Curated News: Medical Meetings

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Depending on the specific type, bacteria in a woman’s vagina and cervix may increase the risk of premature birth or protect against it, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Results of the study provide groundbreaking information that the authors suggest could help physicians learn how to prevent preterm birth, either by eliminating the “bad” bacteria, or increasing the “protective” bacteria.

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Global simulation in healthcare event to address the newest ways that simulated learning environments are used to train medical professionals for active shooting scenarios, mass casualty emergencies and medical training

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Critically ill infants and children do not gain extra benefit from control of their blood sugar level to lower levels, compared to higher levels within the usual care range, say researchers who led a national clinical trial. While both levels of blood sugar control were relatively safe, control to lower levels increased the risk of a very low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) without offering a significant advantage.

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Members of the media can now register to cover the latest advances in hormone health and science at ENDO 2017, the Endocrine Society’s 99th Annual Meeting & Expo. The meeting will be held April 1-4, in Orlando, FL.

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Press registration is now open for the 2017 Experimental Biology meeting (EB 2017) to be held April 22-26 in Chicago. With more than 14,000 attendees and thousands of scientific sessions, EB 2017 is a research bonanza you won’t want to miss.

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A study of more than 100,000 surgical cases at University of Virginia Health System found patients’ pain scores improved even as doctors gave fewer opioids. As health officials across the U.S. look for ways to combat a opioid addiction crisis, UVA researchers believe their findings highlight one way to address the problem.

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New research analyzing the diets of people who eat pasta has concluded that pasta consumption in adults is associated with overall better diet quality when compared to adults who don’t eat pasta.

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Credentialed press representatives are invited to attend The Society of Thoracic Surgeons 53rd Annual Meeting, Exhibition, and Press Conference, which will include late-breaking scientific research, thought-provoking lectures, cutting-edge technologies, and innovative cardiothoracic surgery products—some that are not yet available on the market. Cardiothoracic surgeons and other health care experts also will provide an update on Mycobacterium chimaera infections related to heater-cooler devices used in cardiac surgery.

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Cancer patients are ending up in debt because they have to cover the costs of treatment as well as other care related expenses, researchers report at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress in Singapore.

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A genomic analysis study by Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey investigators and other colleagues has identified recurrent genomic alterations in a subset of breast cancer that are typically associated with a form of thyroid cancer and an intestinal birth defect known as Hirschsprung disease.

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A new study finds that breast cancer patients who have implant reconstruction following radiation therapy had more complications from the surgery and were less satisfied with the result than women who had implants but no radiation.

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The Endocrine Society is extending the deadline for nominations for the 10th annual Award for Excellence in Science and Medical Journalism. The award recognizes outstanding reporting that enhances public understanding of health issues pertaining to the field of endocrinology. Entries will be accepted through Friday, December 16, 2016.

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In a Phase I study, 8 out of 12 patients with relapsed and/or chemotherapy refractory blood cancers responded to a combination of the chemotherapy drugs thioguanine and decitabine; some of the responders had relapsed after treatment with decitabine alone.

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A highly innovative, personalized cell-based treatment for a high-risk form of the most common childhood cancer continues to move through clinical trials. Pediatric oncologists from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) today reported new results using T cell immunotherapy against relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

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Ashish Gupta, MBBS, MPH, a pediatric hematology fellow, will share results from one of the largest quality controlled retrospective studies of children with acquired aplastic anemia. The data makes a compelling case for the pediatric hematology community to revisit the current treatment algorithm for this rare disease.

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Researchers are reporting the highest and most sustained levels to date of an essential blood-clotting factor IX in patients with the inherited bleeding disorder hemophilia B. After receiving a single dose of an experimental gene therapy in a clinical trial, patients with hemophilia produced near-normal levels of clotting factor IX, allowing them to stop clotting factor infusions and to pursue normal activities of daily life without disabling bleeding episodes.

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Analysis of a phase 3 trial shows that older patients with high-risk or secondary AML, who received initial treatment with CPX-351, had improved survival following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant, when compared with patients who received standard 7+3 cytarabine and daunorubicin as initial therapy.

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Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) suffer from a reduction in the number of different types of blood cells, including red blood cells leading to the development of anemia. Many patients with lower-risk MDS benefit from treatment with recombinant-erythropoietin (rHuEPO), which stimulates blood cell production.

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Credentialed press representatives are invited to attend The Society of Thoracic Surgeons 53rd Annual Meeting and Exhibition.

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The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research recently concluded its 19th Annual European Congress in Vienna, Austria. More than 4,700 delegates—stakeholders from all sectors of health care, including health ministries and government offices, health technology assessment bodies, public and private payers, researchers and academics, patients and patient advocates—representing 89 countries convened on 29 October through 2 November 2016 to discuss access to medical innovations in Europe.

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The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research recognized the Best Podium Presentation and Best Poster Presentation Awardees at its 19th Annual European Congress in Vienna, Austria.

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• New research estimates the projected lives that would be saved if patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease underwent intensive blood pressure lowering. • The findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

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• Multi-disciplinary care—or coordination of care among different clinicians and specialists—improves the health of patients with kidney disease and reduces costs compared with usual care. • Results from the study will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

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• In a study of patients with chronic kidney disease, each additional hour of nighttime sleep was linked with a 19% lower risk of developing kidney failure. • There was also a significant association between sleep quality and kidney failure risk. • Research that uncovered these findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

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• Researchers have developed a key component needed to create a bioartificial kidney. • The advance will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

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• A dipstick test for salivary urea nitrogen was accurate for diagnosing kidney disease in adults in Malawi, Africa. • Results of the test also helped predict patients’ risk of early death. • The test will be described at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

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On the occasion of the 9th European Antibiotic Awareness Day, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is releasing its latest EU-wide data on antibiotic resistance and antibiotic consumption.

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• Individuals who took proton pump inhibitors or histamine receptor-2 blockers for heartburn, acid reflux, or ulcers had elevated risks of developing kidney stones. • In individuals without acute kidney injury, proton pump inhibitors were linked with a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease or kidney failure compared with histamine receptor-2 blockers. • Research that uncovered these findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

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• The Live Donor Champion program increased knowledge of live donation and comfort approaching others about live donation, and it boosted live donor referrals. • The program will be described at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

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• Scientists have developed a method to coax human pluripotent stem cells to mature into cells that go on to form the functional units of the kidney. • The team has demonstrated how the method can be used to study human kidney diseases. • The research will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

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• In a study of patients with chronic kidney disease, nonsmokers and smokers who successfully quit had slower worsening of their kidney function than those who were unsuccessful at quitting. • Cigarette smoking partially negated the kidney-protective effects of patients’ medications. • Research that uncovered these findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

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• Kidney damage was linked with worse performance on tests of global cognitive function, executive function, memory, and attention. • Kidney damage may also be linked with structural abnormalities in the brain. • Research that uncovered these findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

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On November 17, 2016, a Wayne State University doctoral student, Matthew Jasinski, will present results from his dissertation at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Nephrology in Chicago. The study demonstrates the value of proactive identification of and family psychoeducation about cognitive impairment in patients with End State Renal Disease or Chronic Kidney Disease (ESRD/CKD). A team from Henry Ford Hospital led by Mark Ketterer, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in the Department of Behavioral Health Services, collaborated with Jasinski, a Wayne State Department of Psychology graduate student, and Mark Lumley, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Wayne State, to conduct a clinical trial that sought to reduce the number of 30-day hospital readmissions by educating patients with ESRD and their family members about the patient’s health needs.

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Scientists from around the world will gather at UAB in December to focus on HIV research and women, particularly collaborative research on women living with HIV and those at risk.

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• A telemedicine program that partners a national dialysis provider with a rural hospital in Kentucky can surmount traditional barriers to deliver kidney care to rural hospitals. • The program will be described at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

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The Endocrine Society is calling for nominations for the 10th annual Award for Excellence in Science and Medical Journalism. The award recognizes outstanding reporting that enhances public understanding of health issues pertaining to the field of endocrinology.

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The Zika virus is most commonly transmitted in humans as the result of a bite from an infected mosquito or from an infected human to another human. What is not well known is that the virus also can be transmitted via the environment if an individual is pricked with an infected needle or has an open cut and comes in contact with the live virus. While there are no known cases to date of the general public being infected with the Zika virus through the environment, there has been at least one documented case of laboratory acquired Zika virus infection.

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Atrial fibrillation patients who use the drug, warfarin, to prevent harmful blood clots from forming in their hearts to lower risk of stroke are at higher risk of developing dementia than patients who use warfarin for non-atrial fibrillation conditions, according to a new study from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute.

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Tuberculosis (TB) is responsible for more than 1.8 million deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization, yet there has been little significant improvement in therapies in the past 20 years. This chronic disease is systemic, meaning it affects not only the lungs but also other organs, such as the lymph nodes and spleen. But a promising new treatment may be on the horizon.

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Repeated binge drinking during adolescence can affect brain functions in future generations, potentially putting offspring at risk for such conditions as depression, anxiety, and metabolic disorders, a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine study has found.

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A new study led by clinician-researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) testing the safety and effectiveness of anticoagulant strategies for patients with atrial fibrillation who undergo stenting procedures has shown that therapies combining the anticoagulant drug rivaroxaban with either single or dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) were more effective in preventing bleeding complications than the current standard of care.

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Many people who experience chest pain but don’t have a heart attack breathe a big sigh of relief when a stress test comes back negative for blockages in their blood vessels. But a new study by cardiac researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City found they may not be off the hook after all.

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Stephen A. Tilles, MD, Seattle, WA was installed as president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) at the ACAAI Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco on November 14. Bradley E. Chipps, MD, Sacramento, CA, was elected ACAAI president-elect.

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Two differing blood clot prevention medications are just as safe and effective for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, a non-surgical procedure to open blood vessels narrowed by plaque buildup, according to a new study.

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Atrial fibrillation patients with a prior history of stroke who undergo catheter ablation to treat the abnormal heart rhythm lower their long-term risk of a recurrent stroke by 50 percent, according to new research from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute

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Two new studies measure the prevalence of myocardial inflammation in RA patients without known cardiovascular disease, assess how it is associated with high disease activity and show how disease-modifying therapy may decrease this type of inflammation, according to new research findings presented this week at the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.

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Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, a group of biologic drugs used to treat children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, are not associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer, according to new research findings presented this week at the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.

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The U.S. adult rheumatology workforce is in jeopardy of a serious decline, and incentives to pursue rheumatology training, including help with graduate medical education funding, could provide critical relief, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.

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Gender and disease duration can help predict which axial spondyloarthritis patients will develop extra-articular manifestations such as uveitis, or inflammation of the eye, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.

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Outcomes such as pain, function, range of motion, and strength after total hip arthroplasty, or joint replacement surgery, are different for men & women, which could lead to the development of sex-specific rehabilitation programs, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.