Comparative study blends medicine practices for holistic health care

The practice of medicine goes beyond diagnosing and treating illnesses. It involves understanding patients’ stories and experiences to provide holistic care with compassion. Narrative medicine (NM), introduced by Rita Charon in 2001, emphasizes the competence of physicians to comprehend and respond to patients’ stories. NM uses tools like close reading and reflective writing to help doctors connect with patients’ illness narratives.

New insights on pertussis vaccines could pave the way for next-gen protection

In a new study published in Cell Host & Microbe, scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have compared the immune response of individuals who received older versus newer versions of the whooping cough vaccine. The unexpected findings may help explain the recent rise in whooping cough cases and point to potential targets for the next generation of vaccines.

Study explains link to increased cardiovascular risks for people with obstructive sleep apnea

Researchers have found that people with obstructive sleep apnea have an increased cardiovascular risk due to reduced blood oxygen levels, largely explained by interrupted breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea has long been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular issues, including heart attack, stroke, and death, but the findings from this study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, show the mechanism mostly responsible for the link.

People with increased genetic risk of Alzheimer’s may lose sense of smell first, research suggests

People who carry the gene variant associated with the strongest risk for Alzheimer’s disease may lose their ability to detect odors earlier than people who do not carry the gene variant, which may be an early sign of future memory and thinking problems, according to a study published in the July 26, 2023, online issue of Neurology. The gene variant associated with this increased risk of Alzheimer’s is called APOE e4.