Curated News: Medical Meetings

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Among kidney failure patients who were followed for 5 years, home hemodialysis patients were 4-times more likely to die than kidney transplant recipients. In elderly kidney failure patients, home hemodialysis patients had nearly a 5-times higher risk of dying during follow-up than kidney transplant patients. The studies’ findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3–8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

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Among patients with type 2 diabetes and advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), a shift in gut microbiota diversity in combination with elevated plasma zonulin levels substantially impacts the degree of chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Zonulin could be a potential future target to control inflammatory immune responses, according to a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3–8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

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Acute kidney injury (AKI) associated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) was prevalent among HIV-infected patients and demonstrated a high morbidity rate in a new center-based study. More than half of patients with TDF-associated AKI did not recover baseline kidney function during follow-up, and about one-third of the patients required dialysis, according to research that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3–8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

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A new streamlined electronic alert protocol that is linked to an intervention bundle has reduced mortality rates due to acute kidney injury (AKI) by 23% in a pilot study. A common condition in hospitals, AKI is fatal in 30% of cases. Results from the STOP-AKI protocol that could help reduce the worldwide burden of AKI will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3–8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

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he American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and groups including The Obesity Society (TOS) and Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), filed a complaint this month with U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) claiming the 27 states that deny coverage for bariatric surgery are in non-compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and that their failure to comply is discriminatory against women and people with disabilities, and violates the ban against denying coverage based on health status or a pre-existing condition.

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A new gastric balloon that can be swallowed like a pill and then filled while in the stomach, helped patients lose more than 37 percent of their excess weight over four months, according to new research presented here at ObesityWeek 2015, the largest international event focused on the basic science, clinical application and prevention and treatment of obesity. The weeklong conference is hosted by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and The Obesity Society (TOS).

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Weight-loss surgery, long considered a treatment largely reserved for people with severe obesity, may also be a good and safe option for the treatment of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes in those who are overweight or have mild to moderate obesity, according to researchers from Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

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The use of hormone replacement therapy may lead to better kidney function in postmenopausal women. Research that uncovered this link will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3–8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

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Shorter sleep duration was significantly linked with a more rapid decline in kidney function among participants in the Nurses’ Health Study. The findings, which point to the importance of sleep for maintaining kidney health, will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3–8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

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Breastfeeding is thought to reduce the risk of allergic rhinitis (hay fever), asthma, food allergies and eczema in children. According to a new study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting, no significant difference in allergies were found between children who were ever breast fed versus those formula fed.

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Imagine you suffer from severe asthma, and you’ve tried every treatment available, but nothing has worked. You still can’t breathe. Then a new therapy comes along that attacks the source of the asthma, as opposed to the symptoms, and treats the disease at a cellular level. That’s the promise of biologics, and the topic of four presentations at the 2015 ACAAI Annual Scientific Meeting in San Antonio, November 5-9.

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If one child in a family has a food allergy, the reasoning sometimes goes, chances are good that siblings might also have food allergies. Not necessarily, according to new research which shows that 53 percent of siblings of children with food allergies had a food sensitivity, but only 13 percent had actual food allergy.

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Many patients with cardiovascular disease are treated with aspirin because it is effective, low-cost and has few side effects. Some patients who have a reaction to aspirin are told they are allergic without being tested by an allergist, and stop an otherwise effective therapy.

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A study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting, examined the records of patients who, after being told they were allergic to penicillin, tested negative for penicillin allergy, and were then able to be treated with intravenous penicillin.

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Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, and one of the most difficult to manage, which is one of the reasons there are so many emergency department visits for asthma sufferers in the US. A new study has determined that the probability of future acute care visits increased from 30 percent with one historical acute care visit to 87 percent with more than five acute care visits.

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Click to view the infographic

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Most states do not cover bariatric surgery under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) despite the need for effective treatments for obesity and the minimal impact it has on monthly premiums, according to new research presented here at ObesityWeek 2015, the largest international event focused on the basic science, clinical application and prevention and treatment of obesity. The weeklong conference is hosted by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and The Obesity Society (TOS).

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Both men and women see lasting improvements in their sex lives after bariatric surgery, according to a new study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and presented here at ObesityWeek 2015, the largest international event focused on the basic science, clinical application and prevention and treatment of obesity. The weeklong obesity conference is hosted by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and The Obesity Society (TOS).

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After weight-loss surgery, 57 percent of patients with significant mobility issues before surgery no longer had them and about 70 percent of those with severe knee and hip pain or disability, experienced improvements in joint specific pain and function, according to new study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that followed patients for three years.

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Sleeve gastrectomy, a procedure where surgeons remove about 80 percent of the stomach, has become the most popular method of weight-loss surgery in America, surpassing laparoscopic gastric bypass, which had been the most common procedure for decades, according to researchers from Cleveland Clinic.

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A new study based on national insurance claims in the United States found that patients with obesity who had gastric bypass surgery cut their healthcare costs by nearly 40 percent after four years, and by 80 percent, if they also had type 2 diabetes before surgery.

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Prior research has shown that stress is associated with obesity in adults, and now for the first time, research suggests Latino parents who feel high levels of stress are twice as likely to have children with obesity as well. Researchers led by Carmen Isasi, MD, PhD, from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, examined data from the Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth), a study funded by the National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of NIH, to determine the relationship between parental stress and child weight status in the Latino population. The findings will be presented during a poster presentation on Friday, Nov. 6, at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.

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New research finds that one night of sleep deprivation and six months on a high-fat diet could both impair insulin sensitivity to a similar degree, demonstrating the importance of a good night’s sleep on health. This study, conducted by Josiane Broussard, PhD, and colleagues from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, used a canine model to examine whether sleep deprivation and a high-fat diet affect insulin sensitivity in similar ways. The findings will be presented during a poster presentation on Thursday, Nov. 5, at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.

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In one of the largest studies ever conducted to better understand insurance coverage of obesity treatments, researchers found that three out of four consumers report that they are not covered for necessary, evidence-based obesity treatment services, including access to a registered dietician (72% not covered), medical weight management (77% not covered), bariatric surgery (76% not covered) or FDA-approved obesity drugs (84% not covered). The findings will be presented during an oral presentation on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at The Obesity Society (TOS) Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.

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Used alone, a cell phone app that tracks exercise, calories and weight loss goals is, on average, not enough to create meaningful weight loss in young adults, according to new research from Duke Medicine.

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Health campaigns that target teens based their social groups and subcultures, such as hip hop, preppy or alternative, can be an effective tool in dissuading adolescents from engaging in risky behaviors such as smoking and drinking, suggests a survey of the literature and a case study.

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Only 1 in 5 U.S. pancreatic cancer patients receive a widely available, inexpensive blood test at diagnosis that can help predict whether they are likely to have a better or worse outcome than average and guide treatment accordingly, a Mayo Clinic study shows.

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New research shows that brain responses to written food words differ between lean individuals and those with obesity, and suggests that both stress and genetics could influence excess eating. The pair of studies led by Susan Carnell, PhD, member of The Obesity Society (TOS) and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, reinforces the need to better understand how the external food environment interacts with our biology, and may aid the development of behavioral interventions to help individuals with obesity or those at high risk for the disease. The findings will be unveiled during an oral presentation on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and a poster presentation on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.

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Daniel J. Cole, M.D., professor of clinical anesthesiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, was today named president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2015® annual meeting in San Diego. He will lead the nation’s largest organization of physician anesthesiologists for one year.

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Anyone suffering with seasonal allergies knows the local pharmacy carries shelves full of over-the-counter medications to help manage symptoms. Unfortunately, most seasonal allergy sufferers take over-the counter (OTC) products rather than the treatments they actually prefer – prescription medications.

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Most people think of allergists as the doctors who help solve sneezing, wheezing and itchy eyes. They might not realize allergists are the medical mystery detectives with the expertise to discover what is causing all sorts of unusual allergic responses.

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Patients undergoing cardiac surgery are at an increased risk of developing delirium and other changes in cognitive function in the days following surgery. However, new research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting, found using monitors to track depth of anesthesia and oxygenation levels in older patients’ brains during cardiac surgery significantly reduced their incidence of postoperative delirium and associated cognitive decline.

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The amount of anesthetic required for general anesthesia during surgery varies widely from patient to patient and some may be able to receive a lower dose than typically administered, suggests a study being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting.

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A medication used to relieve constipation caused by pain killers resulted in fewer reports of tumor progression and may help some cancer patients live longer, suggest first-in-human results being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting.

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Patients who stop taking cholesterol medications before surgery are following outdated recommendations, and significantly increasing their risk of death if they don’t resume taking the medications within two days after surgery, according to a study of more than 300,000 patients being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting.

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For the first time, researchers have identified two genetic variants that interact to alter the brain responses to high-calorie foods, a tie that could aid in the development of targeted treatments for obesity and overweight. Researchers at Imperial College London led by Tony Goldstone, MD, PhD, of Consultant Endocrinologist, found that two gene variants - FTO and DRD2 - influenced activity in the brain reward system when looking at pictures of high-calorie foods. The findings will be presented during an oral presentation on Thursday, Nov. 5, at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today presented Emery N. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., with its 2015 Excellence in Research Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements that are significantly affecting the practice and science of anesthesiology. Dr. Brown is known for his experimental research on understanding how anesthetics act in the brain to create the states of general anesthesia.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today presented Henry Rosenberg, M.D., of Livingston, N. J., with its 2014 Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his contributions to advance patient safety in anesthesiology through his pioneering work in identifying and treating patients with malignant hyperthermia (MH). The award is the highest honor ASA bestows and is presented annually to a member who has transformed the specialty of anesthesiology.

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Although the medical community has raised concerns about the safety of anesthesia on the developing brains of young children, new research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting, found brief exposure to general anesthesia during infancy did not impair neurological development.

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When a patient arrives in the operating room (O.R.) for surgery, one of the first things a physician will do is take his or her blood pressure, a “baseline” measurement used throughout the procedure. However, a new study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting found blood pressure taken before the patient enters the O.R. may produce more accurate measurements and should be used to determine baseline blood pressure.

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“Decision aids” in the form of informational brochures help get patients talking about their anesthesia and pain relief options, according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting. Shared decision making is critical to a more patient-centered process, as well as helping patients take an active role in their medical decisions.

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A common steroid medication does not ease long-term pain at the incision site made during open-heart surgery, according to results of a large multicenter randomized controlled trial being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting.

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Nitrous oxide, an effective and inexpensive anesthetic, is safe for surgical patients who have or are at risk for cardiovascular disease, according to results of a large randomized controlled trial being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting.

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Patients who are black, Hispanic, on Medicaid or are uninsured may be less likely to receive regional anesthesia during hip and knee replacement surgery, possibly putting them at greater risk of serious complications, according to a study of more than 1 million orthopedic surgeries being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting.

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Women who received magnesium sulfate during labor were less likely to develop maternal fever, a condition that can lead to a variety of complications in newborns including difficulty breathing, seizures, cerebral palsy and a condition known as “floppy baby syndrome,” characterized by inadequate muscle tone, according to a retrospective study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting in San Diego.

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Cost savings and quality improvement increased from the first year of implementation to the second in the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model of care when used for knee or hip replacement patients at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting. Evidence of long-term sustainability of the PSH model is significant for groups such as UC Irvine which anticipate extending the PSH to other specialty areas.

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Although it is not uncommon for pediatric patients to be prescribed opioids to treat certain types of moderate to severe pain, new research suggests these patients may be prescribed more opioids than necessary following surgery. A study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting found nearly 60 percent of opioids dispensed to pediatric patients following surgery remained unused, which could lead to the unused medication being abused by other adolescents in the household.

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Most healthy women can skip the fasting and, in fact, would benefit from eating a light meal during labor, suggests research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting. Improvements in anesthesia care have made pain control during labor safer, reducing risks related to eating, researchers note.

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In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital (UH Rainbow) found injuries related to legal interventions, or contact with law enforcement, involving male teenagers is not an uncommon occurrence in the United States. The study analyzed the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) between January 2008 and December 2010 and found 15,613 emergency department (ED) visits were attributed to injuries due to legal interventions involving children. Most visits occurred among males (82.8 percent) and teens between 15 to 17 years of age (83 percent). A blow or manhandling (terms used to classify legal interventions which do not involve a weapon) were the most common types of legal intervention (76.4 percent). Close to 68.5 percent of all ED visits occurred in areas with low annual income household levels.

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Henry Ford Hospital pulmonologist Daniel Ouellette, M.D., who during his 31-year career in medicine has seen the harmful effects of smoking on his patients, advocates for raising the smoking age to 21. He says the move would help curb access to tobacco products at an early age and lead to reductions in smoking prevalence.