General Interest
Reducing Risk After Cancer: Healthy Lifestyle (and Tree Nuts)
26 May, 2017 | 15:06h | UTCAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2017 Annual Meeting
Can cashews keep colon cancer patients alive? Study says yes — but cautions abound – STAT News (free) AND Reducing Risk After Cancer: Healthy Lifestyle (and Tree Nuts) – Medscape (free registration required)
Diagnostic accuracy of post-mortem CT
26 May, 2017 | 15:07h | UTCEditorial: Targeted coronary post-mortem CT angiography, straight to the heart (free)
Commentary: Digital autopsies should be standard for probable natural deaths, says study – The Guardian (free)
The lap band for weight loss is a tale of medicine gone wrong
25 May, 2017 | 15:02h | UTCThe lap band for weight loss is a tale of medicine gone wrong – VOX (free)
See also a recent study showing high complication rates of laparoscopic gastric band surgeries in our May 23rd issue (see #7)
Human papillomavirus vaccines: WHO position paper
25 May, 2017 | 14:48h | UTC“WHO update on HPV vaccine. Short summary – it’s very safe, very effective, widespread implementation recommended” (RT @michaelgheadsee Tweet)
Factors Associated with Pediatric Mortality from Motor Vehicle Crashes
25 May, 2017 | 14:47h | UTCCommentaries: 43 Percent Of Children Who Died From Car Crashes Were Improperly Restrained – NPR Health News (free)
World Health Assembly elects Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as new WHO Director-General
24 May, 2017 | 14:44h | UTCCommentaries: World Health Organization gets first leader from Africa – Nature News (free) AND WHO elects first ever African director-general after tense vote – The Guardian (free) AND World Health Organization Elects a New Director General from Ethiopia – TIME (free)
Just one alcoholic drink a day may increase breast cancer risk
24 May, 2017 | 14:39h | UTCDiet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Breast Cancer – American Institute for Cancer Research (free PDF)
News release: Just one alcoholic drink a day increases breast cancer risk, exercise lowers risk – American Institute for Cancer Research, via EurekAlert (free)
Commentaries: Today’s alcohol and breast cancer headlines are wrong: Here’s how news reports could have done better – HealthNewsReview(free) AND ‘Half a glass of wine every day’ increases breast cancer risk – BBC Health News (free) AND Just One Drink a Day Raises Breast Cancer Risk – Medscape (free registration required)
Pediatricians Advise No Fruit Juice Until Kids Are 1
23 May, 2017 | 14:31h | UTCCommentaries: Pediatricians Advise No Fruit Juice Until Kids Are 1 – NPR Health News (free) AND Pediatricians Say No Fruit Juice in Child’s First Year – New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Trans-fat – The Worst Fat in the Food Supply
24 May, 2017 | 14:36h | UTCThe Worst Fat in the Food Supply – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
See also a recent study and commentaries on the effects of trans-fat bans in our April 23rd issue (see #1)
Trans-fat bans seem to be reducing cardiovascular deaths.
Effect of Statin Treatment vs Usual Care on Primary Cardiovascular Prevention Among Older Adults
23 May, 2017 | 14:32h | UTCEffect of Statin Treatment vs Usual Care on Primary Cardiovascular Prevention Among Older Adults: The ALLHAT-LLT Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA Internal Medicine (free) (RT @EricTopol see Tweet)
Editorial: Risks of Statin Therapy in Older Adults (free)
Commentaries: Older adults may not benefit from taking statins to prevent heart disease – Medical News Today (free) AND Pravastatin Doesn’t Improve Clinical Outcomes in Seniors – Physician’s First Watch (free)
Patients > 65 years with moderate hyperlipidemia and hypertension had no benefit from pravastatin for primary prevention. “A nonsignificant direction toward increased all-cause mortality with pravastatin was observed among adults 75 years and older” (HR 1.34; 95% CI, 0.98-1.84; P = .07).
Reoperation and Medicare Expenditures After Laparoscopic Gastric Band Surgery
23 May, 2017 | 14:25h | UTCReoperation and Medicare Expenditures After Laparoscopic Gastric Band Surgery – JAMA Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Following gastric band surgery, device-related reoperation common, costly – Science Daily (free) AND Safety, Effectiveness of Gastric Banding Called Into Question – Medscape (free registration required) AND 1 In 5 Gastric Band Surgeries Require Corrective Operations – American Council on Science and Health (free)
Science Has Begun Taking Gluten Seriously
19 May, 2017 | 18:06h | UTCScience Has Begun Taking Gluten Seriously – The Atlantic (free)
Original article: Long term gluten consumption in adults without celiac disease and risk of coronary heart disease: prospective cohort study – The BMJ (free)
“New research from Harvard and Columbia says gluten does not cause heart disease. Why is that even a question?”
Italy passes law obliging parents to vaccinate children
19 May, 2017 | 18:07h | UTCItaly makes 12 vaccinations compulsory for children – BBC Health News (free) AND Italy passes law obliging parents to vaccinate children – Reuters Health (free)
Related: Embrace the facts about vaccines, not the myths – World Health Organization (free) AND World Immunisation Week: The Rise of Anti-Vaccine Movement and What it Means for Public Health – Independent (free) AND The riskiest vaccine? The one that is not given – Science (free)
“If children are not vaccinated by the age of six, the school starting age, their parents will be fined” (RT @anetrid see Tweet)
Without action on antibiotics, medicine will return to the dark ages
19 May, 2017 | 18:02h | UTCWithout action on antibiotics, medicine will return to the dark ages – The Guardian (free)
See more on “superbugs” in our February 28th issue (see #1), April 6th issue (see #9) and also in our Selection of news and education resources on Antibiotic Resistance
Aerobic or Resistance Exercise, or Both, in Dieting Obese Older Adults
19 May, 2017 | 17:52h | UTCAerobic or Resistance Exercise, or Both, in Dieting Obese Older Adults – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Quick Take Video Summary: Exercise and Dieting in Obese Older Adults (free)
Commentary: Aerobic Plus Resistance Exercise Best for Obese Older Adults – MedPage Today (free)
New Advice to Move More After a Concussion
19 May, 2017 | 17:55h | UTCNew Advice to Move More After a Concussion – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Related: Consensus statement on concussion in sport—the 5th international conference on concussion in sport held in Berlin, October 2016 – British Journal of Sports Medicine (free) AND So, Tom Brady had a concussion. What does that mean? Your guide to the latest science – STAT News (free)
Global, Regional, and National Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases
18 May, 2017 | 17:49h | UTCCommentaries: Cardiovascular disease causes one-third of deaths worldwide – Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) (free) AND CVD Causes One-Third of Deaths Worldwide: Study Examines Global Burden of CVD From 1990 to 2015 – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
“New Study: Cardiovascular disease causes one-third of deaths worldwide” (RT @IHME_UW see Tweet)
World Health Statistics 2017
18 May, 2017 | 17:49h | UTCReport: World Health Statistics 2017: Monitoring health for the SDGs – World Health Organization (free)
News release: Almost half of all deaths now have a recorded cause, WHO data show (free)
See also: World Health Statistics data visualizations dashboard – Monitoring health for the SDGs (free)
Commentaries: More Than Half of World’s Deaths Still Have No Recorded Cause – Scientific American (free) Reporting of Global Vital Death Statistics Improving: WHO – Medscape (free registration required)
How to rein in the widening disease definitions that label more healthy people as sick
17 May, 2017 | 20:19h | UTCViewpoint: How to rein in the widening disease definitions that label more healthy people as sick – The Conversation (free)
Global accelerated action for the health of adolescents
17 May, 2017 | 20:22h | UTCNews release: More than 1.2 million adolescents die every year, nearly all preventable – World Health Organization (free)
Commentaries: How Many Teenagers Die Each Day … And Why – NPR Goats and Soda (free) AND 1.2 million adolescents’ deaths mostly preventable, report says – CNN (free) AND Pregnancy problems are leading global killer of females aged 15 to 19 – The Guardian (free) AND Road accidents biggest global killer of teenagers – BBC News (free)
See also recently released Lancet Series making a case for global investment in the capabilities of adolescents, see #2.
Menopausal Hormone Therapy for Prevention of Chronic Conditions
17 May, 2017 | 20:18h | UTCDraft Recommendation Statement: Menopausal Hormone Therapy: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions – U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (free)
Source: USPSTF Recommendation Against HRT for Chronic Conditions Stands – Medscape (free registration required)
“The USPSTF recommends against the use of combined estrogen and progestin for the prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal women”.
Cybercrime and healthcare
15 May, 2017 | 19:44h | UTCCybercrime and healthcare
The hackers holding hospitals to ransom – The BMJ (free) AND NHS cyber-attack: GPs and hospitals hit by ransomware – BBC News (free) AND Disruption from cyber-attack to last for days, says NHS Digital – as it happened – The Guardian (free) AND Worldwide ransomware attack hits NHS hospitals – video – The Guardian (free) AND British Patients Reel as Hospitals Race to Revive Computer Systems – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND Hackers Hit Dozens of Countries Exploiting Stolen N.S.A. Tool – New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Many hospitals were affected around the world.
Using AI to Detect Cancer
12 May, 2017 | 19:33h | UTCUsing AI to Detect Cancer, Not Just Cats – Wired (free) (RT @EricTopol see Tweet)
Related: Is AI a threat or benefit to health workers? – CMAJ News (free)
More on Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare in our April 28Th issue (see #1) and in our April 10th issue (see #8)
Arthroscopic surgery for degenerative knee arthritis and meniscal tears: a clinical practice guideline
12 May, 2017 | 19:38h | UTCCommentaries: This orthopedic surgery is the world’s most common. But patients rarely benefit, a panel says – STAT News (free) AND Guideline Recommends Against Arthroscopy for Most Cases of Degenerative Knee Disease – Journal Watch (free) AND Arthroscopic Surgery Doesn’t Help With Arthritis Knee Pain – NPR Health News (free)
Socioeconomic status as an effect modifier of alcohol consumption and harm
12 May, 2017 | 19:29h | UTCInvited commentary: Socioeconomic status and susceptibility to alcohol-related harm (free)
Commentary: Poorest at greater risk from heavy drinking, says study – BBC (free)