Curated News: NEJM

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7-Jul-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Disruptive Technology for the Treatment of Hemophilia
Children's Hospital Los Angeles

An international team of hematologists including Guy Young, MD, of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, has found that in patients with hemophilia A with inhibitors, a novel therapy called emicizumab, decreases incidence of bleeding episodes by 87%.

Released: 30-Jun-2017 10:40 AM EDT
Air Pollution a Concern at Levels Currently Accepted as “Safe”
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) warns today that government agencies must not become complacent in the effort to provide clean air to all citizens.

   
Released: 29-Jun-2017 4:05 PM EDT
Study Shows Antibiotics Effective for Treatment of Small Skin Infections
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

New multicenter research, which included Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators, could change treatment approaches to simple skin abscesses, infections often caused by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria.

21-Jun-2017 5:00 PM EDT
Identified Brain Circuitry Bridges Neural and Behavioral Roles in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
NYU Langone Health

Specific cerebral circuitry bridges chemical changes deep in the brain and the more outward behavioral expressions associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which could lead to more objective biomarkers for the disorder, according to a comprehensive review of rapidly changing data published June 22 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

5-Jun-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Mammograms: Are We Overdiagnosing Small Tumors?
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital

An analysis of breast cancer data revealed that many small breast cancers have an excellent prognosis because they are inherently slow growing, according to Yale Cancer Center experts.

5-Jun-2017 5:05 PM EDT
Common Surgical Treatment for Melanoma Does Not Improve Patients’ Overall Survival, Study Shows
Cedars-Sinai

Patients who receive the standard surgical treatment for melanoma that has spread to one or more key lymph nodes do not live longer, a major new study shows.

Released: 25-May-2017 6:05 PM EDT
Cannabidiol Reduces Seizures in Children with Severe Epilepsy
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Results from a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine revealed that children with Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy, had fewer seizures after taking a daily oral solution of the cannabis compound called cannabidiol, which does not have the psychoactive properties of marijuana. Over a 14-week treatment with cannabidiol, convulsive seizures dropped from a monthly average of 12.4 to 5.9. In comparison, seizures in the placebo group decreased from a monthly average of 14.9 to 14.1. During the study, seizures stopped completely in 5 percent of patients taking cannabidiol.

24-May-2017 11:00 AM EDT
Canada’s Largest Hospital Reports on Year of Medically Assisted Dying
University Health Network (UHN)

Today, in the New England Journal of Medicine, the team from University Health Network in Toronto that developed the organization’s protocol for medical assistance in dying (MAiD) describes UHN’s approach and experience. This comes a year after Canada decriminalized medically assisted dying throughout the country.

24-May-2017 11:00 AM EDT
Genetic Mutation Studies Help Validate New Strategy for Reducing Lipids, Cholesterol
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

A new strategy – an injectable antibody – for lowering blood lipids and thereby potentially preventing coronary artery disease and other conditions caused by the build-up of fats, cholesterol, and other substances on the artery walls, is supported by findings from two new studies from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

16-May-2017 9:00 AM EDT
100-Year-Old Fertility Technique Reduces Need for IVF
University of Adelaide

Infertile couples have a major opportunity to achieve a successful pregnancy without the need for IVF, thanks to new research into a 100-year-old medical technique.

10-May-2017 12:00 PM EDT
Gene Sequencing Study Reveals Unusual Mutations in Endometriosis
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Using gene sequencing tools, scientists from Johns Hopkins Medicine and the University of British Columbia have found a set of genetic mutations in samples from 24 women with benign endometriosis, a painful disorder marked by the growth of uterine tissue outside of the womb. The findings, described in the May 11 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, may eventually help scientists develop molecular tests to distinguish between aggressive and clinically “indolent,” or non-aggressive, types of endometriosis.

Released: 4-May-2017 7:05 AM EDT
Buprenorphine Cuts Length of Stay Nearly in Half for Infants Withdrawing From Opioids
Thomas Jefferson University

New research published May 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that a buprenorphine can safely cut the duration of therapy nearly in half for infants withdrawing from opioids.

1-May-2017 6:00 AM EDT
Disfiguring Eye Symptoms Diminish in Graves' Eye Disease Drug Trial
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Graves' eye disease trial led by the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center shows success of 'breakthrough therapy" to reduce suffering and disfigurement.

Released: 12-Apr-2017 5:05 PM EDT
Ethics Study: Inconsistent State Laws May Complicate Medical Decision-Making
University of Chicago Medical Center

patchwork of state laws creates a labyrinth that can make it confusing to navigate incapacitated patients’ medical wishes. Without clear national standards, the problem may worsen as the nation’s 75 million baby boomers continue to age, according to medical ethics research published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

31-Mar-2017 10:05 AM EDT
Rules Allowing Longer Shifts for First-Year Doctors Signal a New Approach to Evidence-Based Medical Education
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

On March 10, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) increased the limit on work shifts for first-year physicians from 16 to 24 hours – allowing additional hours beyond that to ensure continuity and education, consistent with the limits in place for residents in their second year and beyond. In a Perspective published by the New England Journal of Medicine, David A. Asch, MD, MBA, a professor of Medicine at the Perelman School and of Healthcare Management at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, says that while the new rules may inflame ongoing controversies, a central message is that ACGME is raising the evidentiary standards for policy in medical education.

4-Apr-2017 3:30 PM EDT
Body Weight Fluctuations Linked to More Deaths in People with Coronary Artery Disease
NYU Langone Health

NYU Langone study finds “yo-yo” dieting can increase the odds of stroke, heart attack, and death in people with coronary artery disease.

Released: 5-Apr-2017 1:00 PM EDT
UCLA Researchers Discover a New Cause of High Plasma Triglycerides
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

People with hypertriglyceridemia often are told to change their diet and lose weight. But a high-fat diet isn’t necessarily the cause for everyone with the condition. UCLA researchers have discovered a subset of people with hypertriglyceridemia whose bodies produce autoantibodies — immune-response molecules that attack their own proteins — causing high levels of triglycerides in the blood.

21-Mar-2017 4:05 PM EDT
Penn Researchers Call for Better Laws Covering Patient Incentives to Improve Care
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Current federal anti-kickback laws prohibit pharmaceutical companies and providers from bribing patients to seek their goods and services. Unfortunately, the laws also prevent hospitals from offering services that could potentially benefit patients, such as free rides to elderly or disabled patients to help them get to their appointments.

Released: 17-Mar-2017 10:05 AM EDT
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement as Effective as Surgery in Intermediate Patients
Houston Methodist

Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) today unveiled first-ever clinical data from the Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (SURTAVI) Trial, which was presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 66th Annual Scientific Session and published simultaneously in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) (1).

15-Mar-2017 11:30 AM EDT
Glioblastoma Clinical Trial Shows Combined Therapy Extends Life for Patients 65 and Older
University Health Network (UHN)

Treating older patients who have malignant brain cancer with the chemotherapy drug temozolomide plus a short course of radiation therapy extends survival by two months compared to treating with radiation alone, show clinical trial results published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

3-Mar-2017 10:05 AM EST
Don’t Be Distracted: The Real Issues in Autism Are Threats to Funding, Services
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

With so much focus in recent months on the scientifically discredited notion that childhood vaccines cause autism, the real threats to health care and services for people with autism and other disabilities aren’t being given enough attention, argue two leading health policy experts.

Released: 3-Mar-2017 1:05 PM EST
Widespread Conflicts of Interest Among Patient-Advocacy Organizations Uncovered in Penn Study
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Over the past few decades, hundreds of patient-advocacy organizations have emerged in the United States, promoting disease research and influencing FDA and health insurer policies. Now, a new study reveals a large proportion of these organizations have funding or other connections with drug or medical device makers, yet do not adequately disclose the details of these connections or have publicly accessible policies in place describing how they manage them.

Released: 1-Mar-2017 5:05 PM EST
Multicenter Study Finds No Benefit to Treating Mild Thyroid Dysfunction During Pregnancy
UT Southwestern Medical Center

A large national study suggests that treating pregnant women for mildly low thyroid function does not improve the IQs of their babies or reduce preterm births or other negative outcomes.

28-Feb-2017 5:05 PM EST
Monoclonal Antibody Drug Superior to Chemotherapy for Advanced Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

A Phase III clinical trial involving 101 centers in 21 countries revealed the monoclonal antibody blinatumomab to be more effective than standard chemotherapy for treatment of advanced acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Study findings were published in the March 1 online issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Released: 22-Feb-2017 7:05 PM EST
TSRI Researchers Find Standard Pacemakers and Defibrillators Safe for Mri Using a New Protocol
Scripps Research Institute

The MagnaSafe Registry, a new multicenter study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), has demonstrated that appropriately screened and monitored patients with standard or non-MRI-conditional pacemakers and defibrillators can undergo MRI at a field strength of 1.5 tesla without harm.

10-Feb-2017 11:20 AM EST
More Extremely Preterm Babies Survive, Live Without Neurological Impairment
Duke Health

Babies born at just 22 to 24 weeks of pregnancy continue to have sobering outlooks -- only about 1 in 3 survive. But according to a new study led by Duke Health and appearing Feb. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine, those rates are showing small but measurable improvement. Compared to extremely preterm babies born a decade earlier, the study found a larger percentage are developing into toddlers without signs of moderate or severe cognitive and motor delay.

Released: 8-Feb-2017 5:05 PM EST
Genetic Profiling Can Guide Stem Cell Transplantation for Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Study Finds
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

A single blood test and basic information about a patient’s medical status can indicate which patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are likely to benefit from a stem cell transplant, according to new research by scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

8-Feb-2017 5:00 AM EST
To Make Medicare Better for All, Take Social Risk Factors Into Account, Experts Recommend
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

It’s time for the Medicare system to take non-medical, “social” risk factors into account when it decides how to pay or grade hospitals and other health care providers, two experts say based on a new National Academies report. Doing so could incentivize better care for all patients.

7-Feb-2017 4:35 PM EST
Calcified Plaque Raises Heart Disease Risk for Younger Adults
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

A major report led by Vanderbilt investigators found that the mere presence of even a small amount of calcified coronary plaque, more commonly referred to as coronary artery calcium (CAC), in people under age 50 — even small amounts — was strongly associated with increased risk of developing clinical coronary heart disease over the ensuing decade.

1-Feb-2017 11:30 AM EST
Smaller, More Focused Insurers Earning Profits in New Market
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

“Success and Failure in the Insurance Exchanges,” a New England Journal of Medicine Perspective article released today, examines whether the financial struggles of some major insurers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reflect a policy failure that should be addressed via repeal or reform, or a mismatch of these firms’ capabilities and strategies to a newly created market.

31-Jan-2017 7:05 PM EST
New Treatment Regimen Extends Life for Some Men With Recurrent Prostate Cancer, Study Finds
Cedars-Sinai

Adding hormonal therapy to radiation treatment can significantly improve the average long-term survival of men with prostate cancer who have had their prostate gland removed, according to a new Cedars-Sinai study published in the Feb. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The regimen also can reduce the frequency of spread of the cancer, the study found.

25-Jan-2017 10:00 AM EST
Repeal All of Obamacare? Primary Care Physicians Not in Favor, Survey Suggests
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Results of a random sample survey of 426 primary care physicians by a team of researchers found that the majority does not support repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in its entirety, and the percentage of those who support complete repeal is lower than that of the general public.

24-Jan-2017 12:05 PM EST
DiGeorge Syndrome Kidney Problems May Be Caused By Missing Gene
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

A research team led by Columbia University has discovered that loss of function of the CRKL gene causes kidney and urinary tract defects in people with DiGeorge syndrome, solving a 60-year-old medical mystery.

25-Jan-2017 10:00 AM EST
Most Primary Care Doctors “Strongly Endorse” Key Elements of the Affordable Care Act
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Proponents of repealing the Affordable Care Act, including President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Price, have argued that the law places an undue burden on physicians. However, according to new research, while nearly 74 percent of physicians surveyed favor making some changes to the law, only 15 percent favor repealing the legislation in its entirety. Results are published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

24-Jan-2017 10:00 AM EST
Critically Ill Children Don't Benefit From Tightest Control of Blood Sugar
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

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

Released: 22-Jan-2017 2:05 PM EST
University of Miami Doctors Publish Study of First Locally-Acquired Zika Transmission
University of Miami Health System, Miller School of Medicine

Following the recent Zika outbreak in Miami-Dade County, a multidisciplinary team of physicians with the University of Miami Health System and Miller School of Medicine published a case study today in The New England Journal of Medicine, describing in detail the nation's first locally-transmitted case of Zika.

Released: 12-Jan-2017 8:00 AM EST
New Drug in Development Shows Improved Progression-Free Survival for Patients with Advanced Metastatic Midgut Neuroendocrine Tumors
Moffitt Cancer Center

A new therapy in development for the treatment of midgut neuroendocrine tumors, a rare type of cancer that occurs in the small intestine and colon, shows improved progression-free survival and response rates for patients with advanced disease. Results of the international phase 3 clinical trial of lutetium-177 (177Lu)-Dotatate compared to high-dose octreotide LAR were published in the Jan. 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

6-Jan-2017 11:05 AM EST
Cost, Technology Issues Are Barriers to Real-Time Cancer Patient Symptom Reporting
University of North Carolina Health Care System

In a perspective published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher addresses the need for – and the barriers preventing – electronic reporting of patients’ symptoms between visits.

4-Jan-2017 2:00 PM EST
Medicaid Expansion Boosts Michigan’s Economy and Will More Than Pay for Itself
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Michigan’s Medicaid expansion has boosted the state’s economy and budget, and will continue to do so for at least the next five years, a new study finds.

Released: 29-Dec-2016 8:05 AM EST
Most Doctors Ignore One of the Most Potent Ways to Improve Health, Penn Experts Say
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Leveraging existing relationships with friends and family may be a more effective way to improve patients’ health and encourage new healthy habits and behaviors than increasing interactions with physicians or other clinicians. In a new perspective published by the New England Journal of Medicine, Penn Medicine behavioral economists suggest a five-step ladder to effectively engineering social engagements that promote health and to test their acceptability and effectiveness.

Released: 21-Dec-2016 5:05 PM EST
UTHealth’s Wolinsky Is Senior Author of Paper on New Therapy for Primary Progressive MS
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Positive results of an investigational medication study for primary progressive multiple sclerosis were published online in today’s New England Journal of Medicine in a paper led by senior author Jerry Wolinsky, M.D., of McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

19-Dec-2016 1:10 PM EST
Reducing the Duration of Antibiotics Does More Harm than Good When Treating Ear Infections in Young Children
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)

In a landmark trial, researchers have demonstrated that when treating children between 9 and 23 months of age with antibiotics for ear infections, a shortened course has worse clinical outcomes without reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance or adverse events.

Released: 15-Dec-2016 8:05 PM EST
Zika-Linked Birth Defects More Extensive Than Previously Thought, UCLS-Led Research Finds
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Research finds that Zika-linked abnormalities that occur in human fetuses are more extensive and severe than previously thought, with 46 percent of 125 pregnancies among Zika-infected women resulting in birth defects in newborns or ending in fetal death.

30-Nov-2016 5:05 PM EST
UAB Physician Retools the Case for Housing First to End Homelessness
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Authors of a New England Journal of Medicine article recommend a new case be made for housing to end homelessness, emphasizing benefits and de-emphasizing problematic cost-savings arguments.

18-Nov-2016 1:05 PM EST
In Highly Lethal Type of Leukemia, Cancer Gene Predicts Treatment Response
Washington University in St. Louis

Patients with the most lethal form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) – based on genetic profiles of their cancers – typically survive for only four to six months after diagnosis, even with aggressive chemotherapy. But new research indicates that such patients, paradoxically, may live longer if they receive a milder chemotherapy drug.

Released: 16-Nov-2016 5:05 PM EST
Study Finds Arthritis Drug Significantly Effective in Treating Crohn’s Disease
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have shown that ustekinumab, a human antibody used to treat arthritis, significantly induces response and remission in patients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease. Results of the clinical trial will appear in the November 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Released: 14-Nov-2016 11:45 AM EST
BIDMC Study in NEJM Reports Progress in Preventing Bleeding in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Undergoing Stenting
Beth Israel Lahey Health

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

Released: 9-Nov-2016 4:05 PM EST
Antibody Supresses HIV in Infected Individuals
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Antibody VRC01 proves safe for individuals infected with HIV-1 but only modestly controls the virus in participants who stop receiving antiretroviral therapy.

2-Nov-2016 1:00 AM EDT
First National Quality Improvement Program for Weight Loss Surgery Reduces Readmissions by More Than 30% for Some Hospitals
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)

While the average hospital saw 30-day readmission rates for weight-loss surgery patients drop by about 14 percent, some hospitals had reductions as much as 32 percent after implementing a new quality improvement program, according to new research* presented today at ObesityWeek 2016, the largest international event focused on the basic science, clinical application and prevention and treatment of obesity. The annual conference is hosted by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and The Obesity Society (TOS).



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