Thumbs Down From FDA Panel on Plastic Meniscus Replacement
An FDA advisory committee voted 6-2, with one absention, that a novel, synthetic knee meniscus replacement’s benefits do not outweigh its risks, and thus is not suitable for marketing. Members of the Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Devices Panel of the FDA’s Medical Devices Advisory Committee said the efficacy data were too weak, and a nearly 50% […]
Exciting Early Results With Novel Cell Therapy for Focal Epilepsy
BOSTON — Implantation of so-called inhibitory neurons helped two patients with severe, drug-resistant focal epilepsy achieve marked reductions in seizure frequency, researchers reported. Prior to treatment, these patients were experiencing an average of 32 and 14 seizures per month, respectively, over many years, according to investigator David Spencer, MD, of Oregon Health & Science University […]
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 […]
FDA Advisors Endorse Rexulti for Agitation in Alzheimer’s Dementia
FDA advisors voted in favor of brexpiprazole (Rexulti) for treating agitation associated with Alzheimer’s dementia (AAD), despite increased mortality risk. By a vote of 9-1 on Friday, members of the agency’s Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee (PDAC) and the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee (PCNS) said the data presented by the drug’s sponsors, […]
My Reproductive Organs Took Me On A Wild Ride I Never Saw Coming
The author with her son, Noah in 2009. “Noah was so pretty that he was often mistaken for a girl when he was very young,” she writes. Courtesy of Erica Landis When my gynecologist first suggested a hysterectomy after reading the pathology report showing precancerous cells in my cervix, my hand instantly flew up into […]
7 Small Things Doctors Can Do to Get Their Finances on Track
I was recently speaking with a medical colleague who was struggling to get their finances on track. They didn’t ask for specific advice, so I held off from offering anything unsolicited. However, the interaction got me thinking. I could relate with what my colleague was going through. Before starting my financial comeback story, I was […]
Bariatric Surgery May Eliminate Obesity-Related Breast Cancer Risk
Bariatric surgery for women with obesity was associated with a reduction in breast cancer risk that reached levels seen among those with a normal body mass index (BMI), researchers have found. In their retrospective study of almost 70,000 women, an increased risk for incident breast cancer was observed in women who did not undergo bariatric […]
Opinion | Solve Physician Burnout With Subtraction
I am naturally a problem solver, and I share this characteristic with most of my fellow physicians. When I felt burned out at one point in my career, I was certain that a literature search would help me solve the problem by giving me answers I could use to make my burnout a thing of […]
Mint-Flavored E-Cigarettes Linked to Worse Lung Function
Use of electronic cigarettes with added menthol flavoring increased the number of inhaled particles and was associated with worse lung function in current or former combustion cigarette smokers, according to a study that used a specially designed robotic system that mimics the mechanics of breathing. Compared with e-cigarettes with liquids that were not flavored with […]
Tongue Nerve Stimulator Does Good for Sleep Apnea Patients
Targeted hypoglossal nerve stimulation (THN) showed safety and efficacy for patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the randomized THN3 trial found. Four months after receiving a THN device, patients who had had their devices activated at month 1 were more likely to meet criteria for treatment response in terms of reduced apnea-hypopnea index (AHI; […]