News Author: Marcia Frellick; CME Author: Laurie Barclay, MD Faculty and Disclosures Clinical Context Acute diverticulitis is a common medical emergency, with complicated diverticulitis seen in nearly one third of patients. Uncomplicated diverticulitis does not require antibiotics and seldom causes significant morbidity/mortality, but may recur or become persistent painful diverticulitis. Elective sigmoid resection is an option for recurring uncomplicated...
Month: <span>June 2023</span>
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How popular steroids could interfere with some cancer treatments
by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Two looks at mouse tumors. Left: staining by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Animal & Tissue Imaging Shared Resource. Right: segmenting by Dominik Loiero in the lab of University of Zurich Assistant Professor Viktor Koelzer. The red segments on the right are cancer cells. Credit: Janowitz lab/Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Immunotherapy...
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New ‘atlas’ maps bacteria and metabolites associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular disease
by Cleveland Clinic Credit: CC0 Public Domain A Cleveland Clinic research team has published an “atlas” of metabolites associated with cardiovascular disease in the European Heart Journal. The novel findings provide key details about the routes and potential branching paths taken by bacteria and metabolic by-products, metabolites. The study mapped out the multiple by-products of bacteria-processing amino acids associated with cardiovascular disease and then...
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Multiple Sclerosis Has a Misdiagnosis Problem
Nancy A. Melville June 14, 2023 In the ongoing absence of a reliable biomarker for multiple sclerosis (MS), misdiagnosis is a common, and persistent, problem that potentially puts patients at prolonged and unnecessary risk. Experts warn that false-negative diagnoses cause treatment delays, while false-positive diagnoses run the risk for potential harm from needless treatment. Dr Patricia Coyle “MS has...
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FDA Approves First Gene Therapy for Treatment of Certain Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
June 22, 2023 Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Elevidys, the first gene therapy for the treatment of pediatric patients 4 through 5 years of age with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) with a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene who do not have a pre-existing medical reason preventing treatment with this therapy. “Today’s approval addresses...
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WHO Says Toxic Syrup Risk ‘Ongoing,’ More Countries Hit
By Jennifer Rigby June 19, 2023 LONDON (Reuters) – There is an ongoing global threat posed by toxic cough syrups, the World Health Organization (WHO) told Reuters, saying it was now working with six more countries than previously revealed to track the potentially deadly children’s medicines. The U.N. agency has already named nine countries where tainted syrups...
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BMI not accurate in predicting obesity in majority of people, study finds
Research suggests that Body Mass Index (BMI) may not be an accurate indicator for predicting obesity among adults. Luis Alvarez/Getty Images Researchers investigated the accuracy of Body Mass Index (BMI) in predicting obesity among adults aged 20-59 years old. They found that BMI predicted less than half of people with obesity as predicted by body...
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Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is on the rise. What to know
tExperts say metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) can be caused by a number of factors. sot/Getty Images Researchers are reporting that the prevalence of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease is increasing dramatically in the United States. Experts say genetics and obesity are key factors in developing the disease, but there are other causes. They say a...
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Exercise may induce strokes for people with blocked arteries
by American Institute of Physics Contours of oscillatory shear index (OSI) on healthy, 30% stenosis, and 50% stenosis carotid arteries for the normal (67 beats per minute), moderate (100 bpm), and high exercise (140 bpm) heart rates. Credit: Khan et al. Many overlook the warnings preceding workout classes that encourage consulting a doctor before participating in...
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Dupilumab found to lessen disease in COPD patients with type 2 inflammation
by Jeff Hansen, University of Alabama at Birmingham Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with type 2 inflammation saw rapid and sustained improvements in their disease after treatment with the monoclonal antibody dupilumab, according to a yearlong, Phase 3 clinical trial reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. These improvements—as measured by a significantly lower...