JAMA
25 Jul More Kids Now Accidentally Exposed To Edible Marijuana Poisoning
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26469" align="alignleft" width="144"]
Dr. Wang[/caption]
George Sam Wang MD FAAP
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Section of Emergency Medicine, Medical Toxicology
Department of Pediatrics
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Children's Hospital Colorado
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Many states have allowed medical and now recreational marijuana. The impact on pediatric population has not been fully described.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: Unintentional exposures presenting to our children's hospital and calls to our regional poison center significantly increased after our state allowed recreational marijuana.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Exposures in children are increasing in our state that allows medical and recreational Marijuana, many were edible products. Marijuana products should be treated like medications and household products in home and properly and safely stored. States looking to legalize marijuana need to consider safety rules and regulations during rule making processes.
25 Jul Specialized Stroke Care Centers Improve Outcomes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26501" align="alignleft" width="133"]
Dr. Kimon Bekelis[/caption]
Kimon Bekelis, MD Chief Resident
Department of Neurosurgery
Dartmouth-Hitchcock School of Medicine
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Physicians often must decide whether to treat acute stroke patients locally, or refer them to a more distant Primary Stroke Center (PSC). There is little evidence on how much the increased risk of prolonged travel time offsets benefits of specialized Primary Stroke Center care.
25 Jul Patients Switch to Lower-Priced Labs If Required To Pay Out-of-Pocket Difference
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26408" align="alignleft" width="152"]
Dr. James C. Robinson[/caption]
James C. Robinson PhD
Leonard D. Schaeffer Professor of Health Economics
Director, Berkeley Center for Health Technology
Division Head, Health Policy and Management
University of California
School of Public Health
Berkeley, CA
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: To moderate the increase in insurance premiums, employers are increasing consumer cost sharing requirements. Under reference pricing, the employer establishes a limit to what it will contribute towards each service or product, typically set at the 60th percentile or other midpoint in the distribution of prices in the market. If the patient selects a facility charging less than or equal to this contribution, he/she receives full coverage, but if a more expensive facility is chosen, the patient must pay the full difference.
25 Jul Profound Disparities By Race in Delivery of Care to Stroke Patients
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26417" align="alignleft" width="80"]
Dr. Roland Faigle[/caption]
Romanus Roland Faigle, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurology
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Stroke care entails a variety of procedures and interventions, which generally fall into one of the two following categories: 1) curative/preventative procedures (such as IV thrombolysis and carotid revascularization), which intent to prevent injury and restore function; and 2) life-sustaining procedures (such as gastrostomy, mechanical ventilation, tracheostomy, and hemicraniectomy), which intent to address complications from a stroke and to prevent death. The use of curative/preventative procedures is supported by excellent evidence and is guided by well-defined criteria, while those are largely lacking for life-sustaining procedures. Therefore, curative/preventative are desirable for eligible patients, while life-sustaining procedures indicate the need to address undesired complications and in itself have questionable utility. We wanted to determine whether race differences in the use of the individual stroke-related procedures exist, and whether presence and directionality of differences by race follow a pattern unique to each of the 2 procedure groups.
25 Jul Shorter Course of Antibiotics May Be Enough For Community Acquired Pneumonia
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Ane Uranga MD Department of Pneumology, Galdakao-Usansolo Hospital Galdakao, Bizkaia, Spain MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Despite clear benefits of shorter antibiotic treatments, reducing the duration of treatment remains challenging in daily clinical practice. Actually, IDSA/ATS recommendations for Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) suggested a minimum of 5 days of treatment based on clinical stability criteria. However, in our study the median of duration of antibiotic treatment in the control group was as high as 10 days. The main finding is that receiving 5 days antibiotic treatment in hospitalized patients suffering from CAP is not inferior to arbitrary treatment schedules in terms of clinical success.22 Jul Kaiser Study Reports Clustering of Basal Cell Skin Cancers in Northern California
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: G. Thomas (Tom) Ray Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente 2000 Broadway Oakland, CA 94612-2304 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? [caption id="attachment_18144" align="alignleft" width="158"]
Basal cell skin cancer[/caption]
Response: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer in the United States. BCCs tend to develop on sun-exposed areas such as the head and neck and are typically treated with various surgical techniques in an outpatient setting. Although BCCs are rarely fatal, they have been estimated to be among the most costly cancers in the Medicare population due to their high incidence. Yet because these cancers are not tracked by national registries the way, for example, melanoma is, basal cell carcinomas have been difficult to study. Incidence rates in the past have tended to rely on surveys such as those by the National Cancer Institute. And studies using disease codes have, until recently, been difficult because the codes used for basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma were the same.
Since 1997, Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) has had computerized pathology results that allowed us to develop an internal registry of BCC cancers. In addition to having detailed information about basal cell cancer patients, we also had detailed information on the underlying population - KPNC members – which allowed us to determine incidence rates of BCC by age, sex, and most importantly for this study, by geographic location. This is because we know the residential location of all KPNC members at any given time – both those that get basal cell cancer and those who do not. This combination of a validated BCC registry with a well-defined population at-risk gave us the unique ability to investigate the spatial distribution of BCC in Northern California and assess whether there existed geographic clustering of basal cell cancers. Although the investigation of spatial clustering of other cancers is fairly common, no such analyses have been performed for basal cell cancer in the United States.
22 Jul Loud Noises at Work and Home Lead To High Prevalence of Tinnitus
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26290" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Harrison LIn[/caption]
Harrison W. Lin, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
UC Irvine Medical Center
Orange, CA 92868
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: We reviewed the data from the Integrated Health Interview Series, which is a project funded by the National Institutes of Health to supplement the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a household-based, personal interview survey administered by the US Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since 1957. The NHIS serves as the largest source of health information in the civilian population of the United States.
Analyzing the available data on tinnitus symptoms from this survey, we found that approximately 1 in 10 Americans have chronic tinnitus. Moreover, durations of occupational and leisure time noise exposures correlated with rates of tinnitus – people who reported higher rates of loud noise exposures at work and recreationally more frequently reported chronic tinnitus.
Finally, health care providers provided advice and treatment plans to patients with chronic tinnitus that were infrequently in line with the clinical practice guidelines published by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Foundation.
21 Jul Non-Diabetics With High Blood Sugar May Face Increased Heart Disease Risk
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr Fiona Bragg Clinical Research Fellow Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit Nuffield Department of Population Health University of Oxford MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Diabetes is known to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It is less clear, however, whether higher blood glucose levels in individuals without diabetes are also associated with higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. It is important to examine this association because it may help us to understand the mechanisms underlying these diseases as well as appropriate approaches to preventing them. We therefore looked at this association in the China Kadoorie Biobank study of 0.5 million Chinese adults, examining the relationship between blood glucose levels and the subsequent risk for cardiovascular diseases among participants with no history of diabetes at the time of recruitment to the study.21 Jul Over 50% Reduction in Facial Fractures from Car Accidents With Combined Seat Belt and Air Bag use
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. David A. Hyman, MD Division of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Department of Surgery University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Madison MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Motor vehicle collisions represent a significant source of facial fractures seen at US trauma centers. In the last few decades there have been significant advances in airbag technology as well as a national legislative push regarding seat belt use which has led to increased safety device use. With these trends, we sought to assess the incidence of facial fractures in patients who present to US trauma centers as well as to analyze what effect restraint devices have on the likelihood of facial fractures after motor vehicle collisions. This analysis was performed using National Trauma Data Bank data from 2007-2012. We found the incidence of at least one facial fracture after a motor vehicle collision was 10.9% with nasal fracture being the most common facial fracture. Based on our analysis of more than 56 thousand patients with a facial fracture, we found that use of an airbag alone reduced the likelihood of a facial fracture by 18% while use of a seat belt alone reduced likelihood by 43%. Use of both reduced the likelihood of facial fractures in a crash by 53%. Younger age, male sex, and use of alcohol increased the likelihood of facial fracture.20 Jul Almost 20% US Adolescents Have Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_17266" align="alignleft" width="135"]
Dr. Andy Menke[/caption]
Andy Menke PhD
Social & Scientific Systems, Inc.
Silver Spring, MD, 20910
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Limited information was available on the prevalence of diabetes among adolescents in the US, particularly the percentage that are undiagnosed and unaware of the condition. We found that 0.8% of adolescents 12-19 years of age had diabetes and 18% had prediabetes. Of those with diabetes, 29% overall were unaware of it and this increased to 40% among Hispanic adolescents and 50% among non-Hispanic black adolescents.
20 Jul Is There an Increased Risk of Breast Cancer in Women Who Have IVF?
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26343" align="alignleft" width="174"]
Dr. Alexandra van den Belt-Dusebout[/caption]
Alexandra W. van den Belt-Dusebout, PhD
Department of Epidemiology
The Netherlands Cancer Institute
The Netherlands
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: In vitro fertilization (IVF) is commonly used, but because of the relatively recent use of IVF, long-term breast cancer risk is not yet known. Female sex hormones have been shown to affect breast cancer risk. Because sex hormone levels during hormonal stimulation of the ovaries for IVF are up to 10 times higher than in natural cycles, IVF was expected to increase breast cancer risk.
19 Jul Diabetes Medications: No Clear Difference in Effect on Life Expectancy or Heart Disease
[caption id="attachment_26204" align="alignleft" width="143"]
Dr. Suetonia Palmer[/caption]
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Principal investigator A/Prof Suetonia Palmer PhD
University of Otago, New Zealand
[caption id="attachment_26202" align="alignleft" width="142"]
Dr. Giovanni Strippoli[/caption]
Senior investigator
Prof. Giovanni Strippoli
MD, PhD, MPH, MM
University of Sydney, Australia and Diaverum, Sweden
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Network meta-analysis is a new technique that allows us to evaluate ALL medical therapies for a specific clinical problem. We wondered whether any of the usual drugs used to treat glucose levels in people with diabetes were safest or most effective.
18 Jul Increased Asthma Hospitalizations Associated With Living Near Fracking Sites
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26221" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Sara Rasmussen[/caption]
Sara Rasmussen PhD Student
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Baltimore, Maryland
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Residents of communities undergoing unconventional natural gas development (the “fracking” industry) and those nearby can be exposed to noise, light, vibration, heavy truck traffic, air pollution, social disruption, and anxiety related to rapid industrial development of one’s community. In Pennsylvania, development began in the mid-2000s and by 2012, 6,253 wells were drilled.
In our study, we found increased odds of asthma hospitalizations, asthma emergency department visits, and asthma oral corticosteroid medication orders (a medication used for asthma exacerbations) among asthma patients residing near bigger or larger numbers of active unconventional natural gas wells compared to those residing farther away.
18 Jul Depression in Parents of Preterm Infants Can Persist With Ongoing Childcare Challenges
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26212" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Carmen Pace[/caption]
Dr Carmen Pace MPsych (Clin Child) PhD AMACPA
Clinical Psychologist and Research Fellow
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
The Royal Children’s Hospital
Flemington Rd Parkville, Victoria AUS
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: We know that mothers of very preterm infants (born prior to 32 weeks gestation) are at higher risk for psychological distress compared to mothers who have healthy full term infants. However, detailed longitudinal research looking at how symptoms evolve over the first weeks and months is limited, and fathers are largely neglected in the literature. We addressed these gaps by assessing symptoms of depression and anxiety in both mothers and fathers every two weeks for the first twelve weeks after birth, and again at six months.
16 Jul Patients With Advanced Cancer Often Misunderstand Their Prognosis
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26193" align="alignleft" width="135"]
Dr. Robert Gramling[/caption]
Robert Gramling, MD, DSc
Division of Palliative Medicine, University of Vermont,
Burlington Department of Family Medicine
Burlington Vermont
School of Nursing and Department of Public Health Sciences
Center for Communication and Disparities Research, Department of Family Medicine, and Division of Palliative Care,
Center for Community Health, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry,
Rochester, New York
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Patients with advanced cancer often misunderstand their doctor's expectations about the length of life they have remaining and this misunderstanding is relevant to their preferences for sharing in treatment decisions at end of life.
15 Jul After Inpatient Surgery, Over Half Adults Experience Some Loss of Independence
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26055" align="alignleft" width="120"]
Dr. Julia Berian,[/caption]
Julia Berian, MD, MS
ACS Clinical Research Scholar
American College of Surgeons
Chicago, IL 60611
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: The US population is rapidly aging and older adults consume a disproportionate share of operations. Older adults experience a high rate of postoperative complications, which can affect quality of life. In this study, function, mobility and living situation are considered together as independent living. The study examined a large surgical database for the occurrence of loss of independence (defined as a decline in function or mobility, or increased care needs in one's living situation) and its relationship to traditional outcomes such as readmission and death after the time of discharge. Patients included in the study were age 65 or older and underwent an inpatient surgical operation. Loss of independence was assessed at the time of discharge. Readmission and death-after-discharge were assessed up to 30 days postoperatively.
11 Jul Spending on Cancer Center Advertising Tripled Over 10 Years
Posted at 19:00h
in Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Cost of Health Care, Health Care Systems, JAMA
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_25955" align="alignleft" width="160"]
Laura Vater[/caption]
Laura B. Vater, MPH
MD Candidate 2017
Indiana University School of Medicine
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: In the United States, cancer center advertisements are common. Previous research has shown that these ads use emotion-based techniques to influence viewers and omit information about benefits, risks, and costs of cancer treatment. There is a concern that cancer center advertising may increase demand for unnecessary tests and treatments, increase healthcare costs, and provide unrealistic expectations about the benefits of cancer treatment.
In this study, we examined cancer center advertising spending from 2005 to 2014, with particular attention to trends within media (television networks, magazines, newspapers, radio stations, billboards, and the Internet) and by target audience (national versus local).
11 Jul Single Head Injury Linked To Parkinson’s but Not Alzheimer’s Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25913" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Paul Crane[/caption]
Paul K. Crane, MD MPH Professor
Department of Medicine Adjunct Professor
Department of Health Services
University of Washington
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The background is that the most common experience of head injury with loss of consciousness is an apparent recovery. Sometimes this is very fast, sometimes it takes somewhat longer, but typically people return to their prior baseline. Nevertheless there is concern that the head injury may have set in motion processes that would lead to late life neurodegenerative conditions. This is bad enough for someone to deal with but it's made even worse if the head injury isn't even the victim's fault. Previous research has focused especially on Alzheimer's disease. A more limited research has focused on Parkinson's disease.
We used data from three prospective cohort studies that included more than 7,000 people to study the relationship between head injury with loss of consciousness and subsequent risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. We collected head injury exposure data at study enrollment, at a time when we administered cognitive tests and knew they did not have dementia, so our exposure data are not biased. Each of these studies also performed brain autopsies on people who died, and we evaluated data from more than 1500 autopsies.
10 Jul Patients Often Don’t Agree With Their Doctor As To What Constitutes A Low-Value Test
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25980" align="alignleft" width="180"]
Dr. Lisa Lehmann[/caption]
Lisa Soleymani Lehmann, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics
Director, Center for Bioethics
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The background for this study is the Choosing Wisely Campaign from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). This campaign has asked specialty boards to come up with lists of interventions (e.g., imaging, medications, tests) that patients and doctors should question. When it initially came out, we thought it was a great idea, but wondered if patients and doctors would agree that some of the interventions are low value. It’s hard to cut back on things that patients feel are valuable to their care, especially as patient ratings of their doctor’s care become part of hospital ratings and physician reimbursement.
09 Jul Diets High In Subsidized Foods May Raise Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25950" align="alignleft" width="184"]
Dr. Edward Gregg[/caption]
Edward Gregg, PhD
Chief of the Epidemiology and Statistics Branch
Division of Diabetes Translation
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: The research was led by the lead author, Karen R. Siegel, PhD, as part of her PhD graduate studies at Emory for her dissertation. Although subsidized foods are intended to ensure adequate availability of storable, staple foods, studies at the population level have linked these subsidies to risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. This study is the first of its kind to examine these relationships at the individual level – specifically, the relationship between diets made up of more subsidized foods, and an individual’s personal risks for developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
The study design that was used here does not allow us to say that these subsidized foods specifically cause type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Rather, people whose diets contain more corn, soybean, wheat, rice, sorghum, dairy, and livestock products are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
According to this research, people whose diets contained more subsidized foods were on average younger, less physically active and more likely to be smokers. They also had much less income, education and food security - or the ability to get enough safe and healthy food to meet their dietary needs.
07 Jul Flu Vaccination During Pregnancy Protects Mother and Infant
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25838" align="alignleft" width="144"]
Dr. Marta Nunes[/caption]
Marta C. Nunes, PhD
DST/NRF:Vaccine Preventable Diseases
Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit
University of Witwatersrand
Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital
Soweto, South Africa
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Young infants are at increased risk for influenza infection and hospitalizations associated with influenza infection. While active annual influenza vaccination is the most efficient mode for the prevention of influenza infection, current vaccines are poorly immunogenic and not licensed for use in infants
06 Jul No Increased Risk of Parkinson’s From MRI Gadolinium Exposure
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25906" align="alignleft" width="115"]
Dr. Blayne Welk[/caption]
Blayne Welk, MD, MSc,FRCSC
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Western University
London, Canada
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Prior research has demonstrated that gadolinium, which may be used during MRI scans to help visualise the body organs, can be deposited in the body, and remain there for years. The US FDA released a notice last year stating that further research was needed to evaluate the clinical implications of these brain deposits. One of the areas that gadolinium is deposited is the brain, specifically in two regions which control voluntary movement (the globus pallidus and dentate nucleus). Damage to these areas could cause symptoms of Parkinsonism. We used administrative data from Ontario, Canada to evaluate whether people who underwent MRI scans with gadolinium had a higher risk of developing Parkinsonism in the future. In this study, we did not demonstrate an increased risk of Parkinsonism in patients exposed to gadolinium.
06 Jul Marijuana Use May Raise Addiction Risk by Altering Brain’s Response To Rewards
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25898" align="alignleft" width="125"]
Dr. Mary Heitzeg[/caption]
Mary P. Heitzeg, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry
University of Michigan
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: We wanted to find out if marijuana use changed the way the brain’s reward system responded to natural rewards. To probe response to natural reward, we used the chance to win some money and we observed brain response using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We looked at brain activity when participants were 20 years old on average, and then again 2 years later and 4 years later. We found that over time marijuana use was associated with a decrease in the brain’s reward response to the chance to win money. This finding is consistent with current theories of addiction that suggest that repeated use of a substance may dampen the brain’s reward response to things normally perceived as pleasurable and this alteration may drive the individual to continue substance use.
06 Jul Alterations in Reward Function Precede Psychotic Disorders
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25894" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Thomas Lancaster[/caption]
Thomas M. Lancaster, PhD
Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute
Cardiff University Brain Imaging Research Centre
Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorders are heritable. Part of this genetic risk may be conferred by the combined effects of common risk alleles identified via genome wide association studies. Individuals with psychosis are also more likely to experience alterations in the ventral striatum (VS); a key node in the brain’s reward processing network. We hypothesized that common genetic risk for psychosis may confer risk via alterations in the VS. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from an adolescent sample (the IMAGEN cohort), we showed that increased psychosis risk was associated with increased BOLD (blood oxygen level dependency) in the VS, during reward processing.
06 Jul Large Harvard Study Confirms Health Benefits of Unsaturated Fats
Posted at 12:15h
in Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, JAMA, Lipids, Nutrition, Omega-3 Fatty Acids
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_25788" align="alignleft" width="180"]
Dr. Wang[/caption]
Daniel (Dong) Wang, MD, ScD, Research Fellow
Department of Nutrition | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Boston, MA 02115
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: There has been widespread confusion in the biomedical community and the general public about the health effects of specific types of fat in the diet. In particular, the role of unsaturated fats vs. saturated fat in cardiovascular disease prevention remains controversial. Our study is by far the most detailed and powerful examination of this very important research topic, i.e., health effects of specific types of dietary fats, because of very large sample size (more than 120,000 men and women), repeated and validated measurements of diet and lifestyle over an extended follow-up (up to 32 years). In addition, our study is able to examine a much broader range of outcomes, including total mortality and mortality due to cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease and respiratory disease.
We found that different types of dietary fat had different associations with mortality. Consuming higher amounts of unsaturated fats- mainly from plant-based foods like olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil and nuts - was associated with lower mortality, while higher consumption of saturated-found in red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream- and trans fats- predominantly from hydrogenated oils- was linked with higher mortality compared with the same number of calories from carbohydrates. Most importantly, replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats conferred substantial health benefits, including lowering risk of all-cause premature death and premature death due to cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease and respiratory disease.
06 Jul Investigational Deutetrabenazine Reduces Chorea in Huntington Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25765" align="alignleft" width="160"]
Dr. Samuel Frank[/caption]
Samuel Frank, MD
Director of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America Center of Excellence
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, MA 02215
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Huntington Disease is a hereditary, progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by involuntary movements (chorea and dystonia), cognitive dysfunction and psychiatric symptoms. Deutetrabenazine is a novel molecule containing deuterium, which attenuates CYP2D6 metabolism, increases active metabolite half-lives leading to stable systemic exposure. We found that deutetrabenazine significantly reduces chorea. There was also an overall improvement in participants' condition based on patient and clinician measures and improvement in a quality of life measure. There was no worsening, but also no improvement in balance. The improvements in Huntington Disease were seen with a remarkably good safety and tolerability profile.
06 Jul Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Fish May Benefit Those At Risk of CAD
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Marcus E. Kleber Fifth Department of Medicine (Nephrology, Hypertensiology, Endocrinology, Diabetology, Rheumatology), Medical Faculty of Mannheim University of Heidelberg Mannheim, Germany MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Many epidemiological studies found inverse associations between the concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA, and cardiovascular disease and mortality. On the other hand, most clinical trials that investigated the effect of omega-3 supplementation on cardiovascular risk failed to show a benefit. Therefore, the role of omega-3 fatty acids is still debated controversially. One problem with clinical trials is that they usually do not screen their participants for their initial omega-3 status. In our study we measured the omega-3 status of our participants using a very reliable and validated method and found an inverse association of EPA and DHA with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.04 Jul Low Birthweight Infants Less Likely To Be Breastfed
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25833" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Kirsten Herrick[/caption]
Dr. Kirsten Herrick Ph.D.
Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys
National Center for Health Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Hyattsville, Maryland
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: The benefits of breastfeeding are well established: for children, it offers protection against infections and increases in intelligence; for nursing women, it protects against breast cancer and improves birth spacing. But there is no nationally representative information about whether there are differences in breastfeeding by birth weight (BW).
Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2014, we estimated the proportion of infants ever breastfed (initiated), and those reporting any breastfeeding at 1 month, 4 months, and 6 months by birth weight categories and birth year cohorts. Our sample size was 13,859.
04 Jul Supply of Technetium-99m For Cardiac Stress Testing Constricted By Regulations and Aging Reactors
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25587" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Venkatesh Murthy[/caption]
Venkatesh Locharla Murthy MD,
PhD, FACC, FASNC
Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine
Frankel Cardiovascular Center
University of Michigan
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Technetium-99m, which is very commonly used for cardiac stress testing, has had multiple supply disruptions due to aging nuclear reactors where it is produced coupled with changing regulations to minimize the risk of nuclear proliferation. The most severe of these disruptions occurred over six months in 2010.
We asked whether this disruption lead to changes in patterns of care among Medicare beneficiaries. We found that during this time, use of technetium-99m in nuclear stress testing fell from 64% to 49%, reflecting a shift towards thallium-201, which has higher radiation exposure and lower diagnostic specificity. This was reflected in a 9% increase in the rate of cardiac catheterization after a nuclear stress test during the study period, implying nearly 6,000 additional, possibly unnecessary, catheterizations during that time.