Newswise — Welcome to the December 2018 edition of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s (BIDMC) Research & Health News Digest.

This month’s update includes:

  • Managing the holidays with a long-term illness (Cancer)
  • Traveling safely with heart disease (Cardiology)
  • Tips for running outside this winter (Sports Medicine)
  • Just how healthy is chicken noodle soup? (Nutrition)
  • Tips for healthy winter skin (Dermatology)
  • Pre-diabetes: Are you at risk? (Diabetes)
  • UK general practitioners skeptical that artificial intelligence could replace them (General Medicine)
  • Study evaluates efficacy and safety of pancreatic cancer treatment in complex patient care cases (Cancer)

If any of these briefs pique your interest and you’d like to speak with one of our experts, please contact us at [email protected] or at 617-667-7300. You can also reach the BIDMC communications team member on call through the BIDMC page operator at (617) 667-4700 and asking for pager ID #33880.

The BIDMC Media Relations Team

BIDMC Research & Health News Digest: December 2018

Managing the Holidays with a Long-Term Illness

Stringing the lights, storming the malls and an abundance of holiday parties – imagine facing these holiday demands while you’re tired, sick, sad and worried. For people with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses, this time of year can often be far from merry. Leora Lowenthal, LICSW-OSW-C, Manager of the Oncology Social Work Program at BIDMC, and Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW, OSW-C, offer advice on rethinking holiday traditions and celebrations to capture more peace in the face of a disheartening diagnosis. (December 2018)

https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/blogs/wellness-insight-landing/winter-wellness/2018/12/managing-the-holidays-with-a-long-term-illness

Traveling Safely with Heart Disease

This winter, millions of people will be traveling to destinations near and far — from nearby family visits to faraway vacations in exotic locales. Eli Gelfand, MD, Section Chief of General Cardiology in the CardioVascular Institute at BIDMC, shares helpful tips for traveling during the holidays with a heart condition. (December 2018)

 https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/blogs/wellness-insight-landing/heart-health/travel-heart-disease

Tips for Running Outside this Winter

Before you head outside for your usual run around the block, it’s important to check the forecast—temperature, wind and moisture are all key factors in planning a safe winter workout. Julie Ruane, a nurse practitioner in the Division of Sports Medicine at BIDMC, shares tips for staying warm while running outside this winter. (December 2018)

https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/blogs/wellness-insight-landing/winter-wellness/2018/12/tips-for-running-outside-this-winter

Just How Healthy is Chicken Noodle Soup?

You may remember a loved one making you a bowl of chicken noodle soup whenever you were feeling under the weather as a child. Just how healthy is this culinary cure-all? Sandy Allonen, RD, a clinical dietitian at BIDMC, breaks down the health benefits of chicken noodle soup. (December 2018)

https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/blogs/wellness-insight-landing/winter-wellness/2018/12/just-how-healthy-is-chicken-noodle-soup

Tips for Healthy Winter Skin

Winter is coming. But dry, itchy skin doesn’t have to come along with it. Erica Dommasch, MD, a dermatologist at BIDMC, shares tips on keeping skin hydrated and healthy this season. (November 2018)

https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/blogs/wellness-insight-landing/skin-health/2018/11/tips-for-healthy-winter-skin

Pre-Diabetes: Are You at Risk?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than a third of adults in the U.S. have prediabetes—and the majority of people don’t know it. Jody Dushay, MD, an endocrinologist at BIDMC, shares warning signs of being at risk for pre-diabetes. (November 2018)

https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/blogs/wellness-insight-landing/diabetes/2018/11/pre-diabetes-are-you-at-risk

UK General Practitioners Skeptical That Artificial Intelligence Could Replace Them

In a UK-wide survey published in the journal PLOS ONE, Charlotte Blease, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Fulbright Scholar at BIDMC, and colleagues investigated general practitioners’ views on artificial intelligence’s (AI) looming impact on health professions. When it came to predictions about the future of medicine, British general practitioners were generally skeptical that they could be entirely replaced by AI. (December 2018)

https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/news/2018/12/uk-general-practitioners-skeptical-that-artificial-intelligence-could-replace-them

Study Evaluates Efficacy and Safety of Pancreatic Cancer Treatment in Complex Patient Care Cases

In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Manuel Hidalgo, MD, PhD, Director of the Rosenberg Clinical Cancer Center at BIDMC, and colleagues conducted a phase I/II trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nab-paclitaxel given in combination with gemcitabine in patients with pancreatic cancer and reduced health status. The team reported that the combination of therapies significantly improved survival even in less robust patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) compared to gemcitabine alone. (December 2018)

https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/news/2018/12/study-evaluates-pancreatic-cancer-treatment