Opinion | ‘The Real Risk Is a Bad Trip’: What We Heard This Week
“The real risk is a bad trip.” — Smita Das, MD, PhD, MPH, of Stanford University in California, on the risks of off-label ketamine use. “It is like trying to compare apples with artichokes.” — Douglas Smith, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, discussing earlier studies of Havana syndrome patients and current NIH […]
AMA Punts on Vaccine Strategy for Immigrants
Members of the American Medical Association (AMA) weighed the risks and benefits of the U.S. implementing a vaccine mandate for immigrants and examined policy recommendations around short-term medical trips during the House of Delegates annual meeting. Sarah Mae Smith, an alternate delegate from California who spoke on behalf of AMA’s Medical Students Section, said that […]
Physical activity is insufficient to counter cardiovascular risk associated with sugar-sweetened beverage consumption
Contrary to popular belief, the benefits of physical activity do not outweigh the risks of cardiovascular disease associated with drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, according to a new study led by Harvard T.?H.?Chan School of Public Health. Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier, professor at Université Laval’s Faculty of Pharmacy, was a co-author. Sugar-sweetened beverages are the largest source of added […]
Coronary Heart Disease by Age 45 Linked With Subsequent Dementia
Younger onset age of coronary heart disease was tied to higher risks of incident all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia, a large prospective cohort study in Great Britain showed. Each 10-year decrease in coronary heart disease onset age was associated with a 25% increased risk of all-cause dementia, a 29% increased risk of Alzheimer’s […]
Methotrexate Tied to Greater Risks for Older Patients With CKD
Older patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) had greater risks for serious adverse events when starting on low-dose methotrexate rather than hydroxychloroquine, a propensity score-matched analysis found. About 60% of the cohort’s new prescription came from a rheumatologist. Within 90 days of starting either treatment, the risk for the composite outcome — a hospital visit […]
ART Births Linked to Slightly Higher Risk of Congenital Anomalies in Kids
Kids conceived using assisted reproductive technology (ART) had slightly higher risks of congenital anomalies, particularly genitourinary abnormalities, according to an Australian population-based cohort study. In the cohort of over 850,000 infants, singleton infants conceived via ART had an increased risk for major genitourinary abnormalities compared with naturally conceived singleton infants with parents with no fertility […]
Here’s Why You Need To Be Extra Careful Eating This Popular Seafood
Oscar Wong via Getty Images There are some risks associated with eating raw oysters. In a viral TikTok video with 2.2 million views, TikTok user @malamamaofficial opens a $1 Whole Foods bag of raw oysters, revealing a pea crab in one of the shells. “This is why it’s $1,” the TikTok user says as she […]
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 […]
Raincoats and Undies: Are Your Clothes Dripping in ‘Forever Chemicals’?
There could be more than just fashion risks involved when buying a pair of leggings or a raincoat. Just how much risk is still not clear, but toxic chemicals have been found in hundreds of consumer products and clothing bought off the racks nationwide. Thousands of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, exist since the […]