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.
-
Yahoo! News
–
Pricey weight loss drugs lose some disciples in 2024
People struggling with their body weight experienced joy when new, more effective prescription drug options became the rage in 2023, but it seems many folks stopped taking them in 2024. Research published earlier this year suggests more than half of those using two of these drugs discontinued treatment within 12 months, perhaps due to the cost and side effects. As a cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine, Sadiya S. Khan, MD, MSc prescribes the drugs “to reduce cardiovascular risk.” “This focus on cardiovascular risk is important for the framing and consideration of these medications,” Khan explained. In her view, because of the benefits of weight loss on heart health, the drugs should be considered “cardiovascular meds and not just weight loss meds,” said Khan, a professor at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. “We need to work on national policies to ensure cost and supply are not barriers, such as pharmaceutical coupon cards and assistance programs,” Northwestern Medicine’s Khan said.
-
Yahoo! News
–
The ones who need little sleep
Everyone has heard that it’s vital to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night, a recommendation repeated so often it has become gospel. Get anything less, and you are more likely to suffer from poor health in the short and long term — memory problems, metabolic issues, depression, dementia, heart disease, a weakened immune system. But in recent years, scientists have discovered a rare breed who consistently get little shut-eye and are no worse for wear. Natural short sleepers, as they are called, are genetically wired to need only four to six hours of sleep a night. “It’s not like there’s something magical about your seven to eight hours,” says Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University, near Chicago. Zee can imagine countless ways that short sleepers’ brains could be more efficient. Do they have more slow-wave sleep, the most restorative sleep stage? Do they generate higher amounts of cerebrospinal fluid, the liquid that bathes the brain and spinal cord, enabling them to get rid of more waste products? Is their metabolic rate different, helping them cycle in and out of sleep more quickly? Zee’s lab, for example, has tinkered with using acoustic stimulation to boost the slow waves of deep sleep that enhance memory processing and may be one of the secrets to short sleepers’ success. In a study, they played pink noise — a softer, more natural sound than white noise, more akin to rain or the ocean — while study participants slept. The next day those participants remembered more in a test of learning and recalling word pairs. “We can enhance memory, but we’re not making them sleep longer or necessarily shorter,” says Zee. “I think there’s a lot more to learn.”
-
New York Times
–
The Debilitating Toll of Back Pain
Roughly 16 million adults in the United States experience persistent back pain that gets in the way of daily activities. Back pain is among the most common medical problems in the country. It is also the leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Providers sometimes deliver steroid injections to help minimize discomfort. Patients with certain spinal injuries might undergo surgery to decompress nerves or stabilize the spine. People may also turn to treatments like chiropractic care, massage or electro-acupuncture, which some studies have suggested can provide modest relief from chronic back pain. However, some of the treatments themselves, including painkillers and surgery, can exacerbate back pain, said Wellington Hsu, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Northwestern Medicine. “It’s very difficult to predict how someone will react to having surgery, and having trauma to your back as a result of surgery can sometimes lead to even worse pain,” he said.
-
WBEZ Chicago
–
Saving a life can come down to paperwork and vehicles
Thirty percent of severely injured patients in Illinois aren’t transferred to a high-level trauma center within two hours of being taken to a hospital, which increases mortality. That’s according to a new study from Northwestern that examines the reasons this is occurring and what can be done to improve coordination and communication between hospitals. “Trauma centers are hospitals that are specialized in taking care of the injured patient. And we know from a study done 25 years ago that when people are cared for at these hospitals, they’re more likely to survive. And the entire trauma system specializing hospitals for trauma care started all the way back in 1970s because we realized that Americans were more likely to die on American roadways than they were in combat, ” said Anne Stey, MD, professor of surgery, trauma and critical care at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “The more we can get public support for creating better coordination across hospitals, the more we can get to a safer place with how we provide injury care across the state. And I think this is something that other states have already done…I really encourage people to think about this as a priority and also listen to their paramedics when they make a recommendation as to which hospital to go to because they know, they know.
-
Reuters
–
Behind UnitedHealth exec’s accused killer, a possible history of back pain emerges
A potential history of back pain emerged on Tuesday as a point of interest in the UnitedHealthcare CEO murder case, based on accounts from two people who knew the suspect and details from his social media profiles. In a hand-written document that has not been verified by Reuters, Luigi Mangione (the individual in custody and facing multiple charges as well as murder charges in New York), said he had a back injury known as an L5-S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis, in which one of the bones in the spine slips forward and presses on the vertebra below it. Wellington Hsu, MD, professor of orthopedic surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said about 6% of the population has this condition and most people don’t even know it because it typically does not cause pain. About 20% of people with this condition have symptoms, and of those, another 20% may need surgery. A colleague he worked with at Treucar told Reuters Mangione took leave during the middle of 2023 for about two months, a move the colleague’s manager told him was due to back-related issues.
-
AP News
–
Winter can be a time of culinary abundance. Experts share tips on eating nutritiously
Winter is settling in across much of the U.S., erasing the freshness and vibrancy of months past. But the chilly season doesn’t have to usher in weeks of lifeless, colorless dinner plates. Dieticians and food experts say winter is a great time to experiment with your food, try out underappreciated seasonal produce and cook a healthy meal for loved ones. If fresh options are limited, experts say canned and frozen fruits and vegetables still have a lot of nutritional value, as long as you don’t overcook them. Also make sure they don’t have a lot of added salt or fat. Dried fruits — think apricots, dates and raisins — and nuts are also great to bring into salads, bakes and more. “Without a doubt, there’s a lot of nutritional benefit, even in dried (fruits),” said Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, a clinical nutrition epidemiologist at Northwestern University. Soups, stews and porridges are another great option for a winter meal. “The benefit of it is that it’s all contained,” Van Horn said, noting nutrients that leak out of the ingredients while cooking stay in the broth. Winter can be particularly isolating for some people, so eat seasonally with friends and family beyond the holidays.
-
New York Times
–
3-D Mammograms Are Overtaking Traditional Scans. But Are They Better?
Women going in for routine mammograms are increasingly being screened with a new type of imaging tool: digital breast tomosynthesis. The new technology, which is sometimes referred to as 3-D mammography or D.B.T., lets doctors look at the breast in greater detail. Some research has shown that it can detect slightly more cancers with fewer false positive results than conventional mammograms — though it’s still too early to know whether these benefits will translate to fewer cancer deaths. The most convincing evidence in favor of D.B.T., experts said, is that it reduces false positives that require patients to come back for additional imaging. Sarah M. Friedewald, MD, a professor of radiology (breast imaging) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said she would encourage everyone who can have D.B.T. to do so. “It’s just a better mammogram,” she said. (Dr. Friedewald consults for Hologic, which makes tomosynthesis equipment.)
-
Yahoo! News
–
Jennifer Aniston, 54, swears by peptide injections for youthful skin: What they are — and can skincare help?
Jennifer Aniston shared that weekly peptide injections have worked to keep her skin looking supple. Before we dive into peptide injections, let’s first discuss what peptides even are. Amy Taub, MD, FAAD , Board board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor at Northwestern University School of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life, “Peptides are molecules composed of short chains of amino acids (anywhere from 4-50) that are often smaller fragments of proteins. Different types of peptides serve a myriad of different roles within the body.” Peptide agents used for skincare are administered directly to the face to provide anti-aging benefits, accelerate and promote cell turnover and act as anti-inflammatory agents. Ultimately, weekly peptide injections to the face are designed to ward off fine lines and wrinkles and improve the skin’s overall texture. Sounds great, right? Well, there’s a catch: “While peptide injections might be gaining in popularity amongst Hollywood, most peptide injections are not approved by the FDA,” says Dr. Taub.” Finding a dermatologist who will administer peptide injections may prove to be quite the issue, “I don’t inject anything that is not FDA-approved,” insists Dr. Taub. However, plenty of skincare serums and moisturizers are packed with peptides. “Peptides have been used in skincare creams and serums for years, explains Dr. Taub, “examples of peptides known for topical use include argeriline, tripeptide-1 and tetrapeptide-21.”
-
HealthDay
–
Lower Levels of Total Cholesterol Seen in More Recent Birth Cohorts
More recent birth cohorts have lower levels of total cholesterol and fasting triglyceride levels, and higher levels of fasting glucose, according to a study published online Dec. 6 in JAMA Network Open. Xiaoning Huang, PhD, from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues quantified national trends in total cholesterol, fasting triglyceride, and fasting glucose levels among cohorts born between 1920 and 1999 to examine the association of these patterns with body mass index (BMI) using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2000 to 2017-2020 cycles. “While the mean lipid profile in younger generations was improved compared with older generations, this improvement hinges on an ongoing push to continue to educate the public and health care professionals about modifying risk even at a young age,” the authors write.
-
Yahoo! News
–
After decades of progress, younger generations are facing worse heart disease risks, study suggests
Younger generations in the U.S. have higher blood sugar levels than their older counterparts, fueled in part by the ongoing obesity epidemic, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. While medications and increased awareness have helped to steadily drive down the average cholesterol and triglyceride levels for the last several decades, the researchers found that the encouraging decline in these lipids is starting to slow. Using data on hundreds of thousands of Americans born between 1920 and 1999, researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine calculated the average cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose levels for each birth cohort (people born in each decade). They also assessed how average body mass index had changed over time. Experts, including the study’s lead author, Northwestern research assistant professor of cardiology Xiaoning “Jack” Huang, PhD, credit treatment improvements for the win when it comes to lipid levels. “We have been doing tremendous things with the use of statins to reduce [lipids] in the general population in recent decades,” Huang tells Yahoo Life. Statins act on the liver to prevent the body from overproducing cholesterol and triglycerides. They can reduce “bad” cholesterol by between 30% and 50%, and lower triglycerides by 10% to 50%. The American Heart Association sums up what you can do to reduce your cardiovascular risks including: eat better, be more active, quit tobacco, get healthy sleep, manage weight, control cholesterol, manage blood sugar and manage blood pressure.
