Latest news with #DavidGeffenSchoolofMedicine
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This Type Of Work May Lower Heart Attack Risk For Women, Says New Study
A new study suggests that being self-employed can have an impact on your heart health. Specifically, it can help improve cardiovascular risk factors like obesity, sleep, and activity. Experts have a few theories why this might be, including lower stress and greater freedom to follow a healthy lifestyle. We all know there are a lot of factors that can influence your heart health, from what you eat to your family history, but new research suggests that your work environment might actually have a big influence how likely women are to develop cardiovascular disease. The findings, which are published in the journal BMC Public Health, suggest that being self-employed can have a noticeable influence on factors that lead to your risk of heart attack, stroke, and more. Right now, the study only establishes an association—so don't quit your day job and strike out on your own based purely on these findings. But they do raise a lot of questions about how your workplace can impact your heart and overall health. Here's what the research suggests, plus what doctors want you to keep in mind about the fascinating findings. Meet the experts: Jennifer Wong, MD, cardiologist and medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA; Kimberly Narain, MD, MPH, PhD, lead study author assistant professor-in-residence of medicine in the division of general internal medicine and health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Yanting Wang, MD, an associate professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and director or the Women's Heart Program and Cardio-Obstetrics Program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. For the study, researchers analyzed data from 19,400 working adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The researchers crunched the data to look at the link between being self-employed and having cardiovascular risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, glucose intolerance, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, binge drinking, sub-optimal sleep duration, and poor mental health. Researchers discovered lower rates of certain cardiovascular risk factors between people who were self-employed and those who were salaried. White women who were self-employed had a 7.4 percent lower risk of obesity, 7 percent lower risk of being physically inactive, and 9.4 percent drop in having poor sleep. The change in risk was slightly different for self-employed women of color. These women had a 6.7 percent lower risk of having a poor diet, 7.3 percent lower risk of being physically inactive, and 8.1 percent lower risk of getting poor sleep. Self-employed white men also saw a drop in certain factors, although it wasn't as noticeable. (Minority men didn't see the same benefits.) The study didn't explore this exact question beyond just finding a link, but there are a few theories, according to Kimberly Narain, MD, MPH, PhD, lead study author assistant professor-in-residence of medicine in the division of general internal medicine and health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. One is that women who are self-employed may be able to dictate their work schedule more and have less stress as a result, she says. Self-employed women with more free time may possibly have 'less perceived stress compared to women with less autonomy,' says Jennifer Wong, MD, cardiologist and medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. (Chronic stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease on its own, but it can also raise the risk of developing other factors that contribute to the condition, like obesity or trouble sleeping.) Women also tend to be caregivers and as such, have more responsibilities at home, Dr. Narain points out. 'When you're trying to combine that high level of demand and employment that doesn't have autonomy and flexibility, it can be stressful,' she says. 'It can potentially manifest in higher levels of blood pressure and less sleep.' Unfortunately, both of those raise your risk for cardiovascular disease. Women who are self-employed may have greater freedom to take on healthy lifestyle habits, like being more physically active and making medical appointments to stay on top of their health, says Yanting Wang, MD, an associate professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and director or the Women's Heart Program and Cardio-Obstetrics Program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Finally, Dr. Narain says that self-employed women may not have to deal with micro-aggressions that can happen in the workplace—and that can also lower stress. Dr. Narain says the findings suggest that your work environment can have an impact on your cardiovascular health. 'We really need to be thinking about the meaning people get from their work and what that may mean for their health outcomes,' she says. But Dr. Wong says the study also stresses the importance of taking care of your health, no matter what your job is. 'In any job, women should try to take the time to optimize their cardiovascular health focusing on a heart healthy diet, exercise, and adequate sleep,' she says. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
BioCryst Presents New Real-world Evidence Showing Significant and Sustained Reductions in HAE Attack Rates in Adolescents and People with Severe HAE Following Initiation of ORLADEYO® (berotralstat)
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCRX) today announced new real-world evidence on the use of oral, once-daily ORLADEYO® (berotralstat) in adolescents and people with severe HAE showing significant and sustained reductions in HAE attack rates through 18 months of follow-up after beginning treatment with ORLADEYO in both patient populations. The real-world evidence was presented in two posters at the 2025 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research conference (ISPOR), which is being held in Montreal from May 13-16, 2025. 'The outcomes detailed in these posters show how ORLADEYO is making a difference for people living with HAE, in particular those with very severe disease and those who are adolescents. These two groups experienced far fewer attacks per month compared to baseline after starting ORLADEYO. These kinds of real-world results should give physicians as well as their HAE patients the additional confidence to improve control of their attacks,' said Dr. Raffi Tachdjian, associate clinical professor of medicine & pediatrics, division of allergy & clinical immunology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles. Significant and sustained reductions in attack rates after ORLADEYO initiation The results presented in two posters at ISPOR 2025 were from a retrospective pre-post study using outcomes collected from BioCryst's sole-source pharmacy from December 15, 2020, to January 8, 2024. The poster 'Real-World Hereditary Angioedema Attack Rates Before and After Berotralstat Initiation Among Patients with C1 Inhibitor Deficiency (Type I/II) and ≥8 Attacks/month' (#PCR182) detailed findings from 56 U.S. patients with HAE with C1-inhibitor deficiency (HAE-C1-INH) who received ORLADEYO. Patients experienced significantly lower HAE attack rates while on ORLADEYO in each 90-day follow-up period (1.24-1.90 attacks/month) compared to baseline (7.78-8.23 attacks/month). Patients experienced significantly fewer HAE attacks per month following ORLADEYO initiation during every 90-day follow-up period relative to baseline, including: 6.25 fewer attacks/month (95 percent confidence period (CI): [5.63, 6.87]; p<0.001) at 12 months (days 271-360) 6.43 fewer attacks/month (95 percent CI: [5.78, 7.09]; p<0.001) at 18 months (days 451-540) The poster 'Real-World Hereditary Angioedema Attack Rates Before and After Berotralstat Initiation Among Adolescents' (#PCR132) highlighted outcomes reported from 99 U.S. patients with HAE aged 12-17 years who received ORLADEYO. Patients had significantly lower HAE attack rates while on ORLADEYO during each 90-day follow-up period (0.36-0.76 attacks/month) compared to the mean baseline rate (2.07-2.30 attacks/month). Compared to baseline, adolescents experienced statistically significant and sustained reductions in HAE attack rates after ORLADEYO initiation during each 90-day follow-up period, including: 1.56 fewer attacks/month (95 percent CI: [0.89, 2.23]; p<0.001) at 12 months (days 271-360) 1.85 fewer attacks/month (95 percent CI: [1.12, 2.58]; p<0.001) at 18 months (days 451-540) 'We continue to generate evidence from real-world use of our oral, once-daily prophylactic therapy for HAE that supports its effectiveness in a wide range of people with HAE. Here, we show that ORLADEYO is having a positive impact on attack reduction for younger people and those with severe disease. These additional findings further underscore that ORLADEYO works well for many patients with HAE, regardless of their attack severity, age or other aspects,' said Dr. Donald S. Fong, chief medical officer of BioCryst. About ORLADEYO® (berotralstat)ORLADEYO® (berotralstat) is the first and only oral therapy designed specifically to prevent attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older. One capsule of ORLADEYO per day works to prevent HAE attacks by decreasing the activity of plasma kallikrein. U.S. Indication and Important Safety Information INDICATIONORLADEYO® (berotralstat) is a plasma kallikrein inhibitor indicated for prophylaxis to prevent attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older. Limitations of useThe safety and effectiveness of ORLADEYO for the treatment of acute HAE attacks have not been established. ORLADEYO should not be used for the treatment of acute HAE attacks. Additional doses or dosages of ORLADEYO higher than 150 mg once daily are not recommended due to the potential for QT prolongation. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATIONAn increase in QT prolongation was observed at dosages higher than the recommended 150 mg once-daily dosage and was concentration dependent. The most common adverse reactions (≥10% and higher than placebo) in patients receiving ORLADEYO were abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, back pain, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. A reduced dosage of 110 mg taken orally once daily with food is recommended in patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh B or C). Berotralstat is a substrate of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein. P-gp inducers (eg, rifampin, St. John's wort) may decrease berotralstat plasma concentration, leading to reduced efficacy of ORLADEYO. The use of P-gp inducers is not recommended with ORLADEYO. ORLADEYO at a dose of 150 mg is a moderate inhibitor of CYP2D6 and CYP3A4. For concomitant medications with a narrow therapeutic index that are predominantly metabolized by CYP2D6 or CYP3A4, appropriate monitoring and dose titration is recommended. ORLADEYO at a dose of 300 mg is a P-gp inhibitor. Appropriate monitoring and dose titration is recommended for P-gp substrates (eg, digoxin) when coadministering with ORLADEYO. The safety and effectiveness of ORLADEYO in pediatric patients <12 years of age have not been established. There are insufficient data available to inform drug-related risks with ORLADEYO use in pregnancy. There are no data on the presence of berotralstat in human milk, its effects on the breastfed infant, or its effects on milk production. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-833-633-2279 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or Please see full Prescribing Information. About BioCryst Pharmaceuticals BioCryst Pharmaceuticals is a global biotechnology company with a deep commitment to improving the lives of people living with hereditary angioedema and other rare diseases. BioCryst leverages its expertise in structure-guided drug design to develop first-in-class or best-in-class small-molecule and protein therapeutics to target difficult-to-treat diseases. BioCryst has commercialized ORLADEYO® (berotralstat), the first oral, once-daily plasma kallikrein inhibitor, and is advancing a pipeline of small-molecule and protein therapies. For more information, please visit or follow us on LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future results, performance or achievements and statements relating to ORLADEYO performance and effectiveness. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that could affect the forward-looking statements contained herein include: BioCryst's ability to successfully implement or maintain its commercialization plans for ORLADEYO; the commercial viability of ORLADEYO, including its ability to achieve sustained market acceptance; the FDA or other applicable regulatory agency may require additional studies beyond the studies planned for products and product candidates, may not provide regulatory clearances which may result in delay of planned clinical trials, may impose certain restrictions, warnings, or other requirements on products and product candidates, may impose a clinical hold with respect to product candidates, or may withhold, delay, or withdraw market approval for products and product candidates; and BioCryst's ability to successfully manage its growth and compete effectively. Please refer to the documents BioCryst files periodically with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically BioCryst's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, which identify important factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in BioCryst's forward-looking statements. BCRXW Contact:John Bluth+1 919 859 7910jbluth@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Transition to telemedicine has come with considerable reductions in carbon emissions: Study
The use of telemedicine reduced carbon dioxide emissions by the equivalent of up to 130,000 gas-fueled cars per month in 2023, a new study has determined. These findings suggest telemedicine could have a modest but tangible contribution to curbing the effects of climate change, according to the study, published Tuesday in the American Journal of Managed Care. 'As Congress debates whether to extend or modify pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities, our results provide important evidence for policymakers to consider,' said John Mafi, an associate professor in residence at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, in a statement. Specifically, those considerations could focus on the idea 'that telemedicine has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of US health care delivery,' Mafi added. Today, the U.S. health system is responsible for about 9 percent of domestic greenhouse gas emission — worsening the impacts of climate change and thereby posing a possible threat to human health, according to the authors. Meanwhile, because the transportation sector accounts for more than 28 percent of the country's total emissions, the authors argued telemedicine would have the potential to decrease the environmental footprint of healthcare services. To draw their conclusions, the researchers used the existing Milliman MedInsight Emerging Experience database to quantify almost 1.5 million telemedicine visits, including 66,000 in rural regions, from April 1 to June 30, 2023. Ultimately, they estimated that between 741,000 and 1.35 million of those visits occurred instead of in-person appointments. As a result of that shift to telemedicine, the researchers estimated carbon emissions reductions of between 21.4 million and 47.6 million kilograms per month. That quantity is approximately equivalent to cutting the carbon dioxide generated by 61,000 to 130,000 gas-powered vehicles each month or by recycling 1.8 million to 4 million trash bags, according to the study. The researchers acknowledged that there were some limitations to their findings, including the fact that the results were based on a single, easy-to-access resource rather than a random selection. They also noted that telemedicine use has dropped since the end of the pandemic — potentially leading to overestimations regarding the emissions averted. Nonetheless, they maintained that telemedicine does provide a significant chance to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and to therefore bring benefits to human health. 'The health care sector contributes significantly to the global carbon footprint,' co-senior author A. Mark Fendrick, director of the Center for Value-Based Insurance Design at the University of Michigan, said in a statement. 'The environmental impact of medical care delivery can be reduced when lower-carbon options, such as telemedicine, are substituted for other services that produce more emissions,' Fendrick added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
15-04-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Autism Rate Continues to Rise Among Children, C.D.C. Reports
The percentage of American children estimated to have autism spectrum disorder increased in 2022, continuing a long-running trend, according to data released on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among 8-year-olds, one in 31 were found to have autism in 2022, compared with 1 in 36 in 2020. That rate is nearly five times as high as the figure in 2000, when the agency first began collecting data. The health agency noted that the increase was most likely being driven by better awareness and screening, not necessarily because autism itself was becoming more common. That diverged sharply from the rhetoric of the nation's health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who on Tuesday said, 'The autism epidemic is running rampant.' Mr. Kennedy has repeatedly tried to connect rising autism rates with vaccines, despite dozens of studies over decades that failed to establish such a link. The health secretary nonetheless has initiated a federal study that will revisit the possibility and has hired a well-known vaccine skeptic to oversee the effort. Mr. Kennedy recently announced an effort by the Department of Health and Human Services to pinpoint the 'origins of the epidemic' by September, an initiative that was greeted with skepticism by many autism experts. 'It seems very unlikely that it is an epidemic, in the way that people define epidemics,' said Catherine Lord, a psychologist and autism researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. A significant part of the increase instead can be attributed to the expansion of the diagnosis over the years to capture milder cases, Dr. Lord said, as well as decreased stigma and greater awareness of support services. Still, she left open the possibility that other factors are contributing to more children developing autism. 'We can account for a lot of the increase but perhaps not all of it,' Dr. Lord said. 'But whatever it is, it's not vaccines,' she added. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social interactions and communication, sensory issues and repetitive interests and behaviors. While the causes remain largely unknown, researchers believe it has a strong genetic component. 'It's very unlikely that it's one cause or even a small number of causes,' Dr. Lord said. The new data were collected by the C.D.C.'s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, which used the health and education records of more than 274,000 children at 16 sites across the country to estimate autism rates. The prevalence of the disorder has risen steadily since the year 2000, when the network first began tracking it. Other trends were evident in the new research. While white children and children from wealthier socioeconomic areas long had the highest rates of autism in the United States, that trend flipped in 2018. Starting in 2020, greater percentages of Black and Latino children were found to have autism, and the association with wealthier communities was no longer seen in the data. The C.D.C. reported prevalence rates of 3.7 percent among Black children, 3.3 percent among Hispanic children and 3.8 percent among Asian American children, compared with 2.8 percent among white children. While autism has long been associated with boys, a difference that may be tied to genetics, girls are now diagnosed at higher rates as awareness has grown about the subtler ways the disorder can manifest, often emerging more clearly in teenage years. Autism was 3.4 times more prevalent in boys than girls in 2022, down from 3.8 times higher in 2020, the C.D.C. said. The data also showed surprising variability in autism diagnoses by geography, ranging from 5.3 percent of 8-year-olds in California to just under 1 percent in Texas. The availability of certain medical and educational resources increases the likelihood that these children will be identified. California, for example, has a program that trains local pediatricians to identify signs of autism at an early age, as well as regional centers that provide autism services. Pennsylvania, which had the second-highest prevalence, has a state Medicaid program that guarantees coverage for children with developmental disabilities regardless of their parents' income.
Associated Press
19-03-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
International Harrington Prize Awarded to Dr. Owen Witte
2025 Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine recognizes groundbreaking contributions in the creation of targeted cancer therapies CLEVELAND, March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The twelfth annual Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine has been awarded to Owen N. Witte, MD, Distinguished University Professor and President's Chair in Developmental Immunology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. The award recognizes his foundational discoveries of targeted therapies that have transformed modern cancer treatment. The Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine, established in 2014 by the Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals and the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), honors physician-scientists who have moved science forward with achievements notable for innovation, creativity and potential for clinical application. Dr. Witte is internationally known for his contributions to the understanding of human leukemias and immune disorders. His work revealed the critical role of enzymes called tyrosine kinases in human disease. Dr. Witte discovered one of the first tyrosine kinases, the ABL oncoprotein, showing that its activity is responsible for causing chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)—a cancer of white blood cells. He predicted that drugs that inhibit the tyrosine kinase would have therapeutic benefit. Based on Dr. Witte's work, the drug imatinib, an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase ABL, was developed as frontline therapy. Imatinib increases the 8-year survival rate for CML from 6% to 87%. Dr. Witte subsequently discovered Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK). He provided evidence that BTK's tyrosine kinase activity was important for both normal immune function (loss of BTK led to immunodeficiency disease) and white blood cell cancers—ultimately spurring the development of the BTK inhibitor drug ibrutinib, now used to treat several types of lymphomas and leukemias. 'It is a great honor to present Dr. Witte with the Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine. His transformative contributions to cancer research have not only reshaped our understanding of leukemia, lymphoma, and epithelial cancers but have also revolutionized targeted therapies, directly impacting countless lives. His seminal contributions to the development of ABL and BTK inhibitors exemplifies the scientific creativity and impact this award stands for,' said Anna Greka, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Physician at Mass General Brigham, Core Institute Member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and 2024-2025 ASCI President. 'Dr. Witte's remarkable work serves as a powerful illustration of how basic discovery can inform the development of life-saving therapies. His groundbreaking work has bridged the gap between the laboratory bench and the clinical bedside, extending human life,' said Jonathan S. Stamler, President & Co-Founder, Harrington Discovery Institute, Robert S. and Sylvia K. Reitman Family Foundation Chair of Cardiovascular Innovation, Distinguished University Professor, and Professor of Medicine and of Biochemistry at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University. A committee composed of members of the ASCI Council and the Harrington Discovery Institute Scientific Advisory Board reviewed nominations from leading academic medical centers from six countries before selecting the 2025 Harrington Prize recipient. In addition to receiving the Prize's $20,000 honorarium, Dr. Witte will deliver the Harrington Prize Lecture at the 2025 AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting on April 25-27, and he will be a featured speaker at the 2025 Harrington Scientific Symposium May 21-22 and is invited to publish an essay in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The Harrington Prize has recognized outstanding and diverse innovations in medicine since 2014: 2014: Harry Dietz, MD, Johns Hopkins University, for his contributions to the understanding of the biology and treatment of Marfan syndrome, a disorder leading to deadly aneurysms in children and adults. 2015: Douglas R. Lowy, MD, The National Cancer Institute, in recognition of his discoveries that led to the development of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. 2016: Jeffrey M. Friedman, MD, PhD, The Rockefeller University, for his discovery of leptin, which controls feeding behavior and is used to treat related clinical disorders. 2017: Jointly awarded to Daniel J. Drucker, MD, Mount Sinai Hospital, Canada, Joel F. Habener, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Jens J. Holst, MD, DMSc, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, for their discovery of incretin hormones and for the translation of these findings into transformative therapies for major metabolic diseases such as diabetes. 2018: Helen H. Hobbs, MD, UT Southwestern Medical Center, for the discovery of the link between a gene mutation (PCSK9) and lower levels of LDL, which has improved the treatment of high cholesterol. 2019: Carl H. June, MD, University of Pennsylvania, for advancing the clinical application of CAR T therapy for cancer treatment, and for his sustained contributions to the field of cellular immunology. 2020: Stuart H. Orkin, MD, Harvard University, for breakthrough discoveries on red blood cells that offer new treatments for patients with sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, which are among the most common genetic disorders. 2021: Warren J. Leonard, MD, and John J. O'Shea, MD, NIH, for their respective contributions to the field of immunology, from fundamental discovery to therapeutic impact. 2022: James E. Crowe Jr., MD, Vanderbilt University, and Michel C. Nussenzweig, MD, PhD, The Rockefeller University, for their groundbreaking work, which has elucidated fundamental principles of the human immune response and enabled the use of human antibodies to treat COVID-19. 2023: Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, and Albert M. Maguire, MD, University of Pennsylvania, for their groundbreaking translational research to restore sight in inherited genetic diseases. 2024: Arlene H. Sharpe, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School, for her breakthrough discoveries in immune regulation, which have led to new cancer therapies that act by boosting the immune response to cancer.
