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Giuseppe Querques, MD, PhD, discusses the phenotypes of intermediate AMD and how they can help predict geographic atrophy (GA) development and progression. With new treatments available, identifying biomarkers of GA progression is important for ophthalmologists, and Querques suggests that in the future, treatments could be targeted based on these different phenotypes. The discussion took place…

Liver diseases have been renamed for the first time in about 56 years. The new names come after decades of criticism, with the hope that the changes will lead to more understanding and research interest in liver diseases. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was renamed to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. The new names and definitions…

A study published in eBioMedicine found that adding a cup of beans to the diet improves the gut microbiome and regulates host markers associated with metabolic obesity and colorectal cancer. The study focused on obese surveillance patients with a history of colorectal neoplasia and found that adding navy beans to the diet led to an…

Researchers led by Dr. Shuyang Yu, Dr. Jingyu Xu, and Dr. Xuguang Du from China Agricultural University and Zunyi Medical University studied the role of Mettl3 in CD8 T cell response during acute infection. They found that m6A modifications play a key role in regulating the CD8 T cell response. Mettl3-deficient CD8 T cells showed…

Women may experience different heart attack symptoms than men, such as chest pain that feels like squeezing or fullness, pain in the back, neck, or jaw, stomach pain, shortness of breath, nausea, lightheadedness, sweating, and fatigue. It’s important for women to seek help immediately if they experience any of these symptoms, as they may sometimes…

The findings of a University of Michigan poll suggest that US adults aged 50-80 believe that Medicare and other health insurance should cover prescription weight-loss drugs that are approved by the FDA. 83% of those polled believe that health insurance should cover these drugs, while 76% believe that Medicare should do the same. However, only…

A study has found that women with endometriosis or adenomyosis during pregnancy are at higher risk of placental malposition and preterm birth. The study suggests that these conditions may affect the development of the placenta and increase the likelihood of preterm birth. This highlights the importance of close monitoring and early intervention for pregnant women…

The senior care industry is facing a severe staffing shortage, leading to compromised care quality and increased stress for seniors and their families. The shortage is exacerbated by low wages, inadequate benefits, and limited opportunities for career advancement. To address this, senior care centers need to invest in better wages, improve working conditions, offer career…

Older breast cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy experience similar rates of immune-related adverse events as younger patients. However, older patients had higher rates of nephritis, while younger patients had higher rates of transaminitis and higher-grade hypothyroidism. Older patients also required more interruptions in immunotherapy due to toxicity and a higher level of steroid use for management…

In the new legislative session, states are looking to implement new health policy trends in 2024 to increase oversight over healthcare costs. This applies not only to state Medicaid programs but also to private insurance. Several states have developed new programs to control drug costs, healthcare expenses, and mergers, while others are still determining the…

A study published in BioMedInformatics found that a Raspberry Pi device with a digital camera and a deep learning algorithm can detect facial palsy (FP) with high accuracy. The system proposed by researchers from Middle Technical University in Baghdad, Iraq achieved a 98 percent accuracy in detecting FP using a dataset of 20,600 images. This…

Prof. Wen-Bin Zhang and Dr. Jing Fang led a study on a single-domain protein catenane, which is a rare structure in nature. They achieved this design by introducing artificial entanglement in the structure and synthesizing it through post-translational processing events in cells. The cat-DHFR, a single-domain catenane, was thoroughly characterized and found to have enhanced…

Did you know that nearly half of women report having at least one problem with sexual function — whether its low desire, loss of arousal, trouble having an orgasm, or pain during sex? It’s not something that is often talked about. This has led to doctors being unsure of how to help and women feeling…

Pfizer, Sanofi, and Takeda Pharmaceutical, among other drugmakers, are planning to raise prices on over 500 drugs in the United States in January. The price hikes come ahead of the Biden Administration’s plan to publish discounted prices for high-cost drugs. These increases are largely within the 10% range and come amid concerns about inflation and…

The Government has disclosed that investments amounting to Rs 25813 crore have been made under the pharmaceuticals Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme as of September 2023. This information was released by the Government. This indicates a significant level of investment in the pharmaceutical sector through the PLI scheme. The scheme aims to incentivize and promote…

Hospitals and health systems are facing financial strain, leading to increased M&A activity. During the third quarter of 2023, 40% of health system M&A deals were driven by financial distress. Notable M&A deals this year include Kaiser Permanente’s acquisition of Geisinger Health, Presbyterian Healthcare Services and UnityPoint Health’s failed merger, Henry Ford Health’s plans to…

Novartis reported a 12% increase in sales in the third quarter of 2023, leading to an upgrade in its full-year guidance for core operating income. The company has completed its transition to a “pure-play” innovative medicines business, with Sandoz spun off as a separate entity. Novartis also achieved innovation milestones, including positive phase 3 results…

The content summarizes various health and science stories that made an impact in 2023. It covers topics such as the rise of weight loss drugs, approval of CRISPR-based therapy, abortion access restrictions, and more. It also highlights specific stories that gained attention, including a doctor caring for Boston’s homeless, the dangers of lead exposure from…

Almost 89,000 appointments and procedures were postponed in England due to a three-day strike by junior doctors in December, bringing the total number of rescheduled appointments to over 1.21 million since the strikes began in March. The doctors are planning a six-day strike in January, the longest in NHS history, due to a dispute over…

A study published in eClinicalMedicine found that for patients with heart failure and type 2 diabetes, dapagliflozin does not reduce urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), but it does reduce some cardiovascular events. The multicenter, randomized trial enrolled patients at 18 medical facilities in Japan and found that dapagliflozin did not significantly decrease the UACR. However, patients…

The Endocrine Society applauds Governor Mike Dewine’s veto of an Ohio law that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors. The bill contradicts mainstream medical practice and scientific evidence and would have taken medical decision-making out of the hands of families and physicians. Major medical organizations support the importance of gender-affirming care. This type of…

For many women, sexual desire fluctuates due to changes in relationships, stress, and physical changes. However, approximately 10% of women experience a low sex drive that causes distress, known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). The FDA has approved two prescription drugs for HSDD: Flibanserin (daily pill) and Bremelanotide (self-administered shot). These drugs work by…

A study published in the European Respiratory Journal found that daily consumption of nitrate-rich beetroot juice significantly improved blood pressure, vascular function, and exercise capacity in adults with COPD over 12 weeks. The study involved 81 adults with COPD who were randomly assigned to receive either nitrate-rich beetroot juice or a placebo drink. The nitrate-rich…

A new study has found that smoking can have a negative impact on brain volume. The study suggests that smoking is associated with a decrease in brain volume, which can lead to cognitive decline and an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases. This finding adds to the growing evidence of the harmful effects of smoking…

LGBTQ+ Americans are experiencing illness due to a lack of inclusive health information and discrimination within the traditional healthcare system. A survey found that 27% of LGBTQ+ respondents got sick due to a lack of health information, compared to 18% of non-LGBTQ+ Americans. Distrust of healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies is prevalent, with many LGBTQ+…

In July 2023, Google switched to Google Analytics 4 for analyzing web traffic. Proper setup of Google Analytics 4 is necessary for effectively comparing changes in web traffic. Ophthalmologists must ensure correct implementation to accurately track their website’s online performance. Cynthia Matossian, MD, FACS, and David Evans, PhD, MBA, overview the steps for tracking a…

The U.S. drug crisis is at an all-time high with around 110,000 deaths from drug overdoses in the year 2023. Fentanyl remains the main culprit, and there is an increase in the use of other drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine alongside opioids. Addiction medicine and drug policy have not seen significant changes despite strong rhetoric…

Researchers from McMaster University and the University of British Columbia in Canada have found an association between race or ethnicity and obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI). Studies have shown that Asian women in high income countries such as Australia, Canada, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States have higher rates of OASI, 1.5 to…

A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that older adults exposed to a low thyrotropin (TSH) level from either endogenous or exogenous thyrotoxicosis are associated with a higher risk for incident cognitive disorder. The study involved 65,931 patients over the age of 65, and the exposure variable was low TSH level due to…

A study from UNIST led by Professors Kang and Park has made a breakthrough in cancer treatment by developing “NK cell-engaging nanodrones” capable of targeting and eliminating cancer cells. They used AaLS protein cage nanoparticles to create these nanodrones and successfully demonstrated how they activate NK cells to eliminate cancer cells. The study, published in…

The size of a woman’s vagina and its impact on sexual pleasure have been debated, with limited research on the topic. Vaginas are highly elastic and can change in size to accommodate different activities such as childbirth and sexual arousal. Women may experience discomfort during sex due to factors such as muscular weakness or injury,…

A study found that 2% of patients taking dupilumab for atopic dermatitis (AD) are likely to experience conjunctivitis, with occurrences happening most frequently within the first 16 weeks of therapy. Developed for AD treatment, dupilumab inhibits signaling of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, found in inflammatory diseases like AD, asthma, and others. In a study of…

Researchers have developed an ingestible capsule that vibrates in the stomach to create a sense of fullness and reduce food intake by about 40%. The capsule was tested on animals and found to stimulate the release of hormones that signal satiety. When vibrating, hormone levels closely mimicked patterns seen after eating. The current version of…

The health bulletin for 30th December 2023 discusses the use of cookies for analytics, advertising, and site improvement. Users are asked to agree to the use of cookies by continuing to use the site. Further information about the use of cookies can be found in the Cookie Policy and Cookie Settings. Source link

CAR T-therapy is a promising treatment for advanced blood cancer, but the logistics of manufacturing and transporting the therapy to patients can be challenging. Galapagos aims to address this issue by developing a technology that allows for manufacturing of the therapy at the hospital where the patient is receiving care, significantly shortening the treatment timeline….

Federal agencies such as the FDA and HHS are working on safety programs to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. Digital health executives provided recommendations for regulators, emphasizing the need to incorporate existing regulations like HIPAA and GDPR, and to label AI-generated content. They also emphasized the importance of setting clear boundaries…

The article discusses the results of the phase 3 PERSEUS trial presented at ASH 2023. The trial showed that daratumumab combined with bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone is more effective than the latter three drugs alone in treating newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. Chakra Chaulagain, MD, director of the myeloma and amyloidosis program at Cleveland Clinic…

Millions of people, including children, suffer from life-threatening food allergies in the U.S. The most common treatment is an injectable epinephrine needle, but many people do not have access to or feel comfortable using it. There are alternatives, such as sublingual and intranasal epinephrine, but they are not widely available. Lawmakers and regulators need to…

The content discusses the importance of addressing overlapping systems of discrimination, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has highlighted societal inequities, particularly in relation to people living in deprived areas and ethnic minorities. The early research focused on single categories of social identity, which concealed heterogeneity and failed to account for…

A randomized clinical trial found that prone positioning does not decrease the time to successful weaning in patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) undergoing venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO). The trial involved 14 intensive care units and included patients with severe ARDS who were randomly assigned to prone or supine positioning. Ninety-four percent…

Eleven states and Washington, D.C. provide full health insurance coverage to low-income immigrants, regardless of legal status. Enrollment in these programs could nearly double by 2025 as more states initiate or expand coverage. The increase in coverage comes amid growing hostility toward migrants. Some conservatives believe states will regret expanding coverage due to the cost….

Nighttime heartburn affects four out of five people with regular heartburn and acid reflux. Over-the-counter and prescription medication can treat symptoms, but preventing heartburn is key. Tips to prevent nighttime heartburn include sleeping on your left side, losing weight, elevating your upper body while sleeping, wearing loose-fitting clothes, avoiding trigger foods, and not eating big…

Although clinical trials show that AI can increase adenoma detection rates (ADR) during colonoscopy, real-world results vary. Some studies show improvement, while others don’t. AI use in the US and Europe has increased the proportion of patients needing intensive surveillance, leading to increased patient burden and healthcare costs. However, AI has shown potential in maintaining…

A new study found that owning a pet could slow cognitive decline in older adults living alone. Cognitive decline impairs a person’s ability to learn, remember, and make judgments, and can lead to conditions such as dementia. Living alone has been linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline, with a population-attributable fraction of 8.9%….

A study suggests that high preoperative blood sugar levels may increase the risk of periprosthetic joint infection after total hip arthroplasty (THA). The researchers found that patients with elevated blood sugar levels had a higher incidence of infection compared to those with normal levels. This highlights the importance of managing blood sugar levels in patients…

The healthcare industry is facing challenges and opportunities, including the rise of artificial intelligence, increasing cost pressures, and M&A activity. West Monroe identified three trends to watch for in the industry: data strategy, advanced analytics, and AI. AI has the potential to improve workflows and simplify administrative tasks in healthcare. However, foundational investments in data…

The perception of marijuana has changed due to legalization in the US and Canada, with more people believing that smoking or being exposed to marijuana smoke is safer than tobacco. A study surveyed over 5,000 US adults, finding that the percentage of those who believe marijuana smoke is safer increased from 35% in 2017 to…

The U.S. Court of Appeals has temporarily paused the International Trade Commission’s ban on sales of Apple’s Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the U.S. following an appeal by Apple. The suspension allows Apple to resume selling its smartwatches with the disputed blood oxygen feature. The ban was initially imposed to protect medtech…

A study presented at the European Headache Federation found that treatment with 100 mg of ubrogepant in the prodromal phase of a migraine attack prevented the development of headaches within 24 hours post-dose. The study examined the safety and efficacy of ubrogepant in 480 individuals and found that 45.5% of ubrogepant-treated prodrome events achieved a…

First Opinion published top six most-read essays of the year on various topics including the X-waiver for buprenorphine prescribing, long Covid and its brain science, and the new estimate of autism. The most-read article advocated for spreading the word about the bipartisan Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act of 2023, which removed the X-waiver for prescribing…