Jason Lee

With countdowns and fireworks, revelers in major city centers across the Asia-Pacific region ushered in the first new year without COVID-19 restrictions since the pandemic began in 2020. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-revelers-throng-year-parties-covid.html

President Xi Jinping said Saturday the "light of hope is right in front of us" as China faces an explosion of Covid-19 cases after an abrupt lifting of restrictions. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-china-xi-front-covid.html

Historically plastic surgery has been considered one of most competitive and highly sought after residency programs. While this remains true recent appearing wrinkles may be of concern, according to an article in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-applications-plastic-surgery-residency-lag.html

Orthopedic surgeons and biomedical engineers are trained to approach adolescent and young adult hip pain from two different perspectives. Surgeons typically look at conditions such as femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and hip dysplasia from a clinical point of view. Engineers more often focus on the technology angle. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-ai-clinicians-hip.html

After three years of quarantines pushed them close to shutting down, restaurant owner Li Meng and his wife are hoping for business to rebound after China rolled back severe anti-virus controls. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-china-bumpy-road-infections-surge.html

Microglia, the primary immune cells and key guardians of brain activity in the brain, can constantly monitor the microenvironment to maintain brain homeostasis. When subjected to acute depletion or under disease conditions, they will undergo rapid proliferation, resulting in restoration of the homeostatic pool or formation of microglial clusters surrounding disease sites. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-scientists-uncover-hexokinase-role-microglial.html

A recent study by Dr. Xie Dong's group from Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (SINH) revealed the important role of pancreatic progenitor cell differentiation and proliferation factor (PPDPF) in the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and provided a potential therapeutic strategy for PDAC. This work was published online in Advanced Science. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-reveal-role-ppdpf-mutant-kras-driven.html

A team of researchers at Korea Institute of Science and Technology, working with a colleague from Korea University, has found that etching grooves onto the surface of face masks makes them better at repelling water droplets and thus more effective at preventing the spread of disease. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-etching-grooves-facemasks-repel-droplets.html

A clinical research team from the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has used amniotic fluid cells obtained during 16-24 weeks of pregnancy as a novel sample type for RNA-sequencing in prenatal diagnosis to help more families with tailored clinical management. This is the first proof-of-concept study to demonstrate the potential clinical utility of amniotic fluid cells RNA-sequencing. The findings have been published in the journal, npj Genomic Medicine. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-rna-sequencing-amniotic-fluid-cells.html

A high-fat diet may combat low platelet counts in the blood caused by chemotherapy, according to preliminary research, which suggests that a ketogenic eating plan may be a nontoxic, low-cost and high-benefit addition to cancer therapy. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-high-fat-ketogenic-diet-envisioned.html

New research finds many Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults may have trouble accessing health care and insurance because of language barriers. source https://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/news/20221228/language-barriers-hold-back-many-asian-americans-from-good-health-care?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Lung cancer is a leading cause of death in Japan and across the globe. Among all the cancers, lung cancer has one of the lowest five-year survival rates. Smoking tobacco and using tobacco-based products is known to heavily contribute to the development of lung cancer. It is a clinically established fact that the active ingredients in various fruits minimize the risk of chronic diseases including cancer. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-actinidia-arguta-sarunashi-juice-inhibit.html

Beijing's sudden pivot away from containing COVID-19 has caused jitters around the world, with the United States saying it may restrict travel from China following its decision to end mandatory quarantine for overseas arrivals. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-china-covid-pivot-jitters-worldwide.html

UT Southwestern physicians have developed an improved targeting method, four-tract tractography, to personalize MRI-guided, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) used at UTSW to treat medication refractory tremor in essential tremor and tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease. Results of the clinical cases utilizing this approach, published in Brain Communications, suggest that it enables more precise targeting of the brain, decreases treatment times, reduces side effects and improves treatment response. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-technique-high-intensity-focused-ultrasound-treatment.html

New insights into the opposing actions of serotonin-producing nerve fibers in mice could lead to drugs for treating addiction and major depression. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-nerve-pathway-good-bad-brain.html

Doctors working despite being infected, beds filled with dozens of elderly straining to breathe—on the front lines of China's worst-ever COVID outbreak, hospitals are struggling. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-covid-infected-doctors-china-virus.html

Identifying previously placed spinal hardware can be difficult and time consuming when a patient needs revision surgery. Detailed information on the implant model and type are often lacking when patients are referred elsewhere or may be missing in the surgical notes. To overcome this challenge, researchers developed a computer vision machine learning approach that more accurately and efficiently identifies previously placed thoracolumbar instrumentation. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-vision-superior-surgeons-spinal-implants.html

Far from the humble sticking plaster, medical firms and researchers are seeking to create the "ultimate dressing"—artificial skin they hope will revolutionize the treatment of severe burns. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-revolution-artificial-skin-victims.html

China said Monday it would scrap mandatory quarantine on arrival, further unwinding years of strict virus controls as the country battles a surge in cases. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-china-quarantine-fresh-covid.html

A cost-effectiveness analysis comparing direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) to low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) found that DOACs are both more medically effective and cost-effective than LMWH when treating cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT). These findings may inform decisions on the clinical level as well as policy decisions. The analysis is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-oral-anticoagulants-effective-cost-effective-heparin.html

Spontaneous, random baby movements aid development of their sensorimotor system, according to new research led by the University of Tokyo. Detailed motion capture of newborns and infants was combined with a musculoskeletal computer model to enable researchers to analyze communication among muscles and sensation across the whole body. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-spontaneous-baby-movements-important-sensorimotor.html

Females, on average, are better than males at putting themselves in others' shoes and imagining what the other person is thinking or feeling, suggests a new study of over 300,000 people in 57 countries. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-females-average-males-theory-mind.html

Psoriatic arthritis hitting the wall, moving forward with psoriatic arthritis, tips for living with psoriatic arthritis source https://www.webmd.com/arthritis/psoriatic-arthritis/features/moving-forward-psa?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged officials on Monday to take steps to protect lives in his first public remarks on COVID-19 since Beijing dramatically loosened hardline containment measures this month. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-xi-urges-china-covid.html

Chinese authorities are going door to door and paying people older than 60 to get vaccinated against COVID-19. But even as cases surge, 64-year-old Li Liansheng said his friends are alarmed by stories of fevers, blood clots and other side effects. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-china-vaccinate-elderly-reluctant.html

China will no longer publish daily figures for COVID-19 cases and deaths, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Sunday, ending a practice that began in early 2020. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-china-publishing-daily-covid-figures.html

Our ability to perceive what is truly vertical is crucial. Without it, we would struggle to perform simple tasks such as holding a cup of coffee without spilling it and maintaining appropriate body posture. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-body-pitch-movement-distort-perception.html

The CDC reports in 2019 the average American could have expected to live an average of 78.8 years, life expectancy declined to 77 years in 2020, and then to 76.4 years in 2021. source https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20221223/another-big-drop-in-us-life-expectancy-in-2021?src=RSS_PUBLIC

People sleep less in mid-adulthood than they do in early and late adulthood, finds a new study led by UCL, University of East Anglia and University of Lyon researchers. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-people-early-30s-50s.html

In developing countries, most antibiotic prescriptions are not only pointless—an estimated 70% to 80% of them are given for viral infections, which the medications don't treat—they're also harmful, as overuse of antibiotics accelerates antibiotic resistance. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-blood-infections-global-antibiotic-overuse.html

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and is caused in part by age-related cardiac structural dysfunction. A team of bioengineers in Professor Adam Engler's lab at the University of California San Diego published a paper in Nature Aging on Dec. 22 that helps advance our understanding of how hearts age, and sheds light on a possible pathway to slow cardiac aging. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-pathways-cardiac-aging.html

"Deceased, deceased," a staffer in full protective gear shouted as she handed a nurse a death certificate, their hospital in central China overflowing with COVID patients. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-hospitals-china-covid.html

New personalized approaches to depression will either predict when a person is at risk to stop the condition in its tracks or target the illness with the optimum drug. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-defeating-depression-early-medication.html

Testing for procalcitonin, a blood biomarker that is increased in people with a bacterial infection, could help physicians more quickly and effectively determine whether patients need antibiotics. Knowing that would ultimately reduce the rate of unnecessary antibiotic use, according to a new study from Duke Health and four other U.S. sites. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-biomarker-curb-unnecessary-antibiotic.html

T cells aren't the first immune forces on the scene, they arrive after being alerted by other immune system warriors that a microbe has invaded or a cancer has silently seeded. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-secret-cells-derive-energy-master.html

Nano-sized membrane bubbles known as extracellular vesicles activate the immune system in mice and seem to render their tumors sensitive to a type of immunotherapy drug called a checkpoint inhibitor. This is according to a new study published in Cancer Immunology Research by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-cellular-messengers-cancer-therapy.html

Japan has approved a blood test kit to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, its manufacturer announced on Thursday, a rare advance in tackling a condition that affects tens of millions worldwide. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-japan-alzheimer-blood-kit.html

If it tastes this bad, it must be good for you? source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-tearsfake-onion-flu-exposes-disparities.html

Nearly 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, according to final figures released Thursday. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-tally-overdose-deaths-year.html

Nothing beats a good soak in a hot bath, and when it really hits the spot, you can almost feel your worries and ailments diffusing out into steam. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-evening-hot-cases-hypertension-older.html

A Northeastern University professor says a "glaring gap" in national data collected by hospitals about firearms injuries vastly underestimates the number of intentionally inflicted gunshot wounds that are sending patients to emergency rooms. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-firearms-assaults-accidental-expert.html

A research team at Leipzig University's Faculty of Medicine has discovered a new mechanism that is associated with severe obesity in children. This genetic rearrangement leads to an unusual expression of a gene involved in hunger control and is not detected by most routine genetic tests for obesity. The findings were published in the journal Nature Metabolism. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-obesity-gene-mutation-children.html

Drinking two or more cups of coffee a day may double the risk of death from cardiovascular disease among people with severe high blood pressure (160/100 mm Hg or higher) but not people with high blood pressure not considered severe, according to research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-cups-coffee-daily-heart-death.html

New research from Boston Medical Center discovered that Black and Hispanic patients with acute low back pain were more likely to develop high-impact chronic pain when compared to White patients. Published in Pain Medicine, researchers suggest experiences of discrimination, unmet social needs, and elevated levels of stress may explain the observed racial disparity in long-term outcomes for acute low back pain. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-black-hispanic-patients-chronic-pain.html

Psychedelics have been shown under certain circumstances to be an effective complement to psychological support for end-of-life patients. source https://www.webmd.com/palliative-care/features/facing-death-without-fear-psychedelics--end-life-care?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness due to optic nerve damage and the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Presently, reducing intraocular pressure is the sole evidence-based therapy for glaucoma patients, but this therapy is ineffective in a considerable proportion of glaucoma patients, especially those with normal tension glaucoma. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-neuroprotection-optic-nerve-regeneration-mouse.html

Several local governments in China encouraged people with mild cases of COVID-19 to go to work this week, another sign of the difficulty the country faces as its rollback of virus-containment measures sets off a wave of infections—and a growing number of deaths. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-chinese-mild-covid-urged-restrictions.html

Studies exploring the neural processes involved in cell regeneration are of crucial importance, as they could pave the way towards the development of more effective treatments for many pathologies associated with the mutations or deterioration of cells. Microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, become active in response to pathologies, sometimes leading to chronic inflammation and the scarring of tissue. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-unveils-neural-pathway-regeneration-traumatic.html

Cambridge scientists have managed to identify and kill those breast cancer cells that evade standard treatments in a study in mice. The approach is a step towards the development of new treatments to prevent relapse in patients. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-technique-tracking-resistant-cancer-cells.html

Fatigue is a common and potentially debilitating side effect of cancer radiation therapy. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-hormone-fatigue-cancer-therapy.html

Older heart failure patients who feel that they have lost their social role amongst friends and family are more likely to suffer poor clinical outcomes. This is the finding of a new study in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine that has examined the specific aspects of social interaction that can lead to a poor prognosis for these patients. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-lonely-heart-failure-patients-worse-outcomes.html

A rheumatologist talks about how psoriatic disease onset and symptoms are different in each patient, how she began using telehealth during the COVID pandemic, and new biologic therapies to treat psoriatic disease. source https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis/features/treatment-psoriatic-disease-changed?src=RSS_PUBLIC

What's being done to help people with psoriatic disease? We get a look at the ever-changing picture from a rheumatologist. source https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis/features/innovations-psoriatic-disease-autoimmune?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Although young cancer survivors face an elevated risk for later developing cervical, oropharyngeal, and several other human papillomavirus (HPV)–related cancers, HPV vaccination rates among this group remain low. This is primarily because of certain vaccine‐related concerns, according to a study published by Wiley online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-young-cancer-survivors-forgo-human.html

Osteoarthritis is a common chronic condition that usually causes joint pain and can be severe enough to require knee and hip replacements. In the United States, the number of total knee replacement (TKR) and total hip replacement (THR) surgeries is estimated to reach 572 000 per year by 2030. No medications are currently known to prevent or reverse osteoarthritis. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-metformin-significantly-joint-people-diabetes.html

Ryan Piansky has had eosinophilic esophagitis since he was 2 years old. Learn more about how he’s learned to navigate his social life with the condition. source https://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/social-aspects-eoe?src=RSS_PUBLIC

China's nursing homes are fighting an uphill battle to keep their elderly residents safe as a wave of COVID-19 infections sweeps the country following a relaxation of the government's zero-tolerance virus policy. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-china-nursing-homes-struggle-residents.html

Most of us know that regular exercise is important for our health and longevity. But with our busy schedules, many of us struggle to find the time to fit in a workout. Data from our latest study has shown that you don't need a lengthy workout to get health benefits from exercise. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-short-physical-daily-life-premature.html

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the targeted imaging agent Cytalux (pafolacianine) for use in lung cancer surgery. This injectable diagnostic binds to cancerous tissue and glows when stimulated by near-infrared light, making it easier for surgeons to remove tumors completely while sparing healthy tissue. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-fda-tumor-imaging-drug-aid.html

Deaths are expected to remain about 13% higher than 2019 numbers for 2022. But they should be 7% lower than in 2021 and 3% lower than in 2020. source https://www.webmd.com/lung/covid/news/20221215/us-deaths-drop-in-2022-but-still-higher-than-pre-pandemic-levels?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Heart failure can happen at any age. Meet Jenna Bell, who went into heart failure at age 23. source https://www.webmd.com/features/young-adult-heart-failure?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Clearing sidewalks and driveways of snow may be essential to keep from being shut in, however, the American Heart Association, the world's leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, urges caution when picking up that shovel or even starting the snowblower. Research shows that many people may face an increased risk of a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest after shoveling heavy snow. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-shoveling-hazardous-heart.html

A Geisinger study of more than 90,000 patients revealed that approximately one in 100 carried at least one rare gene variant known to increase risk for neuropsychiatric disorders (NPD), such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder, and that a third of those with a variant had a diagnosed mental health condition. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-link-genetics-neuropsychiatric-disorders.html

A new study supported by the National Institutes of Health shows that individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are less likely to receive antivirals for hepatitis C, despite current guidelines recommending antiviral treatment regardless of alcohol use. Direct-acting antiviral treatment is highly effective at reducing serious illness and death among individuals with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a condition that commonly occurs among people with AUD. Led by scientists at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, the research was conducted by a team of international scientists and published in JAMA Network Open. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-hepatitis-treatment-gap-individuals-alcohol.html

Deaths are expected to remain about 13% higher than 2019 numbers for 2022. But they should be 7% lower than in 2021 and 3% lower than in 2020. source https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20221215/us-deaths-drop-in-2022-but-still-higher-than-pre-pandemic-levels?src=RSS_PUBLIC

The death of a young medical student in China ignited concern Thursday over the strain on the country's healthcare system as staff battle a nationwide surge in coronavirus cases. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-medic-death-highlights-covid-strain.html

The Biden administration is again making some free COVID-19 tests available to all American households as it unveils its contingency plans for potential coronavirus surges this winter. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-white-house-reveals-winter-covid-.html

The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed a ban on misleading ads for Medicare Advantage plans that have targeted older Americans and, in some cases, convinced them to sign up for plans that don't cover their doctors or prescriptions. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-biden-administration-crackdown-scam-medicare.html

UK nurses on Thursday staged an unprecedented one-day strike as a "last resort" in their fight for better wages and working conditions, despite warnings it could put patients at risk. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-uk-nurses-stage-unprecedented-walkout.html

University of Auckland Business School researcher Dr. William Cheung is analyzing micro-level data about people and households to examine the effects of moving house on mental well-being and stress. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-stress-house.html

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many dental clinics faced temporary closure or capacity restrictions due to what was believed to be an increased risk associated with aerosol procedures. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-covid-dental-practitioners-clinical.html

Anca Askanase, MD, gives three reasons to be optimistic about the future of ankylosing spondylitis treatment. source https://www.webmd.com/arthritis/features/as-hopeful-treatment?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Assistive devices, tools, gadgets, and aids to help you manage ankylosing spondylitis. source https://www.webmd.com/arthritis/features/devices-gadgets-help-as?src=RSS_PUBLIC

A new study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows travel time to the nearest mammography facility is long for a considerable proportion of women in the United States, particularly affecting more than 50% of women in rural areas in 28 states. This poor geographic accessibility was associated with a lower number of women getting important breast cancer screening. The study was published today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI). source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-breast-cancer-screening-women.html

China's top health body said Wednesday the true scale of coronavirus infections in the country is now "impossible" to track, with officials warning cases are rising rapidly in Beijing after the government abruptly abandoned its zero-COVID policy last week. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-china-tracking-covid-cases-impossible.html

New research has confirmed a strong link between four genetic mutations and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare but often fatal brain infection that can be triggered by dozens of FDA-approved drugs. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-links-gene-variants-medication-induced-fatal.html

Recently, a team led by Prof. Chen Yan and researcher Sun Qibin from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) achieved contactless electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring through a millimeter-wave radar system. Their work was published in IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing and reported by IEEE Spectrum. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-contactless-electrocardiogram.html

A team led by researcher He Xiaosong from the University of Science and Technology (USTC) revealed the correlation between control energy consumption and glucose metabolism in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), providing the biological basis for the application of network control theory (NCT) in the study of brain dynamics. This work was published in Science Advances on November 9. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-reveal-biological-basis-network-theory.html

Crisis-wracked Haiti has received a first shipment of cholera vaccines to help battle the intensifying outbreak of the deadly disease, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-haiti-shipment-cholera-vaccines.html

What are the keys to "successful" or optimal aging? A new study followed more than 7000 middle aged and older Canadians for approximately three years to identify the factors linked to well-being as we age. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-uncovers-factors-linked-optimal-aging.html

Amyloid plaques—protein clumps that are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease—occur at roughly the same level in the brains of people with Down syndrome who have Alzheimer's as they do in people with forms of hereditary, early-onset Alzheimer's, according to research funded by the National Institutes of Health. Based on the largest study of its kind to date, the findings suggest that individuals with Alzheimer's and Down syndrome may benefit from participating in studies on Alzheimer's therapies aimed at slowing formation of amyloid plaques. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-alzheimer-syndrome-similar-genetic-early.html

A new research study published today in Family Practice finds that when doctors tell patients living with obesity to lose weight, the guidance they give is generally vague, superficial, and commonly not supported by scientific evidence. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-doctors-ineffective-weight-loss-advice.html

The cumulative hospitalization rate for the 2022-23 season is 16.6 per 100,000 people, the highest seen at this time of year since 2010-11, the CDC said. source https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20221209/us-sees-most-flu-hospitalizations-in-a-decade?src=RSS_PUBLIC

WEHI researchers in Melbourne have answered a 100-year-old question in diabetes research: can a molecule different to insulin have the same effect? The findings provide important insights for the future development of an oral insulin pill. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-insulin-pill-molecule-mimics-advance.html

A first-of-its-kind drug known as modakafusp alfa has shown early potential in combating multiple myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer, in a study presented by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center at the 2022 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-drug-early-multiple-myeloma.html

When people are injured severely enough to require treatment at the hospital and they are either intoxicated or have an alcohol use disorder, they have a fivefold increased risk of dying in the next year, according to a new study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-alcohol-involved-injuries-linked-dying-year.html

A CAR-T-cell therapy known as axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is safe and shows encouraging signs of efficacy in a small pilot trial involving patients with lymphoma of the brain and/or spinal cord, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators report at the 64th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-car-t-cell-patients-lymphoma-brain-spinal.html

Coronavirus-related hospital admissions are climbing again in the United States, with older adults a growing share of U.S. deaths and less than half of nursing home residents up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-hospitalizations-covid-seniors.html

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center presented preliminary results of an ongoing Phase I clinical trial demonstrating successful re-treatment with CAR T cell therapy for patients whose cancers relapsed after previous CAR T therapy at the 2022 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-advance-re-treatment-car-therapy.html

A three-drug combination that sent chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) into deep remission in a broad group of patients in a clinical trial is highly effective in patients with high-risk forms of the disease, a new, phase 2 clinical trial led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators indicates. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-three-drug-combination-therapy-effective-patients.html

Many children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have a good outcome of their disease. After two years of chemotherapy treatment, 9 out of 10 children are cured. But some children have a more aggressive form of the disease. For example, children with a so-called Ikaros change in the DNA of their leukemia cells have a greater risk of their disease coming back after treatment. In order to improve the chances of survival and quality of life of all children with leukemia, the treatment protocol has been continuously adapted over the years, based on the latest scientific insights. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-chemo-slashes-aggressive-childhood-leukemia.html

A new therapy that makes the immune system kill bone marrow cancer cells was successful in as many as 73% of patients in two clinical trials, according to researchers from The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-experimental-cancer-therapy-success-patients.html

Chilly weather and common respiratory infections often go hand in hand. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-warmer-noses-colds.html

Urinary incontinence is a common complaint among adults with severe obesity. The majority of adults with urinary incontinence who undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy, the two most common types of weight loss surgery, can reasonably expect enduring improvements in urinary incontinence, according to a new study published today in JAMA Network Open. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-weight-loss-surgery-durable-urinary-incontinence.html

Many women with two or three breast tumors can get by with lumpectomy surgery instead of having their whole breast removed, a new study suggests. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-breast-cancer-patients-smaller-surgery.html

A fast, needle-free malaria detection tool developed by a University of Queensland-led team could help save hundreds of thousands of lives annually. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-life-saving-malaria.html

Graphic medicine, at the intersection between comics and health care, offers patients something that’s often missing in a formal medical setting: the feeling that their voice is being heard. source https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/graphic-medicine?src=RSS_PUBLIC

A parent survey from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago published in the journal Pediatrics found intergenerational trends in swimming skills, with stark racial and ethnic differences. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-racial-ethnic-disparities-skills-generations.html

A patient's own immune cells, multiplied into an army of billions of immune cells in a lab, can be used as a living medicine against metastatic melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, as the TIL trial has shown. The TIL trial is the world's first comparative phase 3 trial looking into the effect of T cell therapy in melanoma, and solid tumors in general. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-patient-immune-cells-effective-medicine.html

In screening for prostate cancer, the risk of overdiagnosis can be halved, a University of Gothenburg study shows. With the proposed diagnostic pathway, considerably fewer harmless tumors are found. This solves a big problem and makes general screening feasible. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-prostate-cancer-diagnostic-pathway-paves.html

A lung cancer advocate shares how to make the most of treatment and manage side effects. source https://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/features/make-treatment-work-lung-cancer?src=RSS_PUBLIC

There are some benefits and potentially serious risks when people with heart failure use complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), to manage symptoms, so involving the health care team is important for safety, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Association's flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-benefits-potential-alternative-medicines-heart.html

Antibodies produced against the commonly used antibiotic, gentamicin, appear to increase the risk of type 1 diabetes in children already genetically at risk, scientists say. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-antibodies-common-antibiotic-factor-diabetes.html

People who take medical opioid drugs without a doctor's prescription are 37% more likely than non-users to plan suicide—and the risk is even greater for those with disabilities, who have 73% higher odds of attempting to take their own life. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-people-disabilities-misuse-opioid-drugs.html

Whole genome sequencing technology can discover various known or unspecified viral sequences contained in human blood, which can provide an important database for viral infection prevention, vaccine development, viral genomic and epidemiological research. For example, numerous common cancers are associated with oncogenic viruses, including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV), and human papillomavirus (HPV). source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-genome-sequencing-team-chinese-population.html

Over the past 15 years, more than 200 sites in the human genome have been linked to risk for coronary artery disease (CAD), the leading cause of death worldwide. Still, researchers don't fully understand how those genomic variations alter the function of proteins, cells, or tissues to cause illness—knowledge that could inform the development of new treatments. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-large-international-uncovers-genes-involved.html

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in the world and is more difficult to cure when detected at a late stage. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-method-early-multi-cancers-based-human.html

An estimated 55 million people worldwide live with dementia, a number that's expected to rise as the global population ages. To find treatments that can slow or stop the disease, scientists need to better understand the factors that can cause dementia. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-brains-vitamin-d-function.html

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)—a debilitating chronic lung disease that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis—has previously been linked to mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. But a new study by University of Toronto researchers found that, even though adults without the disease were mentally flourishing at higher rates, a strong majority of those diagnosed with COPD were in excellent mental health. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-good-news-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary.html

Bacteria known to cause oral infections may also be a contributory factor in patients developing potentially life-threatening abscesses on the brain, new research has shown. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-potential-link-oral-bacteria-brain.html

Transportation to and from cancer centers for outpatient cancer treatments has been identified as one of the two most impactful out-of-pocket costs that cancer patients and their families incur, along with food costs. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-hospital-fees-contribute-financial-toxicity.html

Humans lose brain volume as they age, at an estimated rate of 5% per decade after age 40. But that estimate obscures the role that individual physiology plays in regards to functional brain aging. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-chronological-age-biological-gender-affect.html

Consistent exercise can change not just waistlines but the very molecules in the human body that influence how genes behave, a new study of twins indicates. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-twin-links-beneficial-epigenetic.html

Teens with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) who took bromocriptine, a medication used to treat Parkinson's disease and Type 2 diabetes, had lower blood pressure and less stiff arteries after one month of treatment compared to those who did not take the medicine, according to a small study published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-parkinson-medication-blood-pressure-teens.html

Compared with team-based care alone, the addition of a computerized clinical decision support system (CDSS) significantly reduced cardiovascular risk factors in patients with diabetes. These findings may have important public health and clinical significance in low- and middle-income countries where there is a lack of diabetes specialists to manage patients. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-computerized-decision-cardiovascular-factors-patients.html

Dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, reduced the risk for hospitalization for any cause in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) with and without type 2 diabetes. The findings suggest that dapagliflozin should be considered in such patients. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-dapagliflozin-hospitalization-patients-ckd-diabetes.html

Researchers at Mass Eye and Ear and Northeastern University have discovered a previously unidentified immune response inside the nose that fights off viruses responsible for upper respiratory infections. Further testing has revealed this protective response becomes inhibited in colder temperatures, making an infection more likely to occur. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-scientists-uncover-biological-explanation-upper.html

Baseball may be America's favorite pastime, but in rankings of the most popular hobbies, reading is more consistently ranked highly. It's not hard to see why: reading is simultaneously engaging and relaxing, and it's fun to do alone and with friends. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-pleasure-memory-older-adults.html