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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Reuters
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US FDA panel backs approval for Eisai-Biogen Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi
A panel of expert advisers on Friday unanimously agreed that a late-stage trial of Eisai (4523.T) and Biogen’s (BIIB.O) Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi verified the benefit of the treatment for those at an early stage of the disease, clearing the way for traditional U.S. approval. “I believe the benefit versus risk are beneficial, acceptable and in line with this class of therapeutics, especially considering the burden of the disease and the progressive nature of the disease,” said panel member Tanya Simuni, MD, professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Members of the panel generally said the risks for those with two copies of the APOE4 gene were balanced by the drug’s benefits, although they urged the FDA to strengthen language in the drug’s prescribing label recommending genetic testing for the risk gene.
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NBC News
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Higher taurine levels help slow aging in animals, new research shows
Taurine, an amino acid found in meat and shellfish, is a popular supplement added to energy drinks that are touted to promote sharper brain function. While those claims are unproven, new research suggests the nutrient may help with healthy aging. Low levels of taurine can speed the aging process in several species of animals. Now scientists report that supplementing with the nutrient may slow that process down, leading to longer, healthier lives in animals — and maybe humans, too — an international group of researchers reported Thursday in Science. The new study “provides one more piece of evidence that dietary alterations can have an impact on aging and aging-related pathologies,” said Dr. Douglas Vaughan, the chair of medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, who isn’t associated with the new research.
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WebMD
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Study Says Trouble Sleeping Can Increase Risk of Stroke
Insomnia can lead to an increased risk of stroke, according to new research. The risk goes up with more symptoms, such as trouble falling or staying asleep, or waking up too early, says the study published in the journal Neurology. People with five to eight insomnia symptoms had a 51% higher chance of having a stroke than those with no insomnia, after controlling for other risk factors, said a statement accompanying the study. Poor sleep disrupts metabolism and blood pressure, and causes inflammation, which are stroke factors, Phyllis Zee, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, explained. “Poor sleep can impair the natural blood pressure dipping that occurs during nighttime sleep and contribute to hypertension — an important risk factor for stroke and cardiovascular disease,” Zee said.
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NPR
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‘Hidden fat’ puts Asian Americans at risk for diabetes. How lifestyle changes can help
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have higher rates of diabetes than whites, and are prone to developing Type 2 diabetes at younger ages and lower body weights than the general U.S. population. Among Asian subgroups, the risk for diabetes is especially high among South Asians, Filipinos and Pacific Islanders. There’s a known link between overweight and obesity and diabetes risk. But Asians in America are 40% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, compared with the white population – despite having lower average BMIs. While researchers are pushing for more answers, doctors want to help reduce people’s risk now. The SAHELI diabetes prevention course that Shaheen Aamir took is based on research that shows that improving people’s diet, exercise and stress levels is even more effective than drugs commonly prescribed to ward off diabetes. Similar programs exist around the country – but this one is different: It’s adapted for South Asian foods and culture, says Namratha Kandula, MD, MPH, professor of medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and principal investigator of the SAHELI study. “In addition to diet and exercise, we specifically address the stress that comes from being an ethnic minority in this country – what happens when you immigrate to a different environment and lose your social support and social connection,” she says.
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The Washington Post
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There’s No Such Thing as Generic Ozempic or Wegovy
The FDA is warning consumers to steer clear of weight loss drugs sold through compounding pharmacies, some of which are brazenly being marketed as “generic” Ozempic and Wegovy. As the FDA noted in its warning, there are no generic versions of these drugs. The products being offered by some pharmacies and weight loss clinics might not work – and could even be dangerous. That’s a message consumers really need to hear. There’s no easy solution. The dysfunction in the market that’s driving consumers to buy compounded semaglutide has spun so far out of control that it will be hard to rein in. One necessary step is to work faster to ensure a steady supply of this class of drugs. To keep the weight off, Wegovy and products like it need to be taken continuously. When shortages make it hard for people to find their next month’s supply, they start “feeling desperate, and when they feel desperate, they start doing things they wouldn’t normally do,” says Robert Kushner, MD, who specializes in obesity medicine at Northwestern Medicine. That could mean driving 75 miles to the one pharmacy that has the drug in stock, as one of Kushner’s patients was forced to do, or it might mean turning to a compounding pharmacy.
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New York Times
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The Truth About ‘Nature’s Ozempic’
As the demand for Ozempic – the injectable diabetes medication that has become coveted for inducing weight loss – continues to intensify, people across TikTok are posting about alternatives. Some gush about other diabetes drugs, like Mounjaro; some tout so-called “generic” Ozempic from compounding pharmacies. And some are trumpeting what they claim is a cheaper option, readily available in pharmacies and online: “nature’s Ozempic,” better known as berberine. Berberine is a chemical compound extracted from plants like goldenseal and barberry and often sold as a supplement, typically in capsules filled with yellow-tinged powder. The compound has been used in Asia for at least 2000 years, and physicians have long employed it to treat diarrhea and other gastrointestinal complaints. More recently, researchers have looked to berberine as a potential aid in treating conditions like hypertension and insulin resistance. “Generally, it’s a really good compound that has some good evidence behind it,” said Dr. Melinda Ring, an integrative medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine. But, she said, the online hype around berberine’s weight loss effects is grossly overstated. “Don’t think that you’re going to take this and the pounds are just going to drop off,” she said.
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CBS News Chicago
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Poor air quality affects northwest Indiana, Chicago flights, White Sox game
The dangerous air alert for much of the northeast and even parts of the Chicago area caused the closure of schools, the grounding of planes, and the postponement of a White Sox game in New York. There has been a haze overhead in Chicago and other parts of the region the past couple of days, but nothing like what New York is experiencing. The wildfire smoke has delayed and even canceled some flights at both of Chicago’s airports. “I think the greatest risk is going to be to those people are pre-existing lung disease,” said Northwestern Medicine pulmonologist Dr. Benjamin Seides. “So people with asthma, emphysema, COPD.”
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WTTW
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The Brain Revolution
Alzheimer’s is one type of dementia, but there are different types of dementia that target what we call different areas of cognition. Primary progressive aphasia is another dementia syndrom, where instead of memory being affected there’s change in language. So, you can imagine this as the tip of the tongue phenomenon we all feel when we can’t remember someone’s name, or we can’t remember a word we’re trying to think of,” said Emily Rogalski, PhD, the Ann Adelmann Perkins and John S. Perkins professor of Alzheimer’s disease prevention at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She describes this disease as frustrating imagining if this happened to you every day, in every conversation you had. However, cognitive training is help to improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer’s disease. Northwestern University researchers including Rogalski have discovered that one strategy of brain training helps address a specific type of dementia called primary progressive aphasia. They produced significant improvements in quality of life with their patients when they used a training program called Communication Bridge.
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New York Times
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Is It Bad to Wash Your Hair Every Day?
Whether you should lather up daily depends on a number of factors, said Dr. Murad Alam, vice chair of the department of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Among them, he said, are your hair’s texture, how oily it gets, how processed it is, your lifestyle habits and your age. Shampoo cleanses your scalp and hair by removing environmental contaminants like dirt and pollen, as well as dandruff, sweat and hair-care products. Using shampoo every day, Dr. Alam said, can be the right choice for people with oilier scalps where sebum can accumulate, making the hair limp, greasy and possibly smelly. “While it may seem that getting the scalp squeaky clean and without any oils is optimal, keep in mind that the scalp is a living part of your body, and not a dinner plate in your dishwasher,” Dr. Alam said.
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Crain’s Chicago Business
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Zuckerberg cash is helping to propel Chicago’s biotech ambitions
For about a year, Northwestern University professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics Shana Kelley and a group of more than 20 scientists met every Saturday morning to solve a complex challenge: how to win over Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan. The $250 million prize, which Kelley’s team ultimately won, could propel the city’s ambitions to follow in the footsteps of Boston to become a biotech leader. “We competed and won, and I think that really speaks volumes about the strengths of bioengineering and life sciences in Chicago,” said Kelley, who was named president of the Chicago biohub. “Life sciences can really drive economic development, and the more jobs we can create in Chicago, the more we’re going to serve our community.”
