General Interest
FDA approval brings first gene therapy to the United States
3 Sep, 2017 | 21:19h | UTCFDA News Release: FDA approval brings first gene therapy to the United States (free)
Commentaries: A $475,000 cancer drug: Wall Street sees ‘bargain’; patients see ‘completely broken’ system – HealthNewsReview (free) FDA Approves First CAR-T Cell Therapy for Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia – National Institutes of Health (free) AND FDA Approves First Gene-Altering Leukemia Treatment, Costing $475.000 – New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND The FDA Approves a Landmark Cancer Drug – The Atlantic (free)
“…is a cancer therapy that represents several things at once: a game-changing way to treat cancer through genetic engineering, a novel paradigm for the biotech business, and the latest turn in the debate over just how astronomically expensive a life-saving therapy can be”. (from The Atlantic)
Study: Accelerometer-assessed sedentary work, leisure time and cardio-metabolic biomarkers during one year
3 Sep, 2017 | 21:16h | UTCCommentaries: Sitting for 20 minutes less a day won’t make you ‘more muscly’ – NHS Choices (free) AND Just 21 minutes less sitting improves health – Medical News Today (free)
Cohort Study: Association between sedentary time and mortality across levels of frailty
1 Sep, 2017 | 20:57h | UTCCommentary: Prolonged sitting and frailty a deadly combination – Medical News Today (free) AND Inactivity Toll Worst for Frailest Elders – Medscape (free registration required)
New Nutrition Study Changes Nothing (commentaries on the PURE study)
3 Sep, 2017 | 21:15h | UTCNew Nutrition Study Changes Nothing – The Atlantic (free) (RT @drjohnm see Tweet)
See original article and commentaries in our August 30 issue (see #1 and #2)
“Why the science of healthy eating appears confusing – but isn’t”
In health push, Singapore gets soda makers to cut sugar content
1 Sep, 2017 | 19:02h | UTCIn health push, Singapore gets soda makers to cut sugar content – Reuters (free)
See related articles on fiscal policies to reduce sugar consumption in our June 8th issue (see #4) and in our April 20th issue (see #1)
Study: Active Surveillance for Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Cancer May be Safe
31 Aug, 2017 | 22:34h | UTCNatural History and Tumor Volume Kinetics of Papillary Thyroid Cancers During Active Surveillance – JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery (free for a week)
Author interview audio: Natural History and Tumor Volume Kinetics of Papillary Thyroid Cancers (free)
Commentaries: Findings Support Use of Active Surveillance for Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Cancer – The JAMA Network (free) AND Many People Can Delay Treatment For Thyroid Cancer, Study Finds – NPR (free)
Preventing Teen Suicide: What Does the Evidence Shows
31 Aug, 2017 | 21:06h | UTCPreventing Teen Suicide: What Does the Evidence Shows – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Related Guideline: Preventing Suicide: A Technical Package of Policy, Programs, and Practices – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (free PDF)
Study: Comparison of recommendations for screening mammography
31 Aug, 2017 | 15:20h | UTCComparison of recommendations for screening mammography using CISNET models – Cancer (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Three questions to ask about calls to widen breast cancer screening – The Conversation (free) AND Comparison of Screening Recommendations for Mammography – ASCO Post (free)
Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care: Risks & Benefits, Age 40–49 (free) AND Risks & Benefits, Age 50–69 (free) AND Risks & Benefits, Age 70–74 (free) AND Full Guideline and Resources (free)
This article had a lot of attention from the media and suggests an annual screening starting at age 40 would prevent more breast cancer deaths. But screening has potential harms. For a clearer picture of the benefits and harms of screening in this context have a look at The Conversation commentary above and the infographics from the Canadian Task Force.
Study: Resistance training may prevent obese older people becoming frail when losing weight
30 Aug, 2017 | 19:12h | UTCResistance training may prevent obese older people becoming frail when losing weight – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Aerobic or Resistance Exercise, or Both, in Dieting Obese Older Adults – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text) AND Video Summary: Exercise and Dieting in Obese Older Adults (free)
Study: Lack of REM sleep may lead to higher risk for dementia
30 Aug, 2017 | 19:08h | UTCSleep architecture and the risk of incident dementia in the community – Neurology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Lack of REM sleep may lead to higher risk for dementia – Boston University School of Medicine, via EurekAlert (free) AND Less REM Sleep May Significantly Boost Dementia Risk – Medscape (free registration required) AND Dreaming may keep dementia at bay – Medical News Today (free) AND Lack of REM sleep tied to increased risk of dementia – Reuters (free)
#ESCCongress – Cohort Study: Fruit, vegetable, and legume intake, and cardiovascular disease and deaths
30 Aug, 2017 | 18:32h | UTC#ESCCongress – Fruit, vegetable, and legume intake, and cardiovascular disease and deaths in 18 countries (PURE): a prospective cohort study – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Reassessing the benefits of plant-based eating (PURE) – ESC Press Release (free) Fruit, Vegetable, Legume Intake and CVD Events – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Life-saving fruit and vegetable diet need only be three portions – study – The Guardian (free) AND Less Is More? Health Benefits of Fruits, Vegetables, and Legumes Seen at Lower Intake Levels – TCTMD (free)
#ESCCongress – Cohort Study: Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality
30 Aug, 2017 | 18:33h | UTC#ESCCongress – Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Revisiting dietary fat guidelines? (PURE) – ESC Press Release (free) AND PURE Investigators: Rethink Diet Guidance to Plug More Fats, Fewer Carbs – TCTMD (free) AND International study shows moderate consumption of fats and carbohydrates best for health – McMaster University, via EurekAlert (free) AND PURE: Findings Could Have Implications For Global Dietary Guidelines – ACC News Story (free) AND Huge Diet Study Questions Conventional Wisdom About Carbs And Fats – Cardiobrief (free)
Cohort Study: History of breast feeding and risk of incident endometriosis
30 Aug, 2017 | 18:23h | UTCHistory of breast feeding and risk of incident endometriosis: prospective cohort study – The BMJ (free)
Commentaries: Breast-Feeding Associated with Reduced Endometriosis Risk – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Breast-Feeding May Lower Risk of Endometriosis – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Clinical Report: Pediatric Integrative Medicine
30 Aug, 2017 | 18:25h | UTCClinical Report: Pediatric Integrative Medicine – American Academy of Pediatrics (free)
AAP News: From acupuncture to yoga, report updates integrative medicine therapies (free)
Commentaries: AAP Recommendations Address Complementary Therapies – Medscape (free registration required) AND AAP: Counsel on Complementary Medicine: Natural doesn’t always mean safe – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Are expanding disease definitions unnecessarily labelling women with polycystic ovary syndrome?
30 Aug, 2017 | 18:03h | UTCCommentaries: Why the definition of polycystic ovary syndrome harms women – Medical News Today (free) AND Five commonly over-diagnosed conditions and what we can do about them – The Conversation (free)
Why developing countries must improve primary care
29 Aug, 2017 | 15:06h | UTCWhy developing countries must improve primary care – The Economist (free) (RT @AnjaNitzscheB see Tweet)
“The changing burden of disease requires a better approach to keeping people healthy”
Study: Is Parkinson’s Care Via Telemedicine as Effective as Going to the Clinic?
26 Aug, 2017 | 20:24h | UTCNational randomized controlled trial of virtual house calls for Parkinson disease – Neurology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Press release: Is Parkinson’s Care Via Telemedicine as Effective as Going to the Clinic? – American Academy of Neurology (free)
Commentaries: How Telemedicine Helps Those With Parkinson’s – Huffington Post (free) AND Telemedicine Equals Office Visits in Parkinson’s – MedPage Today (free registration required)
China’s embrace of embryo selection raises thorny questions
26 Aug, 2017 | 20:08h | UTCChina’s embrace of embryo selection raises thorny questions – Nature News (free)
“Fertility centres are making a massive push to increase preimplantation genetic diagnosis in a bid to eradicate certain diseases”.
Study: Is late-life dependency increasing or not?
26 Aug, 2017 | 17:03h | UTCCommentaries: The burden of triumph: meeting health and social care needs – The Lancet (free) AND Do we really need 200,000 more care home beds? – The Guardian (free) AND Time spent frail in old age ‘doubles’ – BBC (free)
“The amount of time spent needing daily care in late life has doubled in England over the past two decades, a study suggests”. (from BBC)
Study: Vitamin B linked to lung cancer
24 Aug, 2017 | 23:15h | UTCLong-Term, Supplemental, One-Carbon Metabolism–Related Vitamin B Use in Relation to Lung Cancer Risk in the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) Cohort – Journal of Clinical Oncology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Vitamin B supplements linked to lung cancer – here’s why you probably don’t need to worry – The Conversation (free) AND High Doses of Vitamin B Linked to Lung Cancer Increase – Medscape (free registration required) AND High Dose Vitamin B Supplements Should Not Be Taken for Lung Cancer Prevention – Cancer Therapy Advisor (free) AND High doses of vitamin B tied to lung cancer risk, study says – CNN (free)
Report: Global Burden of Rheumatic Heart Disease
24 Aug, 2017 | 23:16h | UTCEditorial: Rheumatic Heart Disease — An Iceberg in Tropical Waters (free) (RT @NEJM see Tweet with interesting table)
Quick Take Video Summary: What is the Global Burden of Rheumatic Heart Disease? (free)
Commentary: Death rates from rheumatic heart disease falling since 1990 – Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (free)
Study: Association of Lithium in Drinking Water With the Incidence of Dementia
24 Aug, 2017 | 23:14h | UTCAssociation of Lithium in Drinking Water With the Incidence of Dementia – JAMA Internal Medicine (free)
Editorial: Could Lithium in Drinking Water Reduce the Incidence of Dementia? (free)
Commentaries: Lithium in drinking water may affect Alzheimer’s risk – Reuters (free) AND Dementia Rates Fall with Rising Lithium Levels in Water – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Lithium in Drinking Water Linked to Lower Dementia Risk? – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Lithium in tap water may cut dementia – BBC Health (free)
The Case for a Breakfast Feast
24 Aug, 2017 | 23:13h | UTCThe Case for a Breakfast Feast – The New York Times (free)
Related article: Meal Frequency and Timing Are Associated with Changes in Body Mass Index in Adventist Health Study 2 – The Journal of Nutrition (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Tranexamic acid reduces risk of death from bleeding after childbirth
24 Aug, 2017 | 23:03h | UTCDrug reduces deaths from bleeding after childbirth – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial – The Lancet (free) and Editorial: WOMAN: reducing maternal deaths with tranexamic acid (free)
“Tranexamic acid reduces risk of death from bleeding after childbirth by 31% when given within three hours”. (RT @NIHR_DC see Tweet)
Report: global burden of lower respiratory tract infections
24 Aug, 2017 | 23:07h | UTC8 – Estimates of the global, regional, and national morbidity, mortality, and aetiologies of lower respiratory tract infections in 195 countries: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015 – Lancet Infectious Diseases (free) (RT @simonihay and @IHME_UW see Tweet)
Invited commentary: Measuring progress on preventing pneumonia deaths: are we there yet? (free)