Media Coverage
The work done by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine faculty members (and even some students) is regularly highlighted in newspapers, online media outlets and more. Below you’ll find links to articles and videos of Feinberg in the news.
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The New York Times
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A Heart Risk Factor Even Doctors Know Little About
No one knows precisely what purpose lp(a) serves in the body, though some scientists speculate that it may have a beneficial role such as helping to repair injured cells or preventing infections by binding to pathogens in the blood. But the downside of excessive lp(a) is clear: It accelerates the formation of plaque in the arteries, and it promotes blood clots. “It’s sort of a double whammy,” said Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, a cardiologist at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine who helped write the American Heart Association’s cholesterol guidelines. “Biologically, lp(a) both gets into the artery wall and causes damage there more easily.”
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USA Today
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The part of aging that people don’t talk about — and 5 ways to deal with it
Looming over everything is the loss of the future that an older adult and his or her family imagined they might have, often accompanied by anxiety and dread. This pileup of complex emotions is known as “anticipatory loss.” “The deterioration of function, disability and suffering have their own grieving processes, but helping families deal with that isn’t built into the health care system,” said Dr. John Rolland, professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and author of “Families, Illness and Disability: An Integrative Treatment Model.”
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CNN
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Medical marijuana supporters worry in light of Sessions’ guidance
Research by Hans Breiter, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, has showed some negative consequences of the drug. Long-term use can negatively impact memory and brain development, particularly in younger users. But he too wants more decriminalization, not less.
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National Public Radio
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Hospitals Nationally Hit Hard By Medicare’s Safety Penalties
Medicare says it performs spot checks, but Dr. Karl Bilimoria, director of the Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, says more policing is needed for the rates to be credible. “In no other industry would this pass, where a program without an audit and [with] voluntary data reporting would be considered valid,” Bilimoria says. “We know guys are gaming.”
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WebMD
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Is It Flu, Or Flu-Like? The Difference Matters
Michael Ison, MD, a professor of infectious diseases and organ transplantation at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, says regardless of the cause, treatment is similar. “What influenza-like illness is saying to us is that you have a virus likely affecting your respiratory system that is making you feel crummy and, currently aside from influenza, there aren’t good therapies for these other viruses, so we just treat the symptoms,” he says. An flu-like illness diagnosis can also mean your doctor thinks you have the flu but doesn’t see the point in doing an official flu test.“Flu testing may be helpful for some, but for the majority of people, you don’t need to expect to receive a test,” Campbell says. “Most people probably won’t require testing because it won’t change what your doctor recommends in terms of symptomatic care.”
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Chicago Tonight – WTTW
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Making Faces Could Result in More Youthful Appearance, Study Finds
A new study finds that facial exercises can erase some signs of aging in middle-aged women, a group of whom followed a routine lasting 30 minutes at least every other day for five months and saw as a result fuller upper and lower cheeks, according to the study. “Now there is some evidence that facial exercises may improve facial appearance and reduce some visible signs of aging,” said the study’s lead author Dr. Murad Alam, a dermatologist and professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in a press release. “The exercises enlarge and strengthen the facial muscles, so the face becomes firmer and more toned and shaped like a younger face.”
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Chicago Tribune
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First-time mom gets cancer diagnosis, says baby saved her life
Dennis’s presence became known in December 2016, but during the 34-year-old Chicago resident’s 12-week ultrasound in March, a cyst was found on her right ovary. Simon dismissed it, but doctors thought the 19-centimeter cyst warranted surgery immediately. At the time of surgery, the cyst was large enough to touch her liver and made her look as though she were 40 weeks pregnant, according to her gynecological oncologist at Northwestern Hospital, Dr. Wilberto Nieves-Neira.
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The New York Times
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Obesity Is the Main Contributor to Diabetes in Blacks and Whites
The key cause, the researchers determined, is obesity, which is tied to all of these risk factors. “The benefit of capturing these behaviors over time is that we can study how the accumulation of unhealthy risk factors contributes to the development of diabetes,” said the senior author, Mercedes R. Carnethon, an associate professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University. “Modifiable risk factors matter. The answer is simple, but the strategy to achieve change is complicated.”
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Chicago Tribune
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Have you fallen off your diet yet?
We already know what we need to do to eat better. Forget the noise of the latest dietary study. Linda Van Horn, chief of nutrition in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, broke it down pretty succinctly: Make vegetables, fruits and whole grains your priority. The healthier you eat, the easier it will become to eat healthy. Van Horn said researchers are just starting to understand the scientific underpinnings that explain why cravings typically ebb as consumption decreases.
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CNN
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Should you take statins? Guidelines offer different answers
Over one in five Americans between the ages of 40 and 75 already take a statin to prevent an initial heart attack or stroke, the American study from 2017 estimated. Following either of the guidelines consistently would add millions to that list, and the ACC/AHA recommendation in particular would more than double it. Pencina said that much of the difference — 9.3 million people — includes those under 60 and those with diabetes. Some of these people may have a low 10-year risk, he said, but a relatively high 30-year risk.The guidelines “highlight many, many important similarities much more than it highlights some small differences,” said Dr. Don Lloyd-Jones, a spokesperson for the AHA and a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
