Reducing health disparities in incidence and mortality for major types of cancers can be aided by sophisticated computer modeling efforts, according to new, wide-ranging perspectives from researchers at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and colleagues around the country. The collection of articles appears in the November 8, 2023, special issue of JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute and is devoted to outlining a path forward in cancer disparities modeling.
Three-fold rise in babies born at 22 weeks given respiratory life support in England and Wales after guidelines change
The number of very premature babies (22 weeks) given respiratory life support (survival-focused care) and/or admitted to neonatal units in England and Wales has increased 3-fold, following changes in 2019 to national guidance, finds research published in BMJ Medicine.
Virtual/augmented reality play set eases kids’ and parents’ anxieties ahead of MRI scan
Giving children a virtual/augmented (mixed) reality play set to use ahead of an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan seems to ease both their and their parents’ anxieties about this procedure, suggest preliminary findings published in BMJ Innovations.
Study supports use of reduced-dose of direct oral anticoagulants for many older adults with two or more conditions
A nationwide study of 21,878 older nursing home residents with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) found a higher rate of bleeding and little difference in the effectiveness of standard versus reduced-dose treatment using direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC).
Apps for depression: Effective, but with room for improvement
A study involving the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) has found that the use of applications for depression can have a significant effect on treating the symptoms of this increasingly prevalent mental illness, especially when used in hybrid treatments, i.e. those that combine technology with the involvement of a professional.
Food insecurity associated with liver disease in teens
Teens from low-income families experiencing food insecurity are developing the most common form of liver disease twice as often as those who have easier access to food, likely because they rely on low-cost, ultra-processed foods, according to a study scheduled for presentation at The Liver Meeting, held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Study finds hydroxychloroquine lowers risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients
New research at ACR Convergence 2023, the American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR) annual meeting, shows that treating rheumatoid arthritis with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) reduced the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, especially in women and men who are 50 years old and younger.
Annual economic burden of urinary incontinence could reach 87 billion euros in 2030 if no action is taken
New international research on the economic burden of urinary incontinence reveals that the cost of continence care will reach an estimated €69.1 billion in 2023. These costs include the impact of incontinence on individuals’ health, the costs of medical consultations and products such as continence pads, incontinence-related absenteeism at work, nursing home admissions, and the environmental impact of incontinence care. If no action is taken to support continence health, the economic burden could rise by 25% in 2030, to €86.7 billion. This economic burden becomes considerably higher when including caregiver costs.
PET scans may predict Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia in at-risk individuals
In a small study, researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found that positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the heart may identify people who will go on to develop Parkinson’s disease or Lewy body dementia among those at-risk for these diseases.
Study finds JAK inhibitors and tocilizumab effective in VEXAS syndrome
New research at ACR Convergence 2023, the American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR) annual meeting, found that JAK inhibitors (JAKi) and tocilizumab elicited better response rates in VEXAS syndrome compared to other targeted therapies.