Cancer Patients More Likely to Die During COVID Pandemic
Cancer patients experienced significantly higher rates of COVID-19-related deaths compared with the general public, according to two retrospective studies from the U.S. and Canada. In a cross-sectional study published in JAMA Oncology, researchers found that the winter Omicron surge of 2021-2022 was particularly deadly, as the number of deaths among U.S. cancer patients increased by […]
Higher BMI = Less Neutropenia With CDK4/6 Inhibitor for Early Breast Cancer
A higher body mass index (BMI) translated into less neutropenia and fewer discontinuations among women with early hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer treated with a CDK4/6 inhibitor, a secondary analysis of the randomized trial PALLAS showed. Among patients who received palbociclib (Ibrance) in addition to endocrine therapy, increasing BMI was associated with a small but […]
CDC: Dialysis Patients Carry Heavier COVID Burden
Patients on maintenance dialysis had somewhat higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 infections and related deaths than seen in the general U.S. population, although immunization mitigated some of the excess risk, the CDC reported. From June 30, 2021, to Sept. 27, 2022, the overall infection rate per 10,000 patient-weeks was 30.47 among maintenance dialysis patients, with a […]
Do certain amino acids modify the risk of dementia linked to air pollution?
Higher levels of vitamin B-related amino acids may be linked to the risk of dementia associated with a certain type of air pollutants called particulate matter, according to a study published in the July 19, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that […]
Dementia Tied to Fluctuations in Blood Lipids Over Time
Fluctuations in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people 60 and older were tied to a higher risk of incident dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, a longitudinal study showed. Over a median follow-up of 12.9 years, participants in the highest quintile of total cholesterol variability versus the lowest quintile had a 19% increased risk of incident […]
Higher Fetal Cortisol Levels Linked to Sleep Onset Delays
INDIANAPOLIS — Higher levels of neonatal hair cortisol, a measure of fetal cortisol production in the third trimester, may have a negative effect on sleep health among infants, according to a longitudinal study. Among 70 infants in the Care Project study, greater neonatal hair cortisol levels at birth predicted longer sleep onset latency at 7 […]
Higher BMI Tied to Other Severe Respiratory Infections Too
A higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with increased risks for hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 and other respiratory infections as well, according to a study using data from the U.K. Biobank. After a mean follow-up of 11.8 years, the hazard ratios per 10-unit higher BMI was 2.26 (95% CI 2.05-2.49) for severe […]
Lupus During Pregnancy Carries Higher Maternal, Fetal Morbidity Risks
Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had higher risks for maternal and fetal morbidity compared to those without the chronic autoimmune disorder, according to a nationwide analysis of U.S. data. The 10-year study showed that patients with SLE had higher intrauterine growth restriction versus people without SLE (8.0% vs 2.7%) and more frequent preterm delivery […]
Early signs that may help predict ADHD risk
Information available at birth may help to identify children with higher likelihood of developing ADHD, according to new research from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. The study, published in Development and Psychopathology, examined data from almost 10,000 children in the United States, showing information about pregnancy and birth may help to help predict […]
Leading Causes of Death Hit Childhood Cancer Survivors Earlier
Survivors of childhood cancer had a fourfold higher risk of mortality decades after their diagnosis, typically from the same leading causes of death afflicting the general U.S. population, a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) showed. The 40-year all-cause mortality rate was 23.3% among the more than 34,000 pediatric cancer patients who had […]