NBC Today
Is your smartphone a pain? How to prevent it from causing your hands to suffer
5/29/15
Texting and other smartphone activity can stress tendons in the hand. Physical therapist Lynnette Khoo-Summers said the treatment for any repetitive overuse injury is rest and ice.
Associated Press/Washington Post
Johnson & Johnson starts project to prevent Type 1 diabetes
6/11/15
Dr. Emil Unanue will collaborate with researchers at Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals to find the cause and hopefully a way to prevent Type 1 diabetes. They plan to explore how specific immune system cells are involved in the initiation and progression of the disease.
Reuters
Mother fights brain cancer with electric fields
6/2/15
Elizabeth Marek was diagnosed with glioblastoma when she was 26 weeks pregnant with her second child. WUSM neurosurgeons removed the initial tumor and when a new tumor started forming, Dr. George Ansstas fitted Marek with a device that sends an electric field to her brain via electrodes placed on head. The electromagnetic field stops cell division in cancer cells. Marek has been wearing the device for a year and currently has no measurable signs of cancer in her brain. Other outlets: Fox News, MSN, Pakistan Headlines, Channel News Asia
HealthDay News/WebMD
Surgery may up some advanced lung cancer survival
6/4/15
Dr. Varun Puri found that certain patients with lung cancer that has spread throughout the chest could live longer by undergoing surgery to remove diseased lung tissue, instead of receiving only chemotherapy and radiation. The study was published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
The Christian Science Monitor
Why is your cat such a picky eater? Scientists reveal clues.
6/4/15
In an article highlighting new research that suggests that cats may experience some bitter compounds differently than humans, Dr. Michael Montague from WUSM’s Genome Institute commented. Montague explained that his work analyzing behavioral aspects of the cat genome indicated some genetic sequences have lost their functionality, and that researchers shouldn’t assume that the basic taste quality should be the same for cats.
Related WUSM news release
Reuters
Facebook addiction linked to depression
6/4/15
A recent study found that the amount of time spent on the Internet daily was positively associated with levels of Facebook intrusion – defined as “excessive involvement in Facebook, disrupting day-to-day activities and interpersonal relationships.” Facebook intrusion was linked with higher depression scores. Dr. Robert Cloninger, who wasn’t involved in the study, said that people likely to become addicted to Facebook are those who are low in self directedness and hight at novelty seeking. He added he is concerned that the study didn’t properly take personality traits into consideration. The work was published in European Psychiatry.
The Scientist
A lifetime of viruses
6/4/15
Scientists devise an antibody-based test that can generate a person’s complete “viral history” with just one drop of blood. “This is far beyond anything we’ve had before, regarding the human antibody response to viruses,” said Dr. Kristine Wylie, a microbiologist who was not involved in the work. Wylie has been cataloging viruses living in and on humans for years, typically by searching for viral DNA and RNA sequences in blood and tissues. Other outlets: Bio IT World
KTVI-TV Fox 2
FDA panel recommends approval of new cholesterol-lowering drug
6/11/15
Dr. Justin Sadhu explained how a new class of cholesterol drugs could help reduce the rate of heart disease by 50 percent in some high-risk patients.
Pacific-Standard Magazine
The promise of extending IUD access to all women
6/2/15
In an article highlighting a new IUD being offered at reduced cost to public health clinics across the country, WUSM’s Contraceptive CHOICE Project is referenced. Related WUSM news release
KTVI-TV Fox 2
Eliminating the stigma of mental illness
5/30/15
There is a negative stigma surrounding postpartum depression and mental illness. Dr. Cynthia Rogers, director of the Perinatal Behavioral Health Service at WUSM, explained that perinatal and post-partum depression are diseases and are treatable. She encouraged women suffering from the disorders and their families to speak out, reach out, and get help.
KMOV-TV Great Day
Men’s Health Month – Heart Disease
6/10/15
Dr. Andrew Kates explained that one in four men are at risk for heart disease and suggested ways to keep the heart healthy.
KTVI-TV Fox 2
Prevent cooking healthy foods in unhealthy ways
6/4/15
BJH clinical dietician Katie Lambert shared five common cooking mistakes that can turn healthy meals unhealthy.
Belleville News-Democrat
Answer man: Smelling MSG likely does not cause headaches
6/1/15
Dr. James Wedner explained that MSG can cause headaches in people who are sensitive to glutamate but only if it is ingested.
KTVI-TV Fox 2
Scaring kids might not be the best way to teach them.
6/10/15
Television ads often use scare tactics to discourage unhealthy behaviors. But when it comes to parenting, Dr. Kathleen Berchelmann suggests a caring approach might prove more effective.
St. Louis Magazine
Off to camp? How to lessen a child’s worries
6/12/15
Child psychologist Dr. Cathy Hutter offered advice to parents on lessening kids’ fears as they head off to summer camp.
Chemical & Engineering News
Alzheimer’s peptide may disrupt sleep leading to impaired memory
6/4/15
Recent research found that accumulating amyloid beta in the brain may erode memory, in part by disrupting the deepest stage of sleep. This finding suggests that disrupted sleep could become an effective early marker for the disease and that improving the quality of sleep could improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients. Dr. Brendan P. Lucey, who was not involved in the study, said “The study’s conclusion is interesting and important, because it ties together several independent lines of research showing that amyloid can affect memory and sleep.” He added that more data are needed to strengthen this model.
St. Louis American
Sickle cell trait and exercise
6/4/15
Dr. Allison King explained that it’s important for athletes with the sickle cell trait to stay hydrated and to not push themselves to the point of exhaustion, in order to stay healthy.
KMOX – St. Louis
6/9/15
U.S. News and World Report ranked SLCH in every category
In each of the 10 specialties surveyed, St. Louis Children’s Hospital-Washington University School of Medicine again is among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. Dr. Alan Schwartz and Joan Magruder commented. Other outlets: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Business Journal
St. Louis Business Journal
Inside BJC’s new children’s center in Town and Country
6/4/15
St. Louis Business Journal offered a tour of the new SLCH Specialty Care Center in west St. Louis County. Julie Bruns commented.
MedPage Today
Elevated blood glucose may raise AD risk in T2D
5/28/15
Patients with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease, and results from mouse model studies may help explain why. The findings could lead to novel diabetes treatments targeting this pathway, wrote Dr. Shannon Macauley-Rambach. The research was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Related WUSM news release
Croydon Guardian
Malachi Reid undergoes life-changing operation in the USA
6/2/15
Malachi Ried from England traveled to the United States for selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) with Dr. T.S. Park. The procedure has drawn hundreds of families from multiple countries to SLCH. Other outlet: Herald Sun
