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☆ Experimental gene therapy restores some vision in patients with inherited blindness
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

“Now, post-surgery and post recovery, I am able to see in dimmer lighting with my left eye,” Cook said. A treatment that used CRISPR was found to be safe and efficacious in improving vision among a small sample of patients with inherited blindness in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial that Cook participated in. Months following the treatment, Cook was sitting with friends on a balcony that had Christmas lights wrapped around the railing. Courtesy Olivia CookBefore the treatment, Cook said that she sometimes could conceal the vision challenges she has had. Mass Eye and EarKalberer described the CRISPR treatment as “groundbreaking,” but warned it’s not a cure.

Persons: Olivia Cook, Cook, ”, ” Cook, “, I’ve, “ I’d, you’d, CRISPR, Eric Pierce, Brigham, “ We’re, ” Pierce, Jason Comander, ‘, Michael Kalberer, Kalberer, it’s, “ It’s, It’s, Pierce, Editas, We’re, Art Caplan, ” Caplan, —, Vlad Diaconita, ” Diaconita, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Aliaa Abdelhakim Organizations: CNN, Missouri State University, New England, of Medicine, Mass, Harvard Medical School, Editas Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, University of Miami, Oregon Health & Science University, US Food and Drug Administration, CEP290, pharma, NYU Grossman School, Medicine’s Department of Population Health, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, CNN Health Locations: Springfield, United States, CEP290

☆ Methodology for Analysis of the U.S. Health and Retirement Study
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( The New York Times | Kff Health News | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Times/KFF Health News data analysis was based on the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative longitudinal survey of about 20,000 people over age 50. The analysis defined people ages 65 and above as likely to need long-term care if they were assessed to have dementia, or if they reported having difficulty with two or more out of six activities of daily living. The analysis’ definition of needing long-term care assistance is conservative and is in line with criteria most long-term care insurers use in determining whether they will pay for services. The analysis was developed in consultation with Norma Coe, an associate professor of medical ethics and health policy at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The financial toll on middle-class and upper-income people needing long-term care was examined by reviewing data that the H.R.S.

Persons: Norma Coe Organizations: KFF Health, Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

☆ Some kids are genetically predisposed to poor sleep, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Establishing healthy bedtime habits for your child early on is vital if at least one parent has chronic sleep difficulties, suggests new research on genetics and children’s sleep disorders. It does, say experts behind the first study providing evidence that genetic susceptibility to being a “poor sleeper” can also be found early in life. Children genetically predisposed to insomnia had more insomnia-related sleep issues such as difficulty falling asleep or frequently waking up during the night, according to the study published Wednesday in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. “You would think that, sure, if it’s genetically determined, why wouldn’t it manifest earlier in life?”Good sleep hygiene for kidsThere is still hope for your child’s sleep health. “If your child is a natural late sleeper, then don’t force them to go to sleep early,” Sehgal added.

Persons: Catherine Falls, ”, Eus van Someren, —, they’re, Amita Sehgal, wasn’t, Sehgal, “, Desana, ” Kocevska, they’ve, ” Sehgal Organizations: CNN, Child Psychology, Psychiatry, Getty, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center Locations: Catherine, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands

☆ Doubts abound about a new Alzheimer’s blood test
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Judith Graham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The Quest Diagnostics blood test, AD-Detect, measures elevated levels of amyloid-beta proteins, a signature characteristic of Alzheimer’s. But Alzheimer’s researchers and clinicians aren’t convinced the Quest test is backed by sound scientific research. Though blood tests for Alzheimer’s are likely to become common in the years ahead, the Alzheimer’s Association said it’s premature to offer a test of this kind directly to consumers. Because the science behind blood tests for Alzheimer’s is still developing and because “patients may not really understand the uncertainty of test results,” Edelmayer said, the Alzheimer’s Association “does not endorse the use of the AD-Detect test by consumers.”Quest’s blood test is one of several developments altering the landscape of Alzheimer’s care in the United States. The bottom line: Before taking a test, “older adults need to ask themselves, ‘Why do I want to know this?

Persons: aren’t, Alzheimer’s, Michael Racke, ”, there’s, Suzanne Schindler, St . Louis, That’s, ” Schindler, Racke, Meera Sheffrin, —, Rebecca Edelmayer, ” Edelmayer, Eric Widera, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Emily Largent, ’ ”, Munro Cullum Organizations: Health, Diagnostics, Alzheimer’s Association, Quest, University of Michigan, International Conference, Washington University School of Medicine, Senior, Stanford Healthcare, The University of Michigan, FDA, National Institute, Aging, University of California, Get CNN, CNN Health, University, Pennsylvania’s Perelman, of Medicine, HIPAA, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Kaiser Health, KFF Locations: U.S, San Diego, St ., United States, San Francisco

☆ Welcome to office dystopia, where everyday work can feel irrelevant as global conflict rages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It can create a feeling of numb office dystopia, as focusing on spreadsheets can make real-world problems feel imagined. A Harvard Medical School analysis says the fight, flight, or freeze instinct can kick in during tough news cycles. AdvertisementAdvertisementHe's describing a sense of numbness some workers feel as more and more return to the office this fall. The fight, flight, or freeze instinct can kick in during tough news cycles or rough personal events, according to a Harvard Medical School analysis . The freeze instinct might appear as indifference on the surface, but it can manifest as generalized anxiety, or even nightmares.

Persons: —, Charli D'Amelio, Elon, Walt Disney, Joe Fenti, Fenti, Lily Brown, Brown, Ben Sweeny's, Sweeny Organizations: Harvard Medical, Service, Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Locations: Boston

☆ Down syndrome families' fight for access to Alzheimer’s trials, treatments
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

In an extended portion of Eisai’s main Leqembi trial, CAA was associated with one death. 'THE DIGNITY OF RISK'Hillerstrom said the groups are "very strongly" lobbying Eisai and Lilly to conduct the safety trials in Down syndrome, and said he has been meeting with the companies to push them to design such trials. Lilly declined to comment on whether it is considering either a safety trial or taking part in that study. An Eisai spokeswoman said the company "has no immediate plans" to conduct clinical trials of Leqembi in people with Down syndrome. The company is collaborating with LuMind in a study gathering data on how Alzheimer's manifests in people with Down syndrome.

Persons: Oskar Hillerstrom, Lianor, Hampus, Brian Snyder, Lianor da Cunha, Oskar, de Oeiras, Teresa, Oskar’s, Hampus Hillerstrom, Eli Lilly's, LuMind, Hillerstrom, Lilly, Emily Largent, Beau Ances, Louis, I've, Ances, I'm, Michael Rafii, William Mobley, Mobley, Dawn Brooks, donanemab, Margot Rhondeau, Hannah, Julie Steenhuysen, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, CAA, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Medicare, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Washington University, National Institute, Aging, University of Southern, UC San Diego School of Medicine, LuMind, Syndrome, Thomson Locations: Lexington , Massachusetts, U.S, Santo, Portugal, United States, St, University of Southern California

☆ mRNA vaccine: 5 things to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Here are five things to know about Karikó and Weissman’s game-changing research and mRNA vaccines. What mRNA doesMessenger RNA, or mRNA, is a form of nucleic acid that tells cells what to do based on the information contained in DNA. Messenger RNA-based vaccine technology doesn’t rely on a modified version of a virus to produce an immune response. Potential beyond fighting Covid-19The advent of mRNA vaccine technology has led to safe and strong protection against Covid-19. And mRNA technology is also being checked out as a possible alternative to gene therapy for intractable conditions such as sickle cell disease.

Persons: Katalin Karikó, Drew Weissman, Peggy Peterson, Robin Shattock, ” Shattock, —, Karikó, Weissman, ”, Roberts, Thomas Perlmann, it’s Organizations: CNN, University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine, Imperial College London, Covid, Penn’s Perelman, of Medicine, Vaccine, Perelman School of Medicine, Nobel Assembly Locations: Hungary

☆ How Covid Affects the Heart
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Dana G. Smith | More About Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Others may develop because Covid is also associated with the onset of risk factors for heart disease, most notably hypertension. How vaccines reduce the riskResearch has shown that people who are vaccinated are roughly 40 to 60 percent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke following a Covid infection than those who are unvaccinated. This may be because vaccinated people are less likely to develop severe Covid, which in turn lowers the risk of many of these heart-related issues. There is a small risk of developing myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) in the weeks after getting an mRNA Covid vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. For males 30 and older, the risk of myocarditis was 28 times higher from Covid than from the vaccine.

Persons: ”, Helene Glassberg, who’ve, Laffin, myocarditis Organizations: University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Pfizer, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention

☆ Wegovy shown to reduce risk of heart attack, stroke in major cardiovascular trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Meg Tirrell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The weight loss drug Wegovy was shown to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke or heart disease-related death by 20% in a major clinical trial in people with cardiovascular disease, the first to show a weight loss drug alone can have such protective effects. It called the five-year trial “Select.”The finding of a 20% reduction in heart risk is higher than many experts had anticipated. A similar trial for the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic, which uses the same ingredient, semaglutide, previously showed it could reduce cardiovascular risk by 26% — but no trial had yet shown a risk reduction in people without diabetes. It said it will present detailed results from the trial at a scientific conference later this year. It’s awaiting US Food and Drug Administration approval for weight loss as well.

Persons: Wegovy, 2.4mg, ”, Martin Holst Lange, Novo, Dr, Willa Hsueh, Jena Shaw Tronieri, Sanjay Gupta, Fuller, Steven Nissen, Eli Lilly, It’s, ” Nissen, he’d Organizations: CNN, Novo Nordisk, Diabetes, Metabolism Research, Wexner, The Ohio State University, Clinical Services, Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Nordisk, CNN Health, Cleveland, Food and Drug

☆ In older adults, a little excess weigh may be OK
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Judith Graham | Kff Health News | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

For years, experts have debated what to advise older adults in this situation. Only 27% to 44% of older adults meet these guidelines, according to various surveys. Epidemiologic research suggests that the ideal body mass index (BMI) might be higher for older adults than younger adults. The study’s conclusion: “The WHO healthy weight range may not be suitable for older adults.” Instead, being overweight may be beneficial for older adults, while being notably thin can be problematic, contributing to the potential for frailty. Indeed, an optimal BMI for older adults may be in the range of 24 to 29, Carl Lavie, a well-known obesity researcher, suggested in a separate study reviewing the evidence surrounding obesity in older adults.

Persons: they’ve, ”, Mitchell Lazar, we’re, John Batsis, Anne Newman, —, Carl Lavie, Lavie, “, ” Lavie, Newman, you’re, Dinesh Edem, Dennis Kerrigan, Katie Dodd Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, Institute for Diabetes, University, Pennsylvania’s Perelman, of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Center for Aging, Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, BMI, World Health Organization, WHO, University of Pittsburgh, University of North, University of Arkansas, Medical Sciences, Henry Ford Health, Kaiser Health, KFF Locations: —, Chapel Hill, New Orleans, University of North Carolina, Michigan

☆ Fact Check-UK COVID-19 death statistics used online to misrepresent impact of vaccines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

This counters a claim spreading online that misinterprets public data to suggest it shows the vaccines did not prevent deaths. The data shows there were 22,361 COVID deaths in England and Wales in 2022 where the individuals were vaccinated three times. This would be 80%, not 92%, of all COVID deaths for 2022, she said. The 92% pertains to COVID deaths of anyone who ever received a vaccine dose, the spokeswoman added. Moreover, the online claim’s wider suggestion of vaccine ineffectiveness is a misrepresentation of COVID deaths data, she said.

Persons: COVID, ”, Jeffrey Morris, biostatistics, Read Organizations: National Statistics, Reuters, Triple, Twitter, Facebook, England, Perelman School of Medicine, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Locations: England, Wales, COVID

☆ The good, bad and ugly about BMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Short for body mass Index, BMI is nothing more than a crude measurement of a person’s body fat based on height and weight. Yet critics say the term BMI has become a societal judgment by lumping individuals into arbitrary categories that perpetuate misconceptions about body weight. “Yet it has become completely medicalized that health equals weight, weight equals health based on BMI. Conversely, BMI can underestimate body fat in older adults and anyone who has lost muscle, according to the Harvard T.H. More conundrums: Women naturally have more body fat and less muscle mass than men, while some racial and ethnic groups are genetically predisposed to carry more or less lean muscle mass and body fat.

☆ 'It totally backfired': The pitfalls of Alzheimer's genetic testing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

CHICAGO, April 21 (Reuters) - Wendy Nelson watched her mother slowly die of Alzheimer's disease, unable to move or swallow at the end. When her father's memory began to fail a year later, one of her two sisters doubted it could be Alzheimer's, Nelson said. THE TESTING REVOLUTIONUntil recently, most doctors tended not to order genetic tests to determine Alzheimer's risk, because there were no effective treatments to slow or prevent the disease. US regulators recommend genetic testing before starting treatment with Leqembi. Some members of families with increased genetic risk of Alzheimer's say it might be better not to know at all.

☆ Stanford, Columbia, Penn Medical Schools Expand the Exodus From U.S. News Ranking
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Melissa Korn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The medical schools at Stanford, Columbia and Pennsylvania universities are withdrawing their cooperation from U.S. News & World Report rankings, pulling out less than a week after Harvard Medical School said it would no longer provide data to the publication. The moves by Stanford Medical School, Columbia’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine suggest a prolonged cascading effect after Yale Law School said in November that it wouldn’t provide data for U.S. News’s law-school rankings. More than a dozen other top-ranked schools—including Stanford Law School—followed suit. Harvard Medical School Dean George Q. Daley said the law schools’ decisions compelled him to act.

Austin Johnson in August 2019 when his eyes and skin had turned yellow from liver disease caused by years of heavy drinking. Courtesy Austin JohnsonCirrhosis or severe liver disease used to be something that mostly struck people in middle age, or older. “We’re definitely seeing younger and younger patients coming in with what we previously thought was advanced liver disease seen in patients only in their middle age, 50s and 60s,” said Mellinger. Since 2018, Mellinger, and doctors at the Michigan Alcohol Improvement program provide psychiatrists and addiction specialists to patients with liver disease. The yellow color in his skin and eyes — a symptom of severe liver disease — has disappeared.

A study published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry found that abortion restrictions may have played a role in some suicide deaths among younger women from 1974 to 2016. The study is the first of its kind to show an association between abortion restrictions and suicide rates among younger women, said Dr. The researchers did not find the same association for older women, he said, suggesting that the increased suicide risk was specific to women directly affected by TRAP laws. Elevated suicide rates in states with more restrictive abortion laws "is cause for clinical concern," he wrote. That research ended in 2016, though, so it's unclear how newer abortion restrictions — such as the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — have affected suicide rates among younger women.

☆ Researchers test mRNA technology for universal flu vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It delivers tiny lipid particles containing mRNA instructions for cells to create replicas of so-called hemagglutinin proteins that appear on influenza virus surfaces. A universal vaccine would not mean an end to flu seasons, but would replace the guess work that goes into developing annual shots months ahead of flu season each year. Moderna and Pfizer both have mRNA flu vaccines in late-stage human trials, and GSK (GSK.L) and partner CureVac (5CV.DE) are testing an mRNA flu vaccine in an early-stage safety trial in humans. These vaccines are designed to defend against only four recently-circulating influenza strains but could theoretically be changed up each year. The universal flu vaccine, if successful in human trials, would not necessarily prevent infection.

☆ These are the daily behaviors an expert in sleep medicine does to get the best night's rest
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Dr. Schwab is a Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Sleep Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Sleep experts have some of the best knowledge about how to prepare for bed and about how to get satisfying sleep through the night. There are several behaviors that contribute to better sleep in Schwab's daily life. Determining how many hours of sleep you need each night can be done through trial and error, says Schwab. Typically, most people need seven and half to eight and half hours of sleep each night, but some can require as many as 10 to 12 hours.

☆ Colonoscopies may not be as effective as thought, study suggests. Doctors disagree.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

What did the colonoscopy study find? With longer monitoring, the results could show a larger reduction of colon cancer risk, said Brawley of Johns Hopkins. Cancer experts reached Monday said their recommendation for colorectal cancer screening remains the same: Regular colonoscopies are key to preventing colon cancer and finding it early. In the U.S., “we have exaggerated the benefits of colon cancer screening,” Brawley said. “We have good studies that show that colon cancer screening is effective.

☆ From Dr. Oz to Hillary Clinton, a tour of 'carpetbagging' politicians past and present
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Formerly the host of the Emmy award-winning "The Dr. Oz Show" and an attending physician at the New York Presbyterian-Columbia Medical Center, Oz — known by his TV moniker Dr. Oz — is the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania's US Senate race. John Fetterman, a Democrat, says Oz is trying to buy himself a Senate seat from out-of-state. Fetterman, who holds a 13-point lead over Trump-backed Oz in the state's open-seat Senate race, has criticized Oz as a carpetbagger from neighboring New Jersey, even using an aerial banner that read, "Hey Dr. Oz, Welcome Home to NJ!" He also enlisted the help of reality TV star Nicole Elizabeth LaValle — better known as "Snooki" — to mock Oz for his ties to New Jersey. According to the New York Observer, Oz, a longtime New Jersey resident, has been active in his local Republican Party in New Jersey for several years.

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