Health Newsfeed – Johns Hopkins Medicine Podcasts

Health Newsfeed – Johns Hopkins Medicine Podcasts episodes:

• 02.07.2022

  A new drug combination may help people with advanced melanoma, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  People who are newly diagnosed with melanoma that has already spread throughout their bodies or can’t be removed surgically have a new treatment option, a recent study finds. The treatment uses two so-called ‘immune checkpoint inhibitors’ explains William Nelson, director...

  
• 02.07.2022

  Do people who’ve been treated for cancers like breast or prostate need to worry about their response to Covid vaccines?Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Are Covid-19 vaccines still effective in people who’ve undergone treatment for so-called solid organ cancers, such as breast or prostate? The answer seems to be yes, based on a recent study looking at antibody levels to the virus’s spike protein...

  
• 02.07.2022

  A new strategy to manage some more advanced prostate cancers is proving successful, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  The combination of a drug called abiraterone with others routinely used in prostate cancer helps men with one stage of the disease remain disease free longer, two new studies find. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns...

  
• 02.07.2022

  How close are blood tests for cancer to widespread deployment for screening? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Simply analyzing a blood test to screen for cancer is becoming closer to reality as many more assays come online, with a new one improving lung cancer detection by about 9% when used with CT scanning. William Nelson, director of...

  
• 02.07.2022

  Does adding a blood test to CT help identify more lung cancers? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  CT scanning is used to screen for many lung cancers, with a new study finding that adding a simple blood test to the scan helps both find lung cancers and reduce the number of tests needing follow up. William Nelson,...

  
• 01.31.2022

  Omicron is not the last Covid variant, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Variants of Covid are springing up all the time, perhaps in people who have compromised immune systems and experience prolonged infection or in animal hosts. Stuart Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins, says right now with Delta and...

  
• 01.31.2022

  New vaccines for Covid-19 should arrive much faster than their predecessors, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Both vaccine developers and the FDA have agreed that as new Covid variants emerge and updated vaccines are required, the pathway for providing them should involve testing in far fewer people and over a shorter period of time. Jonathan Zenilman,...

  
• 01.31.2022

  What will it take for new vaccines against Covid variants to be manufactured and distributed? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Why aren’t Covid vaccines, especially mRNA vaccines, being produced against variants such as Omicron as they emerge? Anna Durbin, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins, says this is what the technology promises. Durbin: I do think we have to be...

  
• 01.31.2022

  There is some protection against Omicron with current vaccines, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  If you’ve had three doses of an mRNA vaccine against Covid you are much less likely to require hospitalization, require ICU level care, or die from Covid-19, even with the now dominant Omicron variant, than if you aren’t vaccinated at...

  
• 01.31.2022

  Vaccines against Covid for the very young are just around the corner, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Children younger than five comprise the last group in whom a vaccine against Covid is currently being tested. Jonathan Zenilman, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins, says late spring may be when enough data will be in for an...

  
• 01.24.2022

  Will there be a rebound effect among first responders as the pandemic tapers off? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  First responders and frontline workers have largely soldiered on during these last two years as covid continues to morph. Karen Swartz, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, says when that pressure it released there could be a big impact. Swartz: My concern...

  
• 01.24.2022

  Could it be depression? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  One in three adults is reporting mental health problems as the pandemic continues, the most recent CDC data indicate. Karen Swartz, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, says anxiety is extremely common, and depression is hard on its heels. Swartz: With depression...

  
• 01.24.2022

  Anxiety is being reported by more and more people as the covid pandemic continues, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  How can you tell if you or someone you love is developing anxiety as a result of the pandemic? Karen Swartz, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, describes the most common characteristics. Swartz: With anxiety, an individual has a level of distress...

  
• 01.24.2022

  How are different types of people coping with the ongoing pandemic? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  You’ve seen them- the people who continue going about their daily business, cheerfully unfazed by the omicron craziness. Then there are others, furtively visiting the grocery store at 4am to reduce their risk of infection. Karen Swartz, a psychiatrist at...

  
• 01.24.2022

  Mindfulness can help in the ongoing pandemic, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  The beat just seems to go on and on with Covid and the Omicron spike. Karen Swartz, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, says what we all need is a dose of resilience, and oh so fortunately, we can help ourselves...

  
• 01.17.2022

  How well do positive psychology exercises help improve people’s lives? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Identifying good things in your life, using your strengths in new ways, and practicing gratitude all help people improve resilience, studies find. Karen Swartz, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, says results were seen with very modest effort on the part...

  
• 01.17.2022

  Building resilience may be easier than you think, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Resilience. Many of us want more of it, especially now as the pandemic continues to rage and stability seems far away. Karen Swartz, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, says you can build your own resilience muscle by engaging in simple...

  
• 01.17.2022

  How does our nervous system respond to stress? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Our internal hardwiring known as our nervous system is divided into a steady state mode, known as the parasympathetic arm, and the fight or flight mode, known as the sympathetic arm. Karen Swartz, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, reminds us...

  
• 01.17.2022

  People’s responses to disasters help predict their response to the pandemic, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Disasters have been happening for a long time now, and so have studies of them. Karen Swartz, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, reminds us that we can view our current predicament through the lens of history, and perhaps regain some...

  
• 01.17.2022

  One thing that makes the pandemic so challenging is how rapidly it changes, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Some people quip that change is the only constant in life, and that’s demonstrably true about Covid-19 and the pandemic. Karen Swartz, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, says that very quality is one of the greatest challenges for most of...

  
• 01.10.2022

  Are your tax dollars funding scientific research that can’t be repeated? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  The majority of cancer studies researchers attempted to repeat in a recent analysis were not reproducible, a recent paper found, with 59% of 50 attempts failing. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, says trying to...

  
• 01.10.2022

  What will the drop in cancer screenings teach us about overdiagnosis and overtreatment? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  What will the drop in cancer screenings teach us about overdiagnosis and overtreatment? Elizabeth Tracey reports Colonoscopies, prostate biopsies, CT for lung cancer screening, all down as a result of the pandemic. More worrisome is the drop in cancer diagnosis. William...

  
• 01.10.2022

  How has the pandemic affected cancer screening and treatment? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Both cancer screening and diagnosis are down quite a bit from prepandemic levels, a study of Veterans Administration hospitals shows. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, reviews the data. Nelson: There was a significant distraction in...

  
• 01.10.2022

  Can a second surgery benefit some women with ovarian cancer? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Many women with ovarian cancer are initially treated with surgery and a type of chemotherapy containing platinum. Now a new study shows that if the cancer returns, some women will benefit from another surgery as well as chemotherapy. William Nelson,...

  
• 01.10.2022

  Will there be a new blood marker for assessing heart disease risk in use soon? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Do you ever feel confused about cholesterol and triglyceride levels? LDL, HDL, VLDL- it’s a bit challenging to figure them out and what they might mean for heart disease risk. Now a recent study suggests that another blood marker, known...

  
• 01.03.2022

  Apps and related devices seem likely to become more common in healthcare as their benefits are proven, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  A blood pressure monitor, a smart watch, and a smartphone app called Corrie have helped many people avoid another hospitalization after a heart attack, a study by Seth Martin, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins, and colleagues has shown. Martin says...

  
• 01.03.2022

  Using an app to help manage people their own care after a heart attack provides a range of benefits, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Using a smartphone app called Corrie with an Apple watch and a blood pressure monitor helps people being discharged from the hospital feel they are more capable of participating in their own care. That’s according to Seth Martin, a cardiologist...

  
• 01.03.2022

  Technologies are enabling people in their own rehabilitation after a heart attack, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Technologies are becoming ever more embedded in healthcare, now enabling people to participate as part of their own healthcare team following a heart attack, with deployment of a smartphone app called Corrie and additional devices. Seth Martin, a cardiologist at...

  
• 01.03.2022

  Keeping people out of the hospital is one benefit of a smartphone app called Corrie, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Corrie can help you avoid rehospitalization after you’ve had a heart attack, a study led by Seth Martin, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins, and colleagues has shown. Corrie is the name of a smartphone app that integrates all aspects of...

  
• 01.03.2022

  An app can help people who’ve had a heart attack avoid rehospitalization, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Having to come back to the hospital shortly after you’ve been discharged is called rehospitalization, and for people who’ve had a heart attack that’s not an outcome anyone wants. Now an app developed by Seth Martin, a cardiologist at Johns...

  
• 12.13.2021

  The benefits of an app to manage people after they’ve had a heart attack are becoming clearer, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Corrie is the name of an app developed by Johns Hopkins and Apple to enable people who’ve had a heart attack become informed, active participants in their own care, and that’s just what the most recent data show. Seth Martin,...

  
• 12.13.2021

  Children and disabled people may benefit from telemedicine visits most of all, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Imagine how hard it is for some people to get to a physician’s office, especially those with disabilities such as movement disorders, or children. For them telemedicine has proven very helpful, but is poised to ramp down after special allowances...

  
• 12.13.2021

  Rules regarding licensing of physicians impact telemedicine services, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Telemedicine proved its worth during the pandemic, providing medical visits to millions. Now barriers to continue to allow telemedicine services are curtailing them. Brian Hasselfeld, director of telemedicine at Johns Hopkins, says a big one is physician licensure. Hasselfeld: The rule...

  
• 12.13.2021

  Medicare beneficiaries may not be able to access telemedicine services in a post-pandemic world, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  During the pandemic, telemedicine has been a boon for many, perhaps most especially older people, who are often much more at risk for severe disease and death when they develop Covid-19 infection, and may be reluctant to visit a health...

  
• 12.13.2021

  After the pandemic will you still be able to access telemedicine services? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Telemedicine took a quantum leap during the pandemic, with millions of visits across the nation. Now that both state and federal emergency access is expired or about to be, what is the situation now? Brian Hasselfeld, director of telemedicine at...

  
• 12.06.2021

  Should telehealth be here to stay? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Telehealth, where physician and patient can meet remotely via telephone or video, was utilized by millions when the Covid pandemic was at its height. Now emergency measures to facilitate this are or are about to be expired, and Brian Hasselfeld,...

  
• 12.06.2021

  Are you thinking menopause will never happen to you? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Women are a rarity in the biological world, since they will spend up to a third or more of their lives after the point where they cease reproductive ability, at menopause. Wen Shen, a menopause expert at Johns Hopkins, says...

  
• 12.06.2021

  Does hormone therapy increase a woman’s risk for breast cancer? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  The Women’s Health Initiative was a series of studies looking at interventions to improve the health of women after menopause, and in examining hormone therapy, found an increased risk for breast cancer. Wen Shen, a menopause expert at Johns Hopkins,...

  
• 12.06.2021

  Do some types of hormone therapy cause more problems than they solve? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Oral estrogen products for women in perimenopause and menopause can be associated with a number of negative side effects. That’s according to Wen Shen, a menopause expert at Johns Hopkins. Shen: Oral estrogen therapy can increase c-reactive protein, which is an...

  
• 12.06.2021

  What should you know if you’re a woman considering hormone therapy? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Hormone therapy helps women in both perimenopause and menopause cope with symptoms like hot flashes and sleep interruption, but choosing whether to take hormones is complicated. Wen Shen, a menopause expert at Johns Hopkins, offers some insight. Shen: Estrogen therapy depends...

  
• 11.22.2021

  A Medicare program to reduce cancer treatment costs hasn’t proven effective, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Medicare developed a program to rein in the costs of cancer treatment, but the results were disappointing, a new study reveals, with this comprehensive approach reducing costs by about 1%. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns...

  
• 11.22.2021

  A new monoclonal antibody may work against many variants of Covid-19, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  The Covid-19 spike protein allows it to attach to cells and infect them, and it’s been a primary target for vaccines and antibodies. Now a new monoclonal antibody directed against a region of this protein that really doesn’t change very...

  
• 11.22.2021

  Do we really need a new monoclonal antibody for Covid-19? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Another monoclonal antibody against Covid-19 has been developed and appears to work in reducing severe disease and hospitalization. This one is unique, however, according to Brian Garibaldi, a critical care medicine expert at Johns Hopkins. Garibaldi: The interesting thing about the...

  
• 11.22.2021

  If you’ve been exposed to Covid-19, should you have monoclonal antibody treatment? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Monoclonal antibodies remain a treatment option for those in early stages of Covid infection, even in the face of new oral medications that likely will be available soon. Brian Garibaldi, a critical care medicine expert at Johns Hopkins, says the...

  
• 11.22.2021

  Two new oral medicines for Covid-19 are poised for widespread use, Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Both Pfizer and Merck have recently revealed promising data on oral medicines for early Covid-19 infection, with both companies on the threshold of widespread use of the drugs. Brian Garibaldi, a critical care medicine expert at Johns Hopkins, says he...

  
• 11.22.2021

  What do we know about the new oral medicine from Pfizer for Covid? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Pfizer has asked the FDA to approve its new oral medication for Covid-19, called Paxlovid, for people in the early stages of infection. Brian Garibaldi, a critical care medicine expert at Johns Hopkins, reviews the data. Garibaldi: From symptom onset to...

  
• 11.22.2021

  What are the recommendations regarding the best insulin to manage diabetes? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  More expensive analog insulins are used by the majority of people with diabetes who use insulin, a study by Rita Kalyani, a diabetes expert at Johns Hopkins, and colleagues has shown. Is this practice based in any professional society recommendations?...

  
• 11.22.2021

  What happened to close management of diabetes requiring insulin during the pandemic? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  When someone is taking insulin for diabetes, it’s important to monitor and manage its use, but during the pandemic, that didn’t happen. That’s according to research by Rita Kalyani, a diabetes expert at Johns Hopkins, and colleagues. Kalyani: We saw that...

  
• 11.22.2021

  How has use of insulin changed over the last five years in people with diabetes? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  Insulin costs have been cited as a case in point for out of control pharmaceutical prices. Now a study by Rita Kalyani, a diabetes expert at Johns Hopkins, and colleagues, shows that in fact, a survey of insulin use over...

  
• 11.15.2021

  Do e-cigarettes really help people quit smoking combustible cigarettes? Elizabeth Tracey reports

  What is the data to show that electronic cigarettes help people to stop smoking combustible cigarettes? Michael Blaha, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins and antismoking activist, explains. Blaha: The randomized control trial data shows moderate evidence that e-cigarettes can help with...