EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health - News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 29-Apr-2025 20:08 ET (30-Apr-2025 00:08 GMT/UTC)

What’s the mechanism behind behavioral side effects of popular weight loss drugs?

Wiley
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA)—medications for type 2 diabetes and obesity that have recently been making headlines due to a rise in popularity as weight loss agents—have been linked with behavioral side effects. A large population-based analysis in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism assessed whether certain genetic variants might help explain these effects.

Journal: Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism

Does sleep apnea treatment influence patients’ risk of getting into car accidents?

Wiley
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Sleepiness at the wheel is a significant contributing factor to motor vehicle accidents. A new analysis published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery reveals that for people with sleep apnea, getting surgery for their condition may lessen their risk of such accidents compared with using a CPAP device at night or receiving no treatment.

Journal: Otolaryngology

HKUMed study finds 80% mislabelled NSAID allergies among stroke patients leads to poorer treatment outcomes and urges evaluation to identify mislabelling

The University of Hong Kong
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A recent first-of-its-kind study conducted by the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) found that mislabelled NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) allergies for stroke patients hinders the use of effective medications for them, leading to poorer treatment outcomes. It also revealed that when stroke survivors with NSAID allergy labels underwent testing, 80% were found to be mislabelled. The research highlights the significant impact of mislabelling on patient care and outcomes, emphasising the urgent need for thorough evaluation and management of drug allergies. The findings were published in the international journal Stroke [link to publication].

Journal: Stroke

A way for smartwatches to detect depression risks devised by KAIST and U of Michigan researchers

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A international joint research team of KAIST and the University of Michigan developed a digital biomarker for predicting symptoms of depression based on data collected by smartwatches

Journal: npj Digital Medicine
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation, NIH/National Institutes of Health, U.S. Army Research Institute

Exposure to stress during early pregnancy affects offspring into adulthood

Deutsches Primatenzentrum (DPZ)/German Primate Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Maternal stress hormone levels during early pregnancy can have a lasting effect on the stress system of the offspring. The results of a long-term study on wild Assamese macaques in Thailand indicate that maternal stress in the first half of pregnancy is particularly relevant. Elevated stress hormones later during pregnancy or after birth did not have the same effects. The long-term study conducted by the University of Göttingen and the German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research provides important insights into the influence of early life stages on the development of the stress system under natural environmental conditions.

Survey: While most Americans use a device to monitor their heart, few share that data with their doctor

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Reports and Proceedings

A new national survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that while many Americans use a device to monitor their heart, few share that data with their doctor.

Enhancing patient activation: A controlled implementation study of an interprofessional evidence-based counseling program for complementary and integrative healthcare in cancer patients ('CCC-Integrativ')

Higher Education Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Complementary and integrative healthcare (CIH) is a significant aspect of cancer care, with many patients seeking these approaches to manage symptoms and side effects of treatment. A controlled implementation study, titled 'CCC-Integrativ', was conducted to evaluate the effects of an interprofessional evidence-based counseling program for CIH in enhancing patient activation among cancer patients. The study was a prospective controlled non-randomized implementation study with a focus on the micro-, meso-, and macro-level outcomes, accompanied by a mixed-methods process evaluation and health economic analysis. The primary objective was to assess the impact of the program on patient activation, measured by the Patient Activation Measure questionnaire (PAM-13) at baseline, post-intervention, and at a 6-month follow-up.

Journal: Frontiers of Medicine