ReachMD Briefs: Short Medical Videos: Recent Episodes
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Welcome to ReachMD Briefs, your source for exclusive short video content on ReachMD. Each video provides medical insights in brief, easy-to-digest formats for when you only have a moment of time between patient visits. From the latest medical discoveries to obscure medical jargon, there’s something for everyone. So go ahead, explore our content and find something interesting to share with your patients or discuss around the wards. Who knows what you will discover?
Guest: Jennifer Caudle, DO
It’s an unfortunate reality that an increasing number of patients are refusing to get vaccinated—regardless of whether that’s the recommendation for themselves or their children. But luckily, there are ways you can talk to your patients about this, as Dr. Jennifer Caudle explains.
Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO
It can be easy to think of heat exhaustion and heatstroke as the same condition, but there’s a key difference between the two that we need to help our patients understand, especially during the warm summer months.
Host: Kimberly Kearns, NP
Guest: Betty White, ARNP, MN
Recapping the “Optimal IBD Outcomes: What Advanced Practice Providers Need to Know” session they moderated at the second annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress in Las Vegas, adult nurse practitioner-board certified Kimberly Kearns and advanced practice nurse Betty White talk about the top 10 takeaways, including which patients are right for clinical trials and managing IBD in pregnant patients.
Host: Kelly Issokson, MS, RD, CNSC
Guest: James D. Lewis, MD, MSCE
After the “Nutritional Therapy for IBD: From Theory to Your Practice” session at the second annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress in Las Vegas, dietician Kelly Issokson and Dr. James Lewis recap the key takeaways, how you can implement those takeaways into your practice, and the benefits of recruiting dieticians and other healthcare professionals to provide your IBD patients with nutritional therapy.
Host: Laurie Keefer, PhD
Guest: Joel R. Rosh, MD
Joining Dr. Laurie Keefer at the second annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress in Las Vegas to discuss one of the conference’s highly anticipated sessions is Dr. Joel Rosh, a pediatric gastroenterologist from Atlantic Health System.
Host: Brent Polk, MD, AGAF
Guest: Maria T. Abreu, MD
Sit in on the conversation between the chair and co-chair of the Crohn’s & Colitis Congress Dr. Brent Polk and Dr. Maria Abreau, as they discuss highlights from the second annual conference held in Las Vegas and why this meeting is so important for clinicians and scientists alike.
Host: Gary R. Lichtenstein, MD, FACG, FACP, AGAF
Guest: Marla Dubinsky, MD
Not every IBD patient fits into IBD care guidelines, which is why Dr. Gary Lichtenstein and Dr. Marla Dubinsky discuss the best ways to use these guidelines in your practice at the second annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress in Las Vegas.
Host: Alessandro Fichera, MD
Guest: Judy Cho, MD
At the second annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress in Las Vegas, Dr. Alesandro Fichera and Dr. Judy Cho discuss the session that they co-moderated about the management of complicated IBD and the breakthroughs for Crohn's disease management that could limit your patients’ need for surgery.
Host: Athos Bousvaros, MD, MPH
Guest: Andrew B. Grossman, MD
Recorded at the second annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress in Las Vegas, Dr. Athos Bousvaros and Dr. Andrew Grossman discuss IBD among pediatric patients and how optimizing various therapies is critically important to achieving disease remission.
Host: Animesh Jain, MD
Guest: David P. Hudesman, MD
The number of IBD patients who find themselves with colorectal cancer has decreased over the past ten years due to better screening tools and medication. And to help continue that trend, Dr. Animesh Jain and Dr. David Hudesman discuss the unique risk factors and the importance of early screening at the second annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress in Las Vegas.
Host: Alan C. Moss, MD
To help ensure that you and your patients are on the same page, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation creates a Health Maintenance Checklist each year. Join Dr. Alan Moss as he breaks down this checklist at the second annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress in Las Vegas.
Host: Maria T. Abreu, MD
Guest: Michael Rosen, MD, MSCI
Dr. Maria Abreu and the Medical Director of Schubert-Martin Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center Dr. Michael Rosen discuss one of the sessions at the second annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress, entitled “Environmental Triggers and Stemming the Rising Tide of IBD.”
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
Guest: Jeanne Venella, DNP, MS, CEN, CPEN
Jeanne Venella, Vice President of Clinical Operations at Stel Life, Inc., talks about the benefits and limitations of the electronic records system in healthcare from her perspective as a nurse.
Guest: Alexis Ogdie, MD, MSCE
Along with the management of psoriatic arthritis, many patients also struggle with multiple, underlying comorbidities, increasing the complexity of the disease. In a review of the associated comorbidities that can emerge from PsA, Dr. Alexis Ogdie brings another aspect to the forefront: the all-too-often underrecognized comorbidities and risk factors.
Beyond Skin Deep: Impacts of Psoriatic Arthritis is sponsored by Lilly. Content for this non-certified educational series is produced and controlled by ReachMD. This series is intended for health care professionals only.
Guest: Adrienne Rencic, MD, PhD
Many psoriatic arthritis patients struggle in determining the proper physician they should seek for treatment and care management. Since dermatologists are usually consulted first due to skin manifestations, it’s crucial that they are able to recognize the symptoms of PsA and know when to refer the patient to another specialist. Dr. Adrienne Rencic, a dermatologist in Glen Mills, PA, emphasizes the power of communication to achieve good coordination of care.
Beyond Skin Deep: Impacts of Psoriatic Arthritis is sponsored by Lilly. Content for this a non-certified educational series is produced and controlled by ReachMD. This series is intended for health care professionals only.
Host: Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR
Coming to you from the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology’s Annual Meeting in Destin, Florida, Dr. Maddie Feldman investigates a new test that has the potential to help predict which rheumatoid arthritis patients will respond to anti-TNF therapies.
Host: Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR
Dr. Marissa Sansone from Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health shares her case study addressing IgG4-related diseases, such as fibroinflammatory disorders, with Dr. Maddie Feldman at this year’s Congress of Clinical Rheumatology’s Annual Meeting.
Host: Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR
Hear from leading rheumatologist Dr. Theresa Lawrence-Ford on why non-pharmacologic interventions like ensuring patients’ musculoskeletal health and nutritional profile play a critical role in managing their symptoms and maintaining their day-to-day functionality. Dr. Lawrence-Ford caught up with Dr. Maddie Feldman at this year’s Congress of Clinical Rheumatology’s Annual Meeting.
Host: Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR
From overcoming difficulties in managing the puffy hand syndrome of scleroderma to using a new treatment for Raynaud disease, Dr. Maddie Feldman shares three quick pearls she took away from Dr. Alisa Femia’s lecture at this year’s Congress of Clinical Rheumatology’s Annual Meeting in Destin, Florida.
Host: Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR
Did you know that Hospitalizations for gout surpassed hospitalizations for rheumatoid arthritis since 2004? Or that the risk of allopurinol hypersensitivity reaction increases with age? Learn this and more from Dr. Maddie Feldman’s recap of Dr. Hyon Choi’s lecture, “Evidence-Based Guidelines for Optimal Gout Management,” at this year’s Congress of Clinical Rheumatology’s Annual Meeting in Destin, Florida.
Host: Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR
Are you looking for a resource that will help educate, promote, and advocate your rheumatology practice and patients? Then join Dr. Maddie Feldman as she speaks with Andrea Zlatkus, President of the National Organization of Rheumatology Managers (NORM), on the meeting floor of the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology’s Annual Meeting in Destin, Florida.
Host: Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR
If you’re thinking about opting out of Medicare, then you don’t want to miss private practice rheumatologist Dr. Ellen McKnight sharing her unique perspective and tips with Dr. Maddie Feldman at this year’s Congress of Clinical Rheumatology’s Annual Meeting in Destin, Florida.
Host: Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR
Catch up on the latest findings on fibromyalgia with Dr. James Lipstate, who shares the highlights from Dr. Jarred Younger’s lecture, Microglia, New Targets in the Treatment of Fibromyalgia,given at this year’s Congress of Clinical Rheumatology’s Annual Meeting in Destin, Florida.
Host: Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR
After attending Dr. Femia’s “Challenging Cases from the Dermatology-Rheumatology Clinic” lecture at the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology’s Annual Meeting, Dr. Maddie Feldman breaks down the top three things to do when treating cutaneous dermatomyositis.
Host: Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR
After attending Dr. Michelle Petri’s talk on nonrenal lupus at the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology’s Annual Meeting in Destin, Florida, Dr. James Lipstate shares this recognized leader’s exclusive insights with Dr. Maddie Feldman.
Host: Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR
Couldn’t make this year’s Congress of Clinical Rheumatology’s Annual Meeting? Not a problem. Tune in as Dr. Stephen Lindsey reflects on Dr. Michelle Petri’s “Updates in Lupus Nephritis” lecture, Dr. Jarred Younger’s talk on fibromyalgia, and Dr. Daniel Culver’s presentation on “What’s New in Sarcoid” with Dr. Maddie Feldman.
Guest: Robin K. Dore, MD
Dr. Robin Dore joins us to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about PASI, like what these scores are, how they’re used, and how they affect the outcomes of your psoriatic arthritis patients.
Beyond Skin Deep: Impacts of Psoriatic Arthritis is sponsored by Lilly. Content for this a non-certified educational series is produced and controlled by ReachMD. This series is intended for health care professionals only.
Guest: Robin K. Dore, MD
The emotional burden of psoriatic arthritis stems from the development of skin lesions, which can be extremely damaging to a patient’s personal and professional relationships as Dr. Robin Dore explains.
Beyond Skin Deep: Impacts of Psoriatic Arthritis is sponsored by Lilly. Content for this a non-certified educational series is produced and controlled by ReachMD. This series is intended for health care professionals only.
Guest: Elizabeth Volkmann, MD, MS
What matters most to your psoriatic arthritis patients? Knowing the answer plays a big role in any successful treat-to-target strategy, and thanks to these insights from Dr. Elizabeth Volkmann, you can ensure that you’re developing an approach that’s ideal for each individual patient. Dr. Volkmann is a rheumatologist and clinical researcher at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA.
Beyond Skin Deep: Impacts of Psoriatic Arthritis is sponsored by Lilly. Content for this a non-certified educational series is produced and controlled by ReachMD. This series is intended for health care professionals only.
Guest: Elizabeth Volkmann, MD, MS
When assessing for low or minimal disease activity in psoriatic arthritis patients, there are three things you need to consider: patient-centered criteria, physical examination findings, and laboratory measures. Explore how you can use this combination of outcome measurements in your practice with rheumatologist and clinical researcher at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA, Dr. Elizabeth Volkmann.
Beyond Skin Deep: Impacts of Psoriatic Arthritis is sponsored by Lilly. Content for this a non-certified educational series is produced and controlled by ReachMD. This series is intended for health care professionals only.
Hear from Michael Osso, President and CEO of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, as he talks about the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Perspectives series on ReachMD.
Tip 5: Mix it Up:
By using different stories and visuals, you have the power to change the energy of the room. Karen Friedman discusses how to properly incorporate unique, unusual, and interactive techniques to regulate the mood and captivate the audience.
Tip 2: The One Thing
Not sure how to start a new presentation? Karen Friedman discusses the "Twitter-like" approach towards a project that ensures that your message is conveyed properly.
Karen Friedman returns with another season of Speaking of... a series devoted to divulging presentational tips and tricks that turn boring into brilliant. With these helpful tools, you'll find yourself becoming an impactful leader and effective communicator throughout all aspects of life.
Tip 1: Present the Problem
Presenting the problem before the solution not only gives people a reason to listen, but as Karen Friedman explains, it also gives you the opportunity to connect with your audience and gain rapport and trust.
Tip 7: The Pause
Recognized as the most powerful tool, the pause has the ability to create different effects and meanings in speeches. Karen Friedman suggests multiple uses and explains the benefits of applying this tool when speaking to your audience.
Tip 9: Ditch the Slides
Slides should be used for reinforcement, not as a script. These important tips provided by Karen Friedman will teach you how to use these visuals appropriately.
Tip 12: How to Look Confident When Speaking
We all have moments when our nerves take over. However, you can't let your nerves stop you from looking confident, credible, and connected to your audience. In this segment, Karen Friedman looks into the different ways you can achieve strong body language throughout a presentation.
Tip 4: Plot Your Path in Five Steps
Most speeches and presentations tend to be a bit boring. But with Karen Friedman's help, you'll be able to organize your content in five easy steps and begin "writing for the eye and speaking for the ear."
Tip 11: Vocal Variety
You use natural inflections in your voice every day, so why should your presentation sound any different? Karen Friedman reviews the five Ps that add vocal variety to your presentation.
Guest: Sheryl A. Kingsberg, PhD
Dr. Sheryl Kingsberg demonstrates counseling strategies clinicians can use with their patient when discussing dyspareunia in post-menopausal women.
Dr. Sheryl Kingsberg is Chief of the Division of Behavioral Medicine in the Department of OB/GYN at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Professor of Reproductive Biology and Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio.
Guest: David J. Portman, MD
Dr. David J. Portman demonstrates how clinicians can begin the conversation of dyspareunia with patients, as well as how to discuss the available treatment options for managing this condition in post-menopausal women.
Dr. Portman is Director Emeritus at Columbus Center for Women’s Health Research; and, Adjunct Instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Host: Adam Ehrlich, MD, MPH
Guest: Philip Stein, MD
The majority of adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) will transition from a pediatric to an adult specialist. This process can be daunting, especially if patients are not ready to take control of their health care. However, with the right communication and preparation, the transition can be smooth for the patient, parent, and physician. Host Dr. Adam Ehrlich joins Dr. Philip Stein, a pediatric gastroenterologist at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, to discuss how physicians can best prepare patients to transition and overcome potential difficulties.
Host: Rebecca Kaplan
Dealing with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on its own is difficult, but managing it with a professional athletic schedule is another task altogether. Dajuan Wagner, a former NBA player, was diagnosed with IBD early in his career. In this episode, he will discuss how he learned to manage his disease, and his advice for physicians treating IBD patients who are also athletes.
He is joined by Rebecca Kaplan of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
Host: Rebecca Kaplan
Guest: Michael E. Kwiatt, MD
When should surgery be considered as a treatment option for patients with Crohn’s or colitis? Host Rebecca Kaplan of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation is joined by Dr. Michael Kwiatt, Assistant Professor of Surgery at Cooper University Hospital in New Jersey, to discuss when to consider surgery. Additionally, he will touch on the common surgical complications and differences in surgical approach for patients with respective diseases.
Host: David Weisman, MD
Dr. David Weisman explores a study from Wake Forest School of Medicine that examined the effects of concussions for youth football participants.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: David Weisman, MD
Dr. David Weisman, neurologist with Abington Neurological Associates and Director of Abington Neurologic Association's Trial Center, talks about expert approaches to recognizing the signs and symptoms for Alzheimer's disease.
Uncover the truth about Alzheimer's in the non-certified educational series, Alzheimer's Disease: Towards Earlier Detection**
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Marwan Noel Sabbagh, MD, FAAN, CCRI
Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, Professor of Neurology and Chief of the Memory Disorders Division at Barrow Neurological Institute, describes some of his key priorities for the current and future state of Alzheimer’s care.
Uncover the truth about Alzheimer's in the non-certified educational series, Alzheimer's Disease: Towards Earlier Detection**
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Douglas Scharre, MD, CMD
Dr. Douglas Scharre, Professor of Clinical Neurology and Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Cognitive and Memory Disorders at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, describes updated perspectives and understandings on the pathophysiology for Alzheimer's disease.
Uncover the truth about Alzheimer's in the non-certified educational series, Alzheimer's Disease: Towards Earlier Detection**
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Douglas Scharre, MD, CMD
Dr. Douglas Scharre, Professor of Clinical Neurology and Psychiatry with the Center for Cognitive and Memory Disorder at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, speaks to the methods used for early detection of Alzheimer’s Disease, and their respective advantages vs costs in clinical practice.
Uncover the truth about Alzheimer's in the non-certified educational series, Alzheimer's Disease: Towards Earlier Detection**
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
More than half of those seeking a diagnosis for dementia have delayed going to their doctor by at least a year, according to a survey carried out by the Alzheimer’s Society of Great Britain. Dr. Matt Birnholz reports.
Uncover the truth about Alzheimer's in the non-certified educational series, Alzheimer's Disease: Towards Earlier Detection**
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Douglas Scharre, MD, CMD
Dr. Douglas Scharre, Professor of Clinical Neurology and Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Cognitive and Memory Disorders at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, explains the importance of early detection for Alzheimer's disease on patient quality of life, as well as broader impacts on American healthcare systems.
Uncover the truth about Alzheimer's in the non-certified educational series, Alzheimer's Disease: Towards Earlier Detection**
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Carol Lippa, MD
Dr. Carol Lippa, Professor of Neurology & Director of the Memory Disorders Program at Drexel University College of Medicine, member of the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer's Association, and Chair of the Delaware Valley Chapter’s Medical & Scientific Committee, reveals the biological, social, and stigma-based ways in which Alzheimer's remains the most prominently "hidden" disease in America.
Uncover the truth about Alzheimer's in the non-certified educational series, Alzheimer's Disease: Towards Earlier Detection**
[Read the Article]
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and identifying those at risk can be challenging. According to a new study, certain words in hospital discharge notes may be one way to identify patients who are at an increased risk of suicide.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital examined more than 450,000 patients’ discharge notes from 2005 to 2013. They analyzed these notes by using a sentiment analysis computer program which searches for positive or negative words. The researchers found that certain words like gloomy, unfortunate, and sad can predict a higher risk for suicide, as opposed to words like lovely, delightful or pleasant.
In general, there is an elevated risk for suicide after hospital discharge so this is a moment for increased intervention.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
The increasing cost of prescription drugs in the United States has become a source of growing concern for patients, prescribers, payers, and policy makers. A new study examined the reasons for these high prices and also suggests policy changes that could help contain costs.
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital reviewed the medical and health policy literature on prescription drug prices in the U.S. and found high drug costs stem from various factors such as market exclusivity, limitations on payers and their ability to negotiate prices, and limitations on competition.
The researchers state that the most realistic short-term strategies include enforcing stricter requirements for exclusivity rights, ensuring timely generic drug availability, providing greater opportunities for price negotiation by patients, and effectively educating patients, prescribers, payers, and policy makers about these choices.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
Patients who might benefit from a heart valve replacement but are too ill for open heart surgery can sometimes undergo a less invasive procedure known as transcatheter aortic valve implantation or "TAVI". About 10% of patients undergoing TAVI can experience small strokes and related brain injury as a complication. A new study found that the use of a cerebral protection device, which captures debris dislodged from blood vessels during the TAVI procedure, reduced the number and volume of brain lesions seen on MRI.
Researchers from the University of Leipzig Heart Center, Germany studied 100 patients with an average age of 80 who underwent TAVI. Half of the patients received the cerebral protection device and the other half did not. Patients underwent brain MRIs before the implantation and again at 2 and at 7 days after the procedure. The results found that using the filter device helped to decrease the number of brain lesions seen in the brain by about half.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
According to a new study, eating a diet that includes more plant-based protein is associated with a lower risk of death, while eating more animal protein is associated with a higher risk of death, especially among adults with at least one unhealthy behavior such as smoking, drinking alcohol, being overweight or living a sedentary lifestyle.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital examined how each protein source influenced long-term health. They looked at more than 131,000 adults participating in two long-running national health studies. Participants provided 25 to 30 years of detailed data on diet, lifestyle, and medical conditions. Researchers reviewed detailed food questionnaires that were sent to the participants every four years.
They found that higher intake of animal protein was positively associated with mortality and that the association was higher among adults who lived an unhealthy lifestyle. Substituting plant protein for animal protein, especially processed red meat, was associated with lower mortality, suggesting the importance of protein source.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
Since the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, there has been an increase in hospital visits and calls to regional poison centers due to unintentional marijuana exposure among young children. Researchers from the University of Colorado evaluated the number of children with exposures before and after recreational marijuana was legalized.
Between 2009 and 2015 they found a rise in the annual number of unintentional pediatric exposures. On average, these children were about two years old. Most children ingested the drug in edible forms such as candies and baked goods. Almost half of the patients seen in the children's hospital in the 2 years after legalization had exposures from recreational marijuana, suggesting that legalization did affect the incidence of exposures.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
A new study suggests that teens undergoing bariatric surgery can experience benefits in terms of walking speed and joint pain. Researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine are tracking long-term outcomes for 242 teens that underwent bariatric surgery at five centers around the United States.
For the current study, researchers specifically focused on improvements in mobility and pain related to muscles and joints is a subset of 206 patients. All patients participated in a quarter mile walk test before and after surgery at six months, twelve months and twenty-four months. Improvements in time to complete the walk, resting heart rate and heart rate differences continued at one and two years after surgery.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
Chronic use of prescription pain medications known as opioids is increasing in the United States. New research shows that a portion of patients undergoing several common surgical procedures may be at increased risk for chronic opioid use several months after surgery.
Researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine reviewed the records of more than 641,000 patients who underwent one of 11 common operations and were not taking opioid pain medication during the year prior to surgery.
They found that some patients were at an increased risk for chronic opioid use following surgery, with the risks ranging from about one and a half times more likely, to as high as five times more likely, depending on the procedure. Males and the elderly had a higher risk, as well as patients with a history of drug or alcohol abuse. The overall risk of chronic opioid use remained low at about 1 percent depending on the type of surgery.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
According to a new study, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in the United States, Canada, and Europe are increasingly being legalized, but remain relatively uncommon. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania examined the legal status of both procedures and available data on attitudes and practices from the late 1940s to present day.
They found that public support for euthanasia and PAS in the United States had increased through the 1990s, but has since plateaued. More than 70 percent of cases of euthanasia and PAS worldwide involved patients with cancer. Typical patients are older, white, and well-educated. Motivations for requesting PAS include loss of autonomy and dignity, inability to enjoy life and regular activities, and other forms of mental distress. Pain is mostly not reported as the primary motivation.
Although the ethics and legality continue to be controversial, cases of these procedures remain relatively rare. Researchers did not find evidence that vulnerable patients have been receiving euthanasia or PAS at higher rates.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force has updated the recommendations regarding colorectal cancer screening. The Task Force strongly recommends screening average risk adults age 50 to 75 for colorectal cancer, and then making individual screening decisions for adults age 76 to 85, taking into account the patient's overall health and screening history.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and about one-third of adults in the United States have never been screened.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
According to a new study, in 2013 to 2014 there was an increase in obesity rates among U.S. women but not U.S. men. The overall prevalence of obesity during this time period was 40 percent among women and 35 percent among men.
Researchers from the National Center for Health Statistics examined trends in obesity among U.S. adults from 2005 to 2014. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers looked at a sample of more than 13,000 men and 13,000 women. They found no recent changes in obesity or extreme obesity rates among men, but saw an increase in both for women.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
Despite targeted efforts to reduce obesity through diet and exercise, these rates continue to rise. A new study from Ontario, Canada found that obesity and diabetes rates were lower in more walkable neighborhoods compared to less walkable neighborhoods, where they saw an increase in these rates.
Researchers from St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto studied almost 9,000 neighborhoods in Southern Ontario looking at walkability scores, along with government health data and survey results during a twelve-year period. They examined whether neighborhoods that were more walkable experienced a slower increase in obesity and diabetes compared to less walkable neighborhoods.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
Many critically ill patients are unable to make medical decisions for themselves. Family members or close friends are often asked to serve as surrogate decision makers. However, expectations about a patient's overall prognosis sometimes differ between physicians and surrogate decision makers.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh enrolled 99 physicians and 229 surrogates who made decisions for 174 critically ill patients in a new study. They found that in about half of the cases, surrogates were substantially more optimistic about a patient's prognosis compared to physicians and that the physician's estimates were much more accurate than that of surrogates.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
Therapeutic substitution is a practice that replaces chemically different compounds within the same class of medications for one another. A new study examined how using this practice could save money on prescription drug costs.
Researchers from the Ohio State University reviewed records of more than 107,000 patients between 2010 and 2012 and looked at their prescription drug use and estimated how much money could be saved using therapeutic substitution.
The authors report that an extra $73 billion was spent between 2010 and 2012 on brand name medications. Therapeutic substitution could help lower those costs. Although therapeutic substitution is somewhat controversial, the authors conclude that if implemented in a way that does not negatively affect quality of care, this is a useful approach to decreasing healthcare costs.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OCHA) is a major public health problem in the United States. Bystander CPR has been shown to double or even triple survival from OCHA. A new study examined whether providing CPR instruction over the phone ("telephone CPR") with the help of trained 9-1-1 dispatchers could improve survival rates after cardiac arrest.
Researchers from the Arizona Department of Health Services provided additional training to dispatchers in two regional centers in the Phoenix on how to be more assertive and confident while on the phone with rescuers. They measured outcomes from more than 2,300 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests during a three year period. The researchers found increases both in the number of patients that survived to hospital discharge as well as those with good functional outcomes, which means patients were able to return to their normal baseline.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
An estimated 15 million Americans do some kind of rotating shift work, including overnights, evenings and early morning shifts. But can this type of shift work increase the risk of coronary heart disease? A new study examined the link between rotating night shift work and heart disease in a group of female nurses.
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital used data from the Nurses' Health Studies (1 and 2), which followed participants for a twenty-four year period. They specifically looked at 189,000 women who reported their lifetime exposure to rotating night shift work. Over the course of the study period, more than 10,000 new cases of coronary heart disease were reported.
The results suggested that rotating night shift work was associated with modest risk of coronary heart disease, but further research is needed to help determine whether the association is related to specific work hours and/or individual characteristics.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
In a new study, researchers from the University of California-Los Angeles studied tumor response and overall survival following the administration of a new treatment among patients with advanced melanoma. This agent, called pembrolizumab, is an antibody that blocks PD-1, a protein which prevents the body's immune system from attacking the cancer.
The researchers tested pembrolizumab on more than 650 patients in North America, Europe and Australia. They looked at tumor response before and after treatment and found that the lesions were smaller in about one third of patients. In patients who responded to the treatment, seventy-five percent maintained the response at one or two years.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
Air pollution is associated with chronic respiratory health problems in children. A new study examined whether decreases in air pollution levels are associated with significant reductions in respiratory symptoms in children.
Researchers from the University of Southern California followed over 4,600 children in eight Southern California communities across three different time periods from 1993-2012. In addition to monitoring air quality, they also looked at children with and without asthma, and whether they reported respiratory symptoms like bronchitis, congestion, phlegm production, or a daily cough for three months in a row, during the previous year.
Along with significant improvements in air pollution levels, the authors found a decrease in reported respiratory symptoms in children both with and without asthma. Respiratory symptoms decreased by 32 percent in children with asthma and 21 percent in children without.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
Among a group of patients with severe obesity who underwent bariatric surgery, a large percentage experienced improvement in pain, physical function, and walking capacity over 3 years, according to a new study.
Severe obesity can be associated with joint pain and impaired physical function, like the ability to bend, lift, carry, and walk.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh studied more than 2,200 patients from 10 U.S. hospitals. Patients filled out questionnaires about their pain and physical function before surgery and each year, for 3 years after surgery. Patients also participated in a 400 meter walking test.
The results found that 50 to 70 percent of patients experienced significant improvements in body pain and physical function and in the walking test. In addition, they found three-fourths of participants with severe knee and hip pain experienced improvements in arthritis symptoms.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
Low back pain is a leading cause of disability in the United States. A new study shows that among adults with chronic back pain, both mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) resulted in meaningful improvement in back pain compared to traditional care.
Researchers from Group Health Research Institute randomly assigned 342 adults age 20 to 70 years with chronic low back pain to receive MBSR, CBT, or traditional care. Both MBSR and CBT were delivered in 8 weekly 2 hour groups. They found that study participants who received MSBR and CBT showed more improvement in pain and physical limitations at both 6 and 12 months.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
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Recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States have prompted clinicians, public health officials and the public to pay closer attention to the growing phenomenon of vaccine refusal. A new study looks at the role of vaccine refusal and the risk of measles and pertussis. In recent years, a substantial proportion of US measles cases occurred in people who were intentionally unvaccinated. Vaccine refusal was also found to be associated with an increased risk of pertussis in some populations.
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Approximately one-third of children who experience a concussion will experience persistent post-concussion symptoms. Researchers have developed a new clinical scoring system that may help predict which patients are at a higher risk for prolonged symptoms.
Canadian researchers evaluated more than 3,000 patients, ages 5 to 18, who presented within 48 hours of an acute head injury. About thirty percent ended up with persistent post-concussion symptoms at 28 days. Researchers identified nine clinical factors that were predictive of post-concussive symptoms. These factors were then used in a twelve point risk score that included items like age, sex, history of migraines or depression, prior history of concussion, and problems with balance.
Although the clinical score was better than a physician's judgement alone, further research is needed before it is fully adopted into clinical practice.
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According to a new study, low dose aspirin taken regularly was associated with a reduced risk for cancer.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital examined data from two large national studies that include about 136,000 men and women who have been providing detailed information about their overall health for decades.
Researchers identified 20,414 cancers among 88,084 women and 7,571 cancers among 47,881 men during a 32-year follow-up. Regular use of aspirin, two times or more per week, was associated with a 3 percent lower overall risk for cancer. This was mostly due to a 15 percent lower risk for gastrointestinal tract cancers and a 19 percent lower risk for cancers of the colon and rectum.
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Sepsis is a clinical syndrome of physiologic, pathologic, and biochemical abnormalities caused by serious infection. Sepsis is a major public health concern. Besides being a leading cause of mortality worldwide, sepsis accounted for more than $20 billion of U.S. hospital costs in 2011. In addition, there is increasing awareness that patients who survive sepsis are often left with long-term disabilities.
Updated definitions and clinical criteria for sepsis should help promote earlier recognition and more timely treatment of patients with sepsis or suspected sepsis. In a related study, researchers reviewed the electronic health records of more than one million patients to assess the usefulness of a clinical score known as "SOFA", which is used to help identify patients with sepsis.
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A new study suggests that family and other unpaid caregivers who provide substantial help with health care were twice as likely to experience physical, financial or emotional difficulty, five times as likely to restrict social activities, and more than three times as likely to experience a loss in job productivity as individuals who did not provide this type of help.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health used data from two nationally representative samples that provided insight into older adults and the caregivers who help them. The study sample represented 14.7 million caregivers assisting 7.7 million older adults, who either had dementia or a severe disability. About 45 percent of caregivers provided substantial help, (around 28 hours of care per week), often resulting in significant emotional difficulty and other caregiver role-related effects.
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Rates of genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations have increased among younger women diagnosed with breast cancer, according to a new study. The study focused on nearly 900 women diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 or younger. Researchers looked at rates of genetic testing, barriers to testing, and how the test results affected treatment decisions.
In 2006, the rates of BRCA testing were in the seventy percent range and by 2012 that proportion rose to ninety-five percent. While the majority of women reported being tested for BRCA 1 and 2, many were not, and a small minority reported that no one had discussed genetic risk or testing options. The study authors note that the overall goal of genetic testing is to help women make informed treatment decisions. Assessment of a young woman's genetic risk after a breast cancer diagnosis can affect treatment decisions and the results can also have health implications for her relatives.
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A new study examined the brains of deceased individuals and found that moderate seafood consumption correlated with lesser Alzheimer disease.
Researchers from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago enrolled older people living in public housing and retirement communities in an ongoing study of memory and aging. Participants had normal memory function when they entered the study and were asked to keep track of their diet using a detailed questionnaire. The participants also agreed to brain donation after they died, providing researchers a total of 286 brains to examine.
They found that participants who reported consuming seafood at least once a week had decreased occurrence of the plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer disease. Increased seafood consumption was associated with increased brain mercury levels, but the mercury did not appear to have an impact on brain health.
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Depression is a common clinical problem, and is a leading cause of disability in adults. This condition is often under recognized and under treated, affecting individuals, families, businesses and society. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is an independent group of medical professionals that makes evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services in the primary care setting. The Task Force is recommending screening for depression in adults, including pregnant and postpartum women.
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To some, end of life care in the United States is considered resource intensive, expensive, and inattentive to patients' needs. So how does the United States compare to other countries? A new study examined several health care measures at the end of life for cancer patients in five European countries, Canada and the United States.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine compared the health care experience for cancer patients older than 65, in Canada, Belgium, Germany, England, the Netherlands, Norway and the United States. They examined several clinical measures during the final six months of life.
The United States and Netherlands had the lowest percentage of patients dying in the hospital. The United States also had the fewest hospitalizations and the smallest number of days patients spent in the hospital. In contrast, intensive care admissions were twice as common in the United States compared to the other countries.
During the last six months of life, patients in Norway and Canada had higher hospital costs than patients in the United States. There was less spending in Germany and Belgium, but the lowest expenditures were in the Netherlands and …
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Emphysema is a serious lung disease that results in severe shortness of breath and impaired quality of life. Management of emphysema is challenging since there is no cure and current therapies, including lung reduction surgery, can be risky. A new study examined a minimally invasive procedure to see if it could improve shortness of breath and also be a safe and cost effective way to treat emphysema.
Researchers from Hôpital Universitaire de Reims, France studied a new procedure that permanently places several coils into the lung. The study included one hundred patients from ten centers across France. Fifty patients had coils placed in their lungs and the other fifty received standard medical treatment. Both groups were followed closely and assessed at six and twelve months. They participated in a six minute walk test to see if their breathing had improved, allowing them to walk farther.
Results showed that thirty-six percent of patients who received the coil treatment had improvement in the six minute walk test, compared to only eighteen percent in the control group. There was also a significant improvement in quality of life at six and twelve months for patients who received …
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Among obese older patients with an increasingly common type of heart failure, calorie restriction and/or exercise training improved their ability to participate in physical activity without experiencing shortness of breath, according to a new study.
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) is the most rapidly increasing form of heart failure in the United States. Although the heart pumps normally, it does not fill with enough blood because the lower chamber of the heart is too stiff. More than eighty percent of patients with HFPEF are overweight or obese. Despite multiple studies, so far, no currently available medications have improved symptoms in patients with HFPEF.
Researchers from the Wake Forest School of Medicine randomly assigned 100 older obese participants with HFPEF to 20 weeks of diet, exercise, or both. They found that the exercise participants lost three percent of body weight, the diet group lost seven percent and the combined group lost ten percent of body weight. Patients in both the diet and exercise groups showed improvement in their ability to participate in exercise without significant symptoms.
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Women facing infertility often turn to in vitro fertilization (IVF). Although IVF technology has improved, there is still a widely held belief that if a woman doesn't experience a successful live birth after three or four IVF cycles, her chances of a successful live birth are very low. A new study looked at IVF success rates after repeated treatment cycles well beyond the third or fourth attempts.
Researchers from the University of Bristol, in England reviewed the medical records of almost 160,000 women in the United Kingdom who underwent nearly 260,000 full IVF cycles between 2003 and 2010. They examined live birth rates among these women thru 2012.
They found that women under the age of forty who used their own eggs had a 33 percent success rate within the first cycle. This rate remained at above 20 percent up to and including the fourth cycle. By the sixth cycle, women had a cumulative live birth rate of 68 percent. Women between ages forty and forty-two, also saw an increased success rate up until the ninth cycle.
Overall, researchers reported that patients had an increased chance of success up to the ninth …
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Glioblastoma is the most devastating form of brain cancer in adults; most patients die within one to two years of diagnosis. A new study examined whether using tumor-treating fields, a type of electromagnetic therapy, combined with maintenance chemotherapy in patients with glioblastoma who had already completed standard chemotherapy and radiation, could increase survival.
Researchers from University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland are conducting a worldwide trial with 695 glioblastoma patients. One out of three received a standard maintenance course of chemotherapy, while the other two received maintenance therapy plus the tumor treating fields for up to two years.
The current results are for the first 315 patients. Researchers found that use of the tumor-treating fields increased both progression-free survival and overall survival. Overall survival is prolonged by an average of three months in patients getting the tumor-treating fields therapy.
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Even in the general population, people often don't want to talk about depression, which is one of the major reasons it isn't always treated properly. Depression is also a concern in the medical community, particularly affecting physicians in training known as medical residents. A considerable number of medical residents suffer significant depressive symptoms at various times during their training. What should be done to address the problem?
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The most common operation done worldwide is the cesarean or C-section. Cesarean delivery is lifesaving for obstructed labor and other obstetrical emergencies; however, as with any surgical procedure, there are risks of complications and overuse can be harmful to both mothers and newborns. There were about 22.9 million cesarean deliveries worldwide in 2012. Based on older analyses from the mid-1980s, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that cesarean delivery rates should not exceed 10 to 15 per 100 live births.
In a study in the December 1 issue of JAMA, Harvard Researchers examine the relationship between cesarean delivery rates and maternal and infant death, and other adverse outcomes in children following planned cesarean delivery. The results indicate that the optimal cesarean delivery rate in relation to maternal and neonatal mortality is approximately 19 per 100 live births. Higher cesarean delivery rates were not associated with better outcomes in mothers and children.
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Preschool children who experience repeated episodes of severe lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) often present with symptoms like wheezing and difficulty breathing. A new study looked at whether the use of the common antibiotic, azithromycin, would help prevent progression of the illness, if given early enough in the episode.
Researchers from Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, studied more than 600 children, ranging from ages one to six years old, with a history of repeated episodes of severe respiratory illness. Children were randomly assigned to either receive azithromycin or a placebo early in these episodes.
They found that children in the antibiotic group experienced a lower risk of progressing to severe LRTI than the placebo group.
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Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is a leading cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes, resulting in up to 24,000 cases of blindness each year in the United States. Laser therapy has been the most common treatment used to help reduce severe vision loss, but the procedure has many side effects including permanent loss of peripheral vision and swelling of the retina.
A group of researchers from across the US tested an alternative treatment using an injectable medication called ranibizumab, to see if it would be as effective as the laser therapy. They studied more than 300 patients with PDR, assigning them to either receive standard laser therapy or an injection into the eye. In total, they treated close to 400 eyes.
Outcomes, especially loss of vision, were compared at two years. Over the two year period, researchers found that patients receiving the injections of medication had fewer side effects and did somewhat better in terms of vision loss than those who received laser therapy.
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Financial incentives for physicians or patients are one way healthcare organizations are trying to improve health outcomes. A new study examined whether providing these financial incentives would help improve low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with a high-risk for cardiovascular disease.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia studied 1,500 patients and 340 primary care physicians. Physicians were randomly assigned to one of four groups. One group solely focused on providing physicians with financial incentives, while another group focused on financially rewarding patients when they showed improvements in their cholesterol levels. A third group consisted of shared incentives for both physicians and patients, while the last group (a control group) did not receive any financial incentives.
Overall, shared financial incentives for both physicians and patients, but not incentives to physicians or patients alone, resulted in a significant reduction of LCL-C levels at 12 months.
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Use of prescription drugs represents a major healthcare expense in the United States, and the number of adults taking prescription medications continues to increase. Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health examined trends in prescription drug use from 1999-2012 using data from nearly 40,000 adults, 20 years and older, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They found that the prevalence of prescription drug use increased from 51 percent in 1999-2000 to 59 percent in 2011-2012, while the use of five or more prescription drugs increased from 8 percent to 15 percent.
Eight of the 10 most commonly used drugs in 2011-2012 are used to treat components of the cardiometabolic syndrome, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Researchers note that the increase in use of several medications may reflect the growing need to treat obesity related complications. Use of antidepressants also increased from 7 percent in 1999-2000 to 13 percent in 2011-2012. The most commonly used individual drug was simvastatin, a medication used to treat high cholesterol. Simvastatin was used by 8 percent of the adult population in 2011-2012, up from 2.0 percent in 1999-2000.