General Interest
Perspective | Here’s a new data point for cancer patients to consider: ‘time toxicity’
19 Apr, 2023 | 13:18h | UTCHere’s a new data point for cancer patients to consider: ‘time toxicity’ – STAT
Opinion | Universal masking in health care settings: a pandemic strategy whose time has come and gone, for now
18 Apr, 2023 | 13:37h | UTC
Study shows approximately half of infectious diseases guideline authors have conflicts of interest with pharmaceutical companies
18 Apr, 2023 | 13:28h | UTC
Report | The implications of defining obesity as a disease
18 Apr, 2023 | 12:55h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
The implications of defining #obesity as a disease: a report from the ASO 2021 annual conference
"the goal is common: to provide a healthcare system that supports and protects the patients…and policies that reduce stigma and promote health equity"https://t.co/Iftxra5i2g pic.twitter.com/8luPJchn3x
— eClinicalMedicine – The Lancet Discovery Science (@eClinicalMed) April 11, 2023
SR | Experiences and perceptions of cash transfers for health
12 Apr, 2023 | 13:23h | UTCSummary: Experiences and perceptions of cash transfers for health – Cochrane Library
ChatGPT et al? Not so fast, say journal editors
11 Apr, 2023 | 14:36h | UTCChatGPT et al? Not So Fast, Say Journal Editors – TCTMD
Related:
AI-Generated Medical Advice—GPT and Beyond – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Chat GPT will change Medicine – Vinay Prasad’s Observations and Thoughts
The use of ChatGPT and other large language models in surgical science – BJS Open
ChatGPT vs. NCI: analyzing the quality of cancer information on myths and misconceptions
Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & ChatGPT: De-Tether the Physician – Journal of Medical Systems (if the link is paywalled, try this one)
Can artificial intelligence help for scientific writing? – Critical Care
Artificial intelligence in academic writing: a paradigm-shifting technological advance
Perspective | ChatGPT-assisted diagnosis: is the future suddenly here?
Perspective | Generating scholarly content with ChatGPT: ethical challenges for medical publishing
ChatGPT: Will It Transform the World of Health Care? – UCSF Department of Medicine
ChatGPT and the future of medical writing (ChatGPT itself wrote this paper)
ChatGPT: five priorities for research – Nature
The path forward for ChatGPT in academia – Lumo’s Newsletter
ChatGPT is fun, but not an author – Science
Tools such as ChatGPT threaten transparent science; here are our ground rules for their use – Nature
ChatGPT listed as author on research papers: many scientists disapprove – Nature
Abstracts written by ChatGPT fool scientists
Umbrella review unveils benefits of cutting free sugars to 6 teaspoons/day
10 Apr, 2023 | 14:00h | UTCDietary sugar consumption and health: umbrella review – The BMJ
News Release: Limit added sugar to six teaspoons a day to improve health, urge experts – BMJ Newsroom
WHO Report | 1 in 6 people globally affected by infertility
5 Apr, 2023 | 13:47h | UTCNews Release: 1 in 6 people globally affected by infertility – World Health Organization
Report: Infertility Prevalence Estimates, 1990–2021 – World Health Organization
Key facts: Infertility – World Health Organization
Commentaries:
Infertility affects a ‘staggering’ 1 in 6 people worldwide, WHO says – CNN
One in six people worldwide affected by infertility, WHO reports – The Guardian
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Around 1 in 6 people is affected by infertility in their lifetime: ? WHO research.
This shows an urgent need to increase access to affordable, high-quality fertility care https://t.co/od9QQ9Qjvj pic.twitter.com/R8JtezT0kZ
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 4, 2023
RCT | Mindfulness therapy proves more effective and affordable than cognitive behavioral therapy for depression
4 Apr, 2023 | 14:04h | UTCSummary: The LIGHTMind Randomized Clinical Trial studied 410 adults with mild to moderate depression, comparing the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of practitioner-supported mindfulness-based cognitive therapy self-help (MBCT-SH) to practitioner-supported cognitive behavioral therapy self-help (CBT-SH). The trial provided participants with either an MBCT-SH or CBT-SH workbook and six support sessions with a trained practitioner. Depressive symptom severity was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score at 16 weeks after randomization.
Results showed that MBCT-SH led to significantly greater reductions in depressive symptoms and was more cost-effective than CBT-SH. The between-group difference was 1.5 PHQ-9 points, and MBCT-SH cost health services £526 ($631) less per participant over a 42-week follow-up period. A substantial portion of this cost difference was due to additional face-to-face individual psychological therapy accessed by CBT-SH participants outside of the study intervention.
The trial concluded that offering practitioner-supported MBCT-SH for mild to moderate depression could improve outcomes and save money compared to CBT-SH. To translate these findings into practice, proper training and supervision for practitioners delivering MBCT-SH are necessary. Future research should focus on corroborating and extending these findings, exploring factors contributing to MBCT-SH’s relative effectiveness, and examining potential barriers and facilitators for successful implementation in routine clinical practice.
Commentary:
Mindfulness better than CBT for treating depression, study finds – The Guardian
Practitioner-Supported Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Aids Depression – HealthDay
Commentary on Twitter
Practitioner-supported mindfulness-based cognitive therapy self-help for mild-moderate depression is clinically- and cost-effective compared to currently recommended practitioner-support CBT self-help. https://t.co/H23AfwiO7X pic.twitter.com/xTHzYG4oqg
— JAMA Psychiatry (@JAMAPsych) March 22, 2023
Opinion | AI-generated medical advice—GPT and beyond
4 Apr, 2023 | 14:00h | UTCAI-Generated Medical Advice—GPT and Beyond – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Related:
Chat GPT will change Medicine – Vinay Prasad’s Observations and Thoughts
The use of ChatGPT and other large language models in surgical science – BJS Open
ChatGPT vs. NCI: analyzing the quality of cancer information on myths and misconceptions
Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & ChatGPT: De-Tether the Physician – Journal of Medical Systems (if the link is paywalled, try this one)
Can artificial intelligence help for scientific writing? – Critical Care
Artificial intelligence in academic writing: a paradigm-shifting technological advance
Perspective | ChatGPT-assisted diagnosis: is the future suddenly here?
Perspective | Generating scholarly content with ChatGPT: ethical challenges for medical publishing
ChatGPT: Will It Transform the World of Health Care? – UCSF Department of Medicine
ChatGPT and the future of medical writing (ChatGPT itself wrote this paper)
ChatGPT: five priorities for research – Nature
The path forward for ChatGPT in academia – Lumo’s Newsletter
ChatGPT is fun, but not an author – Science
Tools such as ChatGPT threaten transparent science; here are our ground rules for their use – Nature
ChatGPT listed as author on research papers: many scientists disapprove – Nature
Abstracts written by ChatGPT fool scientists
RCT | No significant fracture reduction from monthly 60,000 IU vitamin D3 supplementation
4 Apr, 2023 | 13:58h | UTCThe effect of monthly vitamin D supplementation on fractures: a tertiary outcome from the population-based, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled D-Health trial – The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Related:
RCT | Supplemental Vitamin D does not reduce incident fractures in midlife and older adults.
M-A | No significant health benefits found for low-volume alcohol intake
4 Apr, 2023 | 13:48h | UTCSummary: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the association between alcohol use and all-cause mortality, taking into account potential sources of bias. The study analyzed data from 107 cohort studies published between January 1980 and July 2021, which included 4,838,825 participants and 425,564 deaths.
The study found no significant reductions in all-cause mortality risk for drinkers who consumed less than 25 grams of ethanol per day compared to lifetime nondrinkers. However, there was a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality among female drinkers who drank 25 or more grams per day and male drinkers who drank 45 or more grams per day.
The analysis highlighted the importance of controlling for former drinker bias and misclassification errors and found sex differences in the risk of all-cause mortality.
In conclusion, the updated meta-analysis found no significantly reduced risk of all-cause mortality associated with low-volume alcohol consumption after adjusting for potential confounding factors. The study recommends that future longitudinal studies in this field should attempt to minimize lifetime selection biases by not including former and occasional drinkers in the reference group and by using younger cohorts at baseline.
Commentary: Drinking Alcohol Brings No Health Benefits, Study Finds – HealthDay
Related:
Prioritising action on alcohol for health and development – The BMJ
Opinion | ChatGPT will change Medicine
30 Mar, 2023 | 14:22h | UTCChat GPT will change Medicine – Vinay Prasad’s Observations and Thoughts
Related:
The use of ChatGPT and other large language models in surgical science – BJS Open
ChatGPT vs. NCI: analyzing the quality of cancer information on myths and misconceptions
Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & ChatGPT: De-Tether the Physician – Journal of Medical Systems (if the link is paywalled, try this one)
Can artificial intelligence help for scientific writing? – Critical Care
Artificial intelligence in academic writing: a paradigm-shifting technological advance
Perspective | ChatGPT-assisted diagnosis: is the future suddenly here?
Perspective | Generating scholarly content with ChatGPT: ethical challenges for medical publishing
ChatGPT: Will It Transform the World of Health Care? – UCSF Department of Medicine
ChatGPT and the future of medical writing (ChatGPT itself wrote this paper)
ChatGPT: five priorities for research – Nature
The path forward for ChatGPT in academia – Lumo’s Newsletter
ChatGPT is fun, but not an author – Science
Tools such as ChatGPT threaten transparent science; here are our ground rules for their use – Nature
ChatGPT listed as author on research papers: many scientists disapprove – Nature
Abstracts written by ChatGPT fool scientists
Alcohol minimum unit pricing in Scotland led to substantial decrease in alcohol-attributable deaths and hospitalizations
29 Mar, 2023 | 13:28h | UTCNews Release: Minimum unit pricing for alcohol associated with a 13% decrease in deaths from alcohol consumption in Scotland – Lancet
Commentaries:
Minimum pricing averts alcohol deaths, study claims – BBC
Scotland’s minimum pricing linked to 13% drop in alcohol-related deaths, study finds – The Guardian
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Minimum unit pricing for #alcohol was introduced in Scotland in 2018 (50p per unit) with the aim of reducing alcohol consumption in the heaviest drinkers.
A new study analyses the impact of the policy on alcohol-specific hospitalisations and deaths. https://t.co/ehoHjbc8lw
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) March 21, 2023
Perspective | The use of ChatGPT and other large language models in surgical science
28 Mar, 2023 | 15:01h | UTCThe use of ChatGPT and other large language models in surgical science – BJS Open
ChatGPT vs. NCI: analyzing the quality of cancer information on myths and misconceptions
28 Mar, 2023 | 15:00h | UTCNews Release: Looking for cancer information: Can ChatGPT be counted on? – Huntsman Cancer Institute
Survey | Perspectives of patients about immediate access to test results through an online patient portal
23 Mar, 2023 | 13:02h | UTCSummary: This study aimed to assess patient and caregiver attitudes and preferences related to receiving immediately released test results through an online patient portal.
In a survey of 8,139 respondents across 4 US academic medical centers, 95,7% of patients preferred to receive immediately released test results through an online patient portal, even if their healthcare practitioner had not yet reviewed the result. However, 7.5% of respondents reported that reviewing results before being contacted by a healthcare practitioner increased worry. This worry was more common among respondents who received abnormal results (16.5%) compared to those whose results were normal (5%).
The authors concluded that balancing patients’ expectations of immediate access to their information with the need to manage increased worry and healthcare practitioner burden is important as healthcare systems navigate this new era of health information transparency.
News Release: Patients prefer immediate access to medical test results online, even if it’s bad news – UT Southwestern Medical Center
Commentary from one of the authors on Twitter
Do patients prefer immediate access to test results, even when the news may not be good?
Multi-site survey of 8,139 patients says: YES ✅
Patients overwhelmingly supported receiving results immediately…But WHY does this matter?? https://t.co/KSD5qOJKdd#hcldr #healthIT pic.twitter.com/vz8DYBlVu7
— Liz Salmi (@TheLizArmy) March 21, 2023
RCT | Impact of sleep deprivation on health-related quality of life in healthy children
23 Mar, 2023 | 12:57h | UTCCommentaries:
Sleep Disruption Linked to Lower HRQOL in Children – HealthDay
How just 39 minutes of sleep can make or break your child’s health, happiness and school day – CNN
Opinion | The rapid growth of mega-journals: threats and opportunities
22 Mar, 2023 | 13:40h | UTCThe Rapid Growth of Mega-Journals: Threats and Opportunities – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Cohort study | Professional soccer players are at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
21 Mar, 2023 | 13:46h | UTCSummary: The article reports on a cohort study conducted in Sweden to investigate whether male soccer players in the top division are at increased risk of neurodegenerative disease compared to matched controls from the general population. This is a topic of concern as there is a hypothesis that the repetitive mild head trauma sustained through heading the ball and concussions might cause neurodegenerative disease.
The study included 6007 football players and 56,168 controls and used nationwide registers to identify diagnoses of neurodegenerative disease. The study revealed that male professional soccer players in Sweden had a higher risk of neurodegenerative disease, particularly Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and outfield players had a higher risk than goalkeepers.
News Release: Elite football players are more likely to develop dementia, suggests Swedish study – Lancet
Commentaries:
Dementia risk higher for outfield players than goalkeepers – study – BBC
Neurodegenerative Diseases Are the Cost of Sports – Health Policy Watch
Related:
Dementia risk in former professional footballers is related to player position and career length.
Study: Neurodegenerative Disease Mortality Increased Among Former Professional Soccer Players
Comparative study highlights women’s lower susceptibility to sudden cardiac arrest during sports
21 Mar, 2023 | 13:44h | UTCSummary: This study assessed the incidence, characteristics, and outcomes of sports-related sudden cardiac arrest (Sr-SCA) in women. Data from three European registries were analyzed, identifying 34,826 SCA cases between 2006 and 2017, with 760 cases (2.2%) being Sr-SCA, including 54 in women.
The average annual incidence of Sr-SCA in women was 0.19 per million, over 10 times lower than in men (2.63 per million). When extrapolated to the European population, this translates to 98 cases per year in women and 1,350 cases in men.
Characteristics, bystander response, time to defibrillation, and survival rates did not significantly differ between women and men. The findings highlight the considerably lower risk of Sr-SCA in women compared to men and should be considered when designing preparticipation screening strategies in the future.
Article: Incidence of Cardiac Arrest During Sports Among Women in the European Union – Journal of the American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Incidence of Cardiac Arrest During Sports Among Women – American College of Cardiology
Commentary on Twitter
Women are at very low risk of cardiac arrest during sports: incidence in women was calculated to be 13 times lower than in men in 3 European registries, w/ no differences in profile, circumstances, mgmt or outcomes. https://t.co/CLl6amlIHO#JACC #CardioTwitter #SportsCardio pic.twitter.com/ADpakbwUKt
— JACC Journals (@JACCJournals) March 15, 2023
The paradox of endurance training: higher coronary plaque prevalence found in lifelong athletes
21 Mar, 2023 | 13:42h | UTCSummary: The Master@Heart study aimed to investigate the relationship between lifelong endurance exercise and coronary atherosclerosis measured by computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) in a cohort of 191 lifelong master endurance athletes, 191 late-onset athletes, and 176 healthy non-athletes. All participants were male with a low cardiovascular risk profile.
The study found that lifelong endurance sport participation was not associated with a more favorable coronary plaque composition compared to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In fact, lifelong endurance athletes exhibited a higher prevalence of coronary plaques, including more non-calcified plaques in proximal segments, than fit and healthy individuals with a similarly low cardiovascular risk profile.
Further research is needed to understand how these findings on CTCA might translate into clinical events in endurance athletes.
Article: Lifelong endurance exercise and its relation with coronary atherosclerosis – European Heart Journal
Commentaries:
Lifelong Endurance Exercise and Coronary Atherosclerosis – American College of Cardiology
MASTER@HEART: Long-term Endurance Athletes Not Immune to Atherosclerosis – TCTMD
M-A | Comparison of mental health symptoms before and during the covid-19 pandemic
21 Mar, 2023 | 13:40h | UTCEditorial: Mental health and the covid-19 pandemic – The BMJ
News Release: Study suggests little deterioration in mental health linked to the pandemic – BMJ Newsroom
Commentaries:
A patient’s perspective on mental health and the pandemic – The BMJ
World’s most comprehensive study on COVID-19 mental health – McGill University
M-A | The efficacy of Kangaroo-Mother care to the clinical outcomes of LBW and premature infants
21 Mar, 2023 | 13:35h | UTCSummary: Kangaroo-Mother Care (KMC) is a method that involves skin-to-skin contact between the mother and newborn, frequent exclusive or almost exclusive breastfeeding, and early discharge. KMC is an alternative to traditional care interventions for low birthweight (LBW) infants, and the World Health Organization has recommended its use for LBW infants for over a decade.
The authors conducted a meta-analysis including 17 randomized clinical trials involving 17,668 participants. They found that KMC can significantly reduce neonatal mortality, lower hypothermia and sepsis rates, and reduce the duration of hospital stay. The authors suggest that KMC should be promoted, popularized, and standardized in clinical practice.
Related:
Kangaroo mother care to reduce morbidity and mortality in low birthweight infants – Cochrane Library
COVID-19 pandemic measures may have caused reduced cognitive abilities among German students, study shows
20 Mar, 2023 | 13:50h | UTCSummary: This study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cognitive abilities of secondary school students in Germany. The study compared the intelligence test performance of 424 students in Grades 7 to 9, tested after the first six months of the pandemic, to the results of two highly comparable student samples tested in 2002 and 2012.
The study found that the 2020 sample had substantially lower intelligence test scores than both the 2002 and 2012 samples. The study also retested the 2020 sample after another full school year of COVID-19-affected schooling in 2021 and found no signs of catching up to previous cohorts or further declines in cognitive performance.
It can be inferred from the article that the lower intelligence test scores of the 2020 sample may have been caused by the prolonged disruption of regular schooling due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including lockdowns and school closures.
The study highlights the potential negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cognitive abilities of secondary school students and suggests that these consequences should be taken into account when conducting intelligence assessments in the post-pandemic era. It also recommends that appropriate compensatory measures be implemented to address any learning loss or cognitive deficits that may have resulted from the disruption of regular schooling during the pandemic.