News • Cardiac care
Exploring the potential of tele-rehabilitation
Cardiac rehabilitation can be done just as well at home as in the hospital. This is the conclusion of the most extensive research into ‘tele-rehabilitation’ to date.
Studies
News • Cutting-edge study
Stay sharp, surgeons — your patients depend on it
Researchers from Auckland have uncovered a link between the sharpness of surgical tools such as scalpels and the risk of post-surgery infection.
News • UK study reveals
Many women feel 'brushed aside' by the healthcare system
Many women feel they are not being listened to about their health needs – and experience a lack of empathy around problems relating to menstruation, fertility, childbirth and menopause.
News • Underrepresentation of women
Machine learning fixes gender bias in clinical trials
Researchers from Israel have developed a technology that rectifies the effects of underrepresentation of women in clinical trials using machine learning models.
Article • Cancer mortality study
Does ethnicity affect brain tumour survival?
New research has pinpointed ethnicity as a potential factor in brain tumour survival. A UK study showed that white British people who have been diagnosed with a malignant primary brain tumour appear to have an increased one-year mortality than patients from at least four other ethnic groups.
News • Lack of support
Frontline healthcare workers: Covid heroes – or cannon fodder?
A large-scale qualitative study looks into the difficulties frontline doctors faced across two waves of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK and Ireland since early 2020.
News • Covid-19 protection
Needle-free coronavirus vaccine enters clinical trial
Safety trials are underway for a Cambridge-led vaccine that could be used as a booster targeting Covid-19 virus variants and relatives that threaten future coronavirus pandemics.
News • Whole genome sequencing
Rare disease diagnosis: the huge impact of WGS
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) from a single blood test picks up 31% more cases of rare genetic disorders than standard tests, shortening the ‘diagnostic odyssey’ that affected families experience, and providing huge opportunities for future research.
News • Gender equality in clinical trials
Women in Covid-19 research: a good start, but...
There has been a "positive shift" in inclusive gender practices in Covid-19 vaccine research, but there is still room for improvement, experts say. Women have been equally recruited and represented in randomised control trial research about Covid-19 vaccine safety, efficacy and effectiveness, according to a new study by The George Institute for Global Health and The Australian National…
Video • Prevention of triple-negative BRCA
Breast cancer vaccine: clinical trial started
Researchers from Cleveland Clinic have opened a novel study for a vaccine aimed at eventually preventing triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive and lethal form of the disease. This phase I trial is designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose of the vaccine in patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer and to characterize and optimize the body’s immune response. The…
News • Neurology research
Stroke: Women remain underrepresented in clinical trials
A new study shows that women are underrepresented in stroke clinical trials relative to the number who have strokes in the general population. The research is published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Making sure there are enough women in clinical studies to accurately reflect the proportion of women who have strokes may have implications for future…
News • Standardized heart attack protocols
Reducing heart attack deaths by 50%, getting rid of gender gaps in care
A new series of protocols for treating patients with the most severe types of hearts attacks can reduce deaths by more than 50%, and eliminate gender disparities in care and outcomes, according to a new study by Cleveland Clinic.
News • Autoimmune reaction study
Severe Covid-19 linked to increase in self-attacking antibodies
Hospitalized Covid-19 patients are substantially more likely to harbor autoantibodies — antibodies directed at their own tissues or at substances their immune cells secrete into the blood — than people without Covid-19, according to a new study.
News • Combined chemotherapy
Pancreatic cancer: New treatment promising for older patients
Pancreatic cancer is a disease of the elderly: the average age of patients is 72. In Austria, about 1,600 people are diagnosed each year. Since pancreatic cancer has no specific symptoms, it is not usually diagnosed until the tumor is locally advanced or has already metastasized. Once the tumor has metastasized, it is usually no longer treatable by surgery or radiotherapy. In addition, the drug…
News • Medication combination
'4-in-1' blood pressure pill shows great promise
The first large-scale, long-term trial of a new strategy using combinations of very low-doses in one capsule, has demonstrated significantly improved control of high blood pressure - the leading cause of heart attack and stroke. This first large-scale, randomised controlled clinical trial of starting this novel combination blood pressure medication brought blood pressure under control in 80…
News • More nurses, less ventilation and medication
A new approach to improve outcomes for critically-ill children
A major UK clinical trial led by Queen’s University Belfast has shown how a new approach to reduce the use of mechanical ventilation can greatly improve outcomes for critically ill infants and children. The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Programme, found that a greater involvement of nurses, minimising sedation use and increasing daily…
News • Heart-related hospitalisations
Drug danger: opioid use linked to steep rise in cardiac arrests
A nationwide US study has shown that the rate of opioid-related cardiac arrests has steeply risen and is now on par with the rate of cardiac arrest from other causes. The research is presented at ESC Congress 2021. Opioid use disorder, which includes dependence and addiction, affects more than two million people in the US, while opioid overdose is the leading cause of death for those aged 25 to…
News • Patient empowerment
Should cancer patients participate in tumour conferences?
The goal of tumour conferences is to determine the best treatment for patients with complex cancers – however, the patient is rarely present. Now, a team of researchers has investigated whether cancer patients can benefit from participating in these meetings.
News • Clinical cardiovascular trials
Women still underrepresented in CVD research
Women remain underrepresented in cardiovascular clinical trials despite guidelines and legal requirements developed almost 30 years ago to ensure broader inclusivity. This lack of representation can limit availability of treatment data on the number one killer of women worldwide—cardiovascular disease.
News • Rethinking recommendations
Delay between Covid-19 vaccine doses improves antibody response
A novel study published in AACC’s The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine shows that delaying the second Covid-19 vaccine dose for more than the recommended 3-4 weeks results in higher antibody levels. This finding could play a vital role in shaping vaccine distribution strategies that increase access to the vaccine around the globe.
News • Antisense therapy update
Huntington's disease: setback for study of promising agent
Roche announced the decision to discontinue dosing in the Phase III GENERATION HD1 study of tominersen (previously IONIS-HTTRx and RG6042) in manifest Huntington’s disease (HD). The decision was based on the results of a pre-planned review of the data from the Phase III study conducted by an unblinded Independent Data Monitoring Committee (iDMC). The iDMC made its recommendation based on the…
News • Data analysis tool
Blockchain app to optimise clinical trials
A new blockchain-based data analysis app aims to drive collaboration and insights across clinical trials. The tool, developed by software company Clintex, is designed to boost trial efficiency, help drive down the cost of new medicines and expediting their delivery to patients.
News • Orthopaedics
Iliac crest reconstruction: 15 patients recruited into GreenBRIC study
GreenBone Ortho, a company specialising in bone regeneration, announces that it has achieved its aim of recruiting 15 patients into the GreenBRIC study. GreenBRIC study is a prospective, open label, single-arm, First-in-Human clinical investigation, in male and female patients, aged between 18 and 70 years, undergoing surgery to correct bone defects using GreenBone Implant, specifically for iliac…
News • Software solution
Using AI to match cancer patients to early phase clinical trials
Cancer informatics and digital pathology provider Inspirata announced that King’s Health Partners ECMC and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust will pilot its Trial Navigator software as part of an evaluation the organisations are conducting into how artificial intelligence based automation can improve the identification and efficiency of matching patients with cancer to early phase…
News • Lasting impact
'Long Covid' study identifies over 200 symptoms
Patients who experience long Covid have reported more than 200 symptoms across 10 organ systems, in the largest international study of ‘long-haulers’ to date, led by scientists at University College London together with a patient-led research collaborative.
