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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New York Times
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6 Things We Get Wrong About Sleep
There’s no question that sleep is important for your health. Without enough of it, your risk of developing diseases such as dementia, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes can increase, and you’re more likely to feel irritable and anxious. If you’ve experienced long-term sleep deprivation, you might have felt as if your body eventually adjusted. You can find ways to cope with less sleep, like drinking caffeine or skipping late-night activities, said Ian Katznelson, MD, a neurologist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital and clinical assistant professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. But that doesn’t mean you’ll actually sidestep the negative effects of little rest, which can include worsened memory, mood swings and diminished creativity. Poor-quality, short sleep isn’t good for you, but oversleeping can be linked to health problems, too, experts said. Adults should generally aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep per night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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US News & World Report
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A Patient’s Guide to Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer, mostly diagnosed in older people, is the second leading cause of cancer death and the third most common cancer in the United States. In recent years, it’s become the leading cause of cancer death in men under 50 and the second leading cause of cancer death in women under 50. A colonoscopy is the most common tool used for screening. This medical procedure examines the inner lining of the colon and rectum to screen for polyps or other abnormalities using a colonoscope, a long catheter with a camera attached to one end. Once the stage of cancer is determined, a strategy for treatment can be planned and implemented. All patients should get a second opinion and, if possible, be treated at a cancer center where there’s greater access to cutting-edge therapies, technology, research and clinical trials, advises Ashley Hardy, MD, a surgical oncologist at Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group in Illinois. clinical assistant professor of surgery (surgical oncology) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
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NPR
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Move aside, BMI: There’s a better way to define obesity, commission finds
An international committee of scientists has proposed a change to the way obesity is defined and diagnosed. The goal is to offer a more nuanced and objective way to assess body composition, by adding more metrics, such as waist circumference, to the criteria.The current BMI-based measure of obesity can both overestimate and underestimate how much body fat a person has, explains Robert Kushner, MD, an endocrinologist at Northwestern University who is part of the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission. “About 40% of the adult population in America has obesity, when it’s defined solely by BMI,” Kushner says. But do all of these millions of Americans have a disease? And do they all need treatment? Kushner says the commission aims to give some clarity to the confusion.
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ABC News
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New report proposes redefining obesity by adding body fat and health status to BMI
New guidance from a team of health experts around the world proposes expanding the definition of obesity beyond the popular body mass index (BMI) measure. The new guidance comes from the Commission on Clinical Obesity, which is led by dozens of medical experts from various medical specialties around the world. The commission recommends the inclusion of body fat measurements and the presence of existing health issues — and cautions against using BMI alone as an individual measure of health. Pre-clinical obesity refers to excess fat without organ dysfunction but increased risk of developing clinical obesity and other long-term health problems such as cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes. “In other words, their organs are functioning well. They have no metabolic diseases, and they have a fairly good quality of life,” said Robert Kushner, MD, a commissioner and professor of medicine and medical education at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, in an interview with ABC news.
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The New York Times
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What to Know About Covid Right Now
There are few constants when it comes to Covid, but one thing has held true over the years: Cases climb in the winter. In the weeks after the holidays, especially, more people tend to get sick, as we spend time together indoors, sharing germs and spreading infections. Complicating matters is that a slew of other illnesses are spreading rapidly in the United States right now: the flu, respiratory syncytial virus, whooping cough, walking pneumonia. “It’s a cornucopia of a lot of different things this year,” said Marc Sala, MD, a co-director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Covid-19 Center in Chicago.
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ABC 7 Chicago
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Seal, flamingo die from bird flu at Lincoln Park Zoo, officials say
A harbor seal and a Chilean flamingo died from the bird flu this month at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, officials said. The flamingo died January 8 and the seal died January 9, the Lincoln Park Zoo said. The cause of death for both animals has been confirmed as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, the zoo said. “Hundreds of millions of birds have died from Bird Flu. It’s been really devastating,” said Robert Murphy, a professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Infectious Diseases. “The seal is that’s a new one. Nobody really has heard of that before.” Thankfully, no human to human transition has occurred. “We haven’t hit the red button yet, so there’s no human to human transmission noted to date,” Dr. Murphy said. “But that is the fear that everybody has, that it will mutate at some point, and then we have to worry about it.” Dr. Murphy said stockpiled vaccines are available in case in spreads in humans, but there is not a vaccine for animals and experts say there is no easy test for bird flu. Lincoln Park Zoo is taking many precautions, including closing the McCormick Bird House, but, zoo officials stress visitors are safe and they are not at risk of contracting the virus from the animals.
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Yahoo! News
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Not all belly fat is created equal. Here are the different types and how they impact your health.
With New Year’s resolutions in full swing, lots of Americans are committing to being more fit and losing weight. One stubborn area that many of us will be battling is that squishy part around our midsections, and it’s not just the consequence of overindulging in holiday treats. Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, a professor of preventive medicine and chief of the nutrition division at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life that while subcutaneous fat acts as a protective layer, excessive fat above a body mass index (BMI) of 30 constitutes obesity and is considered a risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and some forms of cancer. Van Horn says visceral fat is also comprised of biologically active cells and cytokines, or proteins, that can contribute to inflammation and other harmful effects on your health. You cannot target fat loss from a specific area like your midsection, however focusing on overall weight loss and healthy habits can help you stay holistically fit while reducing belly fat. These include making healthy eating choices, being physically active and getting plenty of rest.
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WBEZ Chicago
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Is one drink a day OK? Here’s what to consider
On the heels of the Surgeon General’s warning about the cancer risks of alcohol, there’s a growing consensus that less is better. A review underway may lead to changes to U.S. guidelines this year. And many experts agree the current advice, which is up to 14 drinks a week for men and seven for women, is out of date and may be too high. “I do think a change is needed,” says Aashish Didwania, MD, a primary care physician and medical educator at Northwestern University. “My guidelines would be that drinking fewer than seven drinks a week would be a healthier way to use alcohol,” Didwania says, based on his interpretation of the evidence. Didwania says, personally, he feels comfortable drinking alcohol, but limits his consumption. “I’ll have one to two cocktails a couple days a week,” he says. When it comes to the harms of alcohol, the science is clear that there’s a dose response. The more you drink, the higher the risk of bad outcomes.
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NBC News
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New report sheds light on why young Asian Americans are 40% more likely to develop allergies
Today, 6 million American children live with food allergies, and young Asian Americans like Wong’s son, now in college, are 40% more likely to develop one compared to the general population. Scientists have struggled to explain this disparity since it was first documented in a landmark 2011 study. Now, a recent Stanford University study of nearly half a million California pediatric records is one of the first to look at subgroups of Asians in the U.S. under 18 to try to understand why Asian Americans are so at risk. The study found Filipino, Vietnamese and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are particularly vulnerable. Where Asian American children fit into this trend remains unclear. Few longitudinal studies include them, an oversight Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, a pediatrician and allergist at Northwestern University, calls a missed opportunity. As the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S., Asian Americans provide a unique window into nationwide food allergy trends, she said. Genetics alone can’t explain the dramatic rise or the disproportionate impact on Asian American children. The time frame — just a few decades — is too short for significant genetic changes. Additionally, Gupta’s research in countries like India hasn’t identified the same allergy patterns seen in American children with similar ancestry. “Studying Asian Americans might uncover the missing link to rising allergy rates for all children,” Gupta said.
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MSN online
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10 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch the Flu, According to Infectious Disease Experts
The American Lung Association estimates up to 20% of Americans will catch the flu in a given season—and this impact can be substantial. Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that between 2010 and 2023, 100,000 to 710,000 people with the flu wound up in the hospital each year. In a time when we’re all looking out for the latest Covid variant in circulation, these figures underscore how dangerous the flu can be. Ravi Jhaveri, MD, an infectious disease expert at Northwestern Medicine, points out that the flu primarily travels through droplets released when someone coughs, sneezes, or talks. Droplets are larger and heavier than aerosols, the other common route through which respiratory viruses (such as Covid) spread. The CDC notes that flu droplets spread more easily in crowded, poorly ventilated areas. A 2020 study in the scientific journal PLoS Pathogens supports this, showing lower transmission rates in well-ventilated spaces, even when people aren’t taking protective measures. This research spotlights the importance of good air circulation in reducing the spread of the flu, limiting the reach of these airborne droplets. The CDC notes that flu droplets spread more easily in crowded, poorly ventilated areas. A 2020 study in the scientific journal PLoS Pathogens supports this, showing lower transmission rates in well-ventilated spaces, even when people aren’t taking protective measures. This research spotlights the importance of good air circulation in reducing the spread of the flu, limiting the reach of these airborne droplets.
