General Interest
Research: Surgery for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy in Children
29 Oct, 2017 | 01:24h | UTCSurgery for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy in Children – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: First test of anti-epilepsy surgeries in children shows dramatic benefit – Reuters (free) AND Surgery Cuts Seizures in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Research: Depression and mortality in a longitudinal study
29 Oct, 2017 | 01:10h | UTCDepression and mortality in a longitudinal study: 1952–2011 – Canadian Medical Association Journal (free)
Commentaries: Depression strongly linked to higher long-term risk of early death for both women, men – ScienceDaily (free) AND Depression raises risk of early death – Medical News Today (free) AND Depression tied to shorter lifespan – Reuters (free)
Is It Possible to Predict the Next Pandemic?
29 Oct, 2017 | 01:09h | UTCIs It Possible to Predict the Next Pandemic? – The Atlantic (free)
“Large initiatives are underway to pinpoint the next big viral threats—but some virologists believe the task is too hard”.
Research: Robotic-Assisted vs Conventional Laparoscopic Surgery
29 Oct, 2017 | 00:57h | UTCEffect of Robotic-Assisted vs Conventional Laparoscopic Surgery on Risk of Conversion to Open Laparotomy Among Patients Undergoing Resection for Rectal Cancer: The ROLARR Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Related Study: Association of Robotic-Assisted vs Laparoscopic Radical Nephrectomy With Perioperative Outcomes and Health Care Costs, 2003 to 2015 – JAMA (free)
Commentaries: Comparison of Outcomes for Robotic-Assisted vs Laparoscopic Surgical Procedures – The JAMA Network (free) AND Robotic docs can boost surgery time and cost – Science News (free) AND Robot-assisted surgery for kidney removal associated with longer operating times, higher cost – Stanford Medicine (free) AND Robotic-assisted surgery: more expensive, but not always more effective – Reuters (free)
Research: Statin use and risk of developing diabetes
29 Oct, 2017 | 01:03h | UTCCommentaries: Statins increase the risk of developing diabetes in at-risk people – Medical News Today (free) AND Statin use link to heightened type 2 diabetes risk in some people – OnMedica (free)
Research: “Magic mushrooms” for treatment-resistant depression
29 Oct, 2017 | 00:54h | UTCPsilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms – Scientific Reports (free)
Recommended Commentary: Magic mushrooms: Some reporters buy magical notion of ‘reset’ button for depression – Health News Review (free)
Other Commentaries: Magic mushrooms ‘reboot’ brain in depressed people – study – The Guardian (free) AND Magic mushrooms can ‘reset’ depressed brain – BBC News (free)
A baby with a disease gene or no baby at all: Genetic testing of embryos creates an ethical morass
29 Oct, 2017 | 00:52h | UTC
Research: Concussion in adolescence and risk of multiple sclerosis
29 Oct, 2017 | 00:16h | UTCConcussion in adolescence and risk of multiple sclerosis – Annals of Neurology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Concussions in Teenagers Tied to Multiple Sclerosis Risk – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND Teenage concussion linked to later risk of MS – Medical News Today (free)
Is gene editing ethical?
23 Oct, 2017 | 20:45h | UTCIs gene editing ethical? – Medical News Today (free)
Related: Embryo Gene-Editing Experiment Reignites Ethical Debate – Scientific American (free) AND U.S. scientists edit genome of human embryo, but cast doubt on possibility of ‘designer babies’ – STAT (free)
Related Position Statement: Human Germline Genome Editing – American Society of Human Genetics (free) AND Commentary: 11 Organizations Urge Cautious but Proactive Approach to Gene Editing
Report: Global causes of blindness and distance vision impairment
23 Oct, 2017 | 20:48h | UTCInvited commentary: Global causes of vision loss in 2015: are we on track to achieve the Vision 2020 target? (free)
Related study: Magnitude, temporal trends, and projections of the global prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis – The Lancet Global Health (free) AND Invited Commentary: Universal eye health: are we getting closer? (free)
Research: Walking in Relation to Mortality
23 Oct, 2017 | 20:40h | UTCCommentaries: Regular Walking, Even if Minimal, Tied to Lower Death Risk – Medscape (free registration required) AND Study finds even regular walking can lower mortality risk – UPI (free)
UNICEF: Levels & Trends in Child Mortality
21 Oct, 2017 | 18:25h | UTCLevels & Trends in Child Mortality – UNICEF (free PDF)
News release: Levels and Trends in Child Mortality (free)
Commentaries: 7,000 newborns die every day, despite steady decrease in under-five mortality, new report says – The World Bank (free) AND New child mortality estimates show that 15,000 children died every day in 2016 – The World Bank (free) AND ‘Unconscionable’: 7,000 babies die daily despite record low for child mortality – The Guardian (free)
Report: The Lancet Commission on pollution and health
21 Oct, 2017 | 18:24h | UTCThe Lancet Commission on pollution and health (Report, Executive Summary, Video, Audio and Comments – free registration required)
Commentaries: Report: Pollution Kills 3 Times More than AIDS, TB And Malaria Combined – NPR (free) AND Pollution linked to one in six deaths – BBC (free)
Research: A Highly Pathogenic Avian H7N9 Influenza Virus
21 Oct, 2017 | 18:16h | UTCCommentaries: H7N9 study finds virus poised to become more lethal, resistant to treatment – CIDRAP (free) AND H7N9 influenza is both lethal and transmissible in animal model for flu – University of Wisconsin–Madison (free) AND Will the World’s Most Worrying Flu Virus Go Pandemic? – The Atlantic (free)
Dark chocolate is now a health food. Here’s how that happened
21 Oct, 2017 | 18:13h | UTCDark chocolate is now a health food. Here’s how that happened – VOX (free)
Related: Chocolate health: advice by Thomas Lüscher and peer review by Jonas Malmstedt – For Better Science (by @schneiderleonid)
“Big Chocolate’s investment in health science was a marketing masterstroke…” Interesting tale by @juliaoftoronto (RT @hildabast see Tweet)
Research: Patient Frailty and Morbidity After Common Ambulatory General Surgery Operations
21 Oct, 2017 | 17:38h | UTCAssociation of Patient Frailty With Increased Morbidity After Common Ambulatory General Surgery Operations – JAMA Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Frailty Associated With Increased Risk of Complications Following Common, Outpatient Operations – The JAMA Network (free) AND Frailty tied to higher risk of complications with common surgeries – Reuters (free) AND Frailty linked to higher rate of perioperative morbidity – OnMedica (free)
Research: 25-Year Physical Activity Trajectories and Development of Subclinical Coronary Artery Disease
21 Oct, 2017 | 17:36h | UTCCommentaries: Excessive Exercise May Harm The Heart, Study Suggests – Forbes (free) AND Physically active white men at high risk for plaque buildup in arteries – ScienceDaily (free)
Research: Receipt of Blood Transfusion From Previously Pregnant Donor Associated with Increased Risk of Death Among Male Recipients
21 Oct, 2017 | 17:33h | UTCAssociation of Blood Transfusion From Female Donors With and Without a History of Pregnancy With Mortality Among Male and Female Transfusion Recipients – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Blood Boundaries: Should Transfusions Be Matched by Sex? – Scientific American (free) AND Are transfusions harmful to men if the blood comes from women who have been pregnant? – STAT (free) AND Receipt of Blood Transfusion From Previously Pregnant Donor Associated with Increased Risk of Death Among Male Recipients – The JAMA Network (free)
We Need to Talk About Kids and Smartphones
17 Oct, 2017 | 19:09h | UTCWe Need to Talk About Kids and Smartphones – TIME (free)
Related: Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation? – The Atlantic (free)
“Just how dangerous are smartphones for kids? Here’s why health experts are worried”
Research: Vaccines to Prevent Ebola in Liberia
17 Oct, 2017 | 19:04h | UTCEditorial: Handle Survivors with Care (free)
Commentaries: Experimental Ebola vaccines elicit year-long immune response – NIH New Releases (free) AND Ebola Vaccines Elicit Immune Responses in Liberian Adults – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Liberia trial finds Ebola vaccines yield year-long immune response – CIDRAP (free)
Long Sleeves on Doctors’ White Coats May Spread Germs
17 Oct, 2017 | 18:57h | UTCLong Sleeves on Doctors’ White Coats May Spread Germs – Scientific American (free)
Related guideline: Healthcare Personnel Attire in Non-Operating-Room Settings – Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology (free) AND Commentaries: Goodbye to the Doctor’s White Coat? – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND New infection control recommendations could make white coats obsolete – ScienceDaily (free) AND Should Doctors Still Be Allowed to Wear White Coats? You Decide – HIV and ID Observations (free)
Report: Alleviating the access abyss in palliative care and pain relief
17 Oct, 2017 | 18:54h | UTCAlleviating the access abyss in palliative care and pain relief—an imperative of universal health coverage: the Lancet Commission report (free registration required)
Commentaries: A milestone for palliative care and pain relief – The Lancet (free registration required) AND Millions die suffering amid global opioid gap, report says – STAT (free) AND More than 25 million people dying in agony without morphine every year – The Guardian (free)
We may soon have our first $1 million drug. Who will pay for it? And how?
17 Oct, 2017 | 18:28h | UTCWe may soon have our first $1 million drug. Who will pay for it? And how? – STAT (free)
Research: Cost-effectiveness of interventions to Reduce Energy Intake from Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
17 Oct, 2017 | 18:28h | UTCCommentaries: Cutting sugar in soft drinks would save 155,000 lives and $8 billion: experts – The Age (free) AND Study spells out huge health benefits by cutting back sugar in sugary drinks – University of New South Wales, Sidney (free)
Research: Relative age within the school year and diagnosis of ADHD
12 Oct, 2017 | 18:46h | UTCCommentaries: The role of schools in the diagnosis of ADHD – The Lancet Psychiatry (free) AND ‘Relative’ school age biases ADHD diagnosis – OnMedica (free) AND Youngest children in school year ‘more likely’ to get ADHD diagnosis – NHS Choices (free)