A little about: Weekly Gravy

All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Immune System May ‘Remember’ Infections From Previous Coronaviruses

By | | Add a Comment

Previous coronavirus infections might prime the immune system to fight the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a new study suggests. There are numerous types of coronaviruses, including many harmless ones that cause mild upper respiratory infections similar to the common cold. Besides SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — other deadly coronaviruses include MERS-CoV, which caused a 2012 outbreak in Saudi Arabia of Middle East respiratory syndrome, and SARS-CoV-1, the first pandemic coronavirus that caused the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. The authors of the new study investigated how coronaviruses affect the human immune system and also took a closer look at the workings of the antibody response. “Our results suggest that the COVID-19 virus may awaken an antibody response that existed in humans prior to our current pandemic, meaning that we might already have some degree of pre-existing immunity to this virus,” said study senior author John Altin. He’s an assistant professor in the infectious disease branch at the Translational Genomics Research Institute, in Flagstaff, Ariz. The findings could help scientists develop new diagnostic techniques and treatments, assess the effectiveness of convalescent plasma, and design new vaccines or monoclonal antibody therapies that can protect against mutations that may occur in the COVID-19 virus, according to the researchers. The study was published Jan. 19 in the journal Cell Reports Medicine. “Our findings…  read on >  read on >

Premature Menopause May Bring Tougher Symptoms for Women

By | | Add a Comment

Menopause is known to bring a variety of unpleasant symptoms ranging from hot flashes to insomnia. Yet, for those who have a condition known as premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), it is much worse, researchers report. The new study examined the impact of POI, in which ovarian function stops and leads to menopause before the age of 40. The researchers investigated menopause symptoms in women with POI and compared them with the severity and prevalence of similar symptoms in women who experienced natural menopause. The study included nearly 300 women. The investigators found that women with POI experience a high prevalence of menopause symptoms, especially psychological and sexual symptoms. This included mood swings, hot flashes, insomnia, fatigue and sexual dysfunction, such as vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and decreased libido. These symptoms are often more severe than those experienced by women who undergo natural menopause. “This study of Chinese women showed that those with POI had more prevalent menopause-related symptoms than women with menopause at the average age,” Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for the North American Menopause Society, said in a society news release. “It is important to note that, regardless of the prevalence or severity of symptoms, women with POI should receive hormone therapy at least until the average age of menopause unless there are contraindications to its use, in order to mitigate potential long-term…  read on >

Arthritis Drug Tocilizumab Flops as COVID-19 Treatment

By | | Add a Comment

The arthritis drug tocilizumab doesn’t help hospital patients with severe COVID-19, according to a new study that contradicts earlier research suggesting that it might aid recovery. In fact, patients receiving tocilizumab had a higher risk of death, so the trial was halted early. Tocilizumab blocks a part of the immune system (interleukin 6) that can become overactive in some COVID-19 patients, and it was thought that the drug might help reduce inflammatory responses in patients. That theory was tested in this study, which included 129 adult COVID-19 patients, average age 57, at nine hospitals in Brazil. They had abnormal levels of at least two inflammation-related compounds in their blood and were receiving supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation. The patients were randomly selected to receive either tocilizumab plus standard care (65) or standard care alone (64). After 15 days, 18 (28%) of the patients in the tocilizumab group and 13 (20%) of those in the standard care group were on mechanical ventilation or had died. Eleven (17%) of the patients in the tocilizumab group died, compared with 2 (3%) in the standard care group. Due to the much higher death rate in the tocilizumab group, the trial was stopped early. In both groups of patients, deaths were due to COVID-19-related acute respiratory failure or multiple organ dysfunction. The findings were published Jan. 20 in the BMJ…  read on >  read on >

Could Stem Cell Therapy Be a Breakthrough Against MS?

By | | Add a Comment

Stem cell transplants may have long-lasting benefits for some people with aggressive cases of multiple sclerosis, a new study suggests. Italian researchers found that among 210 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who received a stem cell transplant — with cells from their own blood — two-thirds saw no worsening in their disability 10 years out. That included 71% of patients with relapsing-remitting MS, the most common form of the disease. The sustained level of effectiveness is “pretty dramatic,” said Bruce Bebo, executive vice-president of research programs for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. At the same time, there are important caveats, said Bebo, who was not involved in the study. For one, the patients were not part of a clinical trial that directly tested stem cell transplants against standard MS medications. They all underwent transplants at various Italian medical centers between 1997 and 2019. So it’s unclear exactly how such transplants measure up against the most effective MS drugs now available. Beyond that, Bebo said there are ongoing questions about which MS patients are the best candidates for a transplant, and the optimal timing for it. Those are no small matters, since a stem cell transplant is a major undertaking, he pointed out. “And it’s not reversible, like a medication you can change when it’s not working,” Bebo said. MS is a neurological disorder caused by a…  read on >  read on >

Premature Menopause May Bring Tougher Symptoms for Women

By | | Add a Comment

Menopause is known to bring a variety of unpleasant symptoms ranging from hot flashes to insomnia. Yet, for those who have a condition known as premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), it is much worse, researchers report. The new study examined the impact of POI, in which ovarian function stops and leads to menopause before the age of 40. The researchers investigated menopause symptoms in women with POI and compared them with the severity and prevalence of similar symptoms in women who experienced natural menopause. The study included nearly 300 women. The investigators found that women with POI experience a high prevalence of menopause symptoms, especially psychological and sexual symptoms. This included mood swings, hot flashes, insomnia, fatigue and sexual dysfunction, such as vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and decreased libido. These symptoms are often more severe than those experienced by women who undergo natural menopause. “This study of Chinese women showed that those with POI had more prevalent menopause-related symptoms than women with menopause at the average age,” Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for the North American Menopause Society, said in a society news release. “It is important to note that, regardless of the prevalence or severity of symptoms, women with POI should receive hormone therapy at least until the average age of menopause unless there are contraindications to its use, in order to mitigate potential long-term…  read on >

Arthritis Drug Tocilizumab Flops as COVID-19 Treatment

By | | Add a Comment

The arthritis drug tocilizumab doesn’t help hospital patients with severe COVID-19, according to a new study that contradicts earlier research suggesting that it might aid recovery. In fact, patients receiving tocilizumab had a higher risk of death, so the trial was halted early. Tocilizumab blocks a part of the immune system (interleukin 6) that can become overactive in some COVID-19 patients, and it was thought that the drug might help reduce inflammatory responses in patients. That theory was tested in this study, which included 129 adult COVID-19 patients, average age 57, at nine hospitals in Brazil. They had abnormal levels of at least two inflammation-related compounds in their blood and were receiving supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation. The patients were randomly selected to receive either tocilizumab plus standard care (65) or standard care alone (64). After 15 days, 18 (28%) of the patients in the tocilizumab group and 13 (20%) of those in the standard care group were on mechanical ventilation or had died. Eleven (17%) of the patients in the tocilizumab group died, compared with 2 (3%) in the standard care group. Due to the much higher death rate in the tocilizumab group, the trial was stopped early. In both groups of patients, deaths were due to COVID-19-related acute respiratory failure or multiple organ dysfunction. The findings were published Jan. 20 in the BMJ…  read on >  read on >

Could Stem Cell Therapy Be a Breakthrough Against MS?

By | | Add a Comment

Stem cell transplants may have long-lasting benefits for some people with aggressive cases of multiple sclerosis, a new study suggests. Italian researchers found that among 210 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who received a stem cell transplant — with cells from their own blood — two-thirds saw no worsening in their disability 10 years out. That included 71% of patients with relapsing-remitting MS, the most common form of the disease. The sustained level of effectiveness is “pretty dramatic,” said Bruce Bebo, executive vice-president of research programs for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. At the same time, there are important caveats, said Bebo, who was not involved in the study. For one, the patients were not part of a clinical trial that directly tested stem cell transplants against standard MS medications. They all underwent transplants at various Italian medical centers between 1997 and 2019. So it’s unclear exactly how such transplants measure up against the most effective MS drugs now available. Beyond that, Bebo said there are ongoing questions about which MS patients are the best candidates for a transplant, and the optimal timing for it. Those are no small matters, since a stem cell transplant is a major undertaking, he pointed out. “And it’s not reversible, like a medication you can change when it’s not working,” Bebo said. MS is a neurological disorder caused by a…  read on >  read on >

Now That Psychiatric Care Has Gone Online, Many Patients Want It to Stay There

By | | Add a Comment

Only a year ago, Michigan Medicine psychiatrists were trying to recruit patients to give telepsychiatry a try, with very little success. The psychiatrists worked with people by video only 26 times in six months, while 30,000 visits happened in person. But that changed quickly when the coronavirus pandemic forced closures in the area in late March. Now, not only have patients seeking help with mental health issues been working through their emotions and experiences by video and phone for months — many would like to keep those options, a new study shows. “Telepsychiatry is an interesting tool for various reasons in terms of providing early access to care, connecting patients in rural areas or who live far away from clinics to be able to get good evidence-based care,” said study author Dr. Jennifer Severe, a psychiatrist who helped launch a test of telehealth initiatives at the University of Michigan’s outpatient psychiatry clinic. “Even patients who are closer, based on life burden and expectation, they might not be able to keep up with their appointments, so telehealth actually offers a way to remain connected with care, regardless of how busy people’s lives might be,” Severe said. For the study, published recently in the journal JMIR Formative Research, researchers surveyed 244 patients or parents of minor patients in summer 2020. The patients had mental health appointments in…  read on >  read on >

Premature Menopause May Bring Tougher Symptoms for Women

By | | Add a Comment

Menopause is known to bring a variety of unpleasant symptoms ranging from hot flashes to insomnia. Yet, for those who have a condition known as premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), it is much worse, researchers report. The new study examined the impact of POI, in which ovarian function stops and leads to menopause before the age of 40. The researchers investigated menopause symptoms in women with POI and compared them with the severity and prevalence of similar symptoms in women who experienced natural menopause. The study included nearly 300 women. The investigators found that women with POI experience a high prevalence of menopause symptoms, especially psychological and sexual symptoms. This included mood swings, hot flashes, insomnia, fatigue and sexual dysfunction, such as vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and decreased libido. These symptoms are often more severe than those experienced by women who undergo natural menopause. “This study of Chinese women showed that those with POI had more prevalent menopause-related symptoms than women with menopause at the average age,” Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for the North American Menopause Society, said in a society news release. “It is important to note that, regardless of the prevalence or severity of symptoms, women with POI should receive hormone therapy at least until the average age of menopause unless there are contraindications to its use, in order to mitigate potential long-term…  read on >

Arthritis Drug Tocilizumab Flops as COVID-19 Treatment

By | | Add a Comment

The arthritis drug tocilizumab doesn’t help hospital patients with severe COVID-19, according to a new study that contradicts earlier research suggesting that it might aid recovery. In fact, patients receiving tocilizumab had a higher risk of death, so the trial was halted early. Tocilizumab blocks a part of the immune system (interleukin 6) that can become overactive in some COVID-19 patients, and it was thought that the drug might help reduce inflammatory responses in patients. That theory was tested in this study, which included 129 adult COVID-19 patients, average age 57, at nine hospitals in Brazil. They had abnormal levels of at least two inflammation-related compounds in their blood and were receiving supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation. The patients were randomly selected to receive either tocilizumab plus standard care (65) or standard care alone (64). After 15 days, 18 (28%) of the patients in the tocilizumab group and 13 (20%) of those in the standard care group were on mechanical ventilation or had died. Eleven (17%) of the patients in the tocilizumab group died, compared with 2 (3%) in the standard care group. Due to the much higher death rate in the tocilizumab group, the trial was stopped early. In both groups of patients, deaths were due to COVID-19-related acute respiratory failure or multiple organ dysfunction. The findings were published Jan. 20 in the BMJ…  read on >  read on >