Mixed Topics

What are the 2 most likely causes for persistent fever in a patient who is being treated with antibiotics for postcesarean endometritis?

Continue to the answer...

The 2 most likely causes of a poor response to treatment for postcesarean endometritis are a resistant microorganism and wound infection. Less common causes of persistent postoperative fever include septic pelvic vein thrombophlebitis, pelvic abscess, retained products of conception, reactivation of a connective tissue disorder, and drug fever.

What are the 2 most likely causes for persistent fever in a patient who is being treated with antibiotics for postcesarean endometritis?

Continue to the answer...

The 2 most likely causes of a poor response to treatment for postcesarean endometritis are a resistant microorganism and wound infection. Less common causes of persistent postoperative fever include septic pelvic vein thrombophlebitis, pelvic abscess, retained products of conception, reactivation of a connective tissue disorder, and drug fever.

What are the 2 most likely causes for persistent fever in a patient who is being treated with antibiotics for postcesarean endometritis?

Continue to the answer...

The 2 most likely causes of a poor response to treatment for postcesarean endometritis are a resistant microorganism and wound infection. Less common causes of persistent postoperative fever include septic pelvic vein thrombophlebitis, pelvic abscess, retained products of conception, reactivation of a connective tissue disorder, and drug fever.

A Virginia physician assistant entered a plea of not guilty on April 21 to a murder charge in connection with a gruesome slaying of another PA in upstate New York.

Jacob L. Klein, 40, of Wirtz, Va., was charged with second-degree murder at the Town of New Scotland Court in New York following the discovery the previous week of 35-year-old Philip Rabadi, another PA. Mr. Rabadi was discovered on the garage floor of his New Scotland home, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

Mr. Rabadi’s arms were bound and he suffered multiple stab wounds and body mutilation, authorities reported. Mr. Klein allegedly had been stalking Mr. Rabadi and his wife, Elana Z. Radin, for 3 days prior to the homicide after driving the 600 miles from Virginia to New Scotland. Ms. Radin had once been Mr. Klein’s girlfriend, according to a report in the Times Union in Albany, N.Y.

Mr. Klein was being held without bail in the Albany County Correctional Facility and a preliminary hearing was set for April 25. Mr. Klein had been extradited from Virginia April 20, the press release stated. He had been apprehended there April 15 as a fugitive on an arrest warrant, according to authorities.

Ms. Radin and Mr. Rabadi were married last September and worked as surgical PAs together at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, and “sincerely loved working with one another,” according to Mr. Rabadi’s obituary. They missed each other if they weren’t working together, the obituary stated. 

“I know an endless amount of love and strength is being sent my way,” Ms. Radin said in a Facebook post. “These words do not come close to completely encompassing Phil, but they are mine and I’d like to share them.” The obituary she created, reposted on Facebook, was accompanied by photos of the happy couple at their recent wedding.

“Philip was a shining bright light in this world. He was kind, endlessly charismatic, funny, intelligent, patient, and an immediate friend to all. His smile was breathtaking, and his laugh was infectious. Philip was simply a magnetic person. To have known him was a genuine gift in this lifetime.”

The Albany County Sheriff’s Office received a call to check the welfare of Mr. Rabadi after he failed to show up for work last week, according to the press release. Deputies and family members found Mr. Rabadi dead, the release stated.

Ms. Radin reportedly called 911 and arrived at the home with her father-in-law about the same time as the deputies, according to People magazine.

A St. Peter’s Health Partners spokesperson, in an email to this news organization, shared the health system’s reaction to the incident: “The news of Philip Rabadi’s passing leaves us with a deep sadness and heavy hearts...In a memo to colleagues, our senior leaders offered their condolences to Philip’s family and loved ones, mourning the tragic passing of our colleague and friend.”

The response continued, “As a healthcare organization, it is our mission to care for those in need. Right now, many of our own are struggling. Grief counseling services are being made available to colleagues should they need additional support.”

A scholarship was established for PA students in Mr. Rabadi’s name at his alma mater, Albany Medical College.

Meanwhile a search of Mr. Klein’s professional history shows he held a PA license in Syracuse, N.Y., until 2018 and his current license in Virginia was renewed in February.  

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

A Virginia physician assistant entered a plea of not guilty on April 21 to a murder charge in connection with a gruesome slaying of another PA in upstate New York.

Jacob L. Klein, 40, of Wirtz, Va., was charged with second-degree murder at the Town of New Scotland Court in New York following the discovery the previous week of 35-year-old Philip Rabadi, another PA. Mr. Rabadi was discovered on the garage floor of his New Scotland home, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

Mr. Rabadi’s arms were bound and he suffered multiple stab wounds and body mutilation, authorities reported. Mr. Klein allegedly had been stalking Mr. Rabadi and his wife, Elana Z. Radin, for 3 days prior to the homicide after driving the 600 miles from Virginia to New Scotland. Ms. Radin had once been Mr. Klein’s girlfriend, according to a report in the Times Union in Albany, N.Y.

Mr. Klein was being held without bail in the Albany County Correctional Facility and a preliminary hearing was set for April 25. Mr. Klein had been extradited from Virginia April 20, the press release stated. He had been apprehended there April 15 as a fugitive on an arrest warrant, according to authorities.

Ms. Radin and Mr. Rabadi were married last September and worked as surgical PAs together at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, and “sincerely loved working with one another,” according to Mr. Rabadi’s obituary. They missed each other if they weren’t working together, the obituary stated. 

“I know an endless amount of love and strength is being sent my way,” Ms. Radin said in a Facebook post. “These words do not come close to completely encompassing Phil, but they are mine and I’d like to share them.” The obituary she created, reposted on Facebook, was accompanied by photos of the happy couple at their recent wedding.

“Philip was a shining bright light in this world. He was kind, endlessly charismatic, funny, intelligent, patient, and an immediate friend to all. His smile was breathtaking, and his laugh was infectious. Philip was simply a magnetic person. To have known him was a genuine gift in this lifetime.”

The Albany County Sheriff’s Office received a call to check the welfare of Mr. Rabadi after he failed to show up for work last week, according to the press release. Deputies and family members found Mr. Rabadi dead, the release stated.

Ms. Radin reportedly called 911 and arrived at the home with her father-in-law about the same time as the deputies, according to People magazine.

A St. Peter’s Health Partners spokesperson, in an email to this news organization, shared the health system’s reaction to the incident: “The news of Philip Rabadi’s passing leaves us with a deep sadness and heavy hearts...In a memo to colleagues, our senior leaders offered their condolences to Philip’s family and loved ones, mourning the tragic passing of our colleague and friend.”

The response continued, “As a healthcare organization, it is our mission to care for those in need. Right now, many of our own are struggling. Grief counseling services are being made available to colleagues should they need additional support.”

A scholarship was established for PA students in Mr. Rabadi’s name at his alma mater, Albany Medical College.

Meanwhile a search of Mr. Klein’s professional history shows he held a PA license in Syracuse, N.Y., until 2018 and his current license in Virginia was renewed in February.  

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

A Virginia physician assistant entered a plea of not guilty on April 21 to a murder charge in connection with a gruesome slaying of another PA in upstate New York.

Jacob L. Klein, 40, of Wirtz, Va., was charged with second-degree murder at the Town of New Scotland Court in New York following the discovery the previous week of 35-year-old Philip Rabadi, another PA. Mr. Rabadi was discovered on the garage floor of his New Scotland home, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

Mr. Rabadi’s arms were bound and he suffered multiple stab wounds and body mutilation, authorities reported. Mr. Klein allegedly had been stalking Mr. Rabadi and his wife, Elana Z. Radin, for 3 days prior to the homicide after driving the 600 miles from Virginia to New Scotland. Ms. Radin had once been Mr. Klein’s girlfriend, according to a report in the Times Union in Albany, N.Y.

Mr. Klein was being held without bail in the Albany County Correctional Facility and a preliminary hearing was set for April 25. Mr. Klein had been extradited from Virginia April 20, the press release stated. He had been apprehended there April 15 as a fugitive on an arrest warrant, according to authorities.

Ms. Radin and Mr. Rabadi were married last September and worked as surgical PAs together at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, and “sincerely loved working with one another,” according to Mr. Rabadi’s obituary. They missed each other if they weren’t working together, the obituary stated. 

“I know an endless amount of love and strength is being sent my way,” Ms. Radin said in a Facebook post. “These words do not come close to completely encompassing Phil, but they are mine and I’d like to share them.” The obituary she created, reposted on Facebook, was accompanied by photos of the happy couple at their recent wedding.

“Philip was a shining bright light in this world. He was kind, endlessly charismatic, funny, intelligent, patient, and an immediate friend to all. His smile was breathtaking, and his laugh was infectious. Philip was simply a magnetic person. To have known him was a genuine gift in this lifetime.”

The Albany County Sheriff’s Office received a call to check the welfare of Mr. Rabadi after he failed to show up for work last week, according to the press release. Deputies and family members found Mr. Rabadi dead, the release stated.

Ms. Radin reportedly called 911 and arrived at the home with her father-in-law about the same time as the deputies, according to People magazine.

A St. Peter’s Health Partners spokesperson, in an email to this news organization, shared the health system’s reaction to the incident: “The news of Philip Rabadi’s passing leaves us with a deep sadness and heavy hearts...In a memo to colleagues, our senior leaders offered their condolences to Philip’s family and loved ones, mourning the tragic passing of our colleague and friend.”

The response continued, “As a healthcare organization, it is our mission to care for those in need. Right now, many of our own are struggling. Grief counseling services are being made available to colleagues should they need additional support.”

A scholarship was established for PA students in Mr. Rabadi’s name at his alma mater, Albany Medical College.

Meanwhile a search of Mr. Klein’s professional history shows he held a PA license in Syracuse, N.Y., until 2018 and his current license in Virginia was renewed in February.  

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Did you hear the one about the TV host suggesting men get their testicles tanned?

The nutty idea dropped into the lexicon last weekend thanks to Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson.

He aired a promo for a show about an alleged decline of manhood. It featured shirtless, muscled men doing macho things like shooting automatic rifles and wrestling, and a naked man rather triumphantly exposing his crotch to a red-light device made to look like some sort of charging station.

Mr. Carlson then interviewed a “fitness professional,” and both enthused about the idea of exposing male genitalia to red light to raise testosterone levels.

The guest also said he’s heard of something he called “bromeopathy” for people who are suspicious of “mainstream” information. Yes, it’s a combination of the slang term “bro” and the practice of homeopathic medicine.

So, men of America, do you really need to start zapping your privates like Mr. Carlson seems to suggest?

Doctors say the answer is simple: Absolutely not.
 

‘No legitimate evidence’

“There is no legitimate evidence that this type of treatment is effective in improving testosterone levels,” says Petar Bajic MD, a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in men’s health and testosterone.

The red light wouldn’t even be able to penetrate the body deep enough to reach the, uhm, targets, he said, citing “no scientific basis” for Mr. Tucker’s claims that we should be “open minded” about this kind of thing.

“It’s not only a waste of time but also a waste of money,” Dr. Bajic says. “There is a large amount of research and high-quality studies” into treating low testosterone, which is produced primarily in the testicles. “We have very effective and proven treatments available, and this is simply not one of them.”

Testosterone is an important hormone that contributes to masculine physical characteristics, “such as muscle mass and strength, and growth of facial and body hair,” according to the Mayo Clinic. It’s important for bone density, sperm production, erectile function, and more.

As men age, testosterone levels often drop, lowering energy and sexual function while causing weight gain and muscle loss.

If men experience some of these symptoms or become curious about their testosterone levels, they shouldn’t self-diagnose or rely on two guys promoting a TV show, Dr. Bajic says.

Instead, they should see their primary care doctor for a simple blood test, he says. Patient and doctor can decide on treatments, which commonly include:

• Topical gels
• Arm patches
• Injections into the muscle of the leg or the fatty tissue of the belly
• Pellets placed under the skin

Diet, exercise, sleep, and other factors play a role.
 

‘So much misinformation’

The men’s health consumer market is bloated with products promising to raise testosterone levels and help men boost their bedroom performance, among other claims.

But they’re usually based on nothing more than marketing, and erectile disfunction is more commonly caused by reduced blood flow than a lack of testosterone, Dr. Bajic says.

“It all comes down to looking at all of these as a consumer and as a patient ... with a critical eye. There’s always a new ‘cure all’ for whatever your ailment is,” he says.

Testosterone levels change throughout the day. It’s thought to be produced during REM sleep, which can be diminished by alcohol use and other factors.

“All these things are related,” Dr. Bajic said, so there’s no reason to flash a light where it’s usually not seen – especially since neither the safety nor efficacy of testicle tanning has been established.

Oregon urologist Ashley Winter, MD, got into the Twitter fray about Carlson’s comments.

“Also, by definition you CANNOT have data on testicle tanning because you cannot TAN an internal organ,” she said on the social media network. “Tanning your scrotal sack and calling it ‘testicle tanning,’ is like tanning your abdominal skin and calling it ‘liver tanning.’”
 

What advocates say

What do proponents of red light therapy say? A Men’s Health article claims red light “works to stimulate ATP production, increase energy available to the cell and in particular, increase the activity of the Leydig cells in your testes, which are the cells responsible for testosterone production.”

The article also helpfully points out: “It’s important to note that there are currently no light therapy devices on the market cleared by FDA for the enhanced production of testosterone LED-based therapy.” And many lamps sold for red light therapy can get so hot that they damage the skin.

The author ordered a Joovv device, which Mr. Carlson’s “fitness professional” guest name-dropped. They range from $600 to almost $10,000. He liked the way it felt and said it seemed to improve his sexual performance.
 

Still a hard sell

Atlanta dermatologist Emily de Golian, MD, says tanning genitalia can be dangerous to the skin.

“There is no such thing as a safe tan, all tanning is indicative of sun damage in the skin and is the body’s effort to shield the DNA from further damage, and tanning increases the risk of skin cancer,” she says. “Scrotal skin is particularly delicate and sensitive to sun exposure, and the risk of sunburn, which further increases the risk of skin cancer, is high.”

Mat Rezaei, founder and CEO of UPGUYS, which provides erectile disfunction medicine, says, “UV light has no negative or positive response to balancing testosterone deficiency.”

Even frequent Fox guest Kid Rock wasn’t buying into the idea.

“Dude, stop! Testicle tanning? Come on,” Mr. Rock said to Mr. Carlson. “I mean, I haven’t heard anything that good in a long time.”

“Open your mind,” said Mr. Carlson as he laughed along with the musician.

Kid Rock replied, “I’m starting a punk rock band and it’s called Testicle Tanning. That’s the end of it.”

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

Did you hear the one about the TV host suggesting men get their testicles tanned?

The nutty idea dropped into the lexicon last weekend thanks to Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson.

He aired a promo for a show about an alleged decline of manhood. It featured shirtless, muscled men doing macho things like shooting automatic rifles and wrestling, and a naked man rather triumphantly exposing his crotch to a red-light device made to look like some sort of charging station.

Mr. Carlson then interviewed a “fitness professional,” and both enthused about the idea of exposing male genitalia to red light to raise testosterone levels.

The guest also said he’s heard of something he called “bromeopathy” for people who are suspicious of “mainstream” information. Yes, it’s a combination of the slang term “bro” and the practice of homeopathic medicine.

So, men of America, do you really need to start zapping your privates like Mr. Carlson seems to suggest?

Doctors say the answer is simple: Absolutely not.
 

‘No legitimate evidence’

“There is no legitimate evidence that this type of treatment is effective in improving testosterone levels,” says Petar Bajic MD, a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in men’s health and testosterone.

The red light wouldn’t even be able to penetrate the body deep enough to reach the, uhm, targets, he said, citing “no scientific basis” for Mr. Tucker’s claims that we should be “open minded” about this kind of thing.

“It’s not only a waste of time but also a waste of money,” Dr. Bajic says. “There is a large amount of research and high-quality studies” into treating low testosterone, which is produced primarily in the testicles. “We have very effective and proven treatments available, and this is simply not one of them.”

Testosterone is an important hormone that contributes to masculine physical characteristics, “such as muscle mass and strength, and growth of facial and body hair,” according to the Mayo Clinic. It’s important for bone density, sperm production, erectile function, and more.

As men age, testosterone levels often drop, lowering energy and sexual function while causing weight gain and muscle loss.

If men experience some of these symptoms or become curious about their testosterone levels, they shouldn’t self-diagnose or rely on two guys promoting a TV show, Dr. Bajic says.

Instead, they should see their primary care doctor for a simple blood test, he says. Patient and doctor can decide on treatments, which commonly include:

• Topical gels
• Arm patches
• Injections into the muscle of the leg or the fatty tissue of the belly
• Pellets placed under the skin

Diet, exercise, sleep, and other factors play a role.
 

‘So much misinformation’

The men’s health consumer market is bloated with products promising to raise testosterone levels and help men boost their bedroom performance, among other claims.

But they’re usually based on nothing more than marketing, and erectile disfunction is more commonly caused by reduced blood flow than a lack of testosterone, Dr. Bajic says.

“It all comes down to looking at all of these as a consumer and as a patient ... with a critical eye. There’s always a new ‘cure all’ for whatever your ailment is,” he says.

Testosterone levels change throughout the day. It’s thought to be produced during REM sleep, which can be diminished by alcohol use and other factors.

“All these things are related,” Dr. Bajic said, so there’s no reason to flash a light where it’s usually not seen – especially since neither the safety nor efficacy of testicle tanning has been established.

Oregon urologist Ashley Winter, MD, got into the Twitter fray about Carlson’s comments.

“Also, by definition you CANNOT have data on testicle tanning because you cannot TAN an internal organ,” she said on the social media network. “Tanning your scrotal sack and calling it ‘testicle tanning,’ is like tanning your abdominal skin and calling it ‘liver tanning.’”
 

What advocates say

What do proponents of red light therapy say? A Men’s Health article claims red light “works to stimulate ATP production, increase energy available to the cell and in particular, increase the activity of the Leydig cells in your testes, which are the cells responsible for testosterone production.”

The article also helpfully points out: “It’s important to note that there are currently no light therapy devices on the market cleared by FDA for the enhanced production of testosterone LED-based therapy.” And many lamps sold for red light therapy can get so hot that they damage the skin.

The author ordered a Joovv device, which Mr. Carlson’s “fitness professional” guest name-dropped. They range from $600 to almost $10,000. He liked the way it felt and said it seemed to improve his sexual performance.
 

Still a hard sell

Atlanta dermatologist Emily de Golian, MD, says tanning genitalia can be dangerous to the skin.

“There is no such thing as a safe tan, all tanning is indicative of sun damage in the skin and is the body’s effort to shield the DNA from further damage, and tanning increases the risk of skin cancer,” she says. “Scrotal skin is particularly delicate and sensitive to sun exposure, and the risk of sunburn, which further increases the risk of skin cancer, is high.”

Mat Rezaei, founder and CEO of UPGUYS, which provides erectile disfunction medicine, says, “UV light has no negative or positive response to balancing testosterone deficiency.”

Even frequent Fox guest Kid Rock wasn’t buying into the idea.

“Dude, stop! Testicle tanning? Come on,” Mr. Rock said to Mr. Carlson. “I mean, I haven’t heard anything that good in a long time.”

“Open your mind,” said Mr. Carlson as he laughed along with the musician.

Kid Rock replied, “I’m starting a punk rock band and it’s called Testicle Tanning. That’s the end of it.”

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

Did you hear the one about the TV host suggesting men get their testicles tanned?

The nutty idea dropped into the lexicon last weekend thanks to Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson.

He aired a promo for a show about an alleged decline of manhood. It featured shirtless, muscled men doing macho things like shooting automatic rifles and wrestling, and a naked man rather triumphantly exposing his crotch to a red-light device made to look like some sort of charging station.

Mr. Carlson then interviewed a “fitness professional,” and both enthused about the idea of exposing male genitalia to red light to raise testosterone levels.

The guest also said he’s heard of something he called “bromeopathy” for people who are suspicious of “mainstream” information. Yes, it’s a combination of the slang term “bro” and the practice of homeopathic medicine.

So, men of America, do you really need to start zapping your privates like Mr. Carlson seems to suggest?

Doctors say the answer is simple: Absolutely not.
 

‘No legitimate evidence’

“There is no legitimate evidence that this type of treatment is effective in improving testosterone levels,” says Petar Bajic MD, a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in men’s health and testosterone.

The red light wouldn’t even be able to penetrate the body deep enough to reach the, uhm, targets, he said, citing “no scientific basis” for Mr. Tucker’s claims that we should be “open minded” about this kind of thing.

“It’s not only a waste of time but also a waste of money,” Dr. Bajic says. “There is a large amount of research and high-quality studies” into treating low testosterone, which is produced primarily in the testicles. “We have very effective and proven treatments available, and this is simply not one of them.”

Testosterone is an important hormone that contributes to masculine physical characteristics, “such as muscle mass and strength, and growth of facial and body hair,” according to the Mayo Clinic. It’s important for bone density, sperm production, erectile function, and more.

As men age, testosterone levels often drop, lowering energy and sexual function while causing weight gain and muscle loss.

If men experience some of these symptoms or become curious about their testosterone levels, they shouldn’t self-diagnose or rely on two guys promoting a TV show, Dr. Bajic says.

Instead, they should see their primary care doctor for a simple blood test, he says. Patient and doctor can decide on treatments, which commonly include:

• Topical gels
• Arm patches
• Injections into the muscle of the leg or the fatty tissue of the belly
• Pellets placed under the skin

Diet, exercise, sleep, and other factors play a role.
 

‘So much misinformation’

The men’s health consumer market is bloated with products promising to raise testosterone levels and help men boost their bedroom performance, among other claims.

But they’re usually based on nothing more than marketing, and erectile disfunction is more commonly caused by reduced blood flow than a lack of testosterone, Dr. Bajic says.

“It all comes down to looking at all of these as a consumer and as a patient ... with a critical eye. There’s always a new ‘cure all’ for whatever your ailment is,” he says.

Testosterone levels change throughout the day. It’s thought to be produced during REM sleep, which can be diminished by alcohol use and other factors.

“All these things are related,” Dr. Bajic said, so there’s no reason to flash a light where it’s usually not seen – especially since neither the safety nor efficacy of testicle tanning has been established.

Oregon urologist Ashley Winter, MD, got into the Twitter fray about Carlson’s comments.

“Also, by definition you CANNOT have data on testicle tanning because you cannot TAN an internal organ,” she said on the social media network. “Tanning your scrotal sack and calling it ‘testicle tanning,’ is like tanning your abdominal skin and calling it ‘liver tanning.’”
 

What advocates say

What do proponents of red light therapy say? A Men’s Health article claims red light “works to stimulate ATP production, increase energy available to the cell and in particular, increase the activity of the Leydig cells in your testes, which are the cells responsible for testosterone production.”

The article also helpfully points out: “It’s important to note that there are currently no light therapy devices on the market cleared by FDA for the enhanced production of testosterone LED-based therapy.” And many lamps sold for red light therapy can get so hot that they damage the skin.

The author ordered a Joovv device, which Mr. Carlson’s “fitness professional” guest name-dropped. They range from $600 to almost $10,000. He liked the way it felt and said it seemed to improve his sexual performance.
 

Still a hard sell

Atlanta dermatologist Emily de Golian, MD, says tanning genitalia can be dangerous to the skin.

“There is no such thing as a safe tan, all tanning is indicative of sun damage in the skin and is the body’s effort to shield the DNA from further damage, and tanning increases the risk of skin cancer,” she says. “Scrotal skin is particularly delicate and sensitive to sun exposure, and the risk of sunburn, which further increases the risk of skin cancer, is high.”

Mat Rezaei, founder and CEO of UPGUYS, which provides erectile disfunction medicine, says, “UV light has no negative or positive response to balancing testosterone deficiency.”

Even frequent Fox guest Kid Rock wasn’t buying into the idea.

“Dude, stop! Testicle tanning? Come on,” Mr. Rock said to Mr. Carlson. “I mean, I haven’t heard anything that good in a long time.”

“Open your mind,” said Mr. Carlson as he laughed along with the musician.

Kid Rock replied, “I’m starting a punk rock band and it’s called Testicle Tanning. That’s the end of it.”

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

The force is with Ukraine, always

Of all the things we could want from Star Wars, a lightsaber is at the top of the list. And someone is working on that. But second is probably the iconic X-wing. It was used to blow up the Death Star after all: Who wouldn’t want one?

A real-life star fighter may be outside our technological capabilities, but Dr. Akaki Lekiachvili of Atlanta has done the next best thing and constructed a two-thirds scale model to encourage kids to enter the sciences and, with the advent of the war in Ukraine, raise money for medical supplies to assist doctors in the embattled country. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Dr. Lekiachvili, originally from Georgia (the country, former Soviet republic, and previous target of Russian aggression in 2008), takes a dim view toward the invasion of Ukraine: “Russia is like the Evil Empire and Ukraine the Rebel Alliance.”

Richard Franki/MDedge

It’s been a long road finishing the X-Wing, as Dr. Lekiachvili started the project in 2016 and spent $60,000 on it, posting numerous updates on social media over that time, even attracting the attention of Luke Skywalker himself, actor Mark Hamill. Now that he’s done, he’s brought his model out to the public multiple times, delighting kids and adults alike. It can’t fly, but it has an engine and wheels so it can move, the wings can lock into attack position, the thrusters light up, and the voices of Obi-Wan Kenobi and R2-D2 guide children along as they sit in the cockpit.

Dr. Lekiachvili hopes to auction off his creation to a collector and donate the proceeds to Ukrainian charities, and we’re sure he’ll receive far more than the $60,000 he spent building his masterpiece. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to raid our bank accounts. We have a Death Star to destroy.
 

I’m a doctor, not a hologram

Telemedicine got a big boost during the early phase of the pandemic when hospitals and medical offices were off limits to anyone without COVID-19, but things have cooled off, telemedically speaking, since then. Well, NASA may have heated them up again. Or maybe it was Starfleet. Hmm, wait a second while we check. … No, it was NASA.

Thomas Pesquet/ESA

The space agency used the Microsoft Hololens Kinect camera and a personal computer with custom software from Aexa Aerospace to “holoport” NASA flight surgeon Josef Schmid up to the International Space Station, where he had a conversation with European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who wore an augmented reality headset that allowed him to see, hear, and interact with a 3D representation of the earthbound medical provider.

“Holoportation has been in use since at least 2016 by Microsoft, but this is the first use in such an extreme and remote environment such as space,” NASA said in a recent written statement, noting that the extreme house call took place on Oct. 8, 2021.

They seem to be forgetting about Star Trek, but we’ll let them slide on that one. Anyway, NASA didn’t share any details of the medical holoconversation – which may have strained the limits of HIPAA’s portability provisions – but Dr. Schmid described it as “a brand-new way of human exploration, where our human entity is able to travel off the planet. Our physical body is not there, but our human entity absolutely is there.”

Boldly doctoring where no doctor has gone before, you might say. You also might notice from the photo that Dr. Schmid went full Trekkie with a genuine Vulcan salute. Live long and prosper, Dr. Schmid. Live long and prosper.
 

Add electricity for umami

Salt makes everything taste better. Unfortunately, excess salt can cause problems for our bodies down the line, starting with high blood pressure and continuing on to heart disease and strokes. So how do we enjoy our deliciously salty foods without putting ourselves at risk? One answer may be electricity.

OpenClipart-Vectors/Pixabay

Researchers at Meiji University in Tokyo partnered with food and beverage maker Kirin to develop a set of electric chopsticks to boost the taste of salt in foods without the extra sodium. According to codeveloper and Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita, the device, worn like a watch with a wire attached to one of the chopsticks, “uses a weak electrical current to transmit sodium ions from food, through the chopsticks, to the mouth where they create a sense of saltines,” Reuters said.

In a country like Japan, where a lot of food is made with heavily sodium-based ingredients like miso and soy sauce, the average adult consumes 10 g of salt a day. That’s twice the recommended amount proposed by the World Health Organization. To not sacrifice bland food for better health, this device, which enhances the saltiness of the food consumed by 1.5 times, offers a fairly easy solution to a big public health crisis.

The chopsticks were tested by giving participants reduced-sodium miso soup. They told the researchers that the food was improved in “richness, sweetness, and overall tastiness,” the Guardian said.

Worried about having something electric in your mouth? Don’t worry. Kirin said in a statement that the electricity is very weak and not enough to affect the body.

The chopsticks are still in a prototype stage, but you may be able to get your pair as soon as next year. Until then, maybe be a little mindful of the salt.
 

Pet poop works in mysterious ways

We usually see it as a burden when our pets poop and pee in the house, but those bodily excretions may be able to tell us something about cancer-causing toxins running rampant in our homes.

PxHere

Those toxins, known as aromatic amines, can be found in tobacco smoke and dyes used in make-up, textiles, and plastics. “Our findings suggest that pets are coming into contact with aromatic amines that leach from products in their household environment,” lead author Sridhar Chinthakindi, PhD, of NYU Langone Health, said in a statement from the university. “As these substances have been tied to bladder, colorectal, and other forms of cancer, our results may help explain why so many dogs and cats develop such diseases.”

Tobacco smoke was not the main source of the aromatic amines found in the poop and urine, but 70% of dogs and 80% of cats had these chemicals in their waste. The researchers looked for 30 types of aromatic amines plus nicotine in the sample and found 8. The chemical concentrations were much higher in cats than in dogs, possibly because of differences in exposure and metabolism between the two species, they suggested.

“If [pets] are getting exposed to toxins in our homes, then we had better take a closer look at our own exposure,” said senior author Kurunthachalam Kannan, PhD, of NYU Langone.

So the next time your pet poops or pees in the house, don’t get mad. Maybe they’re just trying to help you out by supplying some easy-to-collect samples.

The force is with Ukraine, always

Of all the things we could want from Star Wars, a lightsaber is at the top of the list. And someone is working on that. But second is probably the iconic X-wing. It was used to blow up the Death Star after all: Who wouldn’t want one?

A real-life star fighter may be outside our technological capabilities, but Dr. Akaki Lekiachvili of Atlanta has done the next best thing and constructed a two-thirds scale model to encourage kids to enter the sciences and, with the advent of the war in Ukraine, raise money for medical supplies to assist doctors in the embattled country. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Dr. Lekiachvili, originally from Georgia (the country, former Soviet republic, and previous target of Russian aggression in 2008), takes a dim view toward the invasion of Ukraine: “Russia is like the Evil Empire and Ukraine the Rebel Alliance.”

Richard Franki/MDedge

It’s been a long road finishing the X-Wing, as Dr. Lekiachvili started the project in 2016 and spent $60,000 on it, posting numerous updates on social media over that time, even attracting the attention of Luke Skywalker himself, actor Mark Hamill. Now that he’s done, he’s brought his model out to the public multiple times, delighting kids and adults alike. It can’t fly, but it has an engine and wheels so it can move, the wings can lock into attack position, the thrusters light up, and the voices of Obi-Wan Kenobi and R2-D2 guide children along as they sit in the cockpit.

Dr. Lekiachvili hopes to auction off his creation to a collector and donate the proceeds to Ukrainian charities, and we’re sure he’ll receive far more than the $60,000 he spent building his masterpiece. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to raid our bank accounts. We have a Death Star to destroy.
 

I’m a doctor, not a hologram

Telemedicine got a big boost during the early phase of the pandemic when hospitals and medical offices were off limits to anyone without COVID-19, but things have cooled off, telemedically speaking, since then. Well, NASA may have heated them up again. Or maybe it was Starfleet. Hmm, wait a second while we check. … No, it was NASA.

Thomas Pesquet/ESA

The space agency used the Microsoft Hololens Kinect camera and a personal computer with custom software from Aexa Aerospace to “holoport” NASA flight surgeon Josef Schmid up to the International Space Station, where he had a conversation with European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who wore an augmented reality headset that allowed him to see, hear, and interact with a 3D representation of the earthbound medical provider.

“Holoportation has been in use since at least 2016 by Microsoft, but this is the first use in such an extreme and remote environment such as space,” NASA said in a recent written statement, noting that the extreme house call took place on Oct. 8, 2021.

They seem to be forgetting about Star Trek, but we’ll let them slide on that one. Anyway, NASA didn’t share any details of the medical holoconversation – which may have strained the limits of HIPAA’s portability provisions – but Dr. Schmid described it as “a brand-new way of human exploration, where our human entity is able to travel off the planet. Our physical body is not there, but our human entity absolutely is there.”

Boldly doctoring where no doctor has gone before, you might say. You also might notice from the photo that Dr. Schmid went full Trekkie with a genuine Vulcan salute. Live long and prosper, Dr. Schmid. Live long and prosper.
 

Add electricity for umami

Salt makes everything taste better. Unfortunately, excess salt can cause problems for our bodies down the line, starting with high blood pressure and continuing on to heart disease and strokes. So how do we enjoy our deliciously salty foods without putting ourselves at risk? One answer may be electricity.

OpenClipart-Vectors/Pixabay

Researchers at Meiji University in Tokyo partnered with food and beverage maker Kirin to develop a set of electric chopsticks to boost the taste of salt in foods without the extra sodium. According to codeveloper and Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita, the device, worn like a watch with a wire attached to one of the chopsticks, “uses a weak electrical current to transmit sodium ions from food, through the chopsticks, to the mouth where they create a sense of saltines,” Reuters said.

In a country like Japan, where a lot of food is made with heavily sodium-based ingredients like miso and soy sauce, the average adult consumes 10 g of salt a day. That’s twice the recommended amount proposed by the World Health Organization. To not sacrifice bland food for better health, this device, which enhances the saltiness of the food consumed by 1.5 times, offers a fairly easy solution to a big public health crisis.

The chopsticks were tested by giving participants reduced-sodium miso soup. They told the researchers that the food was improved in “richness, sweetness, and overall tastiness,” the Guardian said.

Worried about having something electric in your mouth? Don’t worry. Kirin said in a statement that the electricity is very weak and not enough to affect the body.

The chopsticks are still in a prototype stage, but you may be able to get your pair as soon as next year. Until then, maybe be a little mindful of the salt.
 

Pet poop works in mysterious ways

We usually see it as a burden when our pets poop and pee in the house, but those bodily excretions may be able to tell us something about cancer-causing toxins running rampant in our homes.

PxHere

Those toxins, known as aromatic amines, can be found in tobacco smoke and dyes used in make-up, textiles, and plastics. “Our findings suggest that pets are coming into contact with aromatic amines that leach from products in their household environment,” lead author Sridhar Chinthakindi, PhD, of NYU Langone Health, said in a statement from the university. “As these substances have been tied to bladder, colorectal, and other forms of cancer, our results may help explain why so many dogs and cats develop such diseases.”

Tobacco smoke was not the main source of the aromatic amines found in the poop and urine, but 70% of dogs and 80% of cats had these chemicals in their waste. The researchers looked for 30 types of aromatic amines plus nicotine in the sample and found 8. The chemical concentrations were much higher in cats than in dogs, possibly because of differences in exposure and metabolism between the two species, they suggested.

“If [pets] are getting exposed to toxins in our homes, then we had better take a closer look at our own exposure,” said senior author Kurunthachalam Kannan, PhD, of NYU Langone.

So the next time your pet poops or pees in the house, don’t get mad. Maybe they’re just trying to help you out by supplying some easy-to-collect samples.

The force is with Ukraine, always

Of all the things we could want from Star Wars, a lightsaber is at the top of the list. And someone is working on that. But second is probably the iconic X-wing. It was used to blow up the Death Star after all: Who wouldn’t want one?

A real-life star fighter may be outside our technological capabilities, but Dr. Akaki Lekiachvili of Atlanta has done the next best thing and constructed a two-thirds scale model to encourage kids to enter the sciences and, with the advent of the war in Ukraine, raise money for medical supplies to assist doctors in the embattled country. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Dr. Lekiachvili, originally from Georgia (the country, former Soviet republic, and previous target of Russian aggression in 2008), takes a dim view toward the invasion of Ukraine: “Russia is like the Evil Empire and Ukraine the Rebel Alliance.”

Richard Franki/MDedge

It’s been a long road finishing the X-Wing, as Dr. Lekiachvili started the project in 2016 and spent $60,000 on it, posting numerous updates on social media over that time, even attracting the attention of Luke Skywalker himself, actor Mark Hamill. Now that he’s done, he’s brought his model out to the public multiple times, delighting kids and adults alike. It can’t fly, but it has an engine and wheels so it can move, the wings can lock into attack position, the thrusters light up, and the voices of Obi-Wan Kenobi and R2-D2 guide children along as they sit in the cockpit.

Dr. Lekiachvili hopes to auction off his creation to a collector and donate the proceeds to Ukrainian charities, and we’re sure he’ll receive far more than the $60,000 he spent building his masterpiece. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to raid our bank accounts. We have a Death Star to destroy.
 

I’m a doctor, not a hologram

Telemedicine got a big boost during the early phase of the pandemic when hospitals and medical offices were off limits to anyone without COVID-19, but things have cooled off, telemedically speaking, since then. Well, NASA may have heated them up again. Or maybe it was Starfleet. Hmm, wait a second while we check. … No, it was NASA.

Thomas Pesquet/ESA

The space agency used the Microsoft Hololens Kinect camera and a personal computer with custom software from Aexa Aerospace to “holoport” NASA flight surgeon Josef Schmid up to the International Space Station, where he had a conversation with European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who wore an augmented reality headset that allowed him to see, hear, and interact with a 3D representation of the earthbound medical provider.

“Holoportation has been in use since at least 2016 by Microsoft, but this is the first use in such an extreme and remote environment such as space,” NASA said in a recent written statement, noting that the extreme house call took place on Oct. 8, 2021.

They seem to be forgetting about Star Trek, but we’ll let them slide on that one. Anyway, NASA didn’t share any details of the medical holoconversation – which may have strained the limits of HIPAA’s portability provisions – but Dr. Schmid described it as “a brand-new way of human exploration, where our human entity is able to travel off the planet. Our physical body is not there, but our human entity absolutely is there.”

Boldly doctoring where no doctor has gone before, you might say. You also might notice from the photo that Dr. Schmid went full Trekkie with a genuine Vulcan salute. Live long and prosper, Dr. Schmid. Live long and prosper.
 

Add electricity for umami

Salt makes everything taste better. Unfortunately, excess salt can cause problems for our bodies down the line, starting with high blood pressure and continuing on to heart disease and strokes. So how do we enjoy our deliciously salty foods without putting ourselves at risk? One answer may be electricity.

OpenClipart-Vectors/Pixabay

Researchers at Meiji University in Tokyo partnered with food and beverage maker Kirin to develop a set of electric chopsticks to boost the taste of salt in foods without the extra sodium. According to codeveloper and Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita, the device, worn like a watch with a wire attached to one of the chopsticks, “uses a weak electrical current to transmit sodium ions from food, through the chopsticks, to the mouth where they create a sense of saltines,” Reuters said.

In a country like Japan, where a lot of food is made with heavily sodium-based ingredients like miso and soy sauce, the average adult consumes 10 g of salt a day. That’s twice the recommended amount proposed by the World Health Organization. To not sacrifice bland food for better health, this device, which enhances the saltiness of the food consumed by 1.5 times, offers a fairly easy solution to a big public health crisis.

The chopsticks were tested by giving participants reduced-sodium miso soup. They told the researchers that the food was improved in “richness, sweetness, and overall tastiness,” the Guardian said.

Worried about having something electric in your mouth? Don’t worry. Kirin said in a statement that the electricity is very weak and not enough to affect the body.

The chopsticks are still in a prototype stage, but you may be able to get your pair as soon as next year. Until then, maybe be a little mindful of the salt.
 

Pet poop works in mysterious ways

We usually see it as a burden when our pets poop and pee in the house, but those bodily excretions may be able to tell us something about cancer-causing toxins running rampant in our homes.

PxHere

Those toxins, known as aromatic amines, can be found in tobacco smoke and dyes used in make-up, textiles, and plastics. “Our findings suggest that pets are coming into contact with aromatic amines that leach from products in their household environment,” lead author Sridhar Chinthakindi, PhD, of NYU Langone Health, said in a statement from the university. “As these substances have been tied to bladder, colorectal, and other forms of cancer, our results may help explain why so many dogs and cats develop such diseases.”

Tobacco smoke was not the main source of the aromatic amines found in the poop and urine, but 70% of dogs and 80% of cats had these chemicals in their waste. The researchers looked for 30 types of aromatic amines plus nicotine in the sample and found 8. The chemical concentrations were much higher in cats than in dogs, possibly because of differences in exposure and metabolism between the two species, they suggested.

“If [pets] are getting exposed to toxins in our homes, then we had better take a closer look at our own exposure,” said senior author Kurunthachalam Kannan, PhD, of NYU Langone.

So the next time your pet poops or pees in the house, don’t get mad. Maybe they’re just trying to help you out by supplying some easy-to-collect samples.

The Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to 12 companies selling over-the-counter (OTC) skin lightening products, the agency announced on April 19. All the products contain hydroquinone as the active ingredient, and don’t meet the requirements to be sold legally over the counter. The letters were dated April 13.

The 12 products with hydroquinone are “unapproved drugs and are not generally recognized as safe and effective” (abbreviated as GRASE), the FDA said.

Among the side effects associated with hydroquinone products reported to the FDA are skin rashes, facial swelling, and skin discoloration or ochronosis. The discoloration can be permanent, the FDA said. The lighteners are marketed for use on age or dark spots on the skin associated with melasma.

Tri-Luma, a prescription product for the treatment of moderate to severe melasma of the face, is the only FDA-approved drug containing hydroquinone, according to the FDA. It contains 4% hydroquinone and two other ingredients. It is meant to be used under the supervision of a health care professional. Tri-Luma is indicated for up to 8 weeks of treatment for moderate to severe melasma of the face. The OTC products contain up to 2%. (Generic versions of 4% hydroquinone are available by prescription, dermatologists said.)

“Hydroquinone is a very effective medication, and that’s exactly what it is, a medication,” said Lily Talakoub, MD, a dermatologist in McLean, Va., who supports the FDA action. “It’s very effective and very safe to use in the right hands, but when it is overused or used in the wrong situation, it can cause problems.” Those problems often occur, she said, when there is no health care professional overseeing the use of the OTC products, and when people use them over the long term.

The FDA action to ban the OTC products is “very appropriate,” said dermatologist Pooja Sodha, MD, assistant professor and director of the Center for Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology at George Washington University, Washington. “We know patients pick this up [an OTC product] and use it without physician oversight.” When patients use the products longer than is appropriate, which is also common, it can worsen the initial skin issue, she said.

The action follows reforms finalized under the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act), which included not only COVID-19 response efforts but also updated the method in which certain OTC drugs are regulated. Manufacturers of the skin lightening products that don’t have FDA approval had been told to remove the products from the market by September 2020.

The recent letters were sent to a dozen companies still marketing their products without an FDA new drug approval. The agency asked the companies to take prompt action and respond with 15 days, stating what they have done to correct the violations.

The 12 companies are AMBI Enterprises, Clinical Formula, Elements Brands Inc., Genomma Lab USA, Intilight/Dr Thomas Balshi, M&M Beauty and Wellness, Neoteric Cosmetics/Scott’s Liquid Gold, Skin Authority, Skin Pro, Skin PS Brands, True Earth Health Products, and Ultimark Products.

Health care professionals and consumers can report adverse reactions associated with these products to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

The Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to 12 companies selling over-the-counter (OTC) skin lightening products, the agency announced on April 19. All the products contain hydroquinone as the active ingredient, and don’t meet the requirements to be sold legally over the counter. The letters were dated April 13.

The 12 products with hydroquinone are “unapproved drugs and are not generally recognized as safe and effective” (abbreviated as GRASE), the FDA said.

Among the side effects associated with hydroquinone products reported to the FDA are skin rashes, facial swelling, and skin discoloration or ochronosis. The discoloration can be permanent, the FDA said. The lighteners are marketed for use on age or dark spots on the skin associated with melasma.

Tri-Luma, a prescription product for the treatment of moderate to severe melasma of the face, is the only FDA-approved drug containing hydroquinone, according to the FDA. It contains 4% hydroquinone and two other ingredients. It is meant to be used under the supervision of a health care professional. Tri-Luma is indicated for up to 8 weeks of treatment for moderate to severe melasma of the face. The OTC products contain up to 2%. (Generic versions of 4% hydroquinone are available by prescription, dermatologists said.)

“Hydroquinone is a very effective medication, and that’s exactly what it is, a medication,” said Lily Talakoub, MD, a dermatologist in McLean, Va., who supports the FDA action. “It’s very effective and very safe to use in the right hands, but when it is overused or used in the wrong situation, it can cause problems.” Those problems often occur, she said, when there is no health care professional overseeing the use of the OTC products, and when people use them over the long term.

The FDA action to ban the OTC products is “very appropriate,” said dermatologist Pooja Sodha, MD, assistant professor and director of the Center for Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology at George Washington University, Washington. “We know patients pick this up [an OTC product] and use it without physician oversight.” When patients use the products longer than is appropriate, which is also common, it can worsen the initial skin issue, she said.

The action follows reforms finalized under the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act), which included not only COVID-19 response efforts but also updated the method in which certain OTC drugs are regulated. Manufacturers of the skin lightening products that don’t have FDA approval had been told to remove the products from the market by September 2020.

The recent letters were sent to a dozen companies still marketing their products without an FDA new drug approval. The agency asked the companies to take prompt action and respond with 15 days, stating what they have done to correct the violations.

The 12 companies are AMBI Enterprises, Clinical Formula, Elements Brands Inc., Genomma Lab USA, Intilight/Dr Thomas Balshi, M&M Beauty and Wellness, Neoteric Cosmetics/Scott’s Liquid Gold, Skin Authority, Skin Pro, Skin PS Brands, True Earth Health Products, and Ultimark Products.

Health care professionals and consumers can report adverse reactions associated with these products to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

The Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to 12 companies selling over-the-counter (OTC) skin lightening products, the agency announced on April 19. All the products contain hydroquinone as the active ingredient, and don’t meet the requirements to be sold legally over the counter. The letters were dated April 13.

The 12 products with hydroquinone are “unapproved drugs and are not generally recognized as safe and effective” (abbreviated as GRASE), the FDA said.

Among the side effects associated with hydroquinone products reported to the FDA are skin rashes, facial swelling, and skin discoloration or ochronosis. The discoloration can be permanent, the FDA said. The lighteners are marketed for use on age or dark spots on the skin associated with melasma.

Tri-Luma, a prescription product for the treatment of moderate to severe melasma of the face, is the only FDA-approved drug containing hydroquinone, according to the FDA. It contains 4% hydroquinone and two other ingredients. It is meant to be used under the supervision of a health care professional. Tri-Luma is indicated for up to 8 weeks of treatment for moderate to severe melasma of the face. The OTC products contain up to 2%. (Generic versions of 4% hydroquinone are available by prescription, dermatologists said.)

“Hydroquinone is a very effective medication, and that’s exactly what it is, a medication,” said Lily Talakoub, MD, a dermatologist in McLean, Va., who supports the FDA action. “It’s very effective and very safe to use in the right hands, but when it is overused or used in the wrong situation, it can cause problems.” Those problems often occur, she said, when there is no health care professional overseeing the use of the OTC products, and when people use them over the long term.

The FDA action to ban the OTC products is “very appropriate,” said dermatologist Pooja Sodha, MD, assistant professor and director of the Center for Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology at George Washington University, Washington. “We know patients pick this up [an OTC product] and use it without physician oversight.” When patients use the products longer than is appropriate, which is also common, it can worsen the initial skin issue, she said.

The action follows reforms finalized under the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act), which included not only COVID-19 response efforts but also updated the method in which certain OTC drugs are regulated. Manufacturers of the skin lightening products that don’t have FDA approval had been told to remove the products from the market by September 2020.

The recent letters were sent to a dozen companies still marketing their products without an FDA new drug approval. The agency asked the companies to take prompt action and respond with 15 days, stating what they have done to correct the violations.

The 12 companies are AMBI Enterprises, Clinical Formula, Elements Brands Inc., Genomma Lab USA, Intilight/Dr Thomas Balshi, M&M Beauty and Wellness, Neoteric Cosmetics/Scott’s Liquid Gold, Skin Authority, Skin Pro, Skin PS Brands, True Earth Health Products, and Ultimark Products.

Health care professionals and consumers can report adverse reactions associated with these products to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Heartland virus (HRTV), an emerging infection first detected in lone star ticks in Missouri in 2009, has spread to lone star ticks in Georgia, a study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases reports.

HRTV disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected Amblyomma americanum tick, named “lone star” because of the silver-white spot on the female scutum (back).

“By … sampling … in an area with reported exposure to HRTV in wildlife and humans and testing for infection in thousands of ticks from multiple sites and physiologic stages, we confirmed the presence of HRTV in Georgia,” the authors write.

“This information about the expanding geographic range of lone star ticks, combined with increased human presence in tick-infested habitats, can be used to improve strategies for preventing tick bites and to alert physicians about this emerging tickborne virus infection,” a press release by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.
 

Persistent field and lab work led to HRTV discovery in Georgia

The search for infected lone star ticks began after a retroactive analysis confirmed that a person who died in Georgia in 2005 from an unidentified illness was infected with HRTV. A subsequent analysis of serum samples collected earlier from local white-tailed deer showed that the deer had been exposed to HRTV since at least 2001, according to a press release by Emory University.

These discoveries prompted local researchers to investigate whether lone star ticks in rural, woodsy central Georgia were carrying HRTV.

Lead study author Yamila Romer, MD, an infectious disease clinician and microbiologist in the department of environmental sciences at Emory University in Atlanta, and her colleagues collected samples of ticks in 2018 at 26 sites near the location of the patient who died and the seropositive deer. In 2019, they focused their collections on the two sites that had provided the most ticks in 2018.

From April to October in both years, the research team visited sites weekly to swish white flannel flags through underbrush. They picked off adult and nymph Amblyomma americanum ticks, placed them into vials, and transported them to their lab. They sorted 9,294 ticks by sex, life stage, and collection site. Then they crushed the ticks and extracted their RNA.

To confirm viral infection, the team tested RNA extracted from cell culture supernatants using a real-time polymerase chain reaction test specific for HRTV.

In the three pools of ticks that tested positive for HRTV, the researchers found a minimum infection rate of 0.46/1,000 ticks, suggesting that about 1 of every 2,000 ticks carried HRTV. They sequenced the genome of the three isolates and found that the genomes were similar to one another but were very different from the genomes from HRTV samples taken outside Georgia.

Catherine A. Hill, PhD, a professor of entomology and vector biology and the interim head of the department of entomology at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., was impressed with the researchers’ discovery.

“Heartland virus is difficult to detect,” she said in an email. “The prevalence of human cases is low, and the virus appears to be present at very low levels in populations of lone star tick. The investigators went to some lengths to survey for the virus, collect, and process thousands of ticks – and they found the needle in the haystack.” Dr. Hill was not involved in the study.
 

Georgia data help researchers monitor HRTV spread

HRTV was first identified in 2009 in Missouri in two people hospitalized with fever, muscle pain, diarrhea, and low white blood cell and platelet counts. Researchers traced the infections to lone star ticks, and they found antibodies to the virus in blood samples from deer and other wild mammals.

According to the CDC, U.S. cases of tick-borne diseases more than doubled between 2004 and 2016. As of January 2021, more than 50 human cases of HRTV disease had been reported in 11 Midwestern and Southeastern states: Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
 

Precautions, signs, symptoms, testing, and treatment

“The lone star tick is aggressive and will actively seek out a human host to bite,” Dr. Hill noted.

She recommends that health care providers advise patients to avoid tick habitat, wear protective clothing, apply repellants, know the signs and symptoms of tick-borne disease, and seek immediate medical care if they become ill.

Common symptoms of HRTV disease include fatigue, fever, nausea, diarrhea, and anorexia. Treatment is supportive. Many patients have been hospitalized, and some with comorbidities have died.

HRTV infection is rarely tested for, and the disease burden is unknown. With no commercial tests available in the United States, the CDC performs molecular and serologic testing for HRTV infection. The agency advises doctors to contact their state health department if they suspect a patient may have HRTV disease.
 

Further research is needed

Samantha M. Wisely, PhD, a professor of wildlife ecology and the director of the Cervidae Health Research Initiative at the University of Florida in Gainesville, was not surprised by the study finding.

“The more we look for heartland virus, the more places we find it,” Dr. Wisely told this news organization in an email.

“Little is known about which wildlife play a role in maintaining the virus on the landscape,” said Dr. Wisely, who was not involved in the study. “White-tailed deer have been shown to produce antibodies, meaning they have been exposed to the virus, but no one has actually found the virus in a wildlife species.”

The whole-genome sequencing of the virus was particularly important, Dr. Wisely explained. “Whole-genome data allow researchers to better understand viral evolution, pathogenicity, and viral dynamics across space and time – how it is evolving.”

The study was supported by a grant from the Emory University Research Council. The authors, Dr. Wisely, and Dr. Hill have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Heartland virus (HRTV), an emerging infection first detected in lone star ticks in Missouri in 2009, has spread to lone star ticks in Georgia, a study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases reports.

HRTV disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected Amblyomma americanum tick, named “lone star” because of the silver-white spot on the female scutum (back).

“By … sampling … in an area with reported exposure to HRTV in wildlife and humans and testing for infection in thousands of ticks from multiple sites and physiologic stages, we confirmed the presence of HRTV in Georgia,” the authors write.

“This information about the expanding geographic range of lone star ticks, combined with increased human presence in tick-infested habitats, can be used to improve strategies for preventing tick bites and to alert physicians about this emerging tickborne virus infection,” a press release by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.
 

Persistent field and lab work led to HRTV discovery in Georgia

The search for infected lone star ticks began after a retroactive analysis confirmed that a person who died in Georgia in 2005 from an unidentified illness was infected with HRTV. A subsequent analysis of serum samples collected earlier from local white-tailed deer showed that the deer had been exposed to HRTV since at least 2001, according to a press release by Emory University.

These discoveries prompted local researchers to investigate whether lone star ticks in rural, woodsy central Georgia were carrying HRTV.

Lead study author Yamila Romer, MD, an infectious disease clinician and microbiologist in the department of environmental sciences at Emory University in Atlanta, and her colleagues collected samples of ticks in 2018 at 26 sites near the location of the patient who died and the seropositive deer. In 2019, they focused their collections on the two sites that had provided the most ticks in 2018.

From April to October in both years, the research team visited sites weekly to swish white flannel flags through underbrush. They picked off adult and nymph Amblyomma americanum ticks, placed them into vials, and transported them to their lab. They sorted 9,294 ticks by sex, life stage, and collection site. Then they crushed the ticks and extracted their RNA.

To confirm viral infection, the team tested RNA extracted from cell culture supernatants using a real-time polymerase chain reaction test specific for HRTV.

In the three pools of ticks that tested positive for HRTV, the researchers found a minimum infection rate of 0.46/1,000 ticks, suggesting that about 1 of every 2,000 ticks carried HRTV. They sequenced the genome of the three isolates and found that the genomes were similar to one another but were very different from the genomes from HRTV samples taken outside Georgia.

Catherine A. Hill, PhD, a professor of entomology and vector biology and the interim head of the department of entomology at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., was impressed with the researchers’ discovery.

“Heartland virus is difficult to detect,” she said in an email. “The prevalence of human cases is low, and the virus appears to be present at very low levels in populations of lone star tick. The investigators went to some lengths to survey for the virus, collect, and process thousands of ticks – and they found the needle in the haystack.” Dr. Hill was not involved in the study.
 

Georgia data help researchers monitor HRTV spread

HRTV was first identified in 2009 in Missouri in two people hospitalized with fever, muscle pain, diarrhea, and low white blood cell and platelet counts. Researchers traced the infections to lone star ticks, and they found antibodies to the virus in blood samples from deer and other wild mammals.

According to the CDC, U.S. cases of tick-borne diseases more than doubled between 2004 and 2016. As of January 2021, more than 50 human cases of HRTV disease had been reported in 11 Midwestern and Southeastern states: Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
 

Precautions, signs, symptoms, testing, and treatment

“The lone star tick is aggressive and will actively seek out a human host to bite,” Dr. Hill noted.

She recommends that health care providers advise patients to avoid tick habitat, wear protective clothing, apply repellants, know the signs and symptoms of tick-borne disease, and seek immediate medical care if they become ill.

Common symptoms of HRTV disease include fatigue, fever, nausea, diarrhea, and anorexia. Treatment is supportive. Many patients have been hospitalized, and some with comorbidities have died.

HRTV infection is rarely tested for, and the disease burden is unknown. With no commercial tests available in the United States, the CDC performs molecular and serologic testing for HRTV infection. The agency advises doctors to contact their state health department if they suspect a patient may have HRTV disease.
 

Further research is needed

Samantha M. Wisely, PhD, a professor of wildlife ecology and the director of the Cervidae Health Research Initiative at the University of Florida in Gainesville, was not surprised by the study finding.

“The more we look for heartland virus, the more places we find it,” Dr. Wisely told this news organization in an email.

“Little is known about which wildlife play a role in maintaining the virus on the landscape,” said Dr. Wisely, who was not involved in the study. “White-tailed deer have been shown to produce antibodies, meaning they have been exposed to the virus, but no one has actually found the virus in a wildlife species.”

The whole-genome sequencing of the virus was particularly important, Dr. Wisely explained. “Whole-genome data allow researchers to better understand viral evolution, pathogenicity, and viral dynamics across space and time – how it is evolving.”

The study was supported by a grant from the Emory University Research Council. The authors, Dr. Wisely, and Dr. Hill have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Heartland virus (HRTV), an emerging infection first detected in lone star ticks in Missouri in 2009, has spread to lone star ticks in Georgia, a study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases reports.

HRTV disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected Amblyomma americanum tick, named “lone star” because of the silver-white spot on the female scutum (back).

“By … sampling … in an area with reported exposure to HRTV in wildlife and humans and testing for infection in thousands of ticks from multiple sites and physiologic stages, we confirmed the presence of HRTV in Georgia,” the authors write.

“This information about the expanding geographic range of lone star ticks, combined with increased human presence in tick-infested habitats, can be used to improve strategies for preventing tick bites and to alert physicians about this emerging tickborne virus infection,” a press release by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.
 

Persistent field and lab work led to HRTV discovery in Georgia

The search for infected lone star ticks began after a retroactive analysis confirmed that a person who died in Georgia in 2005 from an unidentified illness was infected with HRTV. A subsequent analysis of serum samples collected earlier from local white-tailed deer showed that the deer had been exposed to HRTV since at least 2001, according to a press release by Emory University.

These discoveries prompted local researchers to investigate whether lone star ticks in rural, woodsy central Georgia were carrying HRTV.

Lead study author Yamila Romer, MD, an infectious disease clinician and microbiologist in the department of environmental sciences at Emory University in Atlanta, and her colleagues collected samples of ticks in 2018 at 26 sites near the location of the patient who died and the seropositive deer. In 2019, they focused their collections on the two sites that had provided the most ticks in 2018.

From April to October in both years, the research team visited sites weekly to swish white flannel flags through underbrush. They picked off adult and nymph Amblyomma americanum ticks, placed them into vials, and transported them to their lab. They sorted 9,294 ticks by sex, life stage, and collection site. Then they crushed the ticks and extracted their RNA.

To confirm viral infection, the team tested RNA extracted from cell culture supernatants using a real-time polymerase chain reaction test specific for HRTV.

In the three pools of ticks that tested positive for HRTV, the researchers found a minimum infection rate of 0.46/1,000 ticks, suggesting that about 1 of every 2,000 ticks carried HRTV. They sequenced the genome of the three isolates and found that the genomes were similar to one another but were very different from the genomes from HRTV samples taken outside Georgia.

Catherine A. Hill, PhD, a professor of entomology and vector biology and the interim head of the department of entomology at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., was impressed with the researchers’ discovery.

“Heartland virus is difficult to detect,” she said in an email. “The prevalence of human cases is low, and the virus appears to be present at very low levels in populations of lone star tick. The investigators went to some lengths to survey for the virus, collect, and process thousands of ticks – and they found the needle in the haystack.” Dr. Hill was not involved in the study.
 

Georgia data help researchers monitor HRTV spread

HRTV was first identified in 2009 in Missouri in two people hospitalized with fever, muscle pain, diarrhea, and low white blood cell and platelet counts. Researchers traced the infections to lone star ticks, and they found antibodies to the virus in blood samples from deer and other wild mammals.

According to the CDC, U.S. cases of tick-borne diseases more than doubled between 2004 and 2016. As of January 2021, more than 50 human cases of HRTV disease had been reported in 11 Midwestern and Southeastern states: Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
 

Precautions, signs, symptoms, testing, and treatment

“The lone star tick is aggressive and will actively seek out a human host to bite,” Dr. Hill noted.

She recommends that health care providers advise patients to avoid tick habitat, wear protective clothing, apply repellants, know the signs and symptoms of tick-borne disease, and seek immediate medical care if they become ill.

Common symptoms of HRTV disease include fatigue, fever, nausea, diarrhea, and anorexia. Treatment is supportive. Many patients have been hospitalized, and some with comorbidities have died.

HRTV infection is rarely tested for, and the disease burden is unknown. With no commercial tests available in the United States, the CDC performs molecular and serologic testing for HRTV infection. The agency advises doctors to contact their state health department if they suspect a patient may have HRTV disease.
 

Further research is needed

Samantha M. Wisely, PhD, a professor of wildlife ecology and the director of the Cervidae Health Research Initiative at the University of Florida in Gainesville, was not surprised by the study finding.

“The more we look for heartland virus, the more places we find it,” Dr. Wisely told this news organization in an email.

“Little is known about which wildlife play a role in maintaining the virus on the landscape,” said Dr. Wisely, who was not involved in the study. “White-tailed deer have been shown to produce antibodies, meaning they have been exposed to the virus, but no one has actually found the virus in a wildlife species.”

The whole-genome sequencing of the virus was particularly important, Dr. Wisely explained. “Whole-genome data allow researchers to better understand viral evolution, pathogenicity, and viral dynamics across space and time – how it is evolving.”

The study was supported by a grant from the Emory University Research Council. The authors, Dr. Wisely, and Dr. Hill have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Most health care providers are comfortable recommending palliative care (PC) for their patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), but most do so at the time of disease progression, rather than diagnosis, as indicated on survey data from 128 clinicians.

ILD is associated with a high mortality rate and profound symptoms that contribute to poor quality of life, Rebecca A. Gersen, MD, of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, and colleagues wrote.

“Nevertheless, there is often a lack of preparedness for death by both patients and providers, contributing to increased distress,” they said. Clinician perspectives on the use of PC for ILD patients have not been well studied, although PC is not limited to end-of-life care and is recommended for ILD patients by professional organizations, including the American Thoracic Society. “PC is successful in improving breathlessness in chronic lung disease and can increase survival.”

In a study published in the journal CHEST^®, the researchers surveyed health care providers at 68 Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation centers across the United States. The survey was sent and collected by email and a restricted social media platform. A total of 128 providers from 34 states completed the survey between October 2020 and January 2021. Of these, 61% were physicians, and 67% identified as White.

Overall, 95% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that addressing advance directives is important, but only 66% agreed or strongly agreed that they themselves addressed advance directives in the outpatient ILD clinic setting. A greater number (91%) agreed or strongly agreed that they had a high level of comfort in discussing prognosis, while 88% agreed or strongly agreed that they felt comfortable assessing a patient’s readiness for and acceptance of PC. Approximately two-thirds (67%) agreed or strongly agreed that they use PC services for ILD patients. There were no significant differences in responses from clinicians who had more than 10 years of experience and those who had less.

Of the providers who referred patients to PC, 54% did so at objective disease progression, and 80% did so at objective and/or symptomatic progress; 2% referred patients to PC at initial ILD diagnosis.

Lack of resources

Health care providers who reported that they rarely referred patients to palliative care were significantly more likely to cite a lack of local PC options (P < .01). Those who rarely referred patients for PC also were significantly less likely to feel comfortable discussing prognoses or advance directives in the ILD clinic (P = .03 and P = .02, respectively).

Among the 23% of responders who reported that they rarely referred patients, 66% said they did not have PC at their institution.

“In addition to understanding and addressing barriers to care, educational resources may be key to improving PC delivery to the ILD population,” the researchers wrote.

The study findings were limited by several factors, including voluntary participation, lack of a validated questionnaire, and use of self-reports, which may not reflect physicians’ actual practice, the researchers noted. Other limitations include the use of U.S. data only, which may not generalize to countries with different health care models.

However, the results were strengthened by the use of data from providers at a range of institutions across the United States and by the high overall survey response rate, the researchers said.

“While ILD providers reassuringly demonstrate knowledge and interest in PC involvement, no current system exists to facilitate and monitor response to referral,” they noted. “Future research is desperately needed to address barriers to the provision of PC in order to enhance access to a critical service in the management and care of patients with ILD.”

The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The researchers disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Most health care providers are comfortable recommending palliative care (PC) for their patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), but most do so at the time of disease progression, rather than diagnosis, as indicated on survey data from 128 clinicians.

ILD is associated with a high mortality rate and profound symptoms that contribute to poor quality of life, Rebecca A. Gersen, MD, of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, and colleagues wrote.

“Nevertheless, there is often a lack of preparedness for death by both patients and providers, contributing to increased distress,” they said. Clinician perspectives on the use of PC for ILD patients have not been well studied, although PC is not limited to end-of-life care and is recommended for ILD patients by professional organizations, including the American Thoracic Society. “PC is successful in improving breathlessness in chronic lung disease and can increase survival.”

In a study published in the journal CHEST^®, the researchers surveyed health care providers at 68 Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation centers across the United States. The survey was sent and collected by email and a restricted social media platform. A total of 128 providers from 34 states completed the survey between October 2020 and January 2021. Of these, 61% were physicians, and 67% identified as White.

Overall, 95% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that addressing advance directives is important, but only 66% agreed or strongly agreed that they themselves addressed advance directives in the outpatient ILD clinic setting. A greater number (91%) agreed or strongly agreed that they had a high level of comfort in discussing prognosis, while 88% agreed or strongly agreed that they felt comfortable assessing a patient’s readiness for and acceptance of PC. Approximately two-thirds (67%) agreed or strongly agreed that they use PC services for ILD patients. There were no significant differences in responses from clinicians who had more than 10 years of experience and those who had less.

Of the providers who referred patients to PC, 54% did so at objective disease progression, and 80% did so at objective and/or symptomatic progress; 2% referred patients to PC at initial ILD diagnosis.

Lack of resources

Health care providers who reported that they rarely referred patients to palliative care were significantly more likely to cite a lack of local PC options (P < .01). Those who rarely referred patients for PC also were significantly less likely to feel comfortable discussing prognoses or advance directives in the ILD clinic (P = .03 and P = .02, respectively).

Among the 23% of responders who reported that they rarely referred patients, 66% said they did not have PC at their institution.

“In addition to understanding and addressing barriers to care, educational resources may be key to improving PC delivery to the ILD population,” the researchers wrote.

The study findings were limited by several factors, including voluntary participation, lack of a validated questionnaire, and use of self-reports, which may not reflect physicians’ actual practice, the researchers noted. Other limitations include the use of U.S. data only, which may not generalize to countries with different health care models.

However, the results were strengthened by the use of data from providers at a range of institutions across the United States and by the high overall survey response rate, the researchers said.

“While ILD providers reassuringly demonstrate knowledge and interest in PC involvement, no current system exists to facilitate and monitor response to referral,” they noted. “Future research is desperately needed to address barriers to the provision of PC in order to enhance access to a critical service in the management and care of patients with ILD.”

The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The researchers disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Most health care providers are comfortable recommending palliative care (PC) for their patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), but most do so at the time of disease progression, rather than diagnosis, as indicated on survey data from 128 clinicians.

ILD is associated with a high mortality rate and profound symptoms that contribute to poor quality of life, Rebecca A. Gersen, MD, of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, and colleagues wrote.

“Nevertheless, there is often a lack of preparedness for death by both patients and providers, contributing to increased distress,” they said. Clinician perspectives on the use of PC for ILD patients have not been well studied, although PC is not limited to end-of-life care and is recommended for ILD patients by professional organizations, including the American Thoracic Society. “PC is successful in improving breathlessness in chronic lung disease and can increase survival.”

In a study published in the journal CHEST^®, the researchers surveyed health care providers at 68 Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation centers across the United States. The survey was sent and collected by email and a restricted social media platform. A total of 128 providers from 34 states completed the survey between October 2020 and January 2021. Of these, 61% were physicians, and 67% identified as White.

Overall, 95% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that addressing advance directives is important, but only 66% agreed or strongly agreed that they themselves addressed advance directives in the outpatient ILD clinic setting. A greater number (91%) agreed or strongly agreed that they had a high level of comfort in discussing prognosis, while 88% agreed or strongly agreed that they felt comfortable assessing a patient’s readiness for and acceptance of PC. Approximately two-thirds (67%) agreed or strongly agreed that they use PC services for ILD patients. There were no significant differences in responses from clinicians who had more than 10 years of experience and those who had less.

Of the providers who referred patients to PC, 54% did so at objective disease progression, and 80% did so at objective and/or symptomatic progress; 2% referred patients to PC at initial ILD diagnosis.

Lack of resources

Health care providers who reported that they rarely referred patients to palliative care were significantly more likely to cite a lack of local PC options (P < .01). Those who rarely referred patients for PC also were significantly less likely to feel comfortable discussing prognoses or advance directives in the ILD clinic (P = .03 and P = .02, respectively).

Among the 23% of responders who reported that they rarely referred patients, 66% said they did not have PC at their institution.

“In addition to understanding and addressing barriers to care, educational resources may be key to improving PC delivery to the ILD population,” the researchers wrote.

The study findings were limited by several factors, including voluntary participation, lack of a validated questionnaire, and use of self-reports, which may not reflect physicians’ actual practice, the researchers noted. Other limitations include the use of U.S. data only, which may not generalize to countries with different health care models.

However, the results were strengthened by the use of data from providers at a range of institutions across the United States and by the high overall survey response rate, the researchers said.

“While ILD providers reassuringly demonstrate knowledge and interest in PC involvement, no current system exists to facilitate and monitor response to referral,” they noted. “Future research is desperately needed to address barriers to the provision of PC in order to enhance access to a critical service in the management and care of patients with ILD.”

The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The researchers disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

A pair of new studies offers more evidence for the value of vegetables and the risk of red meat on the cancer prevention front. Researchers report that high consumption of vegetables – especially lettuce, legumes, and cruciferous varieties – appears to lower the risk of liver cancer/liver disease. A separate team suggests that high consumption of red meat, organ meats, and processed meats boosts the risk of gastric cancer.

The findings of the latter study “reinforce the idea that avoidance of red meat and processed meat is probably good beyond [the prevention of] colorectal cancer,” said corresponding author and epidemiologist Paolo Boffetta, MD, MPH, of Stony Brook University Cancer Center, New York, in an interview. “The possible carcinogenic effect may extend beyond the colon.”

Both studies were released at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

For the red meat study, researchers examined statistics from the Golestan cohort study, which is prospectively tracking 50,045 people aged 40-75 from northeastern Iran. The study focuses on esophageal cancer due to the region’s high rate of the disease.

Red meat consumption is fairly rare in the region, where residents typically prefer chicken, said study lead author Giulia Collatuzzo, MD, a resident physician in occupational medicine at the University of Bologna, Italy, in an interview. On average, participants reported eating 18.4 grams daily of red meat and 72.1 grams daily of white meat.

The researchers tracked study participants for a median 12-year follow-up, during which 369 developed esophageal cancer and 368 developed gastric cancer. Red meat was only linked to more esophageal cancer in women (hazard ratio, 1.13, 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.18, for each quintile increase in consumption).

Overall red meat consumption (including red meat, organ meat, and processed meat) was linked to higher rates of gastric cancer (HR, 1.08, 95% CI, 1.00-1.17) for each quartile increase in consumption, as was consumption of the red meat subtype alone (HR, 1.09, 95% CI, 1.00-1.18).

According to Dr. Collatuzzo, the findings suggest that those in the highest quartile of overall red meat consumption may have around a 25% increase in risk, compared with the lowest quartile.

Overall, she said, the study findings aren’t surprising. The lack of a connection between red meat consumption and esophageal cancer may be due to the fact that meat only temporarily transits through the esophagus, she said.

For the liver cancer/liver disease study, researchers examined the medical records of 470,653 subjects in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. They were recruited in 1995-1996 when they were 50-71 years old. Over a median follow-up of 15.5 years, 899 developed liver cancer, and 934 died of chronic liver disease.

The median intakes of vegetables in quintile 5 (highest) and quintile 1 (lowest) were 3.7 cups daily and 1.0 cups daily, respectively, said study lead author Long-Gang Zhao, MS, a graduate student at Harvard University.

After adjusting for possible cofounders, those in the highest quintile of vegetable consumption were a third less likely to develop liver cancer, compared with the lowest quintile (HR, 0.66, 95% CI, 0.53-0.82, P < 0.01). Several types of vegetables appeared to be the strongest cancer fighters: cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower), lettuce, legumes, and carrots. These kinds of vegetables were also linked to lower rates of chronic liver disease mortality (all P < 0.01), as was total vegetable intake for the top quintile versus the lowest quintile (HR, 0.60, 95% CI, 0.49-0.74, P = < 0.01).

“A one-cup increase (8 oz or 225 g) in vegetable intake was associated with about 20% decreased risk of liver cancer incidence and chronic liver mortality,” Zhao said.

There was no statistically significant link between fruit consumption and liver cancer or chronic liver disease mortality.

The findings provide more insight into diet and liver disease, Zhao said. “Chronic liver disease, which predisposes to liver cancer, is the tenth cause of death worldwide, causing two million deaths each year. It shares some etiological processes with liver cancer. Therefore, examining both chronic liver disease mortality and liver cancer incidence in our study may provide a more general picture for the prevention of liver diseases.”

As for limitations, both studies are based on self-reports about food consumption, which can be unreliable, and the subjects in the fruit/vegetable analysis were mainly of European origin.

The authors of both studies report no relevant disclosures. No funding is reported for either study.

A pair of new studies offers more evidence for the value of vegetables and the risk of red meat on the cancer prevention front. Researchers report that high consumption of vegetables – especially lettuce, legumes, and cruciferous varieties – appears to lower the risk of liver cancer/liver disease. A separate team suggests that high consumption of red meat, organ meats, and processed meats boosts the risk of gastric cancer.

The findings of the latter study “reinforce the idea that avoidance of red meat and processed meat is probably good beyond [the prevention of] colorectal cancer,” said corresponding author and epidemiologist Paolo Boffetta, MD, MPH, of Stony Brook University Cancer Center, New York, in an interview. “The possible carcinogenic effect may extend beyond the colon.”

Both studies were released at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

For the red meat study, researchers examined statistics from the Golestan cohort study, which is prospectively tracking 50,045 people aged 40-75 from northeastern Iran. The study focuses on esophageal cancer due to the region’s high rate of the disease.

Red meat consumption is fairly rare in the region, where residents typically prefer chicken, said study lead author Giulia Collatuzzo, MD, a resident physician in occupational medicine at the University of Bologna, Italy, in an interview. On average, participants reported eating 18.4 grams daily of red meat and 72.1 grams daily of white meat.

The researchers tracked study participants for a median 12-year follow-up, during which 369 developed esophageal cancer and 368 developed gastric cancer. Red meat was only linked to more esophageal cancer in women (hazard ratio, 1.13, 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.18, for each quintile increase in consumption).

Overall red meat consumption (including red meat, organ meat, and processed meat) was linked to higher rates of gastric cancer (HR, 1.08, 95% CI, 1.00-1.17) for each quartile increase in consumption, as was consumption of the red meat subtype alone (HR, 1.09, 95% CI, 1.00-1.18).

According to Dr. Collatuzzo, the findings suggest that those in the highest quartile of overall red meat consumption may have around a 25% increase in risk, compared with the lowest quartile.

Overall, she said, the study findings aren’t surprising. The lack of a connection between red meat consumption and esophageal cancer may be due to the fact that meat only temporarily transits through the esophagus, she said.

For the liver cancer/liver disease study, researchers examined the medical records of 470,653 subjects in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. They were recruited in 1995-1996 when they were 50-71 years old. Over a median follow-up of 15.5 years, 899 developed liver cancer, and 934 died of chronic liver disease.

The median intakes of vegetables in quintile 5 (highest) and quintile 1 (lowest) were 3.7 cups daily and 1.0 cups daily, respectively, said study lead author Long-Gang Zhao, MS, a graduate student at Harvard University.

After adjusting for possible cofounders, those in the highest quintile of vegetable consumption were a third less likely to develop liver cancer, compared with the lowest quintile (HR, 0.66, 95% CI, 0.53-0.82, P < 0.01). Several types of vegetables appeared to be the strongest cancer fighters: cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower), lettuce, legumes, and carrots. These kinds of vegetables were also linked to lower rates of chronic liver disease mortality (all P < 0.01), as was total vegetable intake for the top quintile versus the lowest quintile (HR, 0.60, 95% CI, 0.49-0.74, P = < 0.01).

“A one-cup increase (8 oz or 225 g) in vegetable intake was associated with about 20% decreased risk of liver cancer incidence and chronic liver mortality,” Zhao said.

There was no statistically significant link between fruit consumption and liver cancer or chronic liver disease mortality.

The findings provide more insight into diet and liver disease, Zhao said. “Chronic liver disease, which predisposes to liver cancer, is the tenth cause of death worldwide, causing two million deaths each year. It shares some etiological processes with liver cancer. Therefore, examining both chronic liver disease mortality and liver cancer incidence in our study may provide a more general picture for the prevention of liver diseases.”

As for limitations, both studies are based on self-reports about food consumption, which can be unreliable, and the subjects in the fruit/vegetable analysis were mainly of European origin.

The authors of both studies report no relevant disclosures. No funding is reported for either study.

A pair of new studies offers more evidence for the value of vegetables and the risk of red meat on the cancer prevention front. Researchers report that high consumption of vegetables – especially lettuce, legumes, and cruciferous varieties – appears to lower the risk of liver cancer/liver disease. A separate team suggests that high consumption of red meat, organ meats, and processed meats boosts the risk of gastric cancer.

The findings of the latter study “reinforce the idea that avoidance of red meat and processed meat is probably good beyond [the prevention of] colorectal cancer,” said corresponding author and epidemiologist Paolo Boffetta, MD, MPH, of Stony Brook University Cancer Center, New York, in an interview. “The possible carcinogenic effect may extend beyond the colon.”

Both studies were released at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

For the red meat study, researchers examined statistics from the Golestan cohort study, which is prospectively tracking 50,045 people aged 40-75 from northeastern Iran. The study focuses on esophageal cancer due to the region’s high rate of the disease.

Red meat consumption is fairly rare in the region, where residents typically prefer chicken, said study lead author Giulia Collatuzzo, MD, a resident physician in occupational medicine at the University of Bologna, Italy, in an interview. On average, participants reported eating 18.4 grams daily of red meat and 72.1 grams daily of white meat.

The researchers tracked study participants for a median 12-year follow-up, during which 369 developed esophageal cancer and 368 developed gastric cancer. Red meat was only linked to more esophageal cancer in women (hazard ratio, 1.13, 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.18, for each quintile increase in consumption).

Overall red meat consumption (including red meat, organ meat, and processed meat) was linked to higher rates of gastric cancer (HR, 1.08, 95% CI, 1.00-1.17) for each quartile increase in consumption, as was consumption of the red meat subtype alone (HR, 1.09, 95% CI, 1.00-1.18).

According to Dr. Collatuzzo, the findings suggest that those in the highest quartile of overall red meat consumption may have around a 25% increase in risk, compared with the lowest quartile.

Overall, she said, the study findings aren’t surprising. The lack of a connection between red meat consumption and esophageal cancer may be due to the fact that meat only temporarily transits through the esophagus, she said.

For the liver cancer/liver disease study, researchers examined the medical records of 470,653 subjects in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. They were recruited in 1995-1996 when they were 50-71 years old. Over a median follow-up of 15.5 years, 899 developed liver cancer, and 934 died of chronic liver disease.

The median intakes of vegetables in quintile 5 (highest) and quintile 1 (lowest) were 3.7 cups daily and 1.0 cups daily, respectively, said study lead author Long-Gang Zhao, MS, a graduate student at Harvard University.

After adjusting for possible cofounders, those in the highest quintile of vegetable consumption were a third less likely to develop liver cancer, compared with the lowest quintile (HR, 0.66, 95% CI, 0.53-0.82, P < 0.01). Several types of vegetables appeared to be the strongest cancer fighters: cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower), lettuce, legumes, and carrots. These kinds of vegetables were also linked to lower rates of chronic liver disease mortality (all P < 0.01), as was total vegetable intake for the top quintile versus the lowest quintile (HR, 0.60, 95% CI, 0.49-0.74, P = < 0.01).

“A one-cup increase (8 oz or 225 g) in vegetable intake was associated with about 20% decreased risk of liver cancer incidence and chronic liver mortality,” Zhao said.

There was no statistically significant link between fruit consumption and liver cancer or chronic liver disease mortality.

The findings provide more insight into diet and liver disease, Zhao said. “Chronic liver disease, which predisposes to liver cancer, is the tenth cause of death worldwide, causing two million deaths each year. It shares some etiological processes with liver cancer. Therefore, examining both chronic liver disease mortality and liver cancer incidence in our study may provide a more general picture for the prevention of liver diseases.”

As for limitations, both studies are based on self-reports about food consumption, which can be unreliable, and the subjects in the fruit/vegetable analysis were mainly of European origin.

The authors of both studies report no relevant disclosures. No funding is reported for either study.

The average life expectancy in the United States is expected to drop by 2.26 years from 2019 to 2021, the sharpest decrease during that time among high-income nations, according to a new study.

The study, published in medRxiv, said U.S. life expectancy went from 78.86 years in 2019 to 76.99 years in 2020, during the thick of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Though vaccines were widely available in 2021, the U.S. life expectancy was expected to keep going down, to 76.60 years.

In “peer countries” – Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England and Wales, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland – life expectancy went down only 0.57 years from 2019 to 2020 and increased by 0.28 years in 2021, the study said. The peer countries now have a life expectancy that’s 5 years longer than in the United States.

“The fact the U.S. lost so many more lives than other high-income countries speaks not only to how we managed the pandemic, but also to more deeply rooted problems that predated the pandemic,” said Steven H. Woolf, MD, one of the study authors and a professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, according to Reuters.

“U.S. life expectancy has been falling behind other countries since the 1980s, and the gap has widened over time, especially in the last decade.”

Lack of universal health care, income and educational inequality, and less-healthy physical and social environments helped lead to the decline in American life expectancy, according to Dr. Woolf.

The life expectancy drop from 2019 to 2020 hit Black and Hispanic people hardest, according to the study. But the drop from 2020 to 2021 affected White people the most, with average life expectancy among them going down about a third of a year.

Researchers looked at death data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the Human Mortality Database, and overseas statistical agencies. Life expectancy for 2021 was estimated “using a previously validated modeling method,” the study said.

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

The average life expectancy in the United States is expected to drop by 2.26 years from 2019 to 2021, the sharpest decrease during that time among high-income nations, according to a new study.

The study, published in medRxiv, said U.S. life expectancy went from 78.86 years in 2019 to 76.99 years in 2020, during the thick of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Though vaccines were widely available in 2021, the U.S. life expectancy was expected to keep going down, to 76.60 years.

In “peer countries” – Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England and Wales, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland – life expectancy went down only 0.57 years from 2019 to 2020 and increased by 0.28 years in 2021, the study said. The peer countries now have a life expectancy that’s 5 years longer than in the United States.

“The fact the U.S. lost so many more lives than other high-income countries speaks not only to how we managed the pandemic, but also to more deeply rooted problems that predated the pandemic,” said Steven H. Woolf, MD, one of the study authors and a professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, according to Reuters.

“U.S. life expectancy has been falling behind other countries since the 1980s, and the gap has widened over time, especially in the last decade.”

Lack of universal health care, income and educational inequality, and less-healthy physical and social environments helped lead to the decline in American life expectancy, according to Dr. Woolf.

The life expectancy drop from 2019 to 2020 hit Black and Hispanic people hardest, according to the study. But the drop from 2020 to 2021 affected White people the most, with average life expectancy among them going down about a third of a year.

Researchers looked at death data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the Human Mortality Database, and overseas statistical agencies. Life expectancy for 2021 was estimated “using a previously validated modeling method,” the study said.

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

The average life expectancy in the United States is expected to drop by 2.26 years from 2019 to 2021, the sharpest decrease during that time among high-income nations, according to a new study.

The study, published in medRxiv, said U.S. life expectancy went from 78.86 years in 2019 to 76.99 years in 2020, during the thick of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Though vaccines were widely available in 2021, the U.S. life expectancy was expected to keep going down, to 76.60 years.

In “peer countries” – Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England and Wales, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland – life expectancy went down only 0.57 years from 2019 to 2020 and increased by 0.28 years in 2021, the study said. The peer countries now have a life expectancy that’s 5 years longer than in the United States.

“The fact the U.S. lost so many more lives than other high-income countries speaks not only to how we managed the pandemic, but also to more deeply rooted problems that predated the pandemic,” said Steven H. Woolf, MD, one of the study authors and a professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, according to Reuters.

“U.S. life expectancy has been falling behind other countries since the 1980s, and the gap has widened over time, especially in the last decade.”

Lack of universal health care, income and educational inequality, and less-healthy physical and social environments helped lead to the decline in American life expectancy, according to Dr. Woolf.

The life expectancy drop from 2019 to 2020 hit Black and Hispanic people hardest, according to the study. But the drop from 2020 to 2021 affected White people the most, with average life expectancy among them going down about a third of a year.

Researchers looked at death data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the Human Mortality Database, and overseas statistical agencies. Life expectancy for 2021 was estimated “using a previously validated modeling method,” the study said.

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

What are the most common organisms that cause chorioamnionitis and puerperal endometritis?

Continue to the answer...

Chorioamnionitis and puerperal endometritis are polymicrobial, mixed aerobic-anaerobic infections. The dominant organisms are anaerobic gram-negative bacilli (Bacteroides and Prevotella species); anaerobic gram-positive cocci (Peptococcus species and Peptostreptococcus species); aerobic gram-negative bacilli (principally, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus species); and aerobic gram-positive cocci (enterococci, staphylococci, and group B streptococci).

What are the most common organisms that cause chorioamnionitis and puerperal endometritis?

Continue to the answer...

Chorioamnionitis and puerperal endometritis are polymicrobial, mixed aerobic-anaerobic infections. The dominant organisms are anaerobic gram-negative bacilli (Bacteroides and Prevotella species); anaerobic gram-positive cocci (Peptococcus species and Peptostreptococcus species); aerobic gram-negative bacilli (principally, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus species); and aerobic gram-positive cocci (enterococci, staphylococci, and group B streptococci).

What are the most common organisms that cause chorioamnionitis and puerperal endometritis?

Continue to the answer...

Chorioamnionitis and puerperal endometritis are polymicrobial, mixed aerobic-anaerobic infections. The dominant organisms are anaerobic gram-negative bacilli (Bacteroides and Prevotella species); anaerobic gram-positive cocci (Peptococcus species and Peptostreptococcus species); aerobic gram-negative bacilli (principally, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus species); and aerobic gram-positive cocci (enterococci, staphylococci, and group B streptococci).