Occupational Exposure to Pesticides: Poor Prognosis for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Patients

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com interview with:
Sylvain Lamure, MD, Hematologist, Principal Investigator
Pascale Fabbro-Peray, MD, PhD , Epidemiologist, Senior Investigator
University of Montpellier, France

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Occupational exposure to pesticides is a well-documented associated factor for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The main biological mechanisms of both pesticides and chemotherapy are genotoxicity and reactive oxygen species generation. Cellular adaptation among patients exposed to low doses of genotoxic and oxidative compounds might hinder chemotherapy efficiency in lymphoma patients. T

hus, we have investigated the association of occupational exposure with response to immunochemotherapy and survival in the subgroup of diffuse large B cell lymphoma, whose treatment is standardized.

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NYU Researchers Develop Siri-Like Application to Identify PTSD by Speech Analysis

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Marmar

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

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High Lead Levels in Refugee Children Resettled in US

Posted on April 20, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Bhatta

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. Continue reading →

Stroke: Experimental Antiplatelet Antibody Only Attacks Clots, Without Increasing Bleeding Risk

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Jandrot-Perrus

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.
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Pulse Ultrasound to the Brain Could Be Used To Affect Decision Making

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Fouragnan

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.

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Most Diabetes Apps Do Not Provide Real Time Decision Support (yet)

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Prof. Car

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. Continue reading →

RNA Genetic Testing Improves Analysis of Hereditary Cancer Genes

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

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.

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Diet Rich in Red Meat Linked to Earlier Death

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Heli Virtanen

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.

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Collagen Biomarker Associated With Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure Risk

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Susana Ravassa PhD
Program of Cardiovascular Diseases, CIMA
University of Navarra, and IdiSNA
Navarra Institute for Health Research
Pamplona, Spain

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an evolving epidemic responsible for substantial morbidity, mortality and health-care expenditure. In particular, when AF and heart failure (HF) occur in combination, clinical evolution is particularly poor. Left atrial (LA) myocardial interstitial fibrosis (MIF) is the main structural lesion in AF and considered as the main factor responsible for the perpetuation of this pathology. In addition, it is known that MIF is associated with a lower effectiveness of the treatment of AF by pulmonary vein isolation with catheter ablation. Therefore, the identification of biomarkers related to MIF, as an affordable and minimally invasive approach, is of great interest to detect patients at risk of AF, as well as to monitor their response to the LA ablation therapy.

We had previously demonstrated that the deleterious impact of MIF in the heart is due to alterations in both the quality (i.e., extent of cross-linking among collagen fibrils and type of collagen fibers that determine their rigidity and resistance to degradation [collagen cross-linking or CCL]) and the quantity (i.e., extent of collagen fibers that occupy the myocardial tissue [collagen deposition or CD]) of fibrotic tissue. We have shown that certain circulating biomarkers related to collagen type I metabolism are associated with CCL and CD. On the one hand, the serum carboxy-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I (PICP), released during the conversion of procollagen type I into fibril-forming mature collagen type I, is directly correlated with myocardial CD.

On the other hand, the ratio of serum carboxy-terminal telopeptide of collagen type I to serum matrix metalloproteinase-1 (serum CITP:MMP-1 ratio) is inversely correlated with myocardial CCL, as the higher is the cross-linking among collagen type I fibrils the lower will be the cleavage of CITP by MMP-1 during the process of degradation of the fiber. Interestingly, we have previously reported that the combination of these biomarkers identifies patients with heart failure presenting with a complex pattern of MIF characterized by both increased CCL and CD (CCL+CD+) showing a higher risk of adverse clinical evolution as compared with heart failure patients without this combination of biomarkers. As both increased CCL and CD have been found in the left atrial myocardium in patients with AF, we designed this investigation to explore whether the CCL+CD+ combination of biomarkers is associated with AF. Continue reading →

Verubecestat Failed to Slow Progression of Early Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Michael F. Egan, MD
Vice President, Neuroscience
Global Clinical Development
Merck Research Laboratories
North Wales, PA

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) appears to be due to the gradual accumulation of amyloid over many years (the “amyloid hypothesis”). At some point, it is thought that amyloid triggers abnormalities in tau, which then forms deposits within neurons and leads to progressive neurodegeneration.

Amyloid is made up of a small, sticky peptide, Abeta, which is produced when the enzyme BACE cleaves a large protein called APP. In our trial, we tested whether a potent BACE inhibitor, verubecestat, could slow disease progression in subjects with early AD (or prodromal AD) by blocking formation of Abeta. A previous trial in subjects with dementia due to AD failed to find evidence of efficacy.

One possible reason for this failure is that subjects had too much amyloid in their brain already.

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Does Vitamin D Supplementation Impact Relapse-Free Survival in GI Cancers?

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Mitsuyoshi Urashima MD, PhD, MPH
Professor of Molecular Epidemiology
Jikei University School of Medicine
Tokyo, JAPAN

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Serum levels of vitamin D, increase in response to exposure to sunlight, a vitamin D-rich diet, or vitamin D supplementation. In 1989, the risk of colon cancer was estimated to be 70% lower in people with serum vitamin D levels ≥ 20 ng/mL, compared with those < 20 ng/mL.

In a cohort study, higher vitamin D levels were associated with lower total cancer incidence and lower total cancer mortality, particularly digestive system cancer mortality. However, because of the studies’ observational nature, whether lower levels of vitamin D is merely a precursor to relapse and death or causally related to shorter survival cannot be determined.

To clarify this, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial using vitamin D supplement was performed in patients with digestive tract cancer from esophagus to rectum; this is the first trial designed to evaluate the effect of vitamin D on survival of these patients. Continue reading →

Majority of Surveyed Hospitals Prohibit Physician Participation in End of Life Option Act

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Cain

Cindy L. Cain, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL 35233

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: The End of Life Option Act permits terminally ill Californians to request a prescription for medications that would hasten death, providing they meet all requirements of the law and follow the steps outlined by their health care provider.

However, the law also allows health care providers and organizations to opt out of participating. Until now, we did not know how common it was for entire health care organizations to opt out.

In this study, we found that 61% of the surveyed hospitals prohibited physician participation in the End of Life Option Act. Thirty-nine percent of hospitals did allow participation in the law; these participating hospitals were less likely to be religiously affiliated and more likely to be nonprofit.

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Medication Abortion Rebounded in Texas After FDA Approved Label Change for Mifeprex®

Posted on April 6, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

Sarah Baum

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Sarah Baum, MPH
investigator at the Texas Policy Evaluation Project
Associate at Ibis Reproductive Health

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Before 2013, use of medication abortion in Texas mirrored national trends, which have steadily increased since the approval of mifepristone–one of the two medications used for medication abortion–in 2000. However, House Bill 2 (HB 2), which was implemented on November 1, 2013, imposed restrictions on medication abortion and required providers to follow the outdated mifepristone label. HB 2 reduced the gestational age limit to 49 days and generally required four visits.

On March 29, 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a revised label for Mifeprex® (mifepristone 200 mg) that reflected evidence-based practice, which essentially nullified the medication abortion restrictions in HB 2. The label change brought medication abortion prescribing guidelines in line with evidence-based practice, reducing the number of required in-person visits from four to two and extending the period when patients can take the pill from seven weeks of pregnancy to 10 weeks. Continue reading →

Is There a Risk of Bleeding With Ibuprofen After Tonsillectomy ?

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Diercks

Gillian R. Diercks, MD, MPH
Instructor in Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School
Department of Otolaryngology
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Boston, Massachusetts

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Pediatric tonsillectomy is a commonly performed procedure, representing the second most common ambulatory surgery performed on children in the United States, with over half a million children undergoing the surgery annually. A major concern for surgeons, patients, and their families is the issue of postoperative pain control as pain can last up to 10-14 days after surgery, be quite severe, and result in readmission to the hospital or ED visits for medications and dehydration.

In young children and children with sleep apnea we cannot safely administer narcotic pain medications at home. This leaves limited options for pain control, including acetaminophen and ibuprofen. However, there are concerns that ibuprofen could potentially increase bleeding risk after surgery because of its effects on platelet function in the blood. At baseline, the risk of postoperative hemorrhage within the first two weeks after tonsillectomy is around 4.5%, with about 1-1.5% of children requiring a return to the operating room to control severe bleeding. Our study set out to show that the risk of severe postoperative bleeding when ibuprofen is given for 9 days after tonsillectomy was not increased compared with the bleeding risk when acetaminophen was administered instead.

Our study could not conclude that the risk of bleeding is no different when ibuprofen is used, and was suggestive that the bleeding risk may actually be higher. Continue reading →

Peptide May Reduce Inflammation in Kidney Disease

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Lucas

Rudolf Lucas, PhD
Professor Pharmacology and Toxicology
Vascular Biology Center, Division of Pulmonary Medicine

Dr. Madaio

Michael P. Madaio, MD
Sydenstricker Professor and Chairman
Department of Medicine

Medical College of Georgia
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia 30912, USA.

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: The pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a crucial mediator of glomerulonephritis, but the cytokine is also important in defense to bacterial infections. As such, chronically inhibiting TNF, using soluble TNF receptor constructs or neutralizing anti-TNF antibodies can promote infection.

In this study, we wanted to develop a novel therapeutic strategy to specifically inhibiting deleterious TNF signaling, while preserving the beneficial anti-bacterial actions of the cytokine.

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Massive Reduction in Cervical Cancer Among Vaccinated Young Women

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Palmer

Dr. Tim Palmer
Honorary Senior Lecturer
Department of Pathology
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, UK

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: High risk HPV infection is the obligate cause of between 70 and 90% of cervical cancers, depending upon the country. The development of vaccines against the commonest hr-HPV types has the potential to reduce the burden of cervical cancer, especially in low and middle income countries that cannot afford screening programmes. Cervical cancer affects predominantly women in their 30s and is a major public health issue even in countries with well-established screening programmes. Scotland has had a successful immunisation programme since 2008, and women immunised at age 12 to13 have been screened since 2015. We can therefore demonstrate the effect of hr-HPV immunisation on the pre-invasive stages of cervical cancer.

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Even Small Amounts of Red and Processed Meat Linked to Increase in Cardiovascular Mortality

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Mastour Alshahrani

Saeed Mastour Alshahrani, MPH, PhD
School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, California, USA
College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University
Abha, Saudi Arabia

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: -The consumption of red and processed meat has been associated with risks of importance to public health including cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Several studies have found that red and processed meat intake was associated with an increased risk of mortality. However, levels of meat intake in those studies were relatively high. It remains of interest whether even relatively low intake levels of red and processed meat might be associated with greater mortality, compared to zero intake. Continue reading →

Soda Tax Media Coverage Can Decrease Consumption Even More Than Tax Itself

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Professor Sofia B. Villas‐Boas Ph.D and
Scott Kaplan, Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics,
University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720‐3310

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: The background leading up to this study is the fact that in 2014, the city of Berkeley passed the nation’s first sugar-sweetened beverage tax, also called soda tax, through a 75% YES public vote. Using beverage sales data from U. C Berkeley campus retailers, we find that sales of soda fell relative to non-SSB beverages by 10-20% after the election outcome and before the tax was ever passed on to consumers.

We know this to be the case because the campus only passed through the higher prices to consumers in middle of 2016. This effect is also found when we look at beverage sales in retail outlets near U C Berkeley. There, quantity dropped after the Yes election outcome relative to quantity changes in counterfactual stores (in retailers near other U C campuses where the tax was not passed and with comparable patterns of sales to those in the city of Berkeley at baseline).

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Does Intermittent Leg Compression Reduce Blood Clots or Pulmonary Embolism?

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Yaseen M. Arabi, M.DIntensive Care DepartmentMinistry of National Guard Health AffairsICU 1425, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Dr. Arabi

Yaseen M. Arabi, M.D
Intensive Care Department
Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Venous thromboembolism, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, is a complication of critical illness. Studies have demonstrated that despite pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis with unfractionated heparin or low-molecular weight heparin, 5-20% of critically ill patients develop deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The PREVENT trial evaluated whether adjunctive intermittent pneumatic compression reduces incident proximal lower limb DVT as detected on twice-weekly lower limb ultrasonography in critically ill patients receiving pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis with unfractionated heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin.

The trial was conducted in 20 sites in Saudi Arabia, Canada, Australia and India and included 2003 patients.

The trial found no difference in the primary end point of proximal leg DVT. The addition of intermittent pneumatic compression to pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis did not result in a lower incidence of pulmonary embolism or a composite outcome of venous thromboembolism or death from any cause at 28 days when compared to pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis alone.

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Shorter Individuals at Greater Risk of Heart Disease

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Eirini Marouli

Eirini Marouli
William Harvey Research Institute
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Epidemiological studies suggest that shorter stature is associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) or type 2 diabetes (T2D). It is not clear though whether these associations are causal or there are other factors mediating these effects. When randomized trials are inappropriate or impossible, we can use Mendelian Randomisation as a good alternative to study the causal relationship between a trait and a disease. Here, we examined over 800 places in the human genome known to be associated with adult height and evaluated how genetically predicted height can affect the risk of CAD or T2D. Furthermore, we evaluated the role of several risk factors including, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, body mass index, fat percentage, socio-economic parameters including education and income as well as lung function. Lung function was assessed by spirometry measures including FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 second, FVC: forced vital capacity.

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Cancer Drug Trials: Does Changing the Endpoint from Overall Survival Hasten the Approval Process?

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Chen

Emerson Chen, MD
Chief Fellow, Hematology-Oncology, PGY-6
Oregon Health & Science University

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Many cancer drugs are approved annually giving the appearance of innovation; however, some drugs may have been approved because of a lower bar. Use of lesser endpoints like response rate (how tumor shrinks) and progression-free survival (how tumor has delayed growth) have been proposed to speed trials when compared against traditional endpoints like overall survival (how long patients might live).

Using published trials that led to cancer drug approval from 2006 to 2017, we estimated how long it would take to get each of these three endpoints across all cancer drugs and indications to see how much time we could save by using these weaker but faster endpoints.

We see that many trials using overall survival used less time than anticipated, and many trials using response rate or progression-free survival actually took quite a bit of time. In part that is due to researchers needing to document the duration of the response. But, whatever the reason, the time to get each of the three endpoints is actually more similar than different, and we estimate that our current use of these faster endpoints are saving us only 11 months compared to using only overall survival.

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HPV Vaccination Rates Low Among Adults at High-Risk for HIV Infection

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Wigfall

Lisa T. Wigfall, PhD, MCHES(R)
Assistant Professor, Health and Kinesiology
Texas A&M

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Human papilloma virus (or HPV) is a very common sexually transmitted infection that can cause some types of cancer. These include anal, cervical, oral, penile, vaginal, and vulvar cancers. Some people such as people who are HIV-positive and men who have sex with men have a greater risk for developing HPV-associated cancers. The risk of developing anal cancer is significantly higher for men who have sex with men who are also HIV-positive.

Our study included adults who were at risk for becoming HIV-positive, which included having unprotected anal sex.

Continue reading →

Cancer Patients Use THC and CBD Differently Than Other Medical Marijuana Patients

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Arum Kim, MDAssistant professor of Medicine and Rehabilitation MedicineNYU School of MedicineDirector of the Supportive Oncology ProgramPerlmutter Cancer Center

Dr. Kim

Arum Kim, MD
Assistant Professor
Medicine and Rehabilitation Medicine
NYU School of Medicine
Director of the Supportive Oncology Program
Perlmutter Cancer Center

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: There is increasing interest in medical marijuana and its applications for patients with cancers. Despite increasing access, little is known regarding doses of cannabinoids – specifically tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), methods of drug delivery, and differences in patterns of use between cancer and non-cancer patients.

Continue reading →

Tooth Loss Linked To Greater Risk of Pancreatic Cancer Among African American Women

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Palmer

Julie R. Palmer, ScD
Professor, Boston University School of Medicine
Associate Director, Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University
Boston, MA 02118

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Since 1995, 59,000 African American women from all regions of the U.S. have participated in a Boston University research study of the health of Black women. Study participants complete mailed or online questionnaires every two years.

Our major goal is to identify modifiable risk factors for cancers and nonmalignant conditions that disproportionately affect African Americans (e.g., pancreatic cancer, early-onset breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, uterine fibroids). The reasons for the higher incidence of pancreatic cancer in African Americans relative to non-Hispanic White women in the U.S. are unknown.

I was aware that several recent studies in predominantly White populations had observed a higher incidence of pancreatic cancer in those who had reported poor oral health and wondered whether the higher prevalence of poor oral health among African Americans could play a role in their higher incidence of pancreatic cancer. We had already asked about gum disease, periodontal disease, and adult tooth loss in several rounds of data collection.

After rigorous analysis, we found that women who reported any adult tooth loss had about two times the risk of future development of pancreatic cancer compared with those who had no tooth loss and had never reported periodontal disease.

The estimated risk was even greater for those who had lost five or more teeth. A similar association was observed for reports of periodontal disease, but the association was not statistically significant.

Continue reading →

Criminal and Socially Inappropriate Behaviors Could Be Signs of Dementia

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Madeleine Liljegren
Photo: Ingemar Walldén

Madeleine Liljegren, MD
Division of Oncology and Pathology
Department of Clinical Sciences
Lund University Lund, Sweden

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: We know from former studies including patients with a clinical diagnosis of dementia, that criminal and socially inappropriate behaviors can be signs of dementia, sometimes even the first signs of a neurodegenerative disorder.

We wanted to study this relatively large (n=220) cohort of neuropathologically verified Alzheimer disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients, who had been followed clinically by specialists in cognitive medicine or geriatric psychiatry during their disease period, to see if we could confirm results from previous studies.

In this paper, we further wanted to study potential differences regarding protein pathology and criminal behavior in frontotemporal dementia patients. This has, to our knowledge, never been done before.

Continue reading →

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Tag Archives: medical research

Occupational Exposure to Pesticides: Poor Prognosis for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Patients

NYU Researchers Develop Siri-Like Application to Identify PTSD by Speech Analysis

High Lead Levels in Refugee Children Resettled in US

Stroke: Experimental Antiplatelet Antibody Only Attacks Clots, Without Increasing Bleeding Risk

Pulse Ultrasound to the Brain Could Be Used To Affect Decision Making

Most Diabetes Apps Do Not Provide Real Time Decision Support (yet)

RNA Genetic Testing Improves Analysis of Hereditary Cancer Genes

Diet Rich in Red Meat Linked to Earlier Death

Collagen Biomarker Associated With Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure Risk

Verubecestat Failed to Slow Progression of Early Alzheimer’s Disease

Does Vitamin D Supplementation Impact Relapse-Free Survival in GI Cancers?

Majority of Surveyed Hospitals Prohibit Physician Participation in End of Life Option Act

Medication Abortion Rebounded in Texas After FDA Approved Label Change for Mifeprex®

Is There a Risk of Bleeding With Ibuprofen After Tonsillectomy ?

Peptide May Reduce Inflammation in Kidney Disease

Massive Reduction in Cervical Cancer Among Vaccinated Young Women

Even Small Amounts of Red and Processed Meat Linked to Increase in Cardiovascular Mortality

Does Intermittent Leg Compression Reduce Blood Clots or Pulmonary Embolism?

Shorter Individuals at Greater Risk of Heart Disease

Cancer Drug Trials: Does Changing the Endpoint from Overall Survival Hasten the Approval Process?

HPV Vaccination Rates Low Among Adults at High-Risk for HIV Infection

Cancer Patients Use THC and CBD Differently Than Other Medical Marijuana Patients

Tooth Loss Linked To Greater Risk of Pancreatic Cancer Among African American Women

Criminal and Socially Inappropriate Behaviors Could Be Signs of Dementia