The Balancing Act

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Latest Medical News from Doctor TV

New deep learning algorithm can pick up genetic mutations in colorectal cancers more efficiently

A new deep learning algorithm created by researchers from the University of Warwick can pick up the molecular pathways and development of key mutations causing colorectal cancer more accurately than existing methods, meaning patients could benefit from targeted therapies with quicker turnaround times and at a lower cost. [...]

Targeted prostate cancer screening could benefit men with inherited cancer syndrome

Men who inherit an increased risk of cancer through "Lynch syndrome" could benefit from regular PSA testing from age 40 to detect early signs of prostate cancer, researchers believe. [...]

Corporate influence linked to slow implementation of public health policies globally

Implementation of WHO's recommended public health policies on alcohol, unhealthy foods and tobacco has been slow globally, according to a study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, published in the journal The Lancet Global Health. The study found particularly low implementation in poor, less democratic countries and where corporations had more influence for example through corruption and political favoritism. [...]

Marketing strategies can help overcome COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, study shows

"We are all in this together" became a rallying cry during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, although a significant portion of the population is not "all in" when it comes to getting vaccinated. [...]

Novel sugar detector system in the human mouth has implications for designing tastier, healthier beverages and foods

Most everyone understands that a major role of our sense of taste is to inform us when sugar is present in foods and beverages by eliciting sweetness on our tongues. A study led by the Monell Chemical Senses Center, published this month in PLOS ONE, identifies a new human sensory ability to detect sugars in the mouth with a molecular calorie detector, of sorts. [...]

Researchers find novel means of flagging inpatient pharmacy orders for intervention

Medication order errors are a significant, and preventable, public health problem. The widespread deployment of electronic health records and computerized order entry systems has largely reduced medication order errors and inefficiencies in the inpatient setting. Emerging research suggests, however, that they have also introduced new sources of error related to the interaction between the provider and the platform. [...]

Virtual job interviews infected by COVID-19 worries, new study finds

Pandemic-induced boredom, isolation, health fears, and financial hits have been bad enough, not to mention an early shortage of consumer goods. [...]

Epilepsy research reveals previously unknown trigger for seizures

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have uncovered how problems in cortical microcircuits in the brain can trigger epileptic seizures. The researchers say that targeting the problem could lead to new treatments for a devastating form of the disease. [...]

Male-female differences in heart disease could start before birth

Males and females differ in prevalence, treatment responses, and survival rates for a variety of diseases. For cardiac disease, women almost uniformly fare far worse than men. There are likely many reasons for this, and scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Princeton University seemed to have found one deep inside cells before we're even born. [...]

Genetic testing of the siblings of newborns with cancer genes could reduce rare pediatric cancer deaths by half

Genetic testing of the siblings of newborns found to have mutations in any one of 11 genes most commonly associated with childhood-onset cancers could reduce deaths from these rare cancers by about 50%, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Moreover, such routine testing could save nearly $17,000 per year for each year of life gained among the siblings, compared to not testing for the mutations. The study, conducted by Grace O'Brien, M.S., of Boston Children's Hospital, and colleagues, appears in JAMA Network Open. [...]