Newswise Curated News Channel: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

Estrogen cream does not improve success rate for prolapse repair

UT Southwestern Medical Center — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 12:20:51 EST

Vaginal estrogen cream, which is commonly prescribed to help women after surgery for pelvic organ prolapse (POP), did not prevent a recurrence of the condition, according to results of a multicenter clinical trial led by UT Southwestern Medical Center. However, the medication did reduce symptoms of vaginal atrophy. The findings, reported in JAMA, could lead to new ways to improve outcomes of prolapse repairs, the study authors said.

New Yale Study Shows Aerobic Exercise Relieves Pain for Ovarian Cancer Survivors

Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:30:57 EST

One common side effect of treatment for ovarian cancer is chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), which can damage peripheral nerves, causing severe pain and numbness. The effects can last for months - or even years -- after completing chemotherapy. Currently, there is only one treatment with limited efficacy for CIPN.

Older women at risk for Alzheimer's disease may benefit from yoga

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 19:05:06 EST

Kundalini yoga, a form of yoga that focuses on breathing, meditation, and mental visualization, appeared beneficial for older women who had risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and concerns about episodes of memory decline, according to a UCLA Health study.

Genome Sequencing Nearly Twice as Effective as a Targeted Gene-Sequencing Test at Diagnosing Genetic Disorders in Newborns and Infants

Tufts University — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 11:00:00 EST

A new national study, led by researchers at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, has found whole genome sequencing (WGS) to be nearly twice as effective as a targeted gene sequencing test at identifying abnormalities responsible for genetic disorders in newborns and infants.

Study shows metformin lowers the risk of getting long COVID

University of Minnesota Medical School — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 15:25:52 EST

In a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, University of Minnesota researchers found that metformin, a drug commonly used to treat diabetes, prevents the development of long COVID.

Mount Sinai Researchers Use New Deep Learning Approach to Enable Analysis of Electrocardiograms as Language

Mount Sinai Health System — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 05:00:00 EST

Mount Sinai researchers have developed an innovative artificial intelligence (AI) model for electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis that allows for the interpretation of ECGs as language. This approach can enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of ECG-related diagnoses, especially for cardiac conditions where limited data is available on which to train. In a study published in the June 6 online issue of npj Digital Medicine DOI: 10.1038/s41746-023-00840-9, the team reported that its new deep learning model, known as HeartBEiT, forms a foundation upon which specialized diagnostic models can be created. The team noted that in comparison tests, models created using HeartBEiT surpassed established methods for ECG analysis.

Reentry Services May Help Stabilize Substance Use Risks After Mass Prison Release

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 11:00:00 EST

Rutgers Institute for Health researchers found that the risk of overdose and death due to substance use didn't increase after a mass prison release.

AI Used to Advance Drug Delivery System for Glaucoma and Other Chronic Diseases

Johns Hopkins Medicine — Wed, 24 May 2023 09:00:41 EST

Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have used artificial intelligence models and machine-learning algorithms to successfully predict which components of amino acids that make up therapeutic proteins are most likely to safely deliver therapeutic drugs to animal eye cells.

Antibodies associated with rare disorder may signal future risk of heart attack and stroke

UT Southwestern Medical Center — Tue, 16 May 2023 08:05:17 EST

Seemingly healthy people whose blood contained antibodies associated with a condition called antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) were significantly more likely to experience a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke than those without, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists shows

How love, health, and neighborhood intersect for Black Americans

Thu, 11 May 2023 17:25:13 EST

Romantic relationships and neighborhood quality are both important predictors of mental and emotional wellbeing. But the larger societal context also influences how these factors affect individuals. A new study from the University of Illinois looks at the intersection of relationships, neighborhood, and mental health for Black Americans.

Annual Medicare spending could increase by $2 to $5 billion if Medicare expands coverage for dementia drug lecanemab

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences — Thu, 11 May 2023 15:35:00 EST

The anti-dementia medication lecanemab and its ancillary costs could add $2 billion to $5 billion in annual Medicare spending if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) revise their coverage decision. Currently, the medication is covered only for patients who are enrolled in clinical trials.

Sleep apnea associated with increased risk for long COVID

NYU Langone Health — Thu, 11 May 2023 15:20:44 EST

Sleep apnea may significantly increase the risk for long COVID in adults, according to a study led by the National Institutes of Health's RECOVER Initiative and supported by NYU Langone Health as home to the effort's Clinical Science Core (CSC).

UCLA researchers find possible link between self-perceived cognition deficits and symptomatic long COVID

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences — Fri, 05 May 2023 11:00:00 EST

People who perceived that they had cognitive difficulties such as memory problems during COVID were more likely to have lingering physical manifestations of the disease than people who did not report cognitive issues.

Achieving Prevention and Health, Rather Than More Healthcare

Rutgers University-New Brunswick — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 16:05:22 EST

If more people have access to health insurance, we have to be sure the death rates of those with certain chronic conditions are decreasing.

Identifying cancer genes' multiple personalities

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 16:35:57 EST

Mutations in our genes can lead to severe problems, like colon or liver cancer. But cancer is very complex. Mutations in the same genes can lead to different subtypes of tumors in different people. Currently, scientists don't have a good way to produce such tumor subtypes for study in the lab.

Black, Hispanic severe allergy patients less likely to receive allergy shots

Penn State College of Medicine — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 13:10:18 EST

Penn State College of Medicine researchers have found Black and Hispanic patients with severe allergies are less likely to get a common treatment, allergen immunotherapy, compared to white patients.

Fewer than 10% of patients screened for food insecurity during pandemic

University of California, Davis — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 15:40:34 EST

As jobless rates rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, millions more Americans experienced food insecurity because they lacked consistent access to food. National health organizations recommend primary care providers screen patients for food insecurity, since not having access to enough food can lead to chronic diseases.

Patients with septic shock benefit from a combination of hydrocortisone-fludrocortisone therapy

Boston University School of Medicine — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:40:00 EST

A new study in JAMA Internal Medicine by researchers from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine shows that patients receiving a combination of hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone had lower death rates and discharge to hospice compared to those who only received hydrocortisone.

Novel Peanut Allergy Treatment Shown to be Safe, Effective, and Lasting

University of North Carolina Health Care System — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 12:30:00 EST

A four-year phase 2 clinical trial demonstrated that a peanut allergy treatment called sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT, is effective and safe, while offering durable desensitization to peanuts in peanut-allergic children.

FDA mandate to limit acetaminophen in acetaminophen-opioid medications is associated with reduced serious liver injury

University of Alabama at Birmingham — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 16:20:32 EST

A United States Food and Drug Administration mandate to limit the dosage of acetaminophen in pills that combine acetaminophen and opioid medications is significantly associated with subsequent reductions in serious liver injury.