News &amp; Updates

In individuals with clinically diagnosed mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD), treatment with the angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) losartan for 12 months did not reduce the rate of brain atrophy, findings from the phase II RADAR* trial suggest.

13 Dec 2021

Protein intake tied to mortality in older patients receiving parenteral nutrition

Infused amino acid intake is positively associated with mortality in older patients receiving parenteral nutrition, a study has found.

Mobile devices help build resilience in parents caring for children with cancer

Using mobile devices to deliver resilience training programmes effectively eases depressive symptoms and enhances resilience in parents caring for children with cancer, according to a new study.

Saliva outperforms nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 detection

Compared with nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS), saliva samples provide higher diagnostic yield for detecting positivity to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a recent study has found.

13 Dec 2021

Symptom distress prevalent among cancer survivors

Symptom distress is prevalent among cancer survivors, according to data from the city’s first community-based multidisciplinary cancer survivorship clinic set up by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) Jockey Club Institute of Cancer Care (JCICC).

IVIG plus infliximab lessens need for additional therapy in MIS-C

Initial treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) plus infliximab resulted in less additional therapy in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) compared with IVIG alone, according to a recent study.

High plasma lead levels tied to kidney allograft failure

Elevated lead concentrations in plasma among kidney transplant recipients appear to contribute to an increased risk of late graft failure, a study reports.

Psoriatic arthritis weakens hand strength

Patients with psoriatic arthritis exhibit reduced hand grip strength, with the deterioration of skill, coordination, and functionality of hand commensurate with the severity of psoriatic arthritis, a study has found.

12 Dec 2021

Microcirculatory resistance predicts allograft rejection, cardiac events after heart transplant

Measuring the index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) early after heart transplantation can predict subsequent acute allograft rejection (AAR) at 1 year and clinical events at 10 years, suggests a study. In addition, early IMR measurement identifies patients at greater risk and may guide personalized post-transplantation management.

TEVAR effective for severe blunt traumatic aortic injury in older adults

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is an effective treatment approach for blunt traumatic aortic injury (BTAI) in older or severely injured patients, a recent study has found. Meanwhile, open repair is a viable and important alternative for younger patients or those with unsuitable aortic anatomies.