Media Coverage

CNN obtains report showing fund for coal miners with black lung is in trouble

Three years ago, he was diagnosed with black lung disease, which turns miners’ lungs black and stiff with coal dust. The process is usually relatively slow, but in the past 20 years or so, miners have developed aggressive cases. Their lungs scar up more quickly, and many miners develop large masses of scar tissue and nodules, according to Dr. Robert Cohen, professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Northwestern University at the Feinberg School of Medicine and medical director of the Black Lung Clinics Coalition.

Melanoma risk greater for middle-aged men than women. Here’s why

It’s unclear whether a higher mortality rate is because men are diagnosed later when the cancer has reached a more advanced stage or gender differences in tumor biology. Recently published data in Nature and The Skin Cancer Foundation suggest the genetics behind melanoma may play a larger role in mortality among men than previously thought. “In my own practice I have seen a significantly higher number of men over 50 compared to women,” said Dr. Sunandana Chandra, melanoma medical oncologist at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

Blacks fare surprisingly well in prostate cancer research

Dr. Adam Murphy, a Northwestern University physician who studies racial disparities in prostate cancer, said some reasons for low black enrollment in studies include poor overall health, money and mistrust of the medical establishment. “We just need more patients enrolled,” Murphy said.

How to stop stressing over money so it doesn’t hurt your health

Money problems are stressful, especially when there’s not enough of it — or you fear there won’t be enough of it in the future. “It creates this feeling of helplessness and hopelessness,” Nancy Molitor, PhD, a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, tells NBC News BETTER. But one of the absolute worst things you can do if you find yourself in this type of situation is ignore the problem, she adds — “no matter what’s causing it.” It’s kind of like that pile of laundry in your closet. It’s way easier to pretend it’s not there, but doing so means it’s only going to get bigger by the time you need to deal with it, she says.

Northwestern enters $65 million partnership to create new drugs

Northwestern University is partnering with an investment management company that has pledged up to $65 million to help advance potential new drugs.

The university and Deerfield Management, based in New York City, are launching Lakeside Discovery to help usher potential drugs to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval for human testing.

Most Vitamin, Mineral Supplements Provide No Benefit: Study

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently issued new recommendations for older adults to decrease the risk of falls. In their statement, the use of vitamin D supplements was discouraged due to mixed results from research. On the other hand, the review also linked niacin (vitamin B3) and antioxidants (vitamins A, C, and E) to an increased risk of all causes of death. Previously, a 2014 study by Northwestern University researchers expressed similar concerns about niacin. “There might be one excess death for every 200 people we put on niacin,” said preventive cardiologist Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones from Northwestern Medicine. He called it “an unacceptable therapy” for most patients, explaining how it should only be reserved for those at very high risk for a heart attack or stroke, and are unable to take statins.

FDA Approves Non-Opioid Drug for Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms

Those symptoms include anxiety, agitation, sleep problems, muscle aches, runny nose, sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and drug cravings. And they can begin within hours, according to Dr. Danesh Alam, the principal investigator at the Northwestern site who serves as the hospital’s medical director of behavioral health services. “People go to extreme lengths to make sure they don’t go into withdrawal,” he said. “Withdrawal can be fatal in some conditions,” including patients who have certain heart conditions. Patients experiencing opioid withdrawal symptoms have typically been treated with another narcotic. “One of the biggest advantages (of Lucemyra) is you can actually take patients off narcotics and give them what we call a clean break,” Alam said.