Author Interviews, CMAJ, OBGYNE / 19.06.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: “Birth” by Sharon Mollerus is licensed under CC BY 2.0Giulia Muraca, PhD, MPH Postdoctoral Fellow School of Population and Public Health BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute Faculty of Medicine University of British Columbia MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?  Response: While cesarean delivery rates have increased in Canada over the last few decades, as in most industrialized settings, the rate of forceps and vacuum deliveries have declined. These opposing trends have led to recommendations to increase forceps and vacuum delivery rates as a strategy to reduce cesarean delivery rates. We found that the rate of obstetric trauma in Canada increased significantly in recent years, especially among forceps deliveries. In first-time mothers, the rate of obstetric trauma increased by 7% among forceps deliveries (from 19.4% in 2004 to 26.5% in 2014) and in women who had a previous cesarean delivery, the rate of obstetric trauma among forceps deliveries increased by 9% (from 16.6% to 25.6%). We found that a 1% increase in the forceps and vacuum delivery rate in Canada was associated with approximately 700 additional cases of obstetric trauma and 18 additional cases of severe birth trauma annually among first-time mothers alone. 
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Cost of Health Care, Health Care Systems, Hip Fractures, Surgical Research / 12.06.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_42321" align="alignleft" width="108"]Daniel Pincus MD Department of Surgery Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences University of Toronto Dr. Pincus[/caption] Daniel Pincus MD Department of Surgery Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences University of Toronto MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We chose to look at hip fractures because is the most common reason for urgent surgery complications have be tied to wait times (and in particular wait times greater than 24 hours).
Author Interviews, CMAJ, OBGYNE / 07.05.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: “Childbirth” by DAVID Swift is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Dr. Carmen Young Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Alberta MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: For women who have had a single previous cesarean section, the optimal mode of delivery in a subsequent pregnancy is controversial. This is because there are risks and benefits to attempting a vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC) or having an elective repeat cesarean section. Attempted VBAC is associated with a higher risk of uterine rupture and other maternal and infant complications. Repeat cesarean sections are associated with an increased risk of surgical complications and placental complications in subsequent pregnancies. Furthermore, it is difficult to predict which patients will have a successful VBAC. This study is unique in that it uses recent Canadian data, allowing assessment of the impact of contemporary obstetrical care on maternal and neonatal outcomes in Canada.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Heart Disease, Technology / 03.04.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_40936" align="alignleft" width="200"]Benjamin Hibbert MD PhD FRCPCz Interventional Cardiologist Clinician Scientist and Assistant Professor CAPITAL Research Group Vascular Biology and Experimental Medicine Laboratory University of Ottawa Heart Institute Dr. Benjamin Hibbert[/caption] Benjamin Hibbert MD PhD FRCPCz Interventional Cardiologist Clinician Scientist and Assistant Professor CAPITAL Research Group Vascular Biology and Experimental Medicine Laboratory University of Ottawa Heart Institute MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: When we designed the study in 2014 we were routinely using the modified allen's test (MAT) to screen patients for transradial access for coronary angiography and PCI. We all had iPhones and we started using the HeartRate monitoring application as a photoplethysmograph. Quite quickly we found that using the application was simple, worked well and because we always had our iPhone with us we tended to use it more often. That being said - we wanted to test it in a scientifically rigorous method and thus we elected to perform an RCT to evaluate it's diagnostic accuracy. smart app measures blood flowThe current study is the first to use the photoplethysmographic capabilities of smartphones to assess blood flow - in this case in the hand to assess for blockages in arteries before accessing them for a procedure. The hand is supplied by two arteries - the radial artery and the ulnar artery. In many cases in medicine we use the radial artery, whether it be placing a catheter to monitor blood pressure, as a method of getting to the heart for angioplasty and in coronary artery bypass grafting it is removed and used as a bypass to restore blood flow to the heart. In many instances doctors assess the patency of the ulnar artery to decided if they are going to use the radial artery for a procedure - the concept being that if the ulnar is compromised and we use the radial then the hand can develop complications from not enough blood flow. To determine if a patient is eligible doctors would use a bedside physical exam test called the modified Allen's test in which they occlude both arteries to cause the hand to turn white. They then release pressure on the ulnar letting blood only pass through this vessel to see if the hand turns pink. However, there is a lot of variability in what doctors consider to be abnormal and determining if the test is positive can depend on numerous factors including skin tone, the amount of pressure applied and the size of the vessels.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Opiods / 26.03.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_40728" align="alignleft" width="133"]Andrea Schaffer PhD Research Fellow Centre for Big Data Research in Health UNSW Sydney NSW Australia Dr. Schaffer[/caption] Andrea Schaffer PhD Research Fellow Centre for Big Data Research in Health UNSW Sydney NSW Australia  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Use and misuse of opioids has increased dramatically in Australia over the past 20 years. In 2014, Australia introduced tamper-resistant controlled-release (CR) oxycodone, which forms a viscous gel when crushed, and is designed to deter its injection or snorting. However, this formulation does not prevent dependence, and can still be misused orally. Tamper-resistant oxycodone CR was also introduced in the US (2010) and Canada (2012), resulting in reductions in oxycodone CR use. However, no large population-level studies have looked at switching behaviour in individuals using oxycodone CR, either in Australia or abroad.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, OBGYNE / 29.01.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: “Don't forget the teens” by Jon Seidman is licensed under CC BY 2.0Ning Liu PhD Student Senior Research Analyst at ICES Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences University of Toronto MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Previous studies suggested intergenerational tendencies between a mother and her daughter in fertility patterns, such as when they give birth to a child for the first time, or the total number of children they have during their lifetime. We explored whether there is also an intergenerational tendency for induced abortion practices between a mother and her teen daughter. To do so, we used anonymized records of 431,623 daughters and their mothers, and found that a teenage daughter was twice as likely to have an induced abortion if her mother had had an induced abortion. 
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Cost of Health Care, Health Care Systems, Hospital Readmissions / 02.10.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_37278" align="alignleft" width="125"]Dr. Lauren Lapointe-Shaw, MD Physician at University Health Network Department of Medicine University of Toronto  Dr. Lapointe-Shaw[/caption] Dr. Lauren Lapointe-Shaw, MD Physician at University Health Network Department of Medicine University of Toronto  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Readmissions after hospital discharge are common and costly. We would like to reduce these as much as possible. Early physician follow-up post hospital discharge is one possible strategy to reduce readmissions. To this end, incentives to outpatient physicians for early follow-up have been introduced in the U.S. and Canada. We studied the effect of such an incentive, introduced to Ontario, Canada, in 2006.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Exercise - Fitness, Frailty, Geriatrics, Lifestyle & Health / 21.08.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_36538" align="alignleft" width="200"]Olga Theou, MSc PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University Affiliated Scientist, Geriatric Medicine, Nova Scotia Health Authority Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide Halifax, Nova Scotia Dr. Theou[/caption] Olga Theou, MSc PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University Affiliated Scientist, Geriatric Medicine, Nova Scotia Health Authority Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide Halifax, Nova Scotia  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We already know that moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, such as time accumulated during exercise, is associated with numerous health benefits. More recent studies also have shown that sedentary time, such as time accumulated during prolonged sitting at work, transportation, and leisure, can also increase the risk of adverse outcomes. What was not known was whether prolonged sitting affects people across different levels of frailty similarly. This is what we examined in our study. We found that there were differences. Low frailty levels (people who are extremely healthy; frailty index score < 0.1) seemed to eliminate the increased risk of mortality associated with prolonged sitting, even among people who did not meet recommended physical activity guidelines. Among people with higher frailty levels, sedentary time was associated with mortality but only among those who did not meet recommended physical activity guidelines
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, CMAJ, HPV, Vaccine Studies / 14.08.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_36432" align="alignleft" width="200"]Steven Habbous MSc, PhD candidate Ontario Cancer Institute Scarborough, Ontario, Canada Steven Habbous[/caption] Steven Habbous MSc, PhD candidate Ontario Cancer Institute Scarborough, Ontario, Canada MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a strong risk factor for oropharyngeal cancers (a subset of head and neck cancers). Because HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers generally respond well to treatment and may be prevented through HPV vaccination, it is critical to be able to accurately estimate the incidence and prevalence of this disease. Only recently, however, has testing for HPV become routine at most cancer centres across Canada.  As a result, attempts to estimate the growth of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer over time may be inaccurate.
Artificial Sweeteners, Author Interviews, CMAJ, Heart Disease, Weight Research / 17.07.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_35870" align="alignleft" width="168"]Dr. Azad Dr. Azad[/caption] Meghan Azad PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics & Child Health and Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba; Associate Investigator, Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study Research Scientist, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba; co-Lead, Population Health Pillar, Developmental Origins of Chronic Diseases in Children Network MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Consumption of artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose and stevia, is widespread and increasing.  Emerging data indicate that artificial, or non-nutritive, sweeteners may have negative effects on metabolism, gut bacteria and appetite, although the evidence is conflicting. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings? Response: We conducted a systematic review of 37 studies that collectively followed over 400,000 people for an average of 10 years. Only 7 of these studies were randomized clinical trials (the gold standard in clinical research), involving 1003 people followed for 6 months on average. The trials did not show a consistent effect of artificial sweeteners on weight loss, and the longer observational studies showed a link between consumption of artificial sweeteners and relatively higher risks of weight gain and obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and other health issues.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, OBGYNE / 05.06.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34973" align="alignleft" width="200"]Giulia Muraca, MPH, PhD(c) Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar School of Population and Public Health Child & Family Research Institute Faculty of Medicine University of British Columbia Dr. Muraca[/caption] Giulia Muraca, MPH, PhD(c) Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar School of Population and Public Health Child & Family Research Institute Faculty of Medicine University of British Columbia  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The rate of cesarean delivery has increased dramatically over the last 30 years. And in an effort to curb the rising trend in caesarean delivery, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine have recently advocated for increased use of operative vaginal delivery (forceps/vacuum delivery) as a strategy to reduce the cesarean delivery rate. The evaluation of approaches to achieve this end are underway and the current discourse surrounding operative vaginal delivery centers on methods to promote these important skills. But, the truth is, we don’t yet fully understand the balance of risks and benefits to mothers and their babies following operative vaginal delivery compared with caesarean delivery. The preferred choice given these two options relies heavily on how far the baby’s head has descended in the birth canal. If the baby’s head has descended far enough that it is visible and on the perineum, then the use of an instrument has clear advantage. However, when the fetal head is engaged in the maternal pelvis, but has not descended so far down the birth canal, the decision between these modes of delivery becomes much less clear. These deliveries are called midpelvic deliveries. And it’s an increase in these midpelvic deliveries that would have the most potential as a strategy to reduce the cesarean delivery rate, and as a result, it is these deliveries that we were interested in studying. Operative vaginal deliveries are carried out in approximately 14% of all term births in Canada and those that occur when the baby is at midpelvic station account for over 20% of all operative vaginal deliveries. This translates to about 2-3% of all term, singleton deliveries in Canada or about 10,000 deliveries per year overall. The literature on perinatal and maternal outcomes contrasting midpelvic operative vaginal delivery and caesarean delivery is based on studies undertaken 25 to 30 years ago that are no longer reflective of the current obstetric practice.  This was the impetus for our study. We reasoned that before we decide to encourage increased OVD we should first get a sense of the safety of such procedures compared to cesarean delivery as provided by contemporary maternity care providers.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Diabetes, OBGYNE / 15.05.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34593" align="alignleft" width="200"]Dr. Gillian Booth PhD Researcher at St. Michael's and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) Dr.Gillian Booth[/caption] Dr. Gillian Booth PhD Researcher at St. Michael's and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The impact of climate change on health is becoming increasingly relevant given the rise in global air temperature, and there is growing evidence supporting a link between air temperature, metabolic function, and energy expenditure. We know from animal models and small studies in humans that cold exposure and activate a type of fat known as brown fat and it appears that this process can improve sensitivity to insulin. However no studies have yet looked at air temperature and the development of diabetes. So we decided to examine the relationship between outdoor air temperature and gestational diabetes – a temporary form of diabetes that arises in the second trimester of pregnancy.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Fertility, Karolinski Institute, OBGYNE / 08.05.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34455" align="alignleft" width="150"]Neda Razaz, PhD, MPH Postdoctoral Fellow Reproductive Epidemiology Unit Karolinska Institutet Dr. Razaz[/caption] Neda Razaz, PhD, MPH Postdoctoral Fellow Reproductive Epidemiology Unit Karolinska Institutet MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Multiple births of twins and triplets – and the associated health risks – have increased in many high-income countries, with a respective two-fold and three-fold increase in recent decades. In Canada, triplet births or higher have increased from 52.2 per 100 000 live births to 83.5 between 1991 and 2009, mainly because of an increase in fertility treatments for older women of child-bearing age. In this study we found that among twin and triplet pregnancies that were reduced to singleton or twin pregnancies, there was a substantial reduction in complications such as preterm birth and very preterm birth. Although rates of death and serious illness were not lower among all multifetal pregnancies that were reduced, pregnancies that resulted from fertility treatments did show a significant reduction in rates of death or serious illness following fetal reduction.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Infections, OBGYNE / 03.05.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_20443" align="alignleft" width="187"]Anick Bérard PhD FISPE Research chair FRQ-S on Medications and Pregnancy and Director, Réseau Québécois de recherche sur le médicament (RQRM) and Professor, Research Chair on Medications, Pregnancy and Lactation Faculty of Pharmacy University of Montreal and Director, Research Unit on Medications and Pregnancy Research Center CHU Ste-Justine Dr. Anick Bérard[/caption] Anick Bérard PhD FISPE Research chair FRQS on Medications and Pregnancy Director, Réseau Québécois de recherche sur le médicament (RQRM) Professor, Research Chair on Medications, Pregnancy and Lactation Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal Director, Research Unit on Medications and Pregnancy Research Center, CHU Ste-Justine MedicalResearch.com: The Danish study you cite reported a connection between antibiotics and miscarriage – why was further research of this topic necessary? Response: Given that a single study will assess an association, repetition of findings are essential in order to assess causality. For example, we were able to conclude that smoking was causing lung cancer after 10 years of observational research on the topic showing concordant associations. In addition, antibiotic prescription patterns vary from country to country, hence the importance of studying the research question in various patient populations. Finally, our cohort has validated exposure status, gestational age (first day of pregnancy) and miscarriage cases - our study was also able to look at types of antibiotics.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Fertility, Heart Disease, Women's Heart Health / 13.03.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_32860" align="alignleft" width="200"]Jacob A. Udell MD MPH FRCPC Cardiovascular Division Women's College Hospital Toronto General Hospital University of Toronto Dr. Jacob Udell[/caption] Jacob A. Udell MD MPH FRCPC Cardiovascular Division Women's College Hospital Toronto General Hospital University of Toronto  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: We’ve noticed for a long time that fertility drug treatment can cause short-term complications such as high blood pressure or diabetes in pregnancy. We recently started wondering whether there may be long term consequences for these women years after a baby was or was not born.  To do this, we looked at all women who were treated with fertility therapy in Ontario for the last 20 years, from what we could determine this amounted to more than 28,000 women. We then followed up years later to examine every woman’s cardiovascular health.
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, CMAJ, Lifestyle & Health / 23.02.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ellen Warner, MD, FRCPC, FACP, M.Sc. Affiliate scientist Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Toronto, ON MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this review? Response: As a medical oncologist who has treated breast cancer patients for over 30 years, I have found that most of the women in my practice are desperately looking for things they can do beyond standard surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, etc. to increase their chance of cure.  Unfortunately, many fall prey to false claims they read over the Internet or hear from well-meaning friends and relatives.  As a result they turn to absurdly restrictive diets (eg. No meat, dairy or sugar) or to ‘supplements’ with unproven effectiveness or even safety. So I thought it would be helpful to review the literature to determine what evidence-based lifestyle changes these women could make that would at least improve their overall health and, ideally, reduce their risk of dying of recurrent breast cancer.  For this review I thought it would be great to team up with Julia Hamer, a pre-med student with a degree in nutrition who just happens to also be an Olympic level athlete!
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Heart Disease, Stroke / 27.11.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_29867" align="alignleft" width="200"]Dr-Tony-Antoniou.jpg Dr. Tony Antoniou[/caption] Dr. Tony Antoniou, PhD Research Scholar Department of Family and Community Medicine and a Scientist Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute St. Michael's Hospital Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Dabigatran etexilate is an anticoagulant that is commonly used for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. Absorption of dabigatran etexilate is opposed by intestinal P-glycoprotein, an efflux transporter. Once absorbed, dabigatran etexilate is converted to its active form by carboxylesterase enzymes. Unlike other statins, simvastatin and lovastatin can inhibit P-glycoprotein and carboxylesterase. This may result in increased absorption of dabigatran etexilate, thereby increasing the risk of bleeding. Conversely, inhibition of carboxylesterase may decrease the effectiveness of dabigatran etexilate.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Pharmacology, Urology / 19.11.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Emma Maund, MSc PhD Nordic Cochrane Centre MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Duloxetine has been approved in Europe for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women. It is not approved for this indication in the US and Canada. Currently, reasons why marketing authorization applications are withdrawn or denied are not published by either the Canadian or the US drug agency. However, the FDA has said that a higher-than-expected rate of suicide attempts - 2.6 timer higher - was observed in the open-label extensions of controlled trials of duloxetine for stress urinary incontinence. Given the FDA’s statement about the rate of suicide attempts, we wanted to determine whether duloxetine increased the risk of suicidality, violence or their possible precursors (drug induced akathisia, an extreme type of restlessness; activation, which consists of stimulating effects such as insomnia, anxiety and agitation; emotional disturbance, such as depersonalization and derealization; or psychotic events, such as delusions and hallucinations) in the randomized phases of the trials. We therefore assessed the benefits and harms of duloxetine in stress urinary incontinence using clinical study reports, including individual patient data, of the 4 main trials submitted by Eli Lilly to the European Medicines Agency.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Vaccine Studies / 26.09.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Kevin Schwartz, MD MSc Infection Prevention and Control Physician Infection Prevention and Control Public Health Ontario | Santé publique Ontario MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: There has been a resurgence of pertussis, or ‘whooping cough’, in several countries and regions since the introduction of the new “acellular” pertussis vaccine in the 1990s to replace the older “whole cell” vaccine. In Ontario, we have not seen large increases but observed a small outbreak in 2012 that affected both unvaccinated people, as well as in those who have been vaccinated against pertussis. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of the current acellular vaccine used in Ontario. We wanted to find out whether immunity wanes with time in the same way as had been previously observed during a large outbreak in California. We also wanted to study the impact of receiving the older ‘whole cell’ vaccine, which we used in Ontario until 1997.
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, CMAJ, Pain Research / 13.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25902" align="alignleft" width="150"]Jason Busse PhD Department of Anesthesia Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics McMaster University Hamilton, ON Dr. Jason Busse[/caption] Jason Busse PhD Department of Anesthesia Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics McMaster University Hamilton, ON MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Persistent pain after breast cancer surgery affects up to 60% of patients. Early identification of those at higher risk could help inform optimal management. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to explore factors associated with persistent pain among women who have undergone surgery for breast cancer. We found that development of persistent pain after breast cancer surgery was associated with younger age, radiotherapy, axillary lymph node dissection, greater acute postoperative pain and preoperative pain. Axillary lymph node dissection increases the absolute risk of persistent pain by 21%, and provides the only high yield target for a modifiable risk factor to prevent the development of persistent pain after breast cancer surgery.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Neurological Disorders, Pain Research / 07.06.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25001" align="alignleft" width="150"]Dr Vincent Chung Assistant Professor, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care Associate Director (Education), Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner The Chinese University of Hong Kong Dr. Vincent Chung[/caption] Dr Vincent Chung Assistant Professor, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care Associate Director (Education), Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner The Chinese University of Hong Kong MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Primary carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common forms of peripheral entrapment neuropathy. It is a major cause of disability on the upper extremity incurring considerable limitation on daily activities among patients. Currently, there is no consensus on appropriate treatment for patients with chronic (≥6 months) mild to moderate symptoms [Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation. 2014;95(12):2253-63]. Electroacupuncture is a common technique for managing pain and neuropathy in Chinese medicine. Current CTS treatment guidelines from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) made no specific recommendations for or against electroacupuncture.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Pediatrics, Surgical Research, Weight Research / 10.05.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_24165" align="alignleft" width="133"]Atul Sharma MD, MSc(Statistics), FRCPC Researcher, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba; Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba; Senior Consultant, Biostatistics Group, George and Fay Yee Center for Healthcare Innovation Dr. Atul Sharma[/caption] Atul Sharma MD, MSc(Statistics), FRCPC Researcher, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba; Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba; Senior Consultant, Biostatistics Group, George and Fay Yee Center for Healthcare Innovation MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Sharma: Between 1978 and 2004, a previous comparison of directly measured heights and weights demonstrated an alarming increase in the prevalence of overweight or obesity in Canadian children aged 2-17y, from 23.3% (95% CI = 20.5-26.0) to 34.7% (33.0-36.4) based on the new 2007 WHO criteria. In Canada, the definitions of overweight and obesity changed with the introduction of the new '2010 WHO Growth Charts for Canada’, Previous definitions were based on Body Mass Index (BMI) percentiles from the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth chart’s. In addition to revising the percentile thresholds for diagnosing overweight or obesity, the WHO charts were based on a very different reference population. As a result, the proportion of Canadian children being classified as overweight or obese increased with the introduction of the new WHO charts. Our current study applied current Canadian definitions of overweight and obesity to a contemporary sample of Canadian children age 3-19y to assess recent trends in the rates of overweight and obesity. By pooling data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS, cycle 2.2) and the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS, cycles 2 and 3), we were able to study a representative sample of more than 14000 Canadian children from the period 2004-2013.  The sample was evenly split between boys and girls and approximately 80% white.
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, CMAJ, End of Life Care / 20.04.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_23439" align="alignleft" width="143"]Camilla Zimmermann, MD, PhD, FRCPC Head, Division of Palliative Care, University Health Network Research Director, Lederman Palliative Care Centre, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto Rose Family Chair in Supportive Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Toronto, Canada Dr. Camilla Zimmermann[/caption] Camilla Zimmermann, MD, PhD, FRCPC Head, Division of Palliative Care, University Health Network Research Director, Lederman Palliative Care Centre, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto Rose Family Chair in Supportive Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Toronto, Canada Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Zimmermann: Early palliative care is increasingly recommended by national and international health agencies, and is in keeping with the definition of palliative care as being relevant throughout the course of life-threatening illness. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of early palliative care (referral and follow-up in a specialized outpatient palliative care clinic), versus routine oncology care, in 461 ambulatory patients with advanced cancer. The results showed that early palliative care improved quality of life and satisfaction with care. The current study was a follow-up study, where we conducted qualitative interviews with 71 patients and caregivers from the intervention and control arms of the larger trial. We asked them about their attitudes and perceptions of palliative care and whether these changed during the trial.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Opiods / 17.04.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_23464" align="alignleft" width="171"]Dr. Zainab Samaan, MBChB, MSc, DMMD, PhD, MRCPsych Associate Professor Dept of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences Member Population Genomics Program Member Peter Boris Centre for Addiction Research Associate Faculty Dept of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics McMaster University Hamilton, ON, Canada Dr. Samaan[/caption] Dr. Zainab Samaan, MBChB, MSc, DMMD, PhD, MRCPsych Associate Professor Dept of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences Member Population Genomics Program Member Peter Boris Centre for Addiction Research Associate Faculty Dept of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics McMaster University Hamilton, ON, Canada Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Response: Opioid addiction has become a leading public health concern in North America with Canada leading the way in the amount of opioid use per capita. Opioid addiction has moved from heroin use by young men to prescription pain killers such as oxycodone and fentanyl with devastating impact on individuals and society including increasing number of deaths due to opioid overdose. In addition many people on treatment will also relapse (go back using drugs). We wanted to understand the problem of opioid addiction by investigating the factors that increase the risk of relapse in people with opioid addiction receiving methadone treatment. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Response: People who injected drugs and used benzodiazepines (BDZ) are more likely to relapse faster than people who did not use injection or benzodiazepines.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Fertility, OBGYNE / 12.04.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_23288" align="alignleft" width="200"]Marcelo L. Urquia PhD, MSc, Mg Public Health, BA Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute St. Michael’s Hospital Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto Dr. Marcelo Urquia[/caption] Marcelo L. Urquia PhD PhD, MSc, Mg Public Health, BA Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute St. Michael’s Hospital Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Urquia: In most populations the sex ratio at birth, that is, ratio of male newborns to female newborns, is about 103 to 107 males per 100 females. This is well established and does not substantially vary according to whether a woman had one or two previous children of the same sex, as each pregnancy is an independent event. However, it is known that several parts of Asia characterize for having son-biased sex ratios at birth. As countries from Asia, such as India and China are the top contributors of births to immigrant women in Canada, we wanted to verify whether son-biased sex ratios were present in Canada. Since induced abortion following prenatal sex determination using ultrasonography has been hypothesized to be a major mechanism that may explain the distorted sex ratios observed in Asia, we also studied the connection between the probability of having boys after induced abortions. In our first study entitled “Sex ratios after induced abortion” published in CMAJ (http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.151074), which used Ontario health care records, we found that sex ratios among Canadian-born women in Ontario were within the expected, irrespective of birth order. The sex ratio among immigrant women from India with two prior girls was 196 males per 100 females for the third live birth. Among Indian immigrant women with two prior daughters the sex ratio increased to 326 males per 100 females if they have had induced abortions preceding the third birth, to 409 males per 100 females if they have had more than one induced abortion since the last newborn child, and to 663 males per 100 females if they have had at least one preceding abortion after 14 weeks of gestation (when the sex of the fetus can be accurately estimated by ultrasonography). These findings suggest that among Indian immigrants to Ontario induced abortions of female fetuses are much more common than induced abortions of male fetuses, which helps explain the deficit in the expected number of female newborns. In our companion paper entitled “Variations in male-female infant ratios among births toCanadian- and Indian-born mothers, 1990-2011: a population-based register study” and published in CMAJ Open (insert URL), we used national birth certificate data and verified that the patterns observed in Ontario are very likely to apply to all Canadian provinces. Moreover, son-biased sex ratios at birth among Indian immigrants have existed in Canada since the early 1990’s. The deficit in the expected number of girls to Indian immigrants over the last two decades in Canada is in between 3211 to 5921.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Opiods, Pain Research / 04.04.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_23135" align="alignleft" width="130"]Shawn Bugden B.Sc. (Pharm), M.Sc., Pharm.D. Associate Professor College of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 0T5 Dr. Bugden[/caption] Shawn Bugden B.Sc. (Pharm), M.Sc., Pharm.D. Associate Professor College of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Bugden: Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine.  While there has been a great deal of attention to fentanyl deaths associated with substance abuse, our study focused on the safety of fentanyl use in standard medical practice.   Fentanyl is most commonly prescribed as a transdermal (skin) patch that delivers the medication over 3 days. The product monograph and numerous safety warnings (FDA, Health Canada…) make it clear that fentanyl patches should not be used unless the patient has had considerable previous opioid exposure (more than 60mg morphine per day for more than 1 week).  Failure to heed these warnings may result in opioid overdose, respiratory depression and death. This study examined over 11 000 first prescriptions for fentanyl patches over a 12-year period to determine if patients had received adequate exposure to opioids.  Overall 74.1% of first prescriptions were filled by patients who had not received adequate prior opioid exposure. An improvement was seen over the study period but even at the end of the study, 50% of prescriptions would be classed as unsafe.  More than a quarter (26.3%) of fentanyl prescriptions were given to patients who were completely opioid naïve and had no exposure to opioids of any kind in the previous 60 days.  Older adults, who may be more sensitive to the effects of fentanyl overdose, were more likely to receive unsafe prescriptions than younger adults.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Outcomes & Safety, Pulmonary Disease, Respiratory / 08.03.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Gary Garber MD Chief of infection prevention and control Public Health Ontario Professor of medicine University of Ottawa  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Garber: There are conflicting recommendations regarding the use of respirators vs face masks to protect healthcare workers against acute respiratory infections. Our systematic review and meta-analysis show that although N95 respirators have improved efficiency in reducing filter penetration under laboratory conditions, there is insufficient data to show a protective advantage compared to surgical mask in clinical settings.
Accidents & Violence, Alcohol, Author Interviews, CMAJ / 10.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21473" align="alignleft" width="170"]Dr. Russ Callaghan, PhD Associate Professor Northern Medical Program University of Northern British Columbia Prince George, British Columbia Dr. Russ Callaghan[/caption] [wysija_form id="5"]Dr. Russ Callaghan, PhD Associate Professor Northern Medical Program University of Northern British Columbia Prince George, British Columbia  Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Callaghan: In Canada, the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) is 18 years in Alberta, Manitoba and Québec, and 19 in the rest of the country. Given that public-health organizations not only have recommended increasing the MLDA to 19 years, but also have identified 21 years as ideal, the current study tested whether drivers slightly older than the MLDA had significant and abrupt increases in alcohol-impaired driving (AID) crimes, compared with their counterparts just younger than the MLDA. Data on the effectiveness of Canadian drinking-age laws is lacking, and the current study provides important information for the current national and international MLDA debates.
Author Interviews, Brain Injury, CMAJ, Mental Health Research / 09.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_21256" align="alignleft" width="144"]Dr. Donald Redelmeier MD, MSHSR, FRCPC, FACP Senior core scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) Physician at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Toronto, Ontario Dr. Donald Redelmeier[/caption] Dr. Donald Redelmeier MD, MSHSR, FRCPC, FACP Senior core scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) Physician at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Toronto, Ontario Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Redelmeier: Head injury can lead to suicide in military veterans and professional athletes; however, whether a mild concussion acquired in community settings is also a risk factor for suicide is unknown. Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report? Dr. Redelmeier: We studies 235,110 patients diagnosed with a concussion and found that  667 subsequently died from suicide. The median delay was about 6 years. This risk was about 32 per 100,000 patients annually, which is 3x the population norm and especially high if the concussion occurred on a weekend (from recreation) rather than a weekday (from employment).
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Heart Disease / 19.01.2016

More on Heart Disease on MedicalResearch.com MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ian R Drennan ACP PhD(c) Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto Rescu, St. Michael's Hospital Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Drennan : Over the last number of years there has been an increase in the number of people living in high-rise buildings in many major urban centres. Research has shown that there are increased 911-response times for medical calls that occur in high-rise buildings. After a patient collapses in cardiac arrest, the chance of survival decreases by about 7-10% per minute without intervention. However, the impact living in high-rise buildings has on cardiac arrest care and survival remains unknown.  Medical Research: What are the main findings? Dr. Drennan : In this study in Toronto and neighbouring Peel Region we found that there was a significant decrease in survival between cardiac arrests that occurred in private residences on or above 3 floors compared to those that occurred below 3 floors (4.2% vs. 2.6%). Only 0.9% of cardiac arrests that occurred above the 16th floor survived and there were no survivors above the 25th floor. We also found that there was nearly a 2 minute delay in 911-response from when an emergency vehicle arrived on scene to when the 911-first responders arrived at the patient’s side when they were required to respond to the higher floors.