Curated News: JAMA

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11-Oct-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Immune Response to Ovarian Cancer May Predict Survival, Mayo-Led Study Finds
Mayo Clinic

A group of international cancer researchers led by investigators from Mayo Clinic and University of New South Wales Sydney has found that the level of a type of white blood cell, called tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, present in the tumors of patients with high-grade ovarian cancer may predict a patient’s survival.

Released: 11-Oct-2017 11:30 AM EDT
Pregnancy-Related Heart Failure Strikes Black Women Twice as Often as Those of Other Races
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

African American women were found to be twice as likely to be diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy as compared to women of Caucasian, Hispanic/Latina, Asian, and other ethnic backgrounds, according to a new study—the largest of its kind—published today in JAMA Cardiology by researchers from the Perelman school of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

11-Oct-2017 8:00 AM EDT
Mitochondrial DNA Could Predict Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death, Heart Disease
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Johns Hopkins researchers report that the level, or “copy number,” of mitochondrial DNA—genetic information stored not in a cell’s nucleus but in the body’s energy-creating mitochondria—is a novel and distinct biomarker that is able to predict the risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths a decade or more before they happen. In the future, testing blood for this genetic information could not only help physicians more accurately predict a risk for life-threatening cardiac events, but also inform decisions to begin—or avoid—treatment with statins and other drugs.

Released: 9-Oct-2017 6:05 PM EDT
Celebrity-Endorsed “Natural” Hormone Therapies Aren’t What Many Women Think
UC San Diego Health

A commentary in JAMA Internal Medicine calls for improved oversight and transparency for compounded bioidentical hormone therapies.

Released: 4-Oct-2017 11:30 AM EDT
Delays for Melanoma Surgeries Linked to Insurance Type
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Researchers report in JAMA Dermatology that surgical treatment delays – defined as surgery that occurred more than six weeks after diagnosis – were common. Medicaid patients were 36 percent more likely than private insurance patients to experience delays.

Released: 2-Oct-2017 11:00 AM EDT
Game Time: To Increase Exercise, Study Shows Gaming Strategies and a Buddy are Key
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

New research shows families who used activity trackers with specially designed gaming elements increased daily step counts by nearly one mile per day and achieved daily fitness goals 27 percent more than families who did not.

28-Sep-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Sticker Shock
Harvard Medical School

An analysis reveals that the branded form of a synthetic progestin for the prevention of recurrent preterm births costs 5,000 percent more than the compounded, made-to-order version of the medication despite having the same active ingredients and being clinically interchangeable.

Released: 26-Sep-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Study: Genetic Testing Can Help Determine Safest Dose of Common Blood Thinner
Hospital for Special Surgery

A new study finds that genetic testing can help determine the safest dose of the blood thinner warfarin, with fewer side effects, in patients undergoing joint replacement surgery.

Released: 25-Sep-2017 3:15 PM EDT
Do You Really Need That MRI?
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Do you really need that MRI? Your doctor may order an MRI based on factors other than your actual medical need for imaging, researchers in UT Southwestern’s Center for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research found. Their study in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that a physician’s prior image-ordering habits, as well as ownership of the equipment, were strong indicators of unnecessary imaging orders.

22-Sep-2017 4:25 PM EDT
Autism's Gender Patterns
Harvard Medical School

Largest study to date identifies gender-specific patterns of autism and related disorders occurrence among sibling pairs.

Released: 21-Sep-2017 4:45 PM EDT
Personality Changes Don't Precede Clinical Onset of Alzheimer's
Florida State University

Findings of a new and comprehensive study from FSU College of Medicine Associate Professor Antonio Terracciano and colleagues, published today in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, has found no evidence to support the idea that personality changes begin before the clinical onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia.

Released: 20-Sep-2017 11:00 AM EDT
Hold the Phone: An Ambulance Might Lower Your Chances of Surviving Some Injuries
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Victims of gunshots and stabbings are significantly less likely to die if they’re taken to the trauma center by a private vehicle than ground emergency medical services (EMS), according to results of a new analysis.

11-Sep-2017 7:00 AM EDT
In a Decade of War, U.S. Military Surgeons Provided More Than 6,000 Humanitarian Surgical Procedures to Afghan Adults
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU)

In addition to caring for U.S. troops and coalition forces during conflicts in the Middle East, U.S. military surgeons also provided humanitarian surgical care to nearly 6,000 local national Afghan adult patients over the course of a decade, according to a study published Sept. 13 in JAMA Surgery.

11-Sep-2017 9:00 AM EDT
Surgeons Have Major Influence on Breast Cancer Treatment
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

A woman’s choice of surgeon plays a significant role in whether she’s likely to receive contralateral prophylactic mastectomy, an increasingly popular aggressive breast cancer surgery.

8-Sep-2017 3:30 PM EDT
Savings Less Than Expected for Generic Oral Chemotherapy
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Cost savings fell below expectations for generic versions of an orally administered cancer treatment in an analysis by University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers. The findings raise questions about the extent to which generic drugs can help control care costs for cancer treatments.

Released: 8-Sep-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Letters, FIT Kits Can Triple Colon Cancer Screening Rates
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Sending a letter and, in some cases, a simple mail-in kit tripled colon cancer screening completion among low-income adults, researchers at UT Southwestern’s Simmons Cancer Center report this week in JAMA.

5-Sep-2017 3:35 PM EDT
Common Cerebral White Matter Abnormalities Found in Children with Autistic Traits
NYU Langone Health

Brain imaging study shows white matter structural changes in children correspond to severity of autistic traits.

   
Released: 5-Sep-2017 10:05 AM EDT
Protein Shown to be Predictor of Kidney Damage in Children
RUSH

High levels of a protein known as suPAR, which has been shown to be a marker and likely cause of kidney damage, is as reliably predictive in children as in adults, according to results of a study published online today in JAMA Pediatrics, a clinical publication of the American Medical Association.

Released: 30-Aug-2017 11:00 AM EDT
Cardiac Arrests in Black Neighborhoods Less Likely to get CPR, Defibrillation
Duke Health

Compared to people who live in predominantly white neighborhoods, those who live in predominantly black areas are much less likely to receive CPR or defibrillation from a bystander when their heart suddenly stops beating while they are at home or out in the community.

   
Released: 25-Aug-2017 4:30 PM EDT
As Eye Donations Decline, Family Unknowingly Leaves Legacy in Vision Research
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

When Tim Anegon became an eye tissue donor after his death in 2014, it wasn’t just one person he would touch with his eyes — it was millions as University of Michigan researchers use donated tissue in the fight against diabetic eye disease.

Released: 24-Aug-2017 4:40 PM EDT
Penn Ethicist Proposes New Category for Psychiatric Patients to Justify Instances of Compulsory Treatment
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

The “involuntary treatment” of unwilling psychiatric patients has long been accepted as necessary in some cases, for the sake of patients and society, though it can raise serious ethical concerns as well as legal barriers. In a Viewpoint essay published online today in JAMA, Dominic Sisti, PhD, an assistant professor of Medical Ethics & Health Policy at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, argues that some of the concerns about treating patients without their consent would be alleviated if the mental health profession recognized an important distinction among these cases.

21-Aug-2017 9:00 AM EDT
Altered Mitochondria Associated with Increased Autism Risk
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Mitochondria, the tiny structures inside our cells that generate energy, may play a key role in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A provocative new study by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s pioneering mitochondrial medicine team suggests that variations in mitochondrial DNA originating during ancient human migrations may play an important role in predisposition to ASD.

Released: 14-Aug-2017 11:00 AM EDT
Research Review Recommends Eliminating Widely Ordered Blood Test for Diagnosing Heart Attacks
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Mayo Clinic have compiled peer-reviewed evidence and crafted a guideline designed to help physicians and medical centers stop the use of a widely ordered blood test that adds no value in evaluating patients with suspected heart attack.

8-Aug-2017 12:45 PM EDT
Out-of-Pocket Costs Exceed What Many Insured Cancer Patients Expect to Pay
Duke Health

A third of insured people with cancer end up paying more out-of-pocket than they expected, despite having health coverage, researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute have found.

Released: 9-Aug-2017 1:30 PM EDT
Researchers Look to Improve Detection of Skin Cancer Lacking Pigment Melanin
University of North Carolina Health Care System

UNC Lineberger scientists led a multi-institution research team to identify key features linked to amelanotic melanoma, a form of skin cancer that lacks the brown or black color that stems from the pigment melanin.

Released: 7-Aug-2017 8:00 AM EDT
Netflix Drama “13 Reasons Why” Linked to Suicidal Thoughts
San Diego State University

A recent study out of San Diego State University has found an increase of internet searches for suicide immediately following the release of the popular Netflix show “13 Reasons Why.” Researchers used data from Google Trends and found that suicide-related queries were 19 percent higher than expected following the show’s release in March.

1-Aug-2017 8:00 AM EDT
Study Adds to Evidence That Most Prescribed Opioid Pills Go Unused
Johns Hopkins Medicine

In a review of half a dozen published studies in which patients self-reported use of opioids prescribed to them after surgery, researchers at Johns Hopkins report that a substantial majority of patients used only some or none of the pills, and more than 90 percent failed to dispose of the leftovers in recommended ways.

25-Jul-2017 11:30 AM EDT
Genetic Testing Helps Detect Cause of Early Life Epilepsy
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

A study published in JAMA Pediatrics supports the use of genetic testing, especially with sequencing, as first-line diagnostic method for young children with seizures. Specific genetic factors were found to be the cause of epilepsy in 40 percent of patients evaluated for first presentation with seizures. Genetic testing also yielded a diagnosis in 25 percent of children who had epilepsy with an otherwise unknown cause.

Released: 28-Jul-2017 4:35 PM EDT
Study Examines the Safest Hypothermia Treatment for Newborns
Children's Hospital of Michigan

After more than 20 years of research on the best treatment for full-term infants affected by oxygen deprivation during the birthing process, Seetha Shankaran, M.D., neonatologist at DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan and DMC Hutzel Women's Hospital, served as the lead investigator in a definitive Journal of the American Medical Association study that documented the safest depth and duration of body-cooling to minimize injury from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in newborns.

Released: 26-Jul-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Opting for Weight-Loss Surgery at Lower BMIs May Be Best for Patients’ Health, Study Suggests
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

The struggle to escape obesity is pointing more Americans toward bariatric surgery. But a new study shows that only one in three patients who have an operation succeed in getting their body-mass index below 30, the cutoff for obesity, in the first year. The odds were better for those who had surgery while they were still below a “morbid obesity” BMI of 40.

24-Jul-2017 12:00 PM EDT
Unit History of Suicide Attempt Increases Suicide Risk for Troops
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU)

Does a previous suicide attempt in a soldier’s unit increase the risk of additional suicide attempts? According to a study, “Risk of Suicide Attempt Associated with Previous Attempts in One’s Army Unit,” published July 26, 2017 in JAMA Psychiatry, the answer is yes.

Released: 24-Jul-2017 10:05 AM EDT
Despite Lack of FDA Approval, Stem Cell Centers Claim to Offer Effective Treatment for Patients with Heart Failure
Saint Louis University Medical Center

Stem cell centers claim to offer effective treatment to patients with heart failure, despite the fact that the treatment is not approved for such use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), says the author of research letter in the current issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.

Released: 12-Jul-2017 11:00 AM EDT
Mount Sinai Researchers Find No Statistically Significant Risk of Intellectual Disability in Children Born to Mothers Treated with Antidepressants
Mount Sinai Health System

In a first-of its kind study, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found an elevated risk of intellectual disability (ID) in children born to mothers treated with antidepressants, but the risk was not statistically significant and is likely due to other factors, including parental age and the parents’ psychiatric history.

Released: 6-Jul-2017 9:00 AM EDT
Late Teen Years Are Key Period in Bone Growth
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The late adolescent years are an important period for gaining bone mineral, even after a teenager attains his or her adult height. Scientists analyzing a racially diverse, multicenter sample from a large, federally funded national study say their findings reinforce the importance of diet and physical activities during the late teen years, as a foundation for lifelong health.

Released: 29-Jun-2017 10:00 AM EDT
Success With First 20 Patients Undergoing Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Transplant Surgery
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Surgeons at Johns Hopkins Medicine report that their first series of a minimally invasive procedure to treat chronic pancreas disease, known as severe pancreatitis, resulted in shorter hospital stays, less need for opioids and fewer complications, compared with standard surgical approaches.

27-Jun-2017 8:05 AM EDT
Acupuncture May Not Be Effective in Treating Infertility
Penn State College of Medicine

Acupuncture, alone or with the medication clomiphene, does not appear to be effective in treating infertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a new international study including Penn State College of Medicine.

Released: 26-Jun-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Review: Insomnia Medication May Wake Up Some Patients From Vegetative State
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

A systematic review of zolpidem for noninsomnia neurological disorders, including movement disorders and disorders of consciousness, finds reason for additional research.

21-Jun-2017 11:00 AM EDT
HPV Testing Leads to Earlier Detection and Treatment of Cervical Precancer
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center

Women who receive human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, in addition to a pap smear, receive a faster, more complete diagnosis of possible cervical precancer, according to a study of over 450,000 women by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and the University of New Mexico (UNM) Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Released: 14-Jun-2017 4:05 PM EDT
How Do Preemies Perform in School?
Northwestern University

Parents of prematurely born babies often fear their children may go on to struggle in school, but findings from a new large-scale study from the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University and Northwestern Medicine should reassure parents.

   
Released: 14-Jun-2017 8:00 AM EDT
Study Finds One in Five Hospitalized Adults Suffer Side Effects From Prescribed Antibiotics
Johns Hopkins Medicine

A study examining the impact of antibiotics prescribed for nearly 1500 adult patients admitted to The Johns Hopkins Hospital found that adverse side effects occurred in a fifth of them, and that nearly a fifth of those side effects occurred in patients who didn't need antibiotics in the first place.

8-Jun-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Motor Vehicle Crash Risk for Teens with ADHD Much Lower Than Previously Reported
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Adolescent drivers with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a 36 percent higher crash risk than other newly licensed teens. Although elevated, this risk is far lower than previous reports of being four times higher. This is the first large-scale study to provide detailed information on crash risk of adolescents with ADHD compared to other newly licensed young drivers.

8-Jun-2017 5:00 PM EDT
Is the Finger-Stick Blood Test Necessary for Type 2 Diabetes Treatment?
University of North Carolina Health Care System

In a landmark study, UNC School of Medicine researchers have shown that blood glucose testing does not offer a significant advantage in blood sugar control or quality of life for type 2 diabetes patients who are not treated with insulin.

1-Jun-2017 5:45 PM EDT
Study Finds Rate of Mastectomies Decreases with Adoption of Breast Tumor Margin Guidelines: What This Means in the Overtreatment Debate for Breast Cancer
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

In a dramatic shift since the publication of margin guidelines for breast cancer surgery, lumpectomy rates have substantially increased and more-aggressive surgical options have been used less often, according to research findings from a new study being presented at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago. The study will also be published in a corresponding issue of JAMA Oncology.

Released: 31-May-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Study Suggests Lower Targets for Systolic Blood Pressure
Tulane University

A new study conducted by researchers from Tulane University finds reducing target systolic blood pressure below current recommendations significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and preventable death.

Released: 30-May-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Quality Improvement Measures Reduce Hospital Readmissions but Do Not Produce Consistent Savings, Study Shows
Cedars-Sinai

Efforts to reduce hospital readmissions are working, but they’re not always saving money, according to a new Cedars-Sinai study. The study, published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine, evaluated the effectiveness and financial benefit of quality improvement programs at medical centers in the U.S. and elsewhere.

26-May-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Do Obese Children Need to Attend Treatment to Lose Weight?
UC San Diego Health

One-third of American children are overweight or obese. Family-based treatment (FBT) has been considered the best model for the treatment of obese children as it provides both parents and children with education and behavior therapy techniques but is provided mainly in a hospital setting. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found that parent-based therapy (PBT) has similar outcomes to FBT and could be more cost-effective.

Released: 30-May-2017 10:00 AM EDT
Emergency Room Patients Routinely Overcharged, Study Finds
Johns Hopkins Medicine

An analysis of billing records for more than 12,000 emergency medicine doctors across the United States shows that charges varied widely, but that on average, adult patients are charged 340 percent more than what Medicare pays for services ranging from suturing a wound to interpreting a head CT scan.

Released: 23-May-2017 8:05 AM EDT
Probing Problems with Bariatric Surgery: Reoperations, Variation Are Common
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Every year, nearly 200,000 Americans turn to surgeons for help with their obesity, seeking bariatric surgery to lose weight and prevent life-threatening health problems. But after more than two decades of steadily increasing numbers of operations, American bariatric surgery centers still vary greatly in the quality of care they provide.

Released: 22-May-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Study Shows Navigation Program Improves Longevity of Care for Youth with HIV in America
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Adherence to care improves when youth with HIV receive education and help navigating the system, according to study out of UAB.

19-May-2017 5:00 PM EDT
Starting Statins in Older Patients Not Effective as Preventive Care
NYU Langone Health

A study from NYU Langone Medical Center researchers published in JAMA Internal Medicine finds that initiating statins in heart-healthy older adults may not extend lifespan.



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