In this week's episode, we look at the surprising link between mouthwash use and high blood pressure. We explore what mouthwash does, how the bacteria in our mouths are beneficial, and how the products of those bacteria can indirectly affect blood pressure.

References:

• Joshipura K, Muñoz-Torres F, Fernández-Santiago J, Patel RP, Lopez-Candales A. Over-the-counter mouthwash use, nitric oxide and hypertension risk. Blood pressure. 2020 Mar 3;29(2):103-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/08037051.2019.1680270
• Pacher P, Beckman JS, Liaudet L. Nitric oxide and peroxynitrite in health and disease. Physiological reviews. 2007.
• Sansbury BE, Hill BG. Regulation of obesity and insulin resistance by nitric oxide. Free radical biology and medicine. 2014 Aug 1;73:383-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2014.05.016
• Morou-Bermúdez E, Torres-Colón JE, Bermúdez NS, Patel RP, Joshipura KJ. Pathways linking oral bacteria, nitric oxide metabolism, and health. Journal of Dental Research. 2022 Jun;101(6):623-31. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220345211064571
• Angjelova A, Jovanova E, Polizzi A, Leonardi R, Isola G. Effects of antiseptic formulations on oral microbiota and related systemic diseases: a scoping review. Antibiotics. 2025 Aug 8;14(8):815. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14080815
• Fryar CD, Kit B, Carroll MD, Afful J. Hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control among adults age 18 and older: United States, August 2021–August 2023. NCHS Data Brief, no 511. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2024. https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/164016

This week we explore atopic dermatitis, oftne called eczema. This skin condition is common, long lasting, and can have serious effects on mental health and relationships. We explore who gets it, how it works in the body, and what treatments are available and on the horizon.

References:

• Fisher G. Presentation speech by professor G. Fischer, member of the staff of professors of the Royal Caroline Institute. Nobel Lectures, Physiology or Medicine 1942-1962. Amsterdam: Elsevier Publishing Company; 1964. Available at https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1948/ceremony-speech/
• Jarman WM, Ballschmiter K. From coal to DDT: the history of the development of the pesticide DDT from synthetic dyes till Silent Spring. Endeavour. 2012 Dec 1;36(4):131-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.endeavour.2012.10.003
• Harada T, Takeda M, Kojima S, Tomiyama N. Toxicity and carcinogenicity of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Toxicological research. 2016 Jan;32(1):21-33. https://doi.org/10.5487/TR.2016.32.1.021
• Beard J, Australian Rural Health Research Collaboration. DDT and human health. Science of the total environment. 2006 Feb 15;355(1-3):78-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2005.02.022
• Wollenberg A, Barbarot S, Bieber T, Christen‐Zaech S, Deleuran M, Fink‐Wagner A, Gieler U, Girolomoni G, Lau S, Muraro A, Czarnecka‐Operacz M. Consensus‐based European guidelines for treatment of atopic eczema (atopic dermatitis) in adults and children: part I. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 2018 May;32(5):657-82. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.14891
• Fuxench ZC, Block JK, Boguniewicz M, Boyle J, Fonacier L, Gelfand JM, Grayson MH, Margolis DJ, Mitchell L, Silverberg JI, Schwartz L. Atopic dermatitis in America study: a cross-sectional study examining the prevalence and disease burden of atopic dermatitis in the US adult population. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2019 Mar 1;139(3):583-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2018.08.028
• Zuberbier T, Orlow SJ, Paller AS, Taïeb A, Allen R, Hernanz-Hermosa JM, Ocampo-Candiani J, Cox M, Langeraar J, Simon JC. Patient perspectives on the management of atopic dermatitis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2006 Jul 1;118(1):226-32. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091674906004507
• Yang L, Fu J, Zhou Y. Research progress in atopic march. Frontiers in immunology. 2020 Aug 27;11:1907. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01907
• Locksley RM. Asthma and allergic inflammation. Cell. 2010 Mar 19;140(6):777-83. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(10)00240-0
  
  

On this week's episode, we show an increased drive into vagus nerve stimulation clinical research. This FDA-approved therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD) is undergoing further trials in an effort to get it approved by big insurance carriers like Medicaid.

• Hasin DS, Sarvet AL, Meyers JL, et al. Epidemiology of adult DSM-5 major depressive disorder and its specifiers in the United States. JAMA Psychiatry. 2018;75(4):336–346. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.4602
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. DSM-5 Changes: Implications for child serious emotional disturbance [Internet]. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2016. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519712/table/ch3.t5
• Luing H, Schramm E. Modern psychiatry offers new hope for depression. MedEvidence!. 2025. Accessed December 22, 2025.
  https://medevidence.com/modern-psychiatry-offers-new-hope-for-depression
• Noetel M, Sanders T, Gallardo-Gómez D, Taylor P, del Pozo Cruz B, Van Den Hoek D, Smith JJ, Mahoney J, Spathis J, Moresi M, Pagano R. Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ. 2024 Feb 14;384. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38355154/
• US Food and Drug Administration. Premarket approval (PMA) for VNS Therapy system. US Department of Health & Human Services. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpma/pma.cfm?id=p970003s050
• LivaNova US. SYMMETRY for difficult to treat depression. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://www.livanova.com/depression/en-us/what-is-symmetry

On this week's episode, we look into the calculations being made to develop new obesity treatments. We go into the history, current best practices, body changes, and some possible new solutions in the weight loss field.

References:

• NIDDK. Overweight & Obesity Statistics. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 
• https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity Accessed December 22, 2025.
• Kuk JL, Rotondi M, Sui X, Blair SN, Ardern CI. Individuals with obesity but no other metabolic risk factors are not at significantly elevated all‐cause mortality risk in men and women. Clinical obesity. 2018 Oct;8(5):305-12. https://doi.org/10.1111/cob.12263
• Rothberg AE, McEwen LN, Kraftson AT, Ajluni N, Fowler CE, Nay CK, Miller NM, Burant CF, Herman WH. Impact of weight loss on waist circumference and the components of the metabolic syndrome. BMJ open diabetes research & care. 2017 Feb 20;5(1). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjdrc-2016-000341
• Tahrani AA, Morton J. Benefits of weight loss of 10% or more in patients with overweight or obesity: a review. Obesity. 2022 Apr;30(4):802-40. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23371
• Franz MJ, Boucher JL, Rutten-Ramos S, VanWormer JJ. Lifestyle weight-loss intervention outcomes in overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2015 Sep 1;115(9):1447-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2015.02.031
• Dombrowski SU, Knittle K, Avenell A, Araújo-Soares V, Sniehotta FF. Long term maintenance of weight loss with non-surgical interventions in obese adults: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials. Bmj. 2014 May 14;348. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g2646
• Buckeridge C, Tsamandouras N, Carvajal‐Gonzalez S, Brown LS, Hernandez‐Illas M, Saxena AR. Once‐daily oral small‐molecule glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist lotiglipron (PF‐07081532) for type 2 diabetes and obesity: two randomized, placebo‐controlled, multiple‐ascending‐dose phase 1 studies. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. 2024 Aug;26(8):3155-66.
• Jastreboff, A. M., Ryan, D. H., Bays, H. E., Ebeling, P. R., Mackowski, M. G., Philipose, N., ... & Pannacciulli, N. (2025). Once-Monthly Maridebart Cafraglutide for the Treatment of Obesity—A Phase 2 Trial. New England Journal of Medicine.
• Chakravarthy MV, Rodriguez R, Hergarden A, Elliott MA, Frias JP, Argüelles-Tello FA, Tenorio E, Rankin JE, Wu J, Krishnan S, Erlanson DA. Effects of CT-388, a once-weekly signaling-biased dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, on weight loss and glycemic control in preclinical models and participants with obesity. Molecular Metabolism. 2025 Nov 28:102291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2025.102291
• Moyes CR, He S, Mathieu S, Lehman SL, Francisco MT, Vardy E, Terracina G, Galstian A, Murphy MJ, Poterewicz G, Kosinski D. Discovery of gut-targeted GPR40 agonist K-757 and GPR119 agonist K-833, a combination treatment for metabolic disorders. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2025 Jul 25;68(15):15339-57. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c01030

In this week's episode, originally written in 2022, we look at some of the science behind creating and maintaining a successful New Year's resolition. We explore how language, habit, and brain science can all make a difference in makign a better you.

References:

• Larimer ME, Palmer RS, Marlatt GA. Relapse prevention: An overview of Marlatt's cognitive-behavioral model. Psychosocial treatments. 2004 Jun 1:1-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6760427/
• Oscarsson M, Carlbring P, Andersson G, Rozental A. A large-scale experiment on New Year’s resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals. PLoS One. 2020 Dec 9;15(12):e0234097.. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234097
• Trifilieff P, Martinez D. Imaging addiction: D2 receptors and dopamine signaling in the striatum as biomarkers for impulsivity. Neuropharmacology. 2014 Jan 1;76:498-509.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.06.031
• Wimmer S, Lackner HK, Papousek I, Paechter M. Goal orientations and activation of approach versus avoidance motivation while awaiting an achievement situation in the laboratory. Frontiers in psychology. 2018 Aug 28;9:1552. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01552

In this week's episode, written by guest author Chase Berger, we explore the positive health benefits of clinical research beyond the obvious. We look at how those who can particiapte in clinical research have an alternative method of interacting with healthcare professionals that is quick, consistent, and pateint-oriented.

References:

Koren, M.J., Geddings, K., (17 November, 2025). Coordinated care through clinical research. On MedEvidence! Truth Behind the Data. [Podcast]. https://www.medevidence.com/coordinated-care-through-clinical-research

Koren, M.J., Collins, S., (3 December, 2025). Equity through clinical research. On MedEvidence! Truth Behind the Data. [Podcast]. https://www.medevidence.com/equity-through-clinical-research

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (n.d.). Health care access and quality.  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [Website, accessed 10 December, 2025] https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/health-care-access-and-quality 

Van de Beek, H. (2019). Clinical research as a care option: optimizing approaches. https://www.appliedclinicaltrialsonline.com/view/clinical-research-care-option-optimizing-approaches 

Shen, J., Buechler, A., Byrne, J., Hecht, J., James, J., Pancratz, B., (2015).  Clinical research participation as a care option. PMG Research

In this week's episode, which revisits a topic from several years ago, we go deep into the brain to explore what happens inside whe nwe give gifts. We explore a few studies which have looked at brain activity during gifting - including during diffrent types of gifting - and explore why giving gifts makes you feel good, connects you with friends, and acts as a prosocial activity.

References:

Aknin, L. B., Barrington-Leigh, C. P., Dunn, E. W., Helliwell, J. F., Burns, J., Biswas-Diener, R., ... & Norton, M. I. Prosocial Spending and Well-Being: Cross-Cultural Evidence for a Psychological Universal.https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031578

Aknin, L. B., Hamlin, J. K., & Dunn, E. W. (2012). Giving leads to happiness in young children. PLoS one, 7(6), e39211. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0039211

Balconi, M., Fronda, G., & Vanutelli, M. E. (2019). A gift for gratitude and cooperative behavior: brain and cognitive effects. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 14(12), 1317-1327. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaa003

Balconi, M., Fronda, G., & Vanutelli, M. E. (2020). When gratitude and cooperation between friends affect inter-brain connectivity for EEG. BMC neuroscience, 21(1), 1-12.

Curry, O. S., Rowland, L. A., Van Lissa, C. J., Zlotowitz, S., McAlaney, J., & Whitehouse, H. (2018). Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 76, 320-329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2018.02.014

Moll, J., Krueger, F., Zahn, R., Pardini, M., de Oliveira-Souza, R., & Grafman, J. (2006). Human fronto–mesolimbic networks guide decisions about charitable donation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103(42), 15623-15628. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0604475103

In this episode we explore the less cheery side of the holidays: holiday heart syndrome. This syndrome is defined as irregular heartbeats that occur as a result of binge drinking, the type of which is frequently seen around the holidays. We explore the risks, outcomes, mechanics, and treatments of this not-so-happy heart syndrome.

References:

Jain, A., Yelamanchili, V. S., Brown, K. N., & Goel, A. (2024). Holiday heart syndrome. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537185/

World Health Organization. (January 4, 2023). No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. [Website, accessed November 18, 2025]. https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

Esser, M. B. (2024). Deaths from excessive alcohol use—United States, 2016–2021. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 73.https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7308a1.htm

Yan, J., Thomson, J. K., Zhao, W., Gao, X., Huang, F., Chen, B., ... & Ai, X. (2018). Role of stress kinase JNK in binge alcohol-evoked atrial arrhythmia. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 71(13), 1459-1470. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5903584/

Yan, J., & Ai, X. (2022). Holiday heart syndrome, atrial fibrillation, and RyR2 antagonist. Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology, 80(5), 636-638. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10508393/

In this week's episode, we explore the stream of causes that can lead to the painful inflammatory condition gout. We look at the risks, progression, mechanics, and solutions available for this most common inflammatory arthritis. The primary cause of gout is excessive urate in the the blood depositing itself, especially toes. We then look ahead to clinical trials that recently wrapped up or are currently underway and which target the underlying urate in the blood or the immune response to urate crystals in joints.

References

Dalbeth, N., Choi, H. K., Joosten, L. A., Khanna, P. P., Matsuo, H., Perez-Ruiz, F., & Stamp, L. K. (2019). Gout (primer). Nature Reviews. Disease Primers, 5(1).

Chen-Xu, M. (2018, October). Contemporary prevalence of Gout and Hyperuricemia in the United States (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES] 2015-2016) and decadal trends (NHANES 2007-2016). In 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. ACR. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6536335/ 

Benn, C. L., Dua, P., Gurrell, R., Loudon, P., Pike, A., Storer, R. I., & Vangjeli, C. (2018). Physiology of hyperuricemia and urate-lowering treatments. Frontiers in medicine, 5, 160. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5990632/

Wu, C., Zhang, C., Jin, S., Wang, J. J., Dai, A., Xu, J., ... & Xu, H. E. (2025). Molecular mechanisms of urate transport by the native human URAT1 and its inhibition by anti-gout drugs. Cell Discovery, 11(1), 33. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11962085/

Rai, S. K., Fung, T. T., Lu, N., Keller, S. F., Curhan, G. C., & Choi, H. K. (2017). The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Western diet, and risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study. BMJ, 357. https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1794.abstract

Kim, S. K. (2022). The mechanism of the NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pathogenic implication in the pathogenesis of gout. Journal of rheumatic diseases, 29(3), 140-153. https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1516078716

Qaseem, A., Harris, R. P., Forciea, M. A., & Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians*. (2017). Management of acute and recurrent gout: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Annals of internal medicine, 166(1), 58-68. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/full/10.7326/M16-0570

Suo, Y., Fedor, J. G., Zhang, H., Tsolova, K., Shi, X., Sharma, K., ... & Lee, S. Y. (2025). Molecular basis of the urate transporter URAT1 inhibition by gout drugs. Nature Communications, 16(1), 5178. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60480-3

Atom Therapeutics. (2025, September 8). Atom therapeutics announces positive topline results of Lingdolinurad (ABP-671) in phase 2b/3 trial for chronic gout. [Website, accessed December 1, 2025]. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250908760583/en/Atom-Therapeutics-Announces-Positive-Topline-Results-of-Lingdolinurad-ABP-671-in-Phase-2b3-Trial-for-Chronic-Gout

In this week's episode, we talk about placebos, which are inert "medications" used to compare with active drugs. We talk about how the use of medications that "do nothing" can provide pain relief, change hormone balance int he body, and lower symptoms across a broad variety of diseases.

References:

Beecher, H. K. (1955). The powerful placebo. Journal of the American Medical Association, 159(17), 1602-1606. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/303530

Wager, T. D., & Atlas, L. Y. (2015). The neuroscience of placebo effects: connecting context, learning and health. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(7), 403-418. https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn3976

Zunhammer, M., Spisák, T., Wager, T. D., & Bingel, U. (2021). Meta-analysis of neural systems underlying placebo analgesia from individual participant fMRI data. Nature communications, 12(1), 1391. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21179-3

Marchant, J. (2016). Placebos: honest fakery. Nature, 535(7611), S14-S15. https://www.nature.com/articles/535S14a

Amanzio, M., & Benedetti, F. (1999). Neuropharmacological dissection of placebo analgesia: expectation-activated opioid systems versus conditioning-activated specific subsystems. Journal of Neuroscience, 19(1), 484-494. https://www.jneurosci.org/content/19/1/484.short

Chen, C., Niehaus, J. K., Dinc, F., Huang, K. L., Barnette, A. L., Tassou, A., ... & Scherrer, G. (2024). Neural circuit basis of placebo pain relief. Nature, 632(8027), 1092-1100. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07816-z