dementia is one of the most important and urgent challenges of the 21st century.
Brain stimulation is gaining attention as a viable intervention to increase neuroplasticity when used in isolation or when combined with cognitive training regimens. Given the growing evidence that certain cognitive training protocols, such as SMART, benefit people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a population that is vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease, we were interested in exploring whether we could further increase the gains from cognitive training (i.e., SMART) when the training was preceded by brain stimulation using tDCS.