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05

Noninvasive Raman device tracks blood glucose accurately in under a minute

MIT researchers developed a compact band-pass Raman spectroscopy device that noninvasively tracks glucose through the skin in under a minute using physically interpretable optical signals. In a pilot study and tissue phantom validation,…

Young Australians are staying on antidepressants for longer than ever

Long-term antidepressant use in Australia increased steadily between 2014 and 2023, with the largest relative rise seen among adolescents and young adults aged 10 to 24 years. Treatment duration also lengthened over time, while apparent…

04

Chemotherapy-free combination treatment outperforms traditional regimens in patients with Ph+ ALL

A chemotherapy-free combination treatment outperformed a combination of targeted therapy and chemotherapy among patients with Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in a new study.

Virtual diet and exercise program shows promise in reducing lymphoma treatment side effects

Patients undergoing treatment for lymphoma often experience adverse side effects that can be so severe that they stop or slow treatment.

03

Kiwifruit intake boosts vitamin C in skin and supports dermal structure

Study shows that increasing dietary vitamin C intake with kiwifruit raises vitamin C levels in both the dermis and epidermis through active transport from the bloodstream. Higher skin vitamin C levels were associated with increased skin…

Shingles vaccination is linked to fewer dementia diagnoses and deaths in older adults

A large quasi-experimental study in Wales shows that eligibility for shingles vaccination is linked to fewer new mild cognitive impairment diagnoses and lower dementia-related mortality. Benefits appear strongest in women and are observed…

Evidence grows for pirtobrutinib as a safer and effective alternative for CLL and SLL

Pirtobrutinib, a non-covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, met the primary endpoint for non-inferiority in terms of overall response rate in the first head-to-head comparison with ibrutinib, a covalent BTK inhibitor.

Aza-ven shows superior outcomes compared to induction chemotherapy in AML patients

In a new trial, patients newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) fared significantly better with a combined regimen of azacitidine and venetoclax compared with conventional induction chemotherapy.

New trial shows major survival gains with epcoritamab added to standard R2 therapy

In a new trial, patients with follicular lymphoma had a significantly higher response to treatment and a nearly 80% reduction in the risk of death or disease progression if they received epcoritamab in addition to the standard second-line…

Parental leniency toward binge drinking is tied to heavier alcohol use in Greek students

Parental permissiveness toward heavy episodic drinking is higher among Greek-affiliated students and their parents during the transition from high school to college. Students who perceive greater parental approval of heavy drinking report…

02

Calcium supplements do not prevent pre-eclampsia, large trials show no meaningful benefit

Despite long-standing recommendations, a major updated Cochrane review finds that calcium supplementation during pregnancy does not meaningfully reduce pre-eclampsia risk, prompting a rethink of how best to prevent hypertensive disorders…

Human researchers still outperform AI when it comes to writing trustworthy systematic reviews

Human researchers outperformed large language models across all major stages of systematic review preparation, particularly in study selection, synthesis, and final manuscript drafting. While LLMs demonstrated speed and partial accuracy in…

Walking speed before surgery predicts who thrives after hip replacement

This study shows that preoperative gait speed is a strong predictor of patient-reported pain relief, function, and joint awareness after total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. A walking speed of at least 1.0 m/s before surgery…

01

Early exposure to fat-related food smells increases lifelong obesity risk

Early exposure to fat-related food odors during development alters central sensory processing and metabolic regulation, independently of maternal obesity or nutrient intake. These sensory cues program long-term susceptibility to obesity,…

Smartphone motor tests can predict dopamine deficiency in Parkinson’s disease without brain scans

Researchers explore the use of smartphones coupled with clinical scores to evaluate motor function and predict dopamine deficiency.

Sunday, Dec 7

14

Fixed-duration therapy works as effectively as continuous treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

According to a new trial, patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) show comparable outcomes whether they receive a single-agent treatment indefinitely or a combination treatment for a fixed period of time.

13

Chemotherapy-based conditioning matches outcomes of total body irradiation for MRD-negative B-ALL

In a new trial, patients with B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) who had no evidence of remaining cancer cells after prior treatment, experienced comparable outcomes whether they received chemotherapy-based conditioning or total body…

Many families of children with leukemia face significant financial hardship during treatment

Nearly a third of families with children receiving chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) – the most common pediatric cancer – develop serious financial difficulties during their child's treatment, including losing 25% or more…

Quality improvement project dramatically boosts iron deficiency screening in pregnancy

Within a year of initiation, a multidisciplinary project to improve screening and treatment for iron deficiency in pregnancy resulted in a sixfold rise in screening rates for iron deficiency in pregnant patients, a 20-fold rise in the…

Intravenous iron shows safe and beneficial outcomes for patients with bacterial infection and anemia

Treatment with intravenous (IV) iron significantly improved survival and increased hemoglobin levels in patients with iron-deficiency anemia who were hospitalized for an acute bacterial infection, according to an analysis of data from more…

Black patients with AML experience earlier onset and poorer outcomes

Compared with white patients, Black patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were on average more than five years younger at diagnosis, more than 30% more likely to die of their disease, and more than 20% more likely to die of any cause,…

Study finds no specific harms linked to hydroxyurea exposure during pregnancy

Taking the sickle cell drug hydroxyurea during or shortly before pregnancy does not appear to cause specific issues in newborns, according to the first prospective study of pregnancies involving hydroxyurea exposure.

10

Challenges and opportunities in delivering gene therapies for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia

The first study assessing the real-world commercial roll-out of gene therapies for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia offers lessons learned to inform best practices as manufacturers and medical centers prepare to meet growing demand…

New evidence shows hematopoietic cell transplantation offers durable relief for sickle cell disease

Patients who underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation for sickle cell disease saw high rates of survival without disease symptoms and low rates of severe side effects or complications years after their procedure, according to a new…

09

Most sickle cell patients face long delays for recommended pain relief, study shows

A new study finds that only one in three patients visiting emergency departments (EDs) for severe pain associated with sickle cell disease received appropriate opioid-based pain-relieving medications within the first hour as recommended by…

07

Exa-cel shows complete success in early pediatric trials for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia

Preliminary results from two trials of the gene therapy exagamglogene autotemcel (exa-cel) suggest the therapy offers an effective cure for beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease in children younger than 12.

Billions still lack essential health services despite worldwide gains in coverage

Since 2000, most countries – across all income levels and regions – have made concurrent progress in expanding health service coverage and reducing the financial hardship associated with health costs, according to a new joint report from…

WHO Member States push forward toward a unified Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system

WHO Member States today ended their latest round of intensive negotiations on the world's first Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system.

Saturday, Dec 6

19

Phonological processing skills continue to influence text reading fluency in adolescents

Psycholinguists from the Center for Language and Brain found that phonological processing skills continue to influence text reading fluency in 15-to-18-year-old adolescents.

18

Study finds mixed reviews of virtual nursing programs among bedside nurses

Hospitals struggling to attract and retain enough registered nurses at the bedside are implementing alternative strategies to ensure patients get needed nursing care.