April 20, 2022
An analysis of health and dietary data for more than 8,500 pregnant women found that greater adherence to a Mediterranean-style eating plan was associated with a lower risk of preeclampsia, which is a pregnancy complication characterized by severe high blood pressure that can be serious or even fatal for both mother and child. The reduction in risk of preeclampsia was greatest among Black women -- a population at high risk for preeclampsia.
Following a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy may reduce the risk of preeclampsia
April 20, 2022
Insomnia is a significant public health concern, and one that disproportionately impacts Black women. Although cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) is a standard treatment for this condition, there is limited research on the efficacy of CBT-i among this population. In a recently published study, supported by the NIA, NCI, PCORI, and others demonstrates the importance of developing evidence-based, tailored treatments for addressing insomnia symptoms among Black women.
April 19, 2022
Inhaled nanoparticles -- human-made specks so minuscule they can't be seen in conventional microscopes, found in thousands of common products -- can cross a natural, protective barrier that normally protects fetuses, according to scientists studying factors that produce low-birth-weight babies.
Nanoparticles can cross the placenta during pregnancy, potentially exposing fetus
April 19, 2022
A new digital health study shows how data from wearable sensors, such as smartwatches and fitness bands, can track a person's physiological response to the COVID-19 vaccination.
Smartwatches and fitness bands reveal individual physiological responses to COVID-19 vaccine
April 19, 2022
On July 29, 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration’s Oncology Center of Excellence convened Conversations on Cancer. This Conversation, the first ever by the US Food and Drug Administration, focused on Asian Americans and served as the platform for this Commentary. Panelists elaborated on topics ranging from heterogeneity in Asian American demographics to racism through a path to health equity and supplemented this Commentary with literature citations. Asian Americans are the fastest-growing US race group, yet data aggregation obscures distinctions and cancer disparities within the more than 24 million Asians living in the United States with harmful impacts on communities and patients, as illustrated by breast cancer survivor Susan Shinagawa’s patient-to-advocate journey. Bigotry against Asian Americans has been pervasive since the 19th century, but especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asian Americans are unique as the first US population to experience cancer as the leading cause of death. Asian Americans are disproportionately affected by cancers because of infectious origins and have the highest rates of lung cancer among never-smoking women. The infinitesimal proportion of the National Institutes of Health’s budget compared with experiencing the highest percentage increases of any US racial population more than 3 decades highlights the dearth of focused research among Asian Americans. Recognizing the heterogeneity of Asian Americans and that disaggregated data are critical for accurately characterizing distinct ethnic groups, focusing on the impact of racism and COVID-19 on cancer disparities, and focusing and prioritizing funding resources are necessary steps forward for achieving health equity for Asian Americans.
Charting a Path Towards Asian American Cancer Health Equity: A Way Forward
April 18, 2022
Overall, cancer death rates in the United States have been declining about 2% per year, current SEER data from 2014 through 2018 show. However, these improvements have not been experienced equally by everyone, which is one of the reasons that April is Minority Cancer Awareness Month, when we call attention to these disparities.
April 18, 2022
A new study finds that a history of infertility is associated with increased risk of heart failure. Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) revealed that women who had experienced infertility had a 16% increased risk of heart failure compared with women who did not have an infertility history.
Study finds infertility history linked with increased risk of heart failure
April 18, 2022
Artificial intelligence reduced by twofold the rate at which precancerous polyps were missed in colorectal cancer screening, reported a team of international researchers led by Mayo Clinic. The study is published in Gastroenterology.
AI reduces miss rate of precancerous polyps in colorectal cancer screening
April 18, 2022
Noninvasive sound technology breaks down liver tumors in rats, kills cancer cells and spurs the immune system to prevent further spread -- an advance that could lead to improved cancer outcomes in humans.
April 15, 2022
Existing methods for detecting and diagnosing COVID-19 are either expensive and complex or inaccurate. Now, scientists have developed a novel biosensing platform to detect and quantify viral particles using a simple optical microscope and antibody proteins. Their versatile approach, based on slowing down light, could pave the way to new diagnostic tools and next-generation detection platforms that are fast, accurate, and low-cost.
