10Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
2-Step Gene Sequencing Shows Who May Respond to Cancer Immunotherapy

2-Step Gene Sequencing Shows Who May Respond to Cancer Immunotherapy

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The promise of so-called immune checkpoint inhibitors and other targeted immunotherapies for cancer is that they can destroy some hard-to-treat tumors much more effectively than old-school chemotherapy.But there’s a big problem with immunotherapies, too. These drugs, which train the immune system to find and kill cancer cells, work only in a small subset of patients, and it’s really hard to determine in advance who will benefit.Right now, doctors often look at several biomarkers, like age, tumor type, and the number of mutations found in cancer cells, to predict who might benefit from immunotherapy. Looking at mutations on a few hundred genes is the main way to determine if patients might benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors, which per the American Cancer Society target “checkpoint” proteins on immune cells that can switch…
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10Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
BA.4 and BA.5 Have Become Dominant Omicron Subvariants in the U.S.

BA.4 and BA.5 Have Become Dominant Omicron Subvariants in the U.S.

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On July 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that two new subvariants of omicron, BA.4 and BA.5, have become the dominant strains of the COVID-19 coronavirus in all parts of the United States.BA.5 currently makes up 54 percent of new cases, with its sister subvariant, BA.4, accounting for about 16 percent of recent infections.In Europe, BA.4 and BA.5 are driving a summertime COVID-19 surge. Analysis of data by The New York Times showed that infections climbed to 57 cases a day per 100,000 people (as of July 6) from 33 cases a day per 100,000 people just two weeks earlier.In a media briefing on July 6, Dr. Michael Ryan, MPH, the executive director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Program, said that many European countries…
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10Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
When and How to Use 988, Mental Health’s New Emergency Hotline

When and How to Use 988, Mental Health’s New Emergency Hotline

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Starting on July 16, Americans will have a new universal number to call or text for urgent help with a mental health crisis: 988. The number will become the new direct line to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.Anyone who dials the number will be connected to a trained counselor who can help them with their situation, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and will help fund and implement 988.Here’s what Americans need to know about mental health’s new emergency hotline — 988 — how it’ll work, and what will happen if you call.When Should I Call 988?Anyone experiencing any sort of mental-health-related crisis can dial 988, according to SAMHSA. Whether you’re experiencing suicidal…
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10Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
New Technology May Help Stop Surgical Implant Infections

New Technology May Help Stop Surgical Implant Infections

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When people need repeat surgeries to fix issues with a hip or knee implant, infections are often the culprit. Now, a biotech startup says it has a solution — a way to alter the surface of implants so they repel bacteria.The biotech company, DeBogy Molecular, is developing technology known as antimicrobial surface modification that’s designed to kill bacteria that can grow on the outside of surgical implants and cause infections. In early lab tests in mice, this technology appeared to wipe out what’s known as bacterial biofilm — colonies of microorganisms that coat the surface of surgical implants.“The promise of a new, disruptive technology that can permanently protect the surface of an implantable device from the formation of dangerous bacterial biofilm, without the use of toxic chemicals, coatings or even…
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10Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Half of Americans Support Laws Against Weight-Based Discrimination

Half of Americans Support Laws Against Weight-Based Discrimination

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Should there be laws in place to protect people with obesity from being denied a job or housing opportunities on the basis of their weight status? Whether or not you answer yes to that question may be influenced by your gender, race, or your own weight, according to a study that examined how these factors impact perceptions of obesity, weight bias, and weight-based discrimination laws.About half of Americans would support laws against weight-based discrimination, with those who have personally experienced weight bias being about twice as likely to support the policy as people who have not, according to the findings, which were presented June 7 at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Annual Meeting (ASMBS) in Dallas.Can a Person Be Denied a Job or Fired Because of How Much They…
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09Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Testosterone May Aid Memory in Men With Uncontrolled Diabetes

Testosterone May Aid Memory in Men With Uncontrolled Diabetes

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Some men with a deficit of sex hormones who take testosterone replacement therapy may experience a benefit that goes beyond improved sexual function.When men have both hypogonadism and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, testosterone replacement therapy may improve both sexual function and cognitive function, according to preliminary results of a small clinical trial presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Atlanta.“The findings are welcome news to men with diabetes and hypogonadism, since they often have a poor quality of life,” said the lead study author, Preethi Mohan Rao, MD, of the University of Sheffield, England, in a statement.Hypogonadism in men, often called low T, develops when the body doesn’t produce enough testosterone. While men can be born with the condition, it can also develop later in life and cause…
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09Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
What’s Up With the Tampon Shortage?

What’s Up With the Tampon Shortage?

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In the past several weeks, half-empty shelves in the “feminine hygiene” area of local pharmacies and grocery stores have become commonplace because of a shortage of tampons in the United States. According to some reports, there’s only a 30 percent stock of tampons in stores around the country, with Arkansas and West Virginia among the most affected states.The drugstore chains Walgreens and CVS reported temporary scarcities of some varieties of tampons but didn’t specify which brands. Target said it's working with tampon manufacturers to secure more inventory, and Walmart stated that they aren’t experiencing a tampon shortage.The current crisis is forcing many people to go from store to store searching for their preferred brand of tampon or traveling much farther than usual to buy them. There are also anecdotal reports…
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09Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Multivitamins and Supplements May Not Prevent Heart Disease, Cancer

Multivitamins and Supplements May Not Prevent Heart Disease, Cancer

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Even though millions of American adults take daily multivitamins and dietary supplements, there isn’t clear evidence that doing so is helping them live longer, according to new guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).The guidelines, published June 21 in JAMA, focus on the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer, the two leading causes of death that account for about half of fatalities in the United States each year. There isn’t enough evidence to suggest that multivitamins help avoid these fatalities, according to the new guidelines, which echo advice issued by the USPSTF in 2014.“Patients ask all the time, ‘What supplements should I be taking?’ They’re wasting money and focus thinking there has to be a magic set of pills that will keep them healthy when we should all…
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09Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
Eating Right, Getting Enough Exercise and Sleep Among First Treatments for IBS in New Guidelines

Eating Right, Getting Enough Exercise and Sleep Among First Treatments for IBS in New Guidelines

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People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) should try to manage their symptoms by adjusting their eating, exercise, and sleep habits before seeking out an IBS specialist or gastroenterologist for medications or other types of treatment, new clinical guidelines advise.The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) published two sets of guidelines in the journal Gastroenterology: one for IBS-C, where patients experience constipation; and one for IBS-D, which involves diarrhea. These guidelines detail for the first time what interventions patients should try, as well as the best times to consider newer drugs as opposed to older medications, according to a statement from the AGA.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects up to 35 million Americans, is a chronic gastrointestinal condition that impairs proper functioning of the small and large intestines, often causing cramps, diarrhea, constipation, and…
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09Mar 2023 by Janice Holland
FDA Approves Dupixent (Dupilumab) as First Biologic Atopic Dermatitis Treatment for Kids 5 and Under

FDA Approves Dupixent (Dupilumab) as First Biologic Atopic Dermatitis Treatment for Kids 5 and Under

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One of the most vexing things about having a young child with atopic dermatitis (eczema) is figuring out how to help them when topical treatments don’t work. Now there’s an entirely new option to try with Dupixent (dupilumab), a once-monthly injection that parents can give kids at home.In June 2022 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Dupixent to treat moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in children 6 months to 5 years old who haven’t achieved enough symptom relief with prescription corticosteroid creams or ointments, according to a statement from the drug’s developers, Sanofi and Regeneron.More than 1 in 10 Americans have atopic dermatitis, which is much more common in children and typically develops before kids are 5 years old, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).Around a third of…
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