A weekly podcast on the latest medical, science and telehealth news.
Monthly Archives: January 2023
Diet & Nutrition: What Are Prebiotics? (Infographic)
Prostate Cancer: A PSMA Scan Predicts Recurrence
“We found that the information we could get from PSMA scanning in patients with newly-diagnosed prostate cancer before surgery was at least as reliable and useful as other information from biopsy, PSA levels, or clinical exam for predicting how patients would do after surgery or other treatment,” says Farshad Moradi, a radiologist at Stanford who co-authored the study.
In December, scientists at Stanford University reported promising findings with a new technology that lights up prostate tumors on specialized imaging scans. The approach relies on a minimally-radioactive tracer that travels the body hunting for cancer cells.
Called 68Ga-PSMA-11, and delivered intravenously, the tracer binds exclusively with a protein called prostate- specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Prostate cancer cells contain far more of this protein on their surfaces than normal prostate cells do. Tumors flagged by 68Ga-PSMA-11 show up on an imaging scan like lit matches in a dark room. Doctors are already using PSMA scans to diagnose early metastatic cancer, and the tracer can also be used to ferry drugs directly into malignant tumors.
EPIGENETICS & AGING: DNA BREAKAGE & REPAIR EFFECTS
It also shows that restoring the integrity of the epigenome reverses age-related symptoms.
Learn more at https://hms.harvard.edu/news/loss-epi…
INFOGRAPHIC: OBESITY AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Our new position paper with @worldheartfed summarises the relationship between obesity and cardiovascular disease (#CVD) mortality.
World Obesity Federation (January 2023) – The ongoing obesity epidemic represents a global public health crisis that contributes to poor health outcomes, reduced quality of life, and >2.8 million deaths each year. Obesity is relapsing, progressive, and heterogeneous. It is considered a chronic disease by the World Obesity Federation (WOF) and a chronic condition by the World Heart Federation (WHF).
People living with overweight/obesity are at greater risk for cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Increased adiposity (body fat), particularly visceral/abdominal fat, is linked to CV risk and CV disease (CVD) via multiple direct and indirect pathophysiological mechanisms. The development of CVD is driven, in part, by obesity-related metabolic, endocrinologic, immunologic, structural, humoral, haemodynamic, and functional alterations.
Learn more: http://bit.ly/3THvOZa
Cardiology: When Chest Discomfort Is Serious
DOCTORS PODCAST: MEDICAL & TELEHEALTH NEWS (JAN 8)
A weekly podcast on the latest medical, science and telehealth news.
Reviews: The Lancet On Top Five Health Priorities
This year, we draw attention to the most critical issues impacting health globally, the extraordinary people involved in tackling them, and the voices of those most impacted. For five Spotlights, we will run a programme of activities to bring these issues to life and convene the right people and resources in order to drive change in these areas.
Spotlight on Universal Health Coverage
Ensuring all populations globally have access to affordable, quality health care
Spotlight on Research for Health
Prioritising evidence to guide and inform decision making
Spotlight on Child and Adolescent Health
Prioritising the health needs of children and adolescents now
Spotlight on Health and Climate Change
Tackling climate change through the lens of human health
Spotlight on Mental Health
Implementing sustainable global mental health in a fragmenting world
MEDICAL REVIEW: ‘SINGLE-PORT ROBOTIC SURGERY’
Although still relatively uncommon, single-port surgery has been gaining momentum in recent years. The benefits are noticeable. Compared to traditional surgery, single-port surgery might leave patients with shorter recovery times, less scarring, and overall better outcomes.
The technique is also transforming how surgeons think about and execute surgery itself. “It’s allowing us to do surgeries differently than we do with [multi-port surgery],” said Michael Stifelman, M.D., director of robotic surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center. “What every patient wants is to get back to their life. Single-port robotics is allowing us to get them to that point more quickly.”
Learn more about the future of single-port surgery in this episode of “Operation: Reimagine Surgery,” a Freethink original series produced in partnership with Intuitive, which created the world’s first commercially available robotic surgery system in the 1990s.
Reviews: Heart Attacks Vs. Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) isn’t the same as a heart attack, though people often use the terms interchangeably. While both are life-threatening heart conditions, understanding the differences could be lifesaving.
When it comes to cardiac arrest versus a heart attack, it can be easy to get them confused. You may be wondering, Is cardiac arrest the same as a heart attack?
Both a heart attack and cardiac arrest can be scary and life-threatening medical conditions affecting your heart, but there are differences in how and why they occur.
A heart attack is caused by a blockage. It happens when an artery blocks the blood flow to your heart.
Cardiac arrest is an electrical issue. It occurs when quick, irregular impulses take over your heart’s rhythm.
Doctors Without Waiting Rooms 