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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US News & World Report
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‘Tumor Progressing,’ ‘Positive Findings’: Patients Often Confused by Medical Jargon
A new study finds that the medical jargon doctors use can be completely misunderstood by patients. Common medical lingo that makes perfect sense to doctors often gets lost in translation when conveyed to laypeople, the new research found. It turns out that many people mistakenly believe it’s good news if a tumor is “progressing” or a chest X-ray is “impressive.” A classic example is in the reporting of test results, said Michael Wolf, PhD, MPH, professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. A “positive” result on a cancer screening test, for example, means you might have cancer. A “negative” result, therefore, is good – the opposite of how people use those words in everyday language. Wolf, who wasn’t involved in the new research, studies healthcare communication. HE said he wasn’t surprised by the findings: It’s well recognized that medical jargon is a problem, that it confuses patients and that doctors need to be more clear in their language. When doctors fail to be clear, patients should not be afraid to speak up, Wolf said. “Even if they appear rushed,” he added, “you have the right to ask questions.”
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WGN
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Study shows progress in vaccine development for deadly brain tumor
Glioblastoma is a highly lethal type of tumor. For the majority of patients, survival is often measured in months, not years, particularly after a recurrence. Now, there is a little hope in the form of a vaccine, but local doctors say, not so fast. Rimas Lukas, MD, associate professor of neuro-oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine says, “Unfortunately, at this time we do not have a cure for the disease. And so even if scans look good, we’re working under the assumption that there is residual tumor cells that will grow at some point in time.” There have been some advancements – most notably a device worn on the scalp that uses electrical fields to slow disease progression. “When cells are within an electrical field, and they are trying to divide and make more tumor cells, it stops them from dividing and it also kills some of those cells,” Lukas said. The device, known as tumor-treating fields, has been shown to improve survival and is now considered part of the contemporary standard of care that includes surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. “It’s something exciting because the immune system has demonstrated proof of principle of being very effective at treating some highly aggressive cancers, so Stage 4 melanoma now have long-term survivors,” Lukas said.
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Signs You May Have Diabetes and When to Seek Help
According to the CDC, more than 37 million adults are living with diabetes – and one in five have no idea. If you experience any of these symptoms, or have any worries at all about your health, do not hesitate to see a healthcare professional as soon as possible to rule out any serious conditions. These symptoms include vision issues, increased urination, always being thirsty, fatigue and excess belly fat. “Fat around the waste – an apple shape – is uniquely dangerous for developing diabetes and other chronic illnesses such as heart disease and kidney failure,” says Mercedes Carnethon, PhD, professor and vice chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Fat in the waist region is described by scientists and doctors as being ‘metabolically active’ – meaning that central fat releases hormones and other biological substances that target and damage the organs and blood vessels that contribute to diabetes and other chronic illnesses.”
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TIME
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Many Asthma Patients Don’t Follow Their Medication Plans. Here’s How to Change That
According research in the European Respiratory Journal, more than half of all asthma patients fail to take their medications as directed. Some other surveys put that figure as high as 80%. Clinicians who treat people with asthma affirm that many are not following their medication plan. “Personally, I would say adherence is a problem for at least 50% of patients,” says Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, a professor and asthma specialist at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. The issue of poor adherence is so common that experts aren’t sure what percentage of asthma patients truly do have severe asthma. That’s because the condition is defined by its uncontrollability; if more people with severe asthma took their medications as instructed, it’s likely that a significant portion of them would get their asthma under control, and as a result would no longer qualify for a severe asthma diagnosis. But increasing treatment adherence is a lot easier said than done. Part of the problem, Gupta says, is that even those with severe asthma may feel fine a lot of the time. Asthma has been called a “fluctuating disease” because its symptoms ebb and flow. Treatment often requires a person to take multiple oral or inhaled medications on a daily basis, even when they’re not experiencing symptoms. “It’s challenging for anyone to take a medication, let alone several, every single day,” Gupta says. Having to do so for years on end, as is the case for many severe asthma patients, is quite a grind. Even one missed dose can contribute to a flare, but there is often a delay between a missed dose and symptom exacerbations. So people don’t necessarily connect the risks of poor adherence to asthma flares.
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US News & World Report
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Valium, Xanax Prescriptions Could Raise Overdose Risk in Youth
Teenagers and young adults who use benzodiazepines to treat insomnia may be at heightened risk of an overdose, a new study finds. Benzodiazepines include anxiety medications like Ativan, Klonopin, Valium and Xanax, as well as prescription sleep aids such as estazolam (ProSom), triazolam (Halcion) and temazepam (Restoril). In the new study, researchers found that young people prescribed those medications for insomnia were at increased risk of overdose within the next six months. Compared with teens and young adults prescribed other sleep medications, their odds of overdose were 44% higher. At this point, there is a move away from prescribing benzodiazepines for insomnia, according to a sleep disorder specialist who was not involved in the study. “We don’t have to treat insomnia with benzodiazepines, or necessarily use medication at all,” said Dr. Sabra Abbott, an associate professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Oftentimes, she said, young people can establish healthier sleep patterns by changing their waking habits — like reducing caffeine and screen time in the evening. That said, Abbott noted that by the time people see a sleep specialist, they’ve typically tried those lifestyle steps. In those cases, she said the “first-line” treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy — which involves addressing the anxieties people have around sleep, and working on healthier beliefs and behaviors. “It’s the best way to address insomnia for the long-term,” Abbott said. When medication is prescribed, she added, it should be a “short-term aid.”
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The Chicago Tribune
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Sterling Elliot: As Illinois deals with opioid crisis, Congress can help expand pain management alternatives
In Illinois, we lost 3,013 people just last year to a fatal opioid overdose. Yet, opioids still remain the primary option for patients who are managing pain after outpatient surgery. Despite years of devastation that have broken families and communities apart, Congress has yet to take action to expand access to safe, federally approved methods to manage main. Despite guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says nonopioids are just as effective as opioids for battling acute pain, these therapies are underused because of outdated prescribing incentives, says Sterling Elliot, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The costs of the opioid addiction crisis are too high not to provide patients with choices. There were more than 107,000 drug overdose deaths last year, 75% of which were opioid related. The year before, there were enough opioid prescriptions for more than 40% of Illinois residents, or more than 5 million prescriptions. Behind these statistics are the athletes who use opioids to manage their pain, teenagers who try some pills from their parents’ medicine cabinet and seniors who are overprescribed opioids. For some Americans, that prescription begins a long and arduous battle with addiction that ends in tragedy, far too often at the hands of an unintentional fentanyl overdose. The Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation Act, or NOPAIN, would create separate reimbursements for the administration of nonopioid pain management approaches to expand the use of such therapies in the outpatient surgical setting. Beyond saving lives, the bill would help address the cost of the opioid addiction crisis, which reached $1.5 trillion in 2020 alone. Notably, the NOPAIN Act would not in any way dictate how health care providers care for their patients. The bill creates choices; it does not limit them. It leaves decisions about pain management in the hands of medical experts and their patients.
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US News & World Report
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Second Death in Trial of Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug is Raising Concerns
Two people have now died from brain hemorrhages that may be linked to an experimental Alzheimer’s drug, calling into question the medication’s safety. A 65year-old woman with early-stage Alzheimer’s recently died from a massive brain bleed that some researchers link to lecanemab, an antibody drug designed to bind to and remove amyloid-beta from the brain. The woman suffered a stroke as well as a type of brain swelling and bleeding that has been previously seen with such antibodies. Rudolph Castellani, a Northwestern neuropathologist and professor of neuropathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine who autopsied the woman, determined that she had amyloid deposits surrounding many of her brain’s blood vessels. The woman had been receiving biweekly infusions of lecanemab, which appears to have inflamed and weakened her blood vessels, Castellani said. These vessels then burst when exposed to the clot-buster, something that can happen even in conventional stroke cases. “It was a one-two punch,” Castellani told Science Insider. “There’s zero doubt in my mind that this is a treatment-caused illness and death. If the patient hadn’t been on lecanemab, she would be alive today.”
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The Washington Post
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Parkinson’s patients and researchers search for exercise ‘prescription’
Parkinson’s experts point to a longtime and growing body of evidence that support the positive impact of exercise on the disease. In a new surge of research, scientists are now studying which exercises at what level of intensity provide the greatest gains. The goal is to design an exercise prescription – one that will probably include a mix of high-intensity aerobics and balance, strengthening and stretching exercises – that delay the disease’s onset, or ideally, prevent it all together. Daniel M. Corcos, PhD, professor of physical therapy and human movement sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, is leading a multisite clinical study among those with early Parkinson’s, that is, people diagnosed less than three years and who are not yet taking medications, comparing two levels of exercise.
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Chicago Tribune
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Jennifer Mundt: Sleep is getting more respect – as a way to increase productivity. We need a better mindset.
Sleep is finally having its moment. I’m a sleep researcher and clinician, and it’s exhilarating to see broader recognition that sleep is important, yet I am often dismayed about the framing of why sleep is valuable. Messages equating sleep with laziness have long been woven into our cultural consciousness, with aphorisms such as “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” and “the early bird gets the worm” reflecting our fears that sleep is a hindrance to success and accomplishments, says Jennifer Mundt, PhD, professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. We now know that sleep is connected with every aspect of our health including our cardiovascular health, pain, mood and immune system. Sleep is a pillar of health but has long been neglected in comparison to its more popular cousins — diet and exercise.
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US News & World Report
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Tips for ‘Stomaching’ the Holidays If You Have IBS
Stress affects gut health and intensifies pain, which — for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) — can make traveling to see family during the holiday season excruciating. “People living with IBS often say the holidays are especially stressful, above and beyond the typical holiday stress most people report having,” said Tiffany Taft, medical social scientist and clinical psychologist at Northwestern Medicine, in Chicago. For the 15% of Americans who live with IBS, Taft offered some tips as they gather for the season. “Stress directly affects IBS through the gut-brain axis, which includes parts of the brain that are part of the body’s fight-flight-freeze response,” she said. “Stress can amplify pain, alter the motility of the gut — either speed up or slow down, depending on the person — and change the composition of the gut microbiome.” Taft said the holidays can create stress because some people have family members who aren’t understanding or supportive about IBS. They may worry or be anxious about asking for changes to the holiday menu because of dietary needs. Rather than have an unpleasant conversation, the person with IBS may eat foods that don’t agree with them, Taft said. In addition, she pointed out that “traveling can be stressful for patients, including worries about having symptoms while flying or driving long distances. In short, the holidays can place a spotlight on a person’s IBS, and strategies the person may have to keep IBS symptoms in check may become compromised, which can become incredibly stressful.” If you have IBS and are stressed out about traveling, practice relaxation strategies beforehand, she advised.
