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 Washington Post
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Living with HIV means increased risk of heart disease
In recent decades, antiretroviral therapy has helped transform the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from a near-certain death sentence into a chronic, manageable disease. As HIV patients are living longer, however, they’re also at higher risk for heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, sudden cardiac death and other diseases than people without HIV, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association published in the journal Circulation.“Even when the virus is controlled such that it is not detectable by routine blood tests, there remains an HIV reservoir in certain tissues of the body which leads to chronic immune system activation and inflammation,” said Matthew Feinstein of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, lead author of the statement.
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U.S. News & World Report
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Best Over-the-Counter Products for Digestive Problems
Constipation is common and can be caused by a lack of liquid in the GI tract or a diet insufficient in fiber, says Dr. John Pandolfino, chief of gastroenterology at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. “For constipation, MiraLAX is our first-line treatment,” he says. “It’s very effective, it’s safe and just a very gentle kind of laxative.” Pandolfino cautions that if you’re also experiencing bloody stools, rectal bleeding or unexplained dramatic changes in bowel habits, you should contact your health care provider. Often, though, bouts of constipation can be managed with OTC products, he says.
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NBC News
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Chickenpox vaccine linked to lower rates of shingles in children, study finds
An attenuated virus, such as the one used in the varicella vaccine, is a strain that has been engineered to be so weakened that it can’t make you sick when you get the vaccine, said Dr. Tina Tan, a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and an infectious disease specialist at the Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. It’s just similar enough to the regular virus to alert your immune system to make antibodies that can fight the virus in the future, but apparently, in a small number of cases, that weakened form of the virus could to lead to shingles, Tan told NBC News.
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Reuters
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Patients give more ‘5-star’ ratings to hospitals with fewer services
“There is no reason to expect that patient experience scores would be associated with the breadth of services they provide,” said Dr. Karl Bilimoria, a researcher at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago who wasn’t involved in the study. “In fact, small centers often do well because they are able to offer more individual attention to patients,” Bilimoria said by email. “Simply offering a service doesn’t improve satisfaction; it must delivered well.”
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Associated Press
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Sleeping with the TV on may make you gain weight
Animal research and smaller studies in humans have linked prolonged light exposure with weight gain. Exactly how is uncertain but scientists think disruption in release of hormones related to sleep and appetite may be involved. Dr. Phyllis Zee, an expert in sleep and circadian rhythm disorders at Chicago’s Northwestern University, said the study is important because it highlights a behavior that can be easily changed to reduce the risk of gaining weight. “Properly timed light should be considered as part of a healthy life style,” she said, along with exercise and good nutrition.
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HealthDay
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American Soldiers’ Hearts in Worse Shape Than Civilians’
New research shatters the image of U.S. soldiers as the epitome of fitness and primed for battle: Instead, they are less likely to have ideal blood pressure than their civilian counterparts. In fact, less than one-third of active Army personnel have ideal blood pressure (120/80 mm Hg), compared with over half of the general population, the researchers found. “It’s unexpected that, given the recruitment process, Army personnel at these ages are worse off than the civilian population,” said researcher Dr. Darwin Labarthe. He is a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
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Reuters
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Living with HIV means increased risk of heart disease
“Even when the virus is controlled such that it is not detectable by routine blood tests, there remains an HIV reservoir in certain tissues of the body which leads to chronic immune system activation and inflammation,” said Dr. Matthew Feinstein of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, lead author of the statement. “This chronic immune activation and inflammation can, over time, lead to plaque buildup in the arteries of the heart and blood vessels, and possibly more blood clotting and problems with the heart muscle itself,” Feinstein said by email. “The result…is more heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure due to problems with the heart muscle’s ability to squeeze and/or relax.”
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Reuters
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U.S. soldiers have worse heart health than civilians
Although the proportion of soldiers and civilians with ideal BMI was comparable, this was unexpected because of the regular exercise Army personnel get, said the study’s senior author Dr. Darwin Labarthe, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. The blood pressure and BMI findings are especially concerning because these factors are so much lower at recruitment, Labarthe said. “We need to find out what it is that accelerates the development of high blood pressure and obesity,” he said.
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HealthDay
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HIV Patients More Likely to Have Heart Troubles, But Less Access to Care
According to Dr. Matthew Feinstein, chair of the statement writing group, “Considerable gaps exist in our knowledge about HIV-associated diseases of the heart and blood vessels, in part because HIV’s transition from a fatal disease to a chronic condition is relatively recent, so long-term data on heart disease risks are limited.” Feinstein is an assistant professor of medicine and preventive medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago.
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TODAY
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When it comes to cholesterol, is chicken as bad as red meat?
“For many people a varied approach including any or all of these foods within the context of high fruit, vegetable and whole grain, nuts/seeds/legume intake along with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils can serve as a healthy eating pattern with plenty of variety,” Dr. Linda Van Horn, a volunteer nutrition expert with the AHA, told NBC News. Other outside experts also pointed out that diet is just one factor when it comes to overall heart disease risk.
