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General Interest

FDA issues new information on cases of squamous cell carcinoma and lymphomas around breast implants

16 Mar, 2023 | 13:28h | UTC

Summary: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided an update on reports of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the scar tissue (capsule) that forms around breast implants. The FDA is aware of 19 cases of SCC in the capsule around the breast implant from published literature, including 3 reports of deaths from the disease.

While the FDA continues to believe that occurrences of SCC in the capsule around the breast implant may be rare, the cause, incidence, and risk factors remain unknown. Health care providers and people who have or are considering breast implants should be aware that cases of SCC and various lymphomas in the capsule around the breast implant have been reported to the FDA and in the literature.

The FDA continues to ask health care providers and people with breast implants to report cases of SCC, lymphomas, or any other cancers around breast implants.

FDA Safety Communication: Reports of Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) in the Capsule Around Breast Implants – FDA Safety Communication – U.S. Food & Drug Administration

Commentary: FDA Issues Safety Communication on Reports of Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the Capsule Around Breast Implants – The ASCO Post

Related:

FDA Report: 660 Cases of Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma

Study: Long-term Outcomes of Silicone Breast Implants

 


SR | Yoga may improve frailty markers in older adults

15 Mar, 2023 | 15:08h | UTC

Effect of Yoga on Frailty in Older Adults: A Systematic Review – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Annals Video Summary: Effect of Yoga on Frailty in Older Adults: A Systematic Review

News Release: Yoga may help to prevent frailty in older adults – American College of Physicians

 


Cohort Study | Higher ultra-processed food consumption linked to increased cancer incidence and mortality

15 Mar, 2023 | 14:48h | UTC

Ultra-processed food consumption, cancer risk and cancer mortality: a large-scale prospective analysis within the UK Biobank – eClinicalMedicine

News Release: Ultra-processed foods may be linked to increased risk of cancer – Imperial College London

Commentary: Expert reaction to study looking at ultra-processed foods and risk of different cancers – Science Media Centre

Related:

Association of ultra-processed food consumption with colorectal cancer risk among men and women: results from three prospective US cohort studies – The BMJ

Joint association of food nutritional profile by Nutri-Score front-of-pack label and ultra-processed food intake with mortality: Moli-sani prospective cohort study – The BMJ

Association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and all cause mortality: SUN prospective cohort study – The BMJ

Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: prospective cohort study (NutriNet-Santé) – The BMJ

 


Scanxiety among adults with cancer: a scoping review to guide research and interventions

14 Mar, 2023 | 13:55h | UTC

Summary: The article presents a scoping review of existing literature on scanxiety, which refers to the anxiety and distress experienced by cancer patients before and after medical imaging scans. The authors identified and synthesized findings from 36 articles on scanxiety among adults diagnosed with current or prior cancer.

The authors observed that scanxiety is a prevalent issue throughout the cancer continuum and may be linked to various factors related to the procedure itself or the uncertainty surrounding the possible outcomes of the scans.

The waiting period between the scan procedure and receipt of the results was described as particularly stressful, with participants reporting feeling overwhelmed by negative thoughts and fears about the potential outcomes of the scan. Some participants even found it difficult to focus on daily activities or responsibilities during this time.

The authors suggest that implementing supportive measures during scan experiences, including examining the waiting period between scans and scan results, could enhance the well-being for individuals with cancer who are going through different stages of treatment.

Article: Scanxiety among Adults with Cancer: A Scoping Review to Guide Research and Interventions – Cancers

 


Video | Tutorial explores ways of analyzing data from RCTs, including intention-to-treat, per-protocol, and as-treated analyses

14 Mar, 2023 | 13:53h | UTC

Good Intentions to Treat – NEJM Evidence

 


Evidence for harmful cardiovascular effects of ambient ozone: Insights from a multi-city time-series study in China

14 Mar, 2023 | 13:32h | UTC

Ozone pollution and hospital admissions for cardiovascular events – European Heart Journal

News Release: Ozone pollution is linked with increased hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease – European Society of Cardiology

 


RCT | Localized prostate cancer treatment options have similar 15-year survival outcomes

13 Mar, 2023 | 15:12h | UTC

Summary: The study followed 1643 men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer (diagnosed by screening with PSA) in the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2009 who were randomly assigned to receive active monitoring, prostatectomy, or radiotherapy.

After a median follow-up of 15 years, the study found that while prostatectomy and radiotherapy decreased metastasis, local progression, and the need for long-term androgen deprivation therapy, death from prostate cancer was low regardless of the treatment assigned, with 17 deaths (3.1%) in the active-monitoring group, 12 deaths (2.2%) in the prostatectomy group, and 16 (2.9%) deaths in the radiotherapy group (P=0.53). Additionally, the study found that overall deaths were similar between the groups.

The authors suggest that the choice of therapy for localized prostate cancer involves weighing the benefits and harms associated with each treatment option.

Article: Fifteen-Year Outcomes after Monitoring, Surgery, or Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

News Release: Delaying treatment for localised prostate cancer does not increase mortality risk, trial shows – University of Bristol

 

Commentary on Twitter

 


Cohort Study | Analysis of mortality among transgender and gender diverse adults in England

10 Mar, 2023 | 14:19h | UTC

Analysis of Mortality Among Transgender and Gender Diverse Adults in England – JAMA Network Open

 

Commentary on Twitter

 


M-A | Non-occupational physical activity and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and mortality outcomes

8 Mar, 2023 | 14:33h | UTC

Summary:

The study aimed to determine the association between non-occupational physical activity and chronic disease and mortality outcomes in the general adult population. The systematic review and meta-analysis included 196 articles covering 94 cohorts and over 30 million participants.

The results showed that higher activity levels were associated with a lower risk of all outcomes. The strongest associations were observed for all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, with weaker associations for cancer incidence.

The study also found that appreciable population health benefits could be gained from increasing physical activity levels of people who are inactive to just half the current health recommendations; doing that could prevent one in 10 premature deaths.

The findings support the current physical activity recommendations and suggest that even small increases in non-occupational physical activity in inactive adults can provide substantial protection against chronic disease outcomes.

It’s worth noting, however, that this study has the usual limitations of observational studies since all the included studies are cohort studies. Therefore, the results are subject to residual confounding, meaning that other factors not measured or accounted for in the studies could influence the observed associations.

Article: Non-occupational physical activity and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and mortality outcomes: a dose–response meta-analysis of large prospective studies – British Journal of Sports Medicine

News Releases:

One in ten early deaths could be prevented if everyone managed at least half the recommended level of physical activity, say a team led by researchers at the University of Cambridge

1 in 10 early deaths averted if everyone met physical activity targets – BMJ Newsroom

 


Perspective | Dangerous selfies aren’t just foolish. We need to treat them like the public health hazard they really are

8 Mar, 2023 | 14:30h | UTC

Dangerous selfies aren’t just foolish. We need to treat them like the public health hazard they really are – The Conversation

 


Perspective | How to not be completely wrong about masks

8 Mar, 2023 | 14:25h | UTC

How to not be completely wrong about masks – The Munro Report

Related:

SR | Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses

Let’s Do the Cochrane Review of Physical Measures to Reduce the Spread of Viruses – Sensible Medicine

Hospital masking should be optional – Sensible Medicine

Face masks to prevent transmission of respiratory infections: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on face mask use – PLOS One

RCT | Medical masks vs. N95 respirators for preventing COVID-19 among health care workers.

Science, Competing Values, and Trade-offs in Public Health — The Example of Covid-19 and Masking – New England Journal of Medicine

 

Commentary on Twitter

 


E-Scooter users more likely to suffer serious trauma compared to bicycle users: a nationwide study in England and Wales

8 Mar, 2023 | 14:13h | UTC

Summary:
The study aimed to determine the incidence, demographics, and injury patterns involved in E-Scooter-related hospital admissions due to significant trauma compared with bicycle-related trauma within England and Wales. The retrospective cohort study was based on data submitted to the UK Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) registry between 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.

The study found that E-Scooter users were more likely to be admitted to a major trauma center or a critical care unit than bicycle users. Serious head and limb trauma occurred more frequently among E-Scooter users, while serious chest and pelvic trauma were greater among bicycle users. Over one-third of E-Scooter injuries were incurred outside the current legislation by patients who were intoxicated by alcohol and drugs or under the age of 17.

The study suggests a greater relative incidence of serious trauma and an alternative pattern of injury among E-Scooter users compared with bicycle users. The study concludes that further legislation and tighter regulation of E-Scooter rental are required to reduce the already significant burden of injury associated with this mode of transport.

Article: Major trauma among E-Scooter and bicycle users: a nationwide cohort study – Injury Prevention

News Release: Crashing an e-scooter likely to lead to more serious injuries than crashing a bike – British Medical Journal

Commentary: E-scooter riders more likely than cyclists to sustain serious injuries – BBC

 


Perspective | Artificial intelligence in medicine & ChatGPT: de-tether the physician

7 Mar, 2023 | 13:10h | UTC

Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & ChatGPT: De-Tether the Physician – Journal of Medical Systems (if the link is paywalled, try this one)

Related:

ChatGPT has many uses. Experts explore what this means for healthcare and medical research – The Conversation

Can artificial intelligence help for scientific writing? – Critical Care

Artificial intelligence in academic writing: a paradigm-shifting technological advance

Performance of ChatGPT on USMLE: potential for AI-assisted medical education using large language models

Perspective | ChatGPT-assisted diagnosis: is the future suddenly here?

Perspective | Generating scholarly content with ChatGPT: ethical challenges for medical publishing

ChatGPT: Will It Transform the World of Health Care? – UCSF Department of Medicine

ChatGPT and the future of medical writing (ChatGPT itself wrote this paper)

ChatGPT: five priorities for research – Nature

The path forward for ChatGPT in academia – Lumo’s Newsletter

Nonhuman “Authors” and Implications for the Integrity of Scientific Publication and Medical Knowledge – JAMA

ChatGPT is fun, but not an author – Science

Tools such as ChatGPT threaten transparent science; here are our ground rules for their use – Nature

ChatGPT listed as author on research papers: many scientists disapprove – Nature

Abstracts written by ChatGPT fool scientists

 


ChatGPT has many uses. Experts explore what this means for healthcare and medical research

7 Mar, 2023 | 13:11h | UTC

ChatGPT has many uses. Experts explore what this means for healthcare and medical research – The Conversation

Related:

Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & ChatGPT: De-Tether the Physician – Journal of Medical Systems (if the link is paywalled, try this one)

Can artificial intelligence help for scientific writing? – Critical Care

Artificial intelligence in academic writing: a paradigm-shifting technological advance

Performance of ChatGPT on USMLE: potential for AI-assisted medical education using large language models

Perspective | ChatGPT-assisted diagnosis: is the future suddenly here?

Perspective | Generating scholarly content with ChatGPT: ethical challenges for medical publishing

ChatGPT: Will It Transform the World of Health Care? – UCSF Department of Medicine

ChatGPT and the future of medical writing (ChatGPT itself wrote this paper)

ChatGPT: five priorities for research – Nature

The path forward for ChatGPT in academia – Lumo’s Newsletter

Nonhuman “Authors” and Implications for the Integrity of Scientific Publication and Medical Knowledge – JAMA

ChatGPT is fun, but not an author – Science

Tools such as ChatGPT threaten transparent science; here are our ground rules for their use – Nature

ChatGPT listed as author on research papers: many scientists disapprove – Nature

Abstracts written by ChatGPT fool scientists

 


Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews

3 Mar, 2023 | 14:11h | UTC

Summary: This umbrella review summarized the evidence on the effects of physical activity interventions on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress in adult populations. The study included 97 systematic reviews comprising 1039 randomized controlled trials and 128,119 participants. The results showed that physical activity had medium effects on depression, anxiety, and psychological distress compared to usual care across all populations. Higher-intensity physical activity was associated with greater improvements in symptoms, and the effectiveness of physical activity interventions diminished with longer-duration interventions. The authors concluded that physical activity is highly beneficial for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety, and distress in a wide range of adult populations, including those with mental health disorders and chronic diseases, and should be a mainstay approach in their management.

Article: Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews – British Journal of Sports Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

News Release: Exercise more effective than medicines to manage mental health – University of South Australia

Commentary from the authors: Exercise is even more effective than counselling or medication for depression. But how much do you need? – The Conversation

 

Commentary on Twitter

 


Perspective | The other long Covid: the pandemic took young people’s present. What will it do to their future?

3 Mar, 2023 | 14:05h | UTC

The other long Covid: The pandemic took young people’s present. What will it do to their future? – Vox

 


RCT | Reducing social media use improves appearance and weight esteem in youth with emotional distress

3 Mar, 2023 | 14:04h | UTC

Summary: The article discusses a randomized controlled trial conducted on 220 participants aged 17-25 to examine the effects of reducing smartphone social media use (SMU) on appearance and weight esteem in youth with emotional distress. The participants were divided into an intervention group (limited to 1 hr/day SMU) and a control group (unrestricted SMU). The study found that reducing SMU improved appearance and weight esteem in the intervention group, while the control group showed no significant change. The authors concluded that reducing SMU may be a feasible and effective method of improving body image in a vulnerable youth population and should be evaluated as a potential component in treating body image-related disturbances. It is worth noting, however, that the impossibility of blinding participants and the subjective nature of the endpoints make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions on the subject.

Article: Reducing Social Media Use Improves Appearance and Weight Esteem in Youth With Emotional Distress – American Psychological Association

News Release: Reducing social media use significantly improves body image in teens, young adults – American Psychological Association

Commentary: How to help young people limit screen time — and feel better about how they look – NPR

 


Cohort Study | Association between a healthy lifestyle and memory decline in older adults

3 Mar, 2023 | 13:44h | UTC

Summary: This study examined the association between a healthy lifestyle and memory decline in older adults over a 10-year period. The study included 29,072 participants aged 60 or older with normal cognition and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotyping at baseline. Six healthy lifestyle factors were assessed: a healthy diet, regular physical exercise, active social contact, active cognitive activity, never or former smoker, and never drinking alcohol. Participants were categorized into three groups based on their lifestyle factors: favorable, average, and unfavorable. The results showed that participants in the favorable group had slower memory decline than those in the unfavorable group, even in the presence of the APOE ε4 allele. These findings have important implications for public health initiatives to protect older adults against memory decline.

Article: Association between healthy lifestyle and memory decline in older adults: 10 year, population based, prospective cohort study – The BMJ

Editorial: Healthy lifestyles for dementia prevention – The BMJ

News Release: Healthy lifestyle linked to slower memory decline in older adults – BMJ Newsroom

Commentary: Healthful Lifestyle May Slow Memory Loss, Even for APOE Gene Carriers – JAMA

 

Commentary on Twitter

Under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ license

 


Artificial sweetener erythritol possibly implicated in increased cardiovascular risk

1 Mar, 2023 | 14:08h | UTC

Summary: A recent study published in Nature Medicine found that erythritol, a popular artificial sweetener, is possibly implicated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) such as heart attack and stroke. Analyzing data from over 4,000 people in the US and Europe, the researchers found that those with higher blood erythritol levels were at a greater risk of MACE. The researchers also examined the effects of adding erythritol to whole blood or isolated platelets and found that it made platelets easier to activate and form clots. In addition, a pilot intervention study with healthy volunteers showed that erythritol ingestion led to a marked and sustained increase in plasma erythritol levels above those associated with heightened platelet reactivity and thrombosis potential. The authors note that further studies are needed to confirm their findings and assess the long-term safety of erythritol.

Article: The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk – Nature Medicine (free for a limited period)

News Release: Cleveland Clinic study finds common artificial sweetener linked to higher rates of heart attack and stroke

Commentaries:

Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds – CNN

Could a Common Sweetener Raise Heart Risks? – HealthDay

 

Commentary on Twitter

 


M-A | Combination of multiple low-risk lifestyle behaviors and incident type 2 diabetes

1 Mar, 2023 | 14:06h | UTC

Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the association between multiple low-risk lifestyle behaviors (LRLBs) and the incidence of type 2 diabetes. The study examined 30 cohort comparisons involving 1,693,753 participants and 75,669 cases of type 2 diabetes. The LRLBs evaluated in the study were maintaining a healthy body weight, healthy diet, regular exercise, smoking abstinence or cessation, and light alcohol consumption. Results showed that the highest adherence to these LRLBs was associated with an 80% lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to the lowest adherence group. Thus, targeting these LRLBs could be an effective strategy for the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes. However, the authors recommend promoting only four LRLBs, excluding alcohol intake, due to its association with increased harm. The potential benefits of small alcohol intake remain a controversial issue since most studies on the subject are observational and subject to residual confounding.

Article: Combination of Multiple Low-Risk Lifestyle Behaviors and Incident Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies – Diabetes Care (free for a limited period)

 

Commentary from the author on Twitter (thread – click for more)

 


WHO Report | A woman dies every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth

28 Feb, 2023 | 14:04h | UTC

Summary: This new report by United Nations agencies shows that a woman dies every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth. The report covers maternal deaths from 2000 to 2020 and reveals that maternal deaths either increased or stagnated in nearly all regions of the world, with some regions experiencing major setbacks. The poorest parts of the world and countries affected by conflict continue to have the highest rates of maternal deaths. Severe bleeding, high blood pressure, pregnancy-related infections, complications from unsafe abortion, and underlying conditions aggravated by pregnancy are the leading causes of maternal deaths, which are largely preventable and treatable with access to high-quality healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic may have further held back progress on maternal health. The report calls for urgent action to ensure every woman and girl has access to critical health services before, during, and after childbirth, so they can fully exercise their reproductive rights.

News Release: A woman dies every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth: UN agencies – World Health Organization

Report: Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2020: estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and UNDESA/Population Division – World Health Organization

Commentaries:

Ambitious goal to slash maternal deaths in jeopardy – Nature

U.N.: Progress on reducing global maternal mortality has stalled since 2015 – STAT

Eight Hundred Women Die Every Day During Pregnancy or Childbirth – Health Policy Watch

 


Physicians are more burned out than ever — here’s what can be done about it

28 Feb, 2023 | 13:57h | UTC

Physicians Are More Burned Out Than Ever—Here’s What Can Be Done About It – JAMA (free for a limited period)

Related Report: Addressing Health Worker Burnout – The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Thriving Health Workforce

Related:

AAP Clinical Report | Physician health and wellness.

M-A | Physicians suffering burnout are twice as likely to be involved in patient safety incidents.

Systematic Review | Predictors of burnout among healthcare providers.

Prevalence of burnout among GPs: a systematic review and meta-analysis – British Journal of General Practice

Physician Well-being 2.0: Where Are We and Where Are We Going? – Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Consensus Study – Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being – National Academies of Medicine

Consensus Study – Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being – National Academies of Medicine

Assessment of Risk Factors for Suicide Among US Health Care Professionals

Beyond Burnout: Docs Decry ‘Moral Injury’ From Financial Pressures of Health Care

Hospital administration response to physician stress and burnout – Journal of Hospital Practice

Opinion: It’s Time to Talk About Physician Burnout and Moral Injury

Systematic Review: Effect of Organization-Directed Workplace Interventions on Physician Burnout

The 3 Causes Of Physician Burnout (And Why There’s No Simple Solution) – Forbes

Physician Burnout: A Global Crisis

The Burnout Crisis in American Medicine – The Atlantic

To Combat Physician Burnout and Improve Care, Fix the Electronic Health Record – Harvard Business Review

Physician burnout costs up to $17B a year, task force says – HealthcareDive

Systematic Review: Prevalence of Burnout Among Physicians

Prevalence of Burnout in Medical and Surgical Residents: A Meta-Analysis – International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Association Between Physician Burnout and Patient Safety, Professionalism, and Patient Satisfaction

 


Perspective | Gender dysphoria in young people is rising — and so is professional disagreement

28 Feb, 2023 | 13:55h | UTC

Gender dysphoria in young people is rising—and so is professional disagreement – The BMJ

News Release: Gender dysphoria is rising—and so is professional disagreement – BMJ Newsroom

 

Commentary on Twitter

 


Perspective | The inertia of clinical trials and unethical control arms in oncology

28 Feb, 2023 | 13:51h | UTC

The inertia of clinical trials and unethical control arms – Sensible Medicine

 


Fatal accident calls MRI safety standards into question—are more regulations needed?

28 Feb, 2023 | 13:44h | UTC

Fatal accident calls MRI safety standards into question—are more regulations needed? – Health Imaging

 


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