MedTruth

Medical Safety & Informed Advocacy

[medtruth-blog]

Blood Test Detects Alzheimer’s 20 Years in Advance

A team of researchers from Australia and Japan has developed the world’s first blood test accurate enough to detect Alzheimer’s disease up to 20 years before symptoms begin. The Alzheimer’s blood test could be a serious breakthrough for the millions of Americans who will later face this progressive disease.

A mere drop of blood is enough for this test to identify one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease, the build-up of a sticky protein called amyloid-beta. Amyloid plaques, typically found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, are small clumps of this protein that block synaptic signaling from one brain cell to another.

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

FDA Issues St. Jude Medical Defibrillator Recall

In October 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recall notice after 13 models of defibrillation devices contained faulty lithium batteries. The defects took place when lithium deposits formed in the batteries, causing those batteries to stop working. An updated safety warning was added in August 2017.

Fortify, Unify, and Assura models of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds) were all on the FDA’s defibrillator recall list. The FDA has also stressed this is a Class I recall, the most serious type.

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

Manufacturers Submit Application For New Xarelto Uses

In December 2017, Janssen Research & Development, LLC announced its submission of a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for two new Xarelto uses.

sNDA Application for New Xarelto Uses

The first use would be reducing the risk of cardiovascular (CV) death, heart attack or stroke in patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD), and/or peripheral artery disease (PAD). The second proposed use would be the reduction of acute limb ischemia (severe arterial blockage) risk in patients with PAD.

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

Hospitals May Overcharge Hip Replacement Surgery Costs

Nearly 5 million Americans have a hip replacement. A recent study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that U.S. hospitals may be charging private insurers double the price of a typical hip replacement surgery costs.

Hip implants are the eighth most common surgical procedure in the U.S. Because they’re so common, the price increase has resulted in hundreds of millions in additional insurance claims.

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

Fitbit Invests $6 Million in Wearable Sano Patch for Diabetes

As its first start-up investment, San Francisco tech company Fitbit has invested $6 million into the Sano patch. Sano, another San Francisco tech company, will partner with Fitbit to develop a wearable skin patch to track blood sugar for people with diabetes.

Though Fitbit already has glucose-monitoring technology in its Ionic smartwatch, the Sano patch provides a painless, minimally invasive way to track glucose.

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

In this week’s MedTruth roundup:

Nursing homes in Minnesota, Arkansas, and Ohio face accusations of neglect.

Diabetes patients are at increased risk of suffering serious infection.

Australia pulls pelvic mesh from the market, Israel creates an alternative.

FDA places opioid restrictions on children’s cough medicine.

Two blood tests help detect early stage cancers.

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

MT Women’s Health Predictions for 2018

This may be the year of the Dog, but the lionesses advocating for women’s health have been in force, with Maven founder and CEO Kathryn Ryder among them.

There are some harsh truths to face, due to the current administration’s continuing efforts to cut funding for women’s healthcare programs. But there are also some silver linings being created.

Today we examine some of the good, the bad, and the hopeful for women’s health in 2018.

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

New Diabetes Drug May Lead to Alzheimer’s Breakthrough

A new study has found that a type 2 diabetes drug may protect the brain from Alzheimer’s-related damage. Conducted by scientists in the UK and China, the study works to better understand the link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

The researchers measured how the memories of mice improved with the introduction of the drug, which is a “triple receptor agonist.” This kind of drug activating proteins that allow signals to enter brain cells. Professor Christian Holscher, from Lancaster University, was the lead researcher and called the outcomes of the study “very promising.”

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

FDA Delays AndexXa Antidote for Xarelto Bleeding

As part of a continued review process, the AndexXa antidote developed to cease potentially-fatal Xarelto bleeding side effects remains unapproved. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has initiated a 90-day extension until May 2018, citing the need for more data.

For tens of thousands of patients who have required hospitalization due to Xarelto bleeding, an antidote is greatly needed. But that does not mean the FDA should rush the process.

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

New Procedure May Become A Hip Replacement Alternative

A new procedure called subchondroplasty, currently being performed at Ohio State University’s Wexler Medical Center, is allowing patients the opportunity for hip repair without the need for a total hip replacement. Though it’s still early, these advancements may mitigate side effects by offering a hip replacement alternative.

This year, much like previous years, more than 300,000 Americans will undergo hip replacement surgery due to wear-and-tear, rheumatoid arthritis, or hip joint deformation and collapse. Growing instances of such complications have now affected some as young as 30 years old.

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

Recreational Cannabis Kicks Off in CA, DOJ Issues Memo

January of 2018 saw the state of California usher in a new dawn for the cannabis industry by enacting regulated recreational use.

Shortly after, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a memo rescinding Obama-era policies that softened perspectives on criminalization. The recent DOJ memo, a note from Attorney General Jeff Sessions, directs U.S. Attorneys to focus on a “return to the rule of law.”

The DOJ memo further complicates the debate between federal stances and state rights, putting prosecutorial discretion in the hands of the attorneys and clouding the atmosphere of an industry struggling to find regulatory footing and create a fair, safely licensed business and health space.

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

MT Health Tips for 2018

With another turn of the calendar year comes the all-important plan for the 365 days ahead. If your health doesn’t already take precedence, it’s time to let it become your first priority. Without good health, you’ll find it difficult to achieve any of the other 2018 goals you’ve set to smash for yourself.

We tend to step to these goals by emotionally and mentally psyching ourselves up, which is great because frame of mind and perception of attainability are key to beginning any sort of personal development.

With that said, here are some recommended steps to a healthy new year and healthier you.

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

Morcellator Use Declines Following FDA Warning

Last month the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reaffirmed its warning concerning power morcellators used in gynecological surgery.

The spinning blades on morcellators bring with them the risk of spreading cancerous tissue within the abdomen, particularly in women with unsuspected uterine sarcoma.

As part of its warning, the FDA states there is “no reliable method for predicting or testing whether a woman with fibroids may have a uterine sarcoma.” There are, however, signs and symptoms to look for, such as:

Abnormal bleeding or spotting after menopause

Vaginal discharge with no visible blood

Pelvic pain or a mass/tumor that can be felt

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

MT Weekly: Nursing Homes Treat Residents with Music, Breakthrough in Breast Cancer Diagnosis

In this year’s first MT Weekly roundup:

- DNA Marker in Blood May Reveal Breast Cancer One Year Earlier 

- Fitbit Invests in Diabetes Blood Glucose-Tracking Patch

- Peaking U.S. Flu Season Sparks Health Advisory

- Music Aids Residents in California Nursing Home

- 61 Transvaginal Mesh Devices in the U.S. are Sold Without Clinical Trialing

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

Newly Discovered Gene May Help Metal-on-Metal Hip Patients

Researchers in Adelaide, South Australia, have made an award-winning discovery in identifying a gene that causes the wearer of metal-on-metal (MOM) hip replacements to form painful lesions. Though the side effects of hip replacements can be severe, the medical breakthrough may allow researchers to create a screening test to identify if patients can safely receive an implant.

Dr. Andrew Kurmis of Lyell McEwin Hospital is one of the researchers. During an interview with Austraila’s 9News, Kurmis said, “In Australia, we’re talking about tens of thousands of potentially exposed patients. Around the world, that number is in the millions.”

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

Taking Vacation Time a Little More Seriously

After months of slogging, we anxiously await the moment we can leave work behind and finally make the most of our time away from office-bound responsibilities. In other words, time to vacation hard!

So why do we engage in the irony of needing a vacation after coming back from vacation? The reasons are myriad, but primarily:

You find it difficult to actually enjoy your time off, especially if “no one else” can do your job, so you don’t 100% switch off.

You worked extra hard for that vacation time and you know how hard you’ll have to work when you get back.

What’s interesting is that this type of circular anxiety is a particularly American construct. We really are “always on” and don’t think about the subtle mental and emotional repercussions that come from not being able to switch off. They begin compounding and then, without thinking, the time we set aside to truly extract ourselves from work mode has passed.

Keep reading...

[medtruth-blog]

Before Having an MRI, Know More About GBCAs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated an existing safety alert, warning of Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agent (GBCA) retention in the body after completing an MRI scan.

GBCA is composed of rare earth metals, and most commonly used intravenously in patients requiring an MRI. When the GBCA is injected into the patient, the metals give the physician improved readings and visuals of organs, blood vessels, and tissues during the scan.

One benefit of using GBCA is a potentially improved diagnosis for the patient. The body naturally eliminates most of the GBCA through the kidneys following the MRI, but trace amounts of the injection have remained in some patients, causing concern over its long-term safety.

Keep reading...