A new study from Saint Louis University found that autism diagnoses are rising fastest among girls and women, driven by increased awareness and diagnosis rates, not an epidemic. The study analyzed nearly a decade of health records and tracked sex-specific trends across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
New research from Saint Louis University School of Medicine shows a significant increase in deaths from alcohol-related liver disease, particularly among those without a college degree. The study highlights the need for targeted interventions to address social and economic stressors, as well as medical and behavioral risks.
A study published in the Journal of Mammalogy found that raccoons in Forest Park in St. Louis avoid crossing roads, even when offered open food sources. The research used GPS collars and accelerometers to track animal movements and behavior across seasons, revealing cautious behaviors towards road crossings.
Researchers argue that hepatitis B treatment should be expanded to include more people, as current drugs are safe and effective in slowing disease progression and reducing transmission. By treating more people earlier, the net disease and death rate can be significantly reduced.
Researchers report a new class of drugs, called RNA interference therapeutics, that represent a major advancement in treating chronic HBV infections. These drugs can silence the virus and help reinvigorate the immune response, bringing us closer to a functional cure.
SLU achieves R1 status with $85.9M in research expenditures and 271 research doctorates awarded in 2023. The University's rise to R1 is attributed to a decade-long effort to create a robust research environment and donor investments, including a historic $50M gift.
Research from Saint Louis University finds that store-bought and quick-service restaurant ads during NFL games often feature unhealthy food options. The study suggests clinicians counsel patients on limiting dietary sodium intake to improve symptoms and quality of life.
A Saint Louis University study found that COVID-19 stay-at-home orders facilitated easier breastfeeding, stronger mother-child bonding, and extended breastfeeding duration for many women. However, the pandemic also presented significant barriers, including limited access to lactation support and heightened maternal stress.
A study by Saint Louis University researchers found that only one in eight patients with heart failure in the US receive palliative care consultations. Black patients were 15% less likely to receive palliative care compared to white counterparts, highlighting significant racial disparities.
Researchers at Saint Louis University School of Medicine investigated T-cell responses between male and female patients with lung cancer. They found that a protein called CXCL13 is more highly expressed in females than males, indicating a better marker of immunotherapy response in females.
A study by SLU professor SangNam Ahn found that childhood and adult adversity can increase the risk of mental illness and cognitive decline later in life. The research team analyzed data from over 3,500 individuals and discovered a strong correlation between adverse events and anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment.
Pharmacist PDMP use fundamentally changed pharmacy work, interactions with patients and law enforcement, and roles. However, Chiarello argues that PDMPs are enforcement tools rather than healthcare tools, threatening the core of healthcare.
Researchers tested the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in healthy adults to gather data about TB immune responses. The study found associations between BCG and gene expression changes in blood, providing insights into optimal protection against TB.
Researchers at SLU discovered high concentrations of microplastics in Cliff Cave's water and sediment, with highest levels near the entrance and in sediment. Flooding increases microplastic transport through the cave system, depositing debris in higher abundances near the mouth.
A recent study published in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery found that patients with undiagnosed head and neck cancer who received antibiotics prior to diagnosis experienced longer diagnostic times, highlighting the need for improved dissemination of clinical practice guidelines.
A recent study published in Preventive Medicine found that erectile dysfunction is associated with a 34% increased risk of developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Additionally, 75% of patients developed prediabetes or type 2 diabetes within a year of ED diagnosis.
Research finds that adolescents of color with a disability experience more racial discrimination compared to peers without SHCNs. This study aims to raise awareness among healthcare providers about recognizing and navigating racial discrimination, particularly for children of color with special health care needs.
A group of leading scholars in pediatric ethics have published six recommendations for guiding parents and clinicians in medical decision-making for children. The recommendations aim to provide a unified set of principles that will be more accessible and applicable for clinicians, parents, and legal guardians.
A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found a significant association between anxiety and an increased risk of dementia diagnosis in seniors. Benzodiazepine exposure was also associated with a 28% higher risk of dementia, but only when prescribed to patients without an anxiety disorder.
A recent study by Saint Louis University researchers found that Kenya's population has more than tripled since 1980, while climate-suitable areas for primary crops have decreased by 28% over the same period. This shift is due to increased dryness and higher temperatures reducing agricultural productivity.
The SLU Institute for Healing Justice and Equity has launched a new podcast called Critical Futures, which explores alternative futures and anti-racist health policies. The first episode features discussions on reimagining community partnerships and addressing disparities in Black maternal health.
A new study reveals that climate zones in Kenya are shifting towards hotter and drier conditions, leading to declines in ecological diversity and threatening terrestrial ecosystems. The research highlights the urgent need for adaptation strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change on food security and ecosystem management.
Research found methane emissions from urban areas are underestimated by a factor of three to four, with untreated wastewater contributing to global methane emissions. Improving wastewater treatment could cut up to 6% of total worldwide methane emissions.
Researchers at Saint Louis University found that COVID-19 vaccination does not interfere with cancer immunotherapy in previously vaccinated patients. The study supports recommending vaccination to patients with cancer, including those receiving systemic therapies.
A recent study reveals that elephants play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and storing atmospheric carbon in African rainforests. The loss of forest elephants would lead to reduced carbon sequestration, amplifying planetary warming. With critically endangered populations, conservation efforts must prioritize protecting these...
A team of academia, industry, and non-profit collaborators led by Dr. Jenna Gorlewicz will develop the AIMS system, generating STEM content that can be accessed through sight, sound, and touch. The project aims to bridge the information access gap for persons with disabilities in STEM fields.
Researchers from SLU found that human proximity is the best indicator of microplastic presence in rivers, suggesting a significant impact of human activity on freshwater ecosystems. The study suggests reducing plastic consumption as a crucial step in mitigating microplastic pollution.
Research by Saint Louis University School of Medicine and Washington University School of Medicine found that low testosterone levels are associated with an increased risk of hospitalization from COVID-19. Men with low testosterone were twice more likely to require hospitalization than those with normal levels.
A Saint Louis University researcher has identified a potential treatment for 'chemo-brain', a debilitating side effect of chemotherapy that affects patients' quality of life. The treatment targets the molecular events underlying this deficit and repurposes an already-approved FDA drug to reduce cognitive impairment.
A multidisciplinary team at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and industry partners have discovered a first-in-class treatment for a rare genetic liver disease, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The RNA interference drug fazirsiran effectively reverses liver fibrosis with minimal side effects.
A Saint Louis University study found that minority Medicare patients experience worse access to and quality of ambulatory medical care compared to non-minority patients. However, those enrolled in the Medicare Advantage program tend to have better access to care.
A new study found that double-dose algebra significantly increased semesters of college attended and college degree attainment among median-skill students. Implementing the policy in schools with lower-skilled students led to no impact, highlighting the need for more intensive math interventions.
A retrospective cohort study found that opioid prescriptions to patients at risk of misuse remained similar before and after CDC guidelines, with only a 14% decrease in oxycodone prescriptions. The study highlights the need for continued education on reducing high-abuse potential opioids for high-risk patients.
A study published in Nature Metabolism found that high fat and low carbohydrate diets can completely prevent or even reverse heart failure caused by a metabolic process. The research team discovered that providing a high-fat, low carbohydrate diet can improve cardiac fat metabolism and prevent or reverse cardiac dysfunction.
The Institute for Healing Justice and Equity (IHJE) aims to address systemic disparities and promote healing through research, training, community engagement, and policy development. Key findings include the importance of incorporating healing practices into equity measures to combat psychological and physical harms of oppression.
A study found that safety-net clinicians with high caseloads of socially at-risk Medicare patients received lower merit-based incentive payment scores, indicating higher rates of payment penalties and lower bonus payments. This may discourage clinicians from practicing in poor areas, widening existing health disparities.
A study found that clinicians affiliated with health systems achieved mean performance scores of 79 versus 60 for unaffiliated clinicians, receiving fewer payment penalties and more exceptional performance bonus payments. The study suggests that system-affiliation is associated with better performance under value-based payment programs.
A recent study by Saint Louis University found that Medicare's current risk payment system unfairly reimburses healthcare providers for caring to patients with certain conditions. The system fails to account for factors like frailty, dementia, depression, and poverty, leading to unequal reimbursement rates.
A team of international researchers has discovered ancient DNA from West Africa, providing new insights into the deep past of humankind. The study reveals that West Africans are genetically closer to central African hunter-gatherers than Bantu-speakers today.
Research by Saint Louis University finds that rural patients with chronic conditions have higher death rates, more hospitalizations, and limited access to specialist physicians. The study suggests strategies to improve specialist care in rural areas, including telemedicine and loan forgiveness for physicians.
Researchers at Saint Louis University have developed a way to program built-in controls in microfluidic networks, enabling the creation of miniaturized chemical laboratories on a chip. This technology has potential applications in point-of-care diagnostics, field research, and even space exploration.
Researchers found that emergency department admissions for adolescents between 12-17 increased by more than 100% from 2010 to 2016. The study suggests improved awareness and coordination with law enforcement and forensic teams may be contributing factors.
Researchers found that deliquescent minerals can assist the construction of proteins from simpler building blocks during cycles timed to mimic day and night on early Earth. This process, which avoids unpredictable storms, may have played a key role in the origins of life.
A study by Saint Louis University found that clinically meaningful PTSD improvement is associated with a 49% lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes. The researchers also discovered that in patients with both PTSD and depression, improvement in both conditions may be necessary to reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes.
SLU researchers will investigate GPR160, a small molecule that could turn off pain without side effects or addiction. The discovery of new leads for non-addictive pain medications has the potential to significantly improve treatment outcomes for chronic pain patients in the US.
Despite temperature fluctuations, treehoppers' mating habits remain intact. Researchers at Saint Louis University found that male treehoppers' songs and female preferences adapt together in response to changing temperatures.
Research suggests that forest elephant extinction will lead to an increase in fast-growing tree species, which store less carbon than slow-growing species. This shift will reduce the forest's ability to sequester carbon, releasing more CO2 into the atmosphere.
A collaborative study analyzing ancient DNA from human skeletons in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia provides new insights on early human interaction. The research reveals that the spread of herding into East Africa involved groups with ancestry derived from northeast Africa, who mixed with local foragers between 4500-3500 years ago.
Researchers at Saint Louis University found that low levels of the hormone adropin predict increased weight gain and metabolic dysregulation in male monkeys fed a high-sugar diet. Adropin regulates glucose and fat metabolism, and its expression is controlled by biological clocks.
Researchers at SLU discovered a molecular pathway required for neuropathic pain and found blocking this signal can limit or stop pain. A new class of non-narcotic pain-killing therapies is being developed.