COVID-19
Phase 3 Trial Reports Promising Results for New COVID Treatment: Results from a phase III trial of a new COVID-19 treatment showed it reduced the risk of hospitalization or long ER visits by half. The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers evaluated pegylated interferon lambda in a single injection compared to placebo in 1,949 adults in Canada and Brazil who were at high risk of severe COVID-19. Those in the treatment group got the shot within 7 days of symptom onset. The treatment worked best when taken within 3 days of symptoms appearing. Results also showed it was effective for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, as well as against varying COVID variants.
Individuals with long COVID more likely to experience heart problems: Experiencing lasting symptoms months after catching COVID-19, also known as long COVID, was found to more than double a person’s likelihood of developing cardiovascular issues, according to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session Together With the World Congress of Cardiology. The study—a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of 11 major studies involving a total of 5.8 million people—represents the most comprehensive effort to date to examine cardiovascular complications from long COVID. Estimates of the number of people affected by long COVID vary substantially, but recent surveys suggest about 1 in 7 people in the U.S. have experienced long COVID.
Not Enough Data to Support Multiple Annual COVID Boosters, CDC Advisers Say: There is not sufficient evidence to recommend more than one COVID-19 booster shot a year for older people and those with weakened immune systems, an expert advisory group to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. The COVID-19 working group of the CDC's Advisory Committee For Immunization Practices (ACIP) supported an annual booster campaign, likely in the fall, especially for populations considered at high risk. Both the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are working on how to best update COVID vaccines to target circulating variants annually, similar to flu vaccine campaigns. Medscape
Even Mild COVID Is Hard on the Brain: The study included 254 adults (177 women, 77 men, median age 41 years) who had mild COVID-19 a median of 82 days earlier. A total of 102 had symptoms of both anxiety and depression and 152 had no such symptoms. On brain imaging, those with COVID-19 and anxiety and depression had atrophy in the limbic area of the brain, which plays a role in memory and emotional processing. No shrinkage in this area was evident in people who had COVID-19 without anxiety and depression or in a healthy control group of individuals without COVID-19. Medscape
Study suggests little deterioration in mental health linked to the pandemic: Mental health among the general population has not changed by large amounts during the covid-19 pandemic compared with pre-pandemic levels, finds a study published by The BMJ . Many studies and media reports suggest that covid-19 has led to widespread decline in mental health, but inconsistencies in study quality and misinterpretation of cross-sectional data may have led to misleading results. To address this, researchers reviewed 137 studies that compared general mental health, anxiety and depression symptoms in populations during the covid-19 pandemic (from 1 January 2020 or later) with pre-covid assessments (1 January 2018 to 31 December 2019). Among general population studies, no changes were found for general mental health or anxiety symptoms, but depression symptoms worsened minimally (SMD change 0.12).
Long Covid is much less likely after omicron than after variant circulating at start of COVID-19 pandemic: The omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is much less likely to lead to long Covid than the variant circulating at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, new research being presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2023, Copenhagen, 15-18 April) suggests.
Breakthrough' Study: Diabetes Drug Helps Prevent Long COVID: Metformin appears to play a role in preventing long COVID when taken early during a COVID-19 infection, according to preprints with The Lancet on SSRN. The preprint hasn't yet been peer-reviewed or published in a journal.
PAIN
Diabetic Neuropathy: How Spinal Cord Stimulation May Help Relieve the Pain: Spinal cord stimulation may provide a significant reduction in pain in people with diabetic neuropathy. Researchers are reporting that people who received spinal cord stimulation treatment had a 76% decrease in their pain after just 6 months. Their findings were presented this week at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting.
This Mix of Non-Opioid Medications Can Help Soothe Lower Back Pain, Study Finds: The new meta-analysis published this week in the Journal of Orthopaedic ResearchTrusted Source looked at data from 18 studies that contain data from 3,478 patients. The researchers found that a combination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, and muscle relaxants (myorelaxants) have proven effective for treating non-specific lower back pain. The three methods of treatment in combination worked better than others in isolation or when a placebo was used. The researchers suggest that further investigation needs to be done on effective treatments for back pain that continues to resurface Acetaminophen alone was deemed to be ineffective in reducing pain
Degenerative Disc Disease: Can Injections Help Relieve Back Pain? In the new study, presented Mar. 1 at the Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting researchers examined the effectiveness of a treatment called viable disc allograft supplementation. This technique involves mixing cells obtained from spinal discs of donor tissue with saline (salt water). This mixture is then injected into a patient’s damaged disc in order to encourage the growth of healthy disc tissue. The study included 46 adults with degenerative disc disease, who received the spinal disc treatment. An additional four patients received only a saline injection. Three years after the procedure, 60% of the patients who received the spinal disc tissue injections reported a greater than 50% improvement in their pain symptoms, the researchers found. In addition, 70% had a 20-point or greater reduction in disability due to low back pain.
Spinal cord stimulation doesn't help with back pain, says new review: Spinal cord stimulation, a medical technology suggested to treat people with chronic back pain, does not provide long-term relief and may cause harm, according to a Cochrane Review.
Knee Osteoarthritis: Running May Not Increase Risk After All: Researchers say running may not increase the risk of knee and hip osteoarthritis, contrary to common belief. In fact, experts say running may improve joint health by increasing lubrication. They note, though, that running should be done at a level appropriate for a person’s overall physical health, their age, and their weight. Research being presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons conducted a survey of nearly 4,000 participants in the Chicago Marathon and found that recreational running was not associated with an increased risk of knee or hip osteoarthritis.
Fledgling chronic back pain therapy needs more rigorous study: Cognitive Functional Therapy treats chronic back pain as part of a person's entire pain experience, but more research is needed to assess its effectiveness. A systematic review of relatively new treatment for chronic back pain -- Cognitive Functional Therapy -- has found that it is no better than traditional therapies based on evidence from past studies. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
Frequent Cannabis Use Tied to Coronary Artery Disease: A two-part research study suggests that frequent cannabis is a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). In the first part, in an observational study, daily cannabis use was associated with 34% higher odds for CAD compared with never-users in a large population-based US cohort. Less frequent use was not associated with increased odds for CAD. In the second part, people with a genetic susceptibility to cannabis use disorder or severe cannabis dependency had an increased risk for CAD compared with other people. American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Session/World Congress of Cardiology (WCC) 2023. Medscape
Hands-free device improves breathing in people with COPD: One in 10 adults suffer from the debilitating effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Research around a new breathing device developed by pulmonologists offers promise for improving their lives. The new device -PEP Buddy- https://pepbuddy.comnot only improves symptoms of breathlessness and quality of life for people with COPD, it also offers benefits for people dealing with stress and anxiety and those practicing mindfulness, meditation or yoga. The research was published in the journal Respiratory Care.
FDA ACTION
• Approved new nasal spray Zavzpret for the treatment of acute migraine.
• Approved Daybue (trofinetide) oral solution as the first treatment for Rett syndrome in adults and children 2 years of age and older.
• approved Skyclarys (omaveloxolone) as the first treatment for Friedreich’s ataxia,
• Issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first over-the-counter (OTC) at-home diagnostic test that can identify and tell the difference between influenza A and B, commonly known as the flu, and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
• Authorized for marketing the EnteraSense Ltd. PillSense System, a novel device used for the detection of blood in the upper gastrointestinal tract in adults.
PREVENTION
Exercise
Studies Find 11 to 20 Minutes of Daily Exercise Might Lower Your Risk of Stroke, Heart Disease and Cancer: A new studyTrusted Source published in JAMA Network Open found that not only does physical activity decrease people’s risk of developing health problems but it prevents them from being hospitalized as well. Researchers evaluated the health data of over 81,000 patients between the ages of 42 to 78. The study found that as little as 20 minutes of daily physical activity decrease people’s risk of developing health problems — like anemia and gallbladder disease — and it also prevents them from being hospitalized for the conditions as well. A second study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine Tuesday, similarly found that 11 minutes of exercise a day, or 75 minutes a week, is enough to prevent heart disease, stroke, and various cancers. That report, a meta-analysis evaluating 196 peer-reviewed articles, concluded that 75 minutes of moderate exercise a week — which could be going on a brisk walk, hiking, cycling, or dancing — can reduce the risk of early death by 23%.
Any Level of Physical Activity Tied to Better Later-Life Memory: A prospective study of 1400 participants showed that those who exercised to any extent in adulthood had significantly better cognitive scores later in life compared with their peers who were physically inactive. Maintaining an exercise routine throughout adulthood showed the strongest link to subsequent mental acuity. Findings published online February 21 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: How 150 Minutes of Exercise a Week Can Help: It’s recommended that adults should get between 150-300 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic exercise each week. Previous research suggests this can help improve health in areas ranging from heart disease to quality of sleep. New research suggests this can also help to significantly reduce liver fat for those who are living with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This new research was published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. A meta-analysis of 14 previously published studies, this research looked at data on a total of 551 people surveyed who all had NAFLD and enrolled in randomized, controlled exercise interventions, according to a press release.
Statins and Other Common Meds Can Negatively Affect Your Workout: Commonly prescribed and over-the-counter medications may adversely affect exercise performance. Experts share which medications may interact with exercising and how to safely engage in physical activity. The timing of when you take medications is one important factor when it comes to exercising. Healthline
Exercise May Be More Effective Than Medication for Managing Mental Health: A new study has found that physical exercise is highly beneficial for decreasing mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and psychological distress). With high and growing mental health stats this study could be a positive implementation into treatments. The study was published February in the British Journal of Sports Medicine
Age of first exposure to tackle football and years played associated with less white matter in brain:Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is not the only problem football players should be aware of. Long careers in American football are linked to less white matter in the brain and associated with problems with impulsive behavior and thinking according to a new study from the Boston University CTE Center. This finding is independent of whether football players had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Brain Communications, 2023
Exercise May Be as Beneficial as Drugs in Treating Premature Ejaculation, Study Finds: A new study suggests that non-medical interventions, such as running five days a week or attending yoga classes, can decrease the occurrence of premature ejaculation. In some cases, researchers report, such interventions are just as effective as typical medication-based treatments for premature ejaculation, such as tricyclic antidepressants(TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The reportTrusted Source, is published in the journal Trends in Urology and Men’s Health
Endurance Exercise Tied to More Coronary Atherosclerosis: In the Master@Heart study, lifelong endurance athletes had more coronary plaques, including more noncalcified plaques, than fit and healthy individuals with a similarly low cardiovascular risk profile. The study was presented at the recent American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Session/World Congress of Cardiology (WCC) 2023 on March 6. It was also simultaneously published online in the European Heart Journal. The researchers suggest that all the information to date suggests there may be a "reverse J-shaped" dose-response relationship between exercise and coronary atherosclerosis. "The worst thing you can do is nothing at all. As soon as you do a little bit of exercise ― just brisk walking or jogging up to 3 hours a week ― it seems that's where you get the most benefit. And after that, we tend to see an increase in coronary plaque burden."
Diet/Nutrition
Too little sodium can be harmful to heart failure patients: For people with heart failure, restricting dietary sodium intake to levels below the standard recommended maximum of about 2.3 grams per day does not bring additional benefits and may increase the risk of death, according to findings from nine randomized controlled trials in a new meta-analysis presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session Together With the World Congress of Cardiology
Mediterranean Diet: How It Can Help People With MS Maintain Memory, Cognitive Skills According to a preliminary study being presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting in Boston, a Mediterranean diet can help people with multiple sclerosis to better retain their memory and cognitive skills. A plant-based diet can help reduce inflammation that causes brain health issues. Experts note that people with multiple sclerosis can also benefit by adopting other healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise and adequate sleep.
Zero-Calorie Sweetener Erythritol Linked to Higher Rates of Heart Attack, Stroke: New researchTrusted Source published in the journal Nature Medicine reports that the popular artificial sweetener erythritol was found to be linked to a greater risk for cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke. When present in blood, it made it easier for clotting to occur, which might contribute to risk.
How Being on Keto or Paleo Can Affect the Planet: Researchers from Tulane University have found that trendy diets like keto and paleo have a higher carbon footprint than other options like a vegan or vegetarian one. Keto and paleo diets also have lower nutritional value. The study was published March 1 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study found that vegan diets had the lowest carbon footprint while keto had the highest among the diets of more than 16,000 people.
Heart Disease: ‘Keto-Like’ Low-carb Diets May Double Your Risk: According to research presented on March 5, 2023, at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session Together With the World Congress of Cardiology, a “keto-like diet” was associated with negative effects, including higher levels of LDL cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol. Additionally, it was linked with a greater than two-fold increase in the risk of cardiovascular (CV) issues — such as heart attack, stroke, and blocked arteries.
Alzheimer's: People Who Adhere to MIND, Mediterranean Diets Have Fewer Plaques, Tangles: People who ate diets rich in green leafy vegetables as well as fruits, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, and fish had less plaque and tau tangles in their brains than people who did not follow one of these eating patterns, according to a study published in the online journal Neurology.
Do Artificial Sweeteners Alter Post-Meal Glucose, Hunger Hormones? Drinking a no-or low-calorie non-nutritive sweetened (NNS) beverage was no different from drinking water in terms of effect on 2-hour postprandial levels of glucose and hormones related to appetite or food intake. These findings are from a new meta-analysis. Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS). Of note, none of the studies included erythritol — a sugar alcohol (polyol) increasingly used as an artificial sweetener in keto and other types of foods — which was associated with a risk for adverse cardiac events in a paper in Nature Medicine earlier this week.
Two Cups of Coffee Increase Heart Dangers With Hypertension: People with severely high blood pressure who drink two or more cups of caffeinated coffee each day could double their risk of dying from a heart attack, stroke, or any type of cardiovascular disease. Too much coffee may raise blood pressure and lead to anxiety, heart palpitations, and difficulty sleeping. Drinking one cup of coffee a day or any amount of green tea was not associated with risk of death across any blood pressure categories, and drinking green tea was not associated with increased risk of death related to cardiovascular disease at any blood pressure level. Medscape
Caffeine from Coffee and Tea May Help Reduce Body Fat and Diabetes Risk: New research suggests coffee and green and black tea may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Specifically, the caffeine in those drinks and the effect it can have on body fat and weight, may be the reason for the reduced risk. In addition to boosting metabolism, caffeine has a number of other potential health benefits, such as increasing alertness and concentration, enhancing exercise performance, and improving mood. However, experts warn that consuming too much caffeine can also have negative effects, such as anxiety, insomnia, and jitteriness. BMJ Medicine.
Mediterranean Diet Can Reduce a Woman's Heart Disease Risk by 25%: A new study has found that sticking with the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on a diet high in healthy fats, plants and lean meats, can reduce the risk of heart disease, especially in women. Following the plant-based diet may reduce a woman’s risk of cardiovascular disease and death by 25%, the analysis, published in the journal Heart Tuesday, found.
Mediterranean Diet: Study Finds It May Cut Dementia Risk by 23%: A new studyTrusted Source finds that the Mediterranean diet may significantly decrease your risk of dementia. Researchers at Newcastle University in the U.K. looked at data from over 60,000 individuals. They followed the individuals over nine years and during that time 882 individuals were diagnosed with dementia. The researchers found that people who adhered the most to the Mediterranean diet were 23% less likely to develop dementia compared to people who did not follow the diet as rigorously.
Every Girl Scout Cookie Ranked from Healthiest to Unhealthiest: #1 Healthiest-Trefoils. #5 Most unhealthy-Lemon-ups. The all-time favorite Thin Mints was ranked number 2. Healthline
Sleep
Irregular Sleeping Habits May Increase Risk of Atherosclerosis in Older Adults: People over 45 who sleep a varying number of hours or fall asleep at different times could increase their risk of developing atherosclerosis, according to a studyTrusted Source published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Study Finds People With Insomnia Nearly 70% More at Risk for a Heart Attack: According to a new study published Friday in Clinical Cardiology,people who suffer from insomnia were 69% more likely to have a heart attack compared to those who didn’t. The research was taken from an average of nine years of follow-up among patients. Additionally, researchers found that people who slept five or fewer hours had the highest chance of suffering a heart attack. Those with diabetes and insomnia had double the risk of having a heart attack.
These Five Healthy Sleep Habits May Help You Live Longer: A new study found that people who had high-quality sleep had a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes, compared to people with poor sleep habits. For men who had five key healthy sleep habits, their life expectancy at age 30 was 4.7 years longer than that of men with none or only one of those habits. Women gained a smaller boost from good sleep habits. Their expected life expectancy at age 30 was 2.7 years longer for women with all five healthy sleep habits, compared to women with none or only one. In a study presented Feb. 23 at an annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, researchers identified five healthy sleep habits: getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night; falling asleep easily most nights; staying asleep most nights; waking up rested most mornings; and not using any sleep medications.
A Good Night's Sleep Can Help You Maintain Diet, Exercise Goals: Researchers presented preliminary findingsTrusted Source at the association’s Epidemiology and Prevention, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health annual meetingTrusted Source about the benefits of sleep and how it can help you maintain other goals. People who slept well were more likely to stick to other health goals.
Too Much or Too Little Sleep Can Increase Your Risk of Getting Sick: new research published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, affirms the role sleep plays in supporting immune levels. Sleeping less than six or more than nine hours can increase infection risk. The effects of poor sleep are felt both acutely and long-term.
Poor Sleep Can Make Vaccines Less Effective, Particularly for Men: A new meta-analysis has found one more reason to get enough sleep, with researchers saying that people who get more sleep at night produce more antibodies that can help boost the efficacy of vaccines. Their findings were recently publishedTrusted Source in the scientific journal Current Biology.
Why Ditching Daylight Saving Time Would Be Healthier for Everyone: Each spring, people in the U.S. shift their clocks forward by 1 hour for daylight saving time. Scientists say this long-standing practice may actually be detrimental to our health and safety. Daylight saving time can disrupt our circadian rhythms, making us less alert and prone to illness or accident. Many sleep experts are calling for it to be abolished.
Vitamins/Supplements
Vitamin D a Viable Strategy for Dementia Prevention? In a large prospective cohort study, people who took vitamin D were 40% less likely to develop dementia than peers who did not take vitamin D. The effects of vitamin D were most pronounced in women, those with normal cognitive function, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 noncarriers. Those who took vitamin D supplements were more likely to be women and to have higher education levels. Depression and MCI were more common in those not taking vitamin D. The study was published online March 1 in Alzheimer's and Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring.
Other
Your Facebook friendships may influence your heart health: Places with higher rates of economic connectedness—linkages between people of lower and higher socioeconomic status as indicated by Facebook friendships—had significantly lower rates of premature death related to heart disease, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session Together With the World Congress of Cardiology.
How Vaping Nicotine and THC May Increase Depression, Anxiety in Teens and Young Adults: The American Heart Association surveyed more than 2,500 teens and young adults and found that vaping nicotine and THC – the psychoactive component in cannabis – was associated with an increase in symptoms of depression and anxiety. The study’s preliminary findingsTrusted Source will be presented at the Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2023Trusted Source i
How These 'Simple 7' Lifestyle Habits Can Help Lower Risk of Dementia for Women: Women who follow seven healthy habits might lower their risk of developing dementia, according to new research presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting this week. Those seven factors are: being active, eating better, maintaining a healthy weight, blood sugar, and blood pressure, not smoking, and controlling cholesterol.
Heart Healthy Lifestyle Linked to Longer Life Without Type 2 Diabetes, Cancer, and Other Conditions:Adults who live a heart-healthy lifestyle and have scores on the higher end of the American Heart Association’s Life Essential 8Trusted Source cardiovascular heart chart tend to live longer with optimal health.That’s according to a pair of studiesTrusted Source presented at the association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2023Trusted Source. The Essential 8 are: Eat better; Be more active; Quit tobacco; Get healthy sleep; Manage weight; Control cholesterol; Manage blood sugar and Manage blood pressure
Prostate Cancer: Why Digital Rectal Exams Alone Aren't Accurate in Detecting the Disease: New research by scientists of the PROBASE trialTrusted Source, says the technique may miss many cancers in their early stages. They recommend combining the exam with another screening tool, such as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test.
Aging | Cognitive aging and dementia prevention: The time for psychology?: Aging published a new editorial paper in Volume 15, Issue 4, entitled, “Cognitive aging and dementia prevention: the time for psychology?” Modifiable risk and protective factors (e.g. engaging in active lifestyles and avoiding alcohol or smoking amongst others) are seen as key ingredient for dementia prevention, and they also exert an important effect on cognitive trajectories of non-demented older adults. In this new editorial, researchers discuss recent research that has begun to identify psychological processes that confer relative risk and protection.
Stress Can Affect Your Ability to Think Clearly, Study Finds: According to a new studyTrusted Source just published in JAMA Network Open, people with elevated stress levels may have worsened cognitive function, affecting their memory, concentration, and ability to learn. People were 37% more likely to have lower cognitive function when they had elevated stress. The effect occurred in both Black and white individuals, but Black individuals reported more stress overall.
TREATMENT
Meta-Analysis Throws More Shade Aspirin's Way: A new meta-analysis has added evidence questioning the utility and efficacy of prophylactic low-dose aspirin for preventing cardiovascular events in people who don't have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), whether or not they're also taking statins, and finds that at every level of ASCVD risk the aspirin carries a risk of major bleeding that exceeds its potentially protective benefits. JACC: Advances,
Dementia: How Regular Use of Laxatives May Increase the Risk: People who regularly use over-the-counter laxatives may have more than a 50% increase in the risk of developing dementia. The potential increased risk is even higher when osmotic laxatives are used.study published in the online issue of Neurology,
Hormone therapy for gender dysphoria may raise cardiovascular risks: People with gender dysphoria taking hormone replacements as part of gender affirmation therapy face a substantially increased risk of serious cardiac events, including stroke, heart attack and pulmonary embolism, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session Together With the World Congress of Cardiology.
Parkinson’s disease patients experience significant reduction in symptoms with non-surgical focused ultrasound treatment: Patients with Parkinson’s disease achieved a significant improvement in their tremors, mobility, and other physical symptoms after having a minimally invasive procedure involving focused ultrasound, according to a new study today published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The clinical trial was led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and involved 94 Parkinson’s disease patients who were randomly assigned to undergo focused ultrasound to ablate a targeted region on one side of the brain or to have a sham procedure. Nearly 70 percent of patients in the treatment group were considered successful responders to treatment after three months of follow-up, compared to 32 percent in the control group who had an inactive procedure without focused ultrasound. Two-thirds of those who responded initially to the focused ultrasound treatment continued to have a successful response from the treatment a year later. study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Drug Nexletol May Help Reduce Cholesterol Without Taking a Statin: Research published in The New England Journal of Medicine concluded that bempedoic acid, sold under the brand name Nexletol, lowered the risk of cardiovascular events among those who are statin intolerant by 13%.
Clinical trial shows wrist device significantly reduces tics in Tourette syndrome: The results of the clinical trial of a new wrist device designed to help control the symptoms of Tourette syndrome have shown it significantly reduces the severity and frequency of tics. The prototype wrist device, which was recently tried out by Lewis Capaldi, delivers electrical pulses to reduce the amount and severity of tics experienced by individuals with Tourette’s and was trialed by 121 people across the UK. The results have been announced in MedRxive.
Delaying treatment for localised prostate cancer does not increase mortality risk, trial shows: Active monitoring of prostate cancer has the same high survival rates after 15 years as radiotherapy or surgery, reports the largest study of its kind today. New England Journal of Medicine.
HSS study shows MISB, a minimally invasive procedure for treating bunions, does not affect flatfoot:Existing thought in the orthopedic world is that treating a bunion with the minimally invasive procedure MISB may make a person’s flatfoot worse. A new study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City shows that this procedure does not make flatfoot worse in people with asymptomatic flatfoot and may even improve the condition. annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).
OTHER
Toilet Paper May Be a Source of Cancer-Causing PFAS in Wastewater, Study Says: Researchers from the University of Florida studying the presence of PFAS in wastewater say they discovered that one particular compound, called 6:2 diPAP, was the most commonly detected PFAS in sewage sludge samples, albeit at low levels. It also was found to be the most common PFAS found in samples of toilet paper sold in North America and South America as well as in Africa and western Europe. They published their findings in the American Chemical Society’s online journal.
Multiple Sclerosis: Brain Lesions Don't Appear to Cause Severe MS Disabilities The volume of brain lesions in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) does not indicate the degree of severity or disability, according to a study completed at the University of Buffalo and presented at the annual meeting of the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.
How Reproductive Factors Can Affect a Woman's Heart Health: According to a new studyTrusted Source published this week in the Journal of the American Heart Association, earlier first birth, a higher number of live births (4 or more), and starting periods at a younger age (before age 12) are all associated with an increased risk of heart problems in women.
Eli Lilly Says They'll Cap Insulin at $35: It’ll also reduce the price of its non-branded insulin to $25 a vial. The actions would reduce costs for insulin by up to 70%.
Study Finds AFib Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia: The studyTrusted Source, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association , found that younger people with atrial fibrillation had a significantly greater risk of dementia compared to older individuals and that cognitive decline was more prevalent in people without chronic kidney disease.
Heart Disease: Is This Protein Test a Better Predictor of Risk Than Cholesterol Levels? A blood test for a certain protein- apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB)- may do a better job at detecting heart disease than only measuring cholesterol levels, according to an analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Your Mental Health Data is Being Sold and It’s Legal: According to a study by Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, the names and addresses of people diagnosed with conditions like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, or bipolar disorder, and their medications are sold to data marketers.
