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Group exercise program for older adults led to more independent exercise despite pandemic restrictions, MU study finds

A study by the University of Missouri found that older adults who completed an eight-week resistance training program maintained long-term exercise habits and increased their physical energy despite COVID-19 restrictions. The Stay Strong, Stay Healthy program improved participants' sleep, balance, flexibility, and self-confidence in da...

SourceUniversity of Missouri-Columbia·JournalJournal of Sports Sciences·TypeSurvey·DateMar 8, 2023

Mass General Brigham study finds virtual care team strategy improved treatment for heart failure patients

A virtual care team consisting of physicians and pharmacists improved the adoption of life-saving therapies in patients with heart failure, leading to increased use of evidence-based treatments and better patient outcomes. The strategy was safe and effective, with comparable length of stay and safety events between the groups.

SourceMass General Brigham·JournalJournal of the American College of Cardiology·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateMar 6, 2023

High-dose anticoagulation can reduce intubations and improve survival for hospitalized COVID-19 patients

High-dose anticoagulation reduces intubations and deaths by 30% in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, especially those with ARDS. The study found a significant reduction in mortality and need for ICU care among patients treated with therapeutic anticoagulation.

SourceThe Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine·JournalJournal of the American College of Cardiology·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateMar 6, 2023

Tuberculosis vaccine does not protect elderly against COVID-19

A large Dutch study found that the BCG vaccine does not protect elderly people with co-morbidities against COVID-19 symptoms. The study analyzed 6,112 participants and showed no difference in disease manifestations or hospitalizations between those who received the vaccine and those who received a placebo.

SourceUniversity Medical Center Utrecht·JournalClinical Microbiology and Infection·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateFeb 2, 2023

Dartmouth-led study finds that team-based coaching reduces risks of acute kidney injury after heart procedures

A Dartmouth-led study found that team-based coaching significantly improves the risk of acquiring post-procedural acute kidney injury (AKI) when compared to other interventions. The Collaborative with Surveillance intervention reduced the odds of AKI by 46 percent, making it a promising approach to address this prevalent adverse event.

SourceThe Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth·JournalClinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateJan 19, 2023

Oncotarget | Plasma growth hormone is a potential biomarker of response to atezolizumab and bevacizumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Researchers found that plasma GH levels are a potential biomarker for predicting treatment outcomes in patients with advanced HCC treated with Atezo/Bev. The study showed significantly superior overall survival and non-significant trend in favor of GH-low patients compared to GH-high patients.

SourceImpact Journals LLC·JournalOncotarget·TypeObservational study·DateDec 22, 2022

Low-carb diet may help patients with diabetes achieve better weight loss and glucose control in short term compared to a low-fat diet

A randomized controlled trial found that a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet helped patients with type 2 diabetes achieve better weight loss and glucose control over a 6-month intervention compared to a high-carb, low-fat diet. However, changes were not sustained 3 months after the intervention.

SourceAmerican College of Physicians·JournalAnnals of Internal Medicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateDec 12, 2022

December issues of American Psychiatric Association journals cover technology and mental health, new approaches with psychopharmacology, and improving correctional care

The American Psychiatric Association's December journal issues explore new therapeutic approaches involving psychopharmacology, digital technology, and fMRI neurofeedback. The APA also highlights its vision to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment.

SourceAmerican Psychiatric Association·JournalAmerican Journal of Psychiatry·DateDec 2, 2022

Adding stratification factors can reduce a small trial’s statistical power

A computational study found that adding more than two stratification factors to a phase 2 trial can significantly reduce its statistical power, making it harder to detect a positive result. For modestly sized trials with 84 participants, using four or six stratification factors resulted in power decreases of 13% and 25%, respectively.

SourceSWOG Cancer Research Network·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 3, 2022

High adopters of AI-enabled screening tool are more likely to diagnose left ventricular dysfunction than low adopters, Mayo Clinic study finds

A Mayo Clinic study found that clinicians who were high adopters of an AI-enabled clinical decision support tool were twice as likely to diagnose low left ventricular ejection fraction as those who were low adopters. The tool's accuracy was critical in detecting serious health conditions before symptoms appeared.

SourceMayo Clinic·JournalMayo Clinic Proceedings·DateNov 1, 2022

Effects of low-carbohydrate dietary intervention on A1C

A 6-month randomized clinical trial found that a low-carbohydrate diet intervention resulted in larger reductions in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels compared to usual diet among adults with elevated untreated HbA1c. The study suggests that this dietary approach may be useful for preventing and treating type 2 diabetes.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Network Open·DateOct 26, 2022

Vitamin D deficiency linked to premature death

A new study from the University of South Australia found that severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher risk of mortality. The research evaluated 307,601 records from the UK Biobank and found that individuals with low vitamin D levels had a significantly decreased risk of death over a 14-year follow-up period.

SourceUniversity of South Australia·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateOct 25, 2022

Landmark study finds antisepsis agents interchangeable in reducing infection risk in open fracture surgeries

A landmark study published in The Lancet found that chlorhexidine gluconate and povidone-iodine aqueous solutions are equally effective in preventing surgical site infections in patients with open fractures. This finding has significant implications for healthcare practitioners and may reduce costs associated with accessing these antis...

SourceLouisiana State University Health Sciences Center·JournalThe Lancet·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateOct 14, 2022

Online yoga programs may improve knee function in the short term

A randomized trial found that a 12-week online yoga program improved knee function in participants, but did not significantly reduce knee pain during walking. The study suggests that unsupervised online yoga programs can be feasible and improve physical function, but more research is needed to sustain the effectiveness.

SourceAmerican College of Physicians·JournalAnnals of Internal Medicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateSep 19, 2022

Rheumatoid arthritis drug effective against myasthenia

A randomized clinical trial found that rituximab significantly improved disease control in patients with new-onset myasthenia gravis, reducing the need for cortisone treatments and hospitalizations. The study's results offer hope for a more effective treatment strategy, but larger studies are needed to assess long-term effects.

SourceKarolinska Institutet·JournalJAMA Neurology·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateSep 19, 2022

Less invasive treatment for emphysema is as good as more invasive surgery: results from first randomised controlled trial comparing lung volume surgery and bronchoscopic lung volume reduction with valve placement

A randomized controlled trial found that both BVLR and surgery lead to significant improvements in lung function, breathlessness, and exercise capacity. The study suggests that less invasive BVLR may be a good therapeutic option for suitable patients, offering a similar outcome to traditional surgery.

SourceEuropean Respiratory Society·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateSep 5, 2022

”No pain, no gain” approach improves walking ability with peripheral artery disease

A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that walking for exercise at a pace that induces leg pain or discomfort improves walking ability among people with peripheral artery disease. The study involved 264 participants who walked at home at either a comfortable pace or a pace that induced leg symptom...

SourceAmerican Heart Association·JournalJournal of the American Heart Association·DateJul 27, 2022

Randomized controlled trial finds women’s help desks in local police stations in India increased registration of cases of gender-based violence; scale-up in progress

A randomized controlled trial found that establishing specialized help desks for women in local police stations in Madhya Pradesh, India led to increased registration of cases of gender-based violence. The presence of female officers was particularly effective in making the police more responsive to women's security needs.

SourceAbdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab·JournalScience·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateJul 7, 2022

Awake prone positioning does not offer benefit in reducing intubation for COVID-19 induced acute respiratory failure

A large multicenter trial found no difference in intubation requirement between awake prone positioning and standard positioning for COVID-19 patients. The study included 400 patients who required oxygen therapy, but the prone positioning strategy did not significantly reduce the risk of intubation or mortality.

AI saves one hour of daily chest CT interpretation time in prospective randomized study

A prospective randomized study found that an AI support platform reduced chest CT interpretation times by 22.1%, saving approximately one hour per day for radiologists. The platform provided automated analysis of cardiac, pulmonary, and musculoskeletal findings, resulting in shorter interpretation times.

SourceAmerican Roentgen Ray Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Roentgenology·TypeImaging analysis·DateJun 13, 2022