Cheers or cheers-ious consequences? How older couples’ drinking habits affect health
Older couples may want to take a closer look at their drinking habits together.
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AI detects hidden heart disease using existing scans stored in patient records
Mass General Brigham researchers have developed a new AI tool in collaboration with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to probe through previously collected CT scans and identify individuals with high coronary artery calcium (CAC) levels that place them at a greater risk for cardiovascular events. Their research, published in NEJM AI, showed the tool called AI-CAC had high accuracy and predictive value for future heart attacks and 10-year mortality. Their findings suggest that implementing such a tool widely may help clinicians assess their patients’ cardiovascular risk.
Cancer before 40: Eexpert shares 3 topics that younger patients often want to discuss
Dr. Allison Rosenthal’s experience facing a leukemia diagnosis while in medical school inspired her to pursue a career fighting cancer. It also gave her insight into aspects of life with cancer for people under 40. Now, Dr. Rosenthal is among the leaders of an effort at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center to help younger adults and older teens receive age-appropriate care and support. In this expert alert, Dr. Rosenthal shares three topics that younger people with cancer often want to discuss with their healthcare teams.
Common antibiotic found 99.9% effective against typhoid
Cornell researchers have identified an antibiotic, rifampin, that is 99.9% effective against Salmonella Typhi, the bacterium that causes typhoid fever. Researchers also predict that rifampin will work on other life-threatening diseases like bacterial pneumonia and meningitis.
Machine learning can predict which babies will be born with low birth weights
Babies born with low birth weight (less than 2.5 kg) are 20 times more likely to die. They are also more likely to develop neurological and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and growth problems later in life. A study conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) shows that machine learning models can predict these cases, enabling early and more effective interventions and preventing complications.
Clearing out the clutter: How people retain important information from memories
Removing information from memories may help people retain what they want to remember. Studies focus on how the brain removes information by subconsciously not paying attention to these details, but sometimes there is a need to consciously remove unneeded details from memories.
Link between low-fiber diet and more dangerous type of atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries
A Swedish multi-center study led by researchers at Lund University shows a link between low fiber consumption and the presence of unstable or high-risk plaque in coronary arteries—the type of plaque that can trigger blood clots and cause heart attacks. The study also links dietary patterns to the composition of the plaques, i.e., how potentially dangerous they are.
New opioid testing techniques could lead to better therapies
As the opioid epidemic persists across the United States, a team of researchers from Brown University has developed new diagnostic techniques for detecting opioid compounds in adults with opioid use disorder and infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Study finds health reasons outweigh climate arguments in lifestyle counseling in health care
Today, we know that individual climate action can yield great benefits for human health, and in discussions about lifestyle, health care professionals have the opportunity to highlight the benefits of a plant-forward diet and physical activity for both individual patient outcomes as well as planetary health. But how are such messages received by patients?
Liver cancer patients see longer survival with dual immunotherapy approach
A research team from the School of Clinical Medicine of the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has pioneered the use of a ‘dual immunotherapy’ combination—nivolumab and ipilimumab (NIVO+IPI)—in the treatment of liver cancer patients since 2016.