Liquid Biopsy for CRC Screening May Not Be Ready for Prime Time
While screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) with a blood-based test would result in better outcomes than no screening at all, it would likely result in worse outcomes than currently available tests — while increasing costs — according to two modeling studies published in Gastroenterology. In the first, models suggested that compared with no screening at […]
Out-of-Pocket Insulin Caps Boost Savings — But Not Insulin Use
While out-of-pocket caps on insulin indeed cut down on costs for commercially insured patients in the U.S., the policies didn’t do much to increase insulin use, claims data showed. After such policies were implemented in eight such states, insulin users under age 65 had a 17.4% (95% CI -23.9 to -10.9) relative reduction in costs […]
New software for designing sustainable cities
New technology could help cities around the world improve people’s lives while saving billions of dollars. The free, open-source software developed by the Stanford Natural Capital Project creates maps to visualize the links between nature and human wellbeing. City planners and developers can use the software to visualize where investments in nature, such as parks […]
I Got Hearing Aids For The First Time — And There Was 1 Surprising Side Effect
“I can actually see the shapes of the leaves on the trees!” I exclaimed to my doctor while gazing out the window. I was 12 years old and just got my first pair of glasses. My vision had been impaired long enough for me to not realize what I was missing. The same thing happened […]
Nurses Still the Most Trusted Profession, Doctors Fall to Fifth
Nurses remained the most trusted profession in the U.S., while medical doctors dropped to the fifth spot, according to Gallup’s 2023 Honesty and Ethics poll. Out of 23 professions, 78% of surveyed adults rated nurses as having “very high or high” honesty and ethical standards, while 56% said the same for medical doctors. But the […]
New gut-brain circuits found for sugar and fat cravings
Understanding why we overeat unhealthy foods has been a long-standing mystery. While we know food’s strong power influences our choices, the precise circuitry in our brains behind this is unclear. The vagus nerve sends internal sensory information from the gut to the brain about the nutritional value of food. But, the molecular basis of the […]
Study unveils a role of mitochondria in dietary fat processing
The maintenance of a balanced lipid homeostasis is critical for our health. While consumption of excessive amounts of fatty foods contributes to metabolic diseases such as obesity and atherosclerosis, fat is an indispensable component of our diet. Digested lipids supply the body with essential building blocks and facilitate the absorption of important vitamins. In a […]
Alcohol consumption may have positive and negative effects on cardiovascular disease risk
While past research has indicated that moderate alcohol consumption can lower one’s risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), more recent studiessuggest that moderate levels of drinking may be hazardous to heart health. A new analysis led by Boston University School of Public Health and Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University (Friedman School) […]
Diagnostic Imaging Not Yet Enough for Biopsy-Free Radical Prostatectomy
While prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-PET may improve diagnostic accuracy in suspected prostate cancer, it may not be accurate enough to skip the biopsy when considering radical prostatectomy. In a retrospective review of 89 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), PSMA-PET prior to biopsy had a false-positive rate of 30%, with subsequent needle biopsy revealing negative […]
What to Know About Lead Toxicity and Kids’ Applesauce
While it’s not clear whether children exposed to recalled applesauce packets have suffered acute lead poisoning, pediatricians should take recent warnings seriously, experts told MedPage Today. Morri Markowitz, MD, director of the Lead Poisoning Prevention and Treatment Program at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx, New York, told MedPage Today that blood lead […]