Curated News: Medical Meetings

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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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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.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today announced initiatives with Teleflex Inc. and TeamHealth Anesthesia to benefit the ASA Charitable Foundation during the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting in San Diego. Teleflex, a leading global provider of medical devices, will host a “plinko” game with donations totaling up to $5,000. While TeamHealth, one of the nation’s largest providers of hospital-based clinical outsourcing, will host a “badge scan” promotion, donating up to $1,500.

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Cartilage is filled with fluid -- about 80% of the volume of the cartilage tissue -- that plays the essential roles of supporting weight and lubricating joint surfaces. Loss of this fluid, called synovial fluid, results in a gradual decrease in cartilage thickness and increase in friction, which is related to the degradation and joint pain of osteoarthritis. Since cartilage is porous, fluid is readily squeezed out of the holes over time. Yet the symptoms associated with osteoarthritis usually take decades to develop. Researchers at the University of Delaware have proposed a mechanism that explains how motion can cause cartilage to reabsorb liquid that leaks out.

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New data from clinical trials conducted at the Robert Proton Therapy Center demonstrate the technology’s potential advantages over conventional radiation, including less side effects and survival in some cases, for several harder-to-treat tumors: pancreatic, late-stage, non-small cell lung and chordoma and chondrosarcoma, two rare cancers found in bone or soft tissue.

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Anxious patients heading into surgery often receive medication to ease their fears, but a few calming words from their physicians might actually be more effective medicine. In fact, “conversational hypnosis” as the approach is known, may do a better job than pills for relaxing patients before anesthesia and surgery, suggests research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY™ 2015 annual meeting.

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Patients having outpatient gallbladder surgery whose experience was coordinated by a physician anesthesiologist through the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model of care had shorter wait times before surgery, recovered more quickly after the procedure and were less likely to require care for complications, according to two studies presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today presented Mark Neuman, M.D., Ph.D., with its 2015 Presidential Scholar Award in recognition of his outstanding career in research. Dr. Neuman is a leader in health services and outcomes research and is committed to growing anesthesiology as an academic specialty and improving clinical care.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today announced the election of James D. Grant, M.D., M.B.A., to first vice president of the ASA during the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting in San Diego.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) will sponsor the Run For The Warriors® 5K Run/Walk at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25, in San Diego. The race coincides with the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting and marks the sixth consecutive year of ASA sponsorship.

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Featured abstract authors and renowned experts in the field of gastroenterology offer clinical insight and real-world perspective in a series of video press briefings that highlight the key science presented this week at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 80th Annual Scientific Meeting in Honolulu. More than 4,000 gastroenterologists, physicians and other health care professionals from around the world will convene at the Hawaii Convention Center to review and present the latest scientific advances in gastrointestinal research, treatment of digestive diseases and clinical practice management.

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An analysis of an international, cooperative-led trial of patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has shown that those who received intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) had less severe lung toxicity and were able to better tolerate their chemotherapy, compared to patients who received 3–dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3-D CRT).

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Babies born prematurely face an increased risk of neurological and psychiatric problems that may be due to weakened connections in brain networks linked to attention, communication and the processing of emotions, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine.

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An FDA-approved drug for leukemia improved cognition, motor skills and non-motor function in patients with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia in a small phase I clinical trial, report researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington. In addition, the drug, nilotinib (Tasigna® by Novartis), led to statistically significant and encouraging changes in toxic proteins linked to disease progression (biomarkers).

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New research in the area of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) further advances understanding of the safety and effectiveness of FMT for Clostridium difficile, suggests gut microbiota changes may play a role in predicting treatment failure, and explores whether donor stool can impact an FMT recipient’s weight, are among the highlights of the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 80th Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held this week in Honolulu. More than 4,000 gastroenterologists, physicians and other health care professionals from around the world will convene at the Hawaii Convention Center to review and present the latest scientific advances in gastrointestinal research, treatment of digestive diseases and clinical practice management.

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In this presentation, Dr. Spiegel will address how information technology will transform gastroenterology. Dr. Chey will discuss the emerging role of diet as a treatment strategy for patients with GI conditions. In addition, the panelists take a look back at the AJG and a look ahead at the evolution of research related to food and the advances of technology. Panelists will be available for media questions in the press room immediately following the The American Journal of Gastroenterology Lecture.