Latest news with #MichiganMedicine
Hans India
5 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
People with irritable bowel syndrome can find relief with Mediterranean diet: Study
New Delhi: A team of US researchers has found that the Mediterranean diet may provide symptom relief for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Irritable bowel syndrome affects an estimated 4-11 per cent of all people, and a majority of patients prefer dietary interventions to medication. The low FODMAP diet leads to symptom improvement in more than half of patients, but is restrictive and hard to follow. Previous investigations from Michigan Medicine researchers in the US into more accessible alternative diets led to a proposed 'FODMAP simple,' which attempted to only restrict the food groups in the FODMAP acronym that are most likely to cause symptoms. In the new study published in the journal Neurogastroenterology & Motility, participants were randomised into two groups, one following the Mediterranean diet and the other following the low FODMAP diet, a common restrictive diet for IBS. In the Mediterranean diet group, 73 per cent of the patients met the primary endpoint for symptom improvement, versus 81.8 per cent in the low FODMAP group. 'Restrictive diets, such as low FODMAP, can be difficult for patients to adopt,' said Prashant Singh, Michigan Medicine gastroenterologist and lead author on the paper. 'In addition to the issue of being costly and time-consuming, there are concerns about nutrient deficiencies and disordered eating when trying a low FODMAP diet. The Mediterranean diet interested us as an alternative that is not an elimination diet and overcomes several of these limitations related to a low FODMAP diet,' Kumar added. The Mediterranean diet is already popular among physicians for its benefits to cardiovascular, cognitive, and general health. Previous research on the effect of the Mediterranean diet on IBS, however, had yielded conflicting results. While the Mediterranean diet did provide symptom relief, the low FODMAP group experienced a greater improvement measured by both abdominal pain intensity and IBS symptom severity score. 'This study adds to a growing body of evidence which suggests that a Mediterranean diet might be a useful addition to the menu of evidence-based dietary interventions for patients with IBS,' said William Chey, chief of Gastroenterology at the University of Michigan.
Mint
20-05-2025
- Health
- Mint
Joe Biden had unrivaled medical care. How did his cancer go undetected?
How was Joe Biden's cancer not caught earlier? The news that the former president is battling an aggressive, stage-4 prostate cancer that has spread to the bone ignited a public debate about why a person with peerless access to medical care was diagnosed at such an advanced stage with a disease that is quite common in men his age. Many prostate cancers in the U.S. are detected with a blood test that measures prostate-specific antigen, or PSA. The test is cheap and can help find potential cancer before symptoms appear. There are some particularly aggressive prostate cancers that don't secrete enough PSA to be flagged on the test. But those are rare, doctors said. Whether Biden, 82, had been getting regular PSA screening before his diagnosis isn't publicly known, and prostate cancer screening for men in their 80s isn't considered standard care. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government-backed volunteer panel of experts that makes preventive health recommendations, advises against PSA screening for men ages 70 and above, based on concerns about false positives and overtreating low-risk forms of the disease. Other groups advise older men to make the decision about whether to continue screening in consultation with their doctors. 'It's in many ways unsettling that someone who has what is undoubtedly fantastic medical care could suddenly be diagnosed with aggressive, metastatic prostate cancer," said Dr. Todd Morgan, co-director of the Weiser Center for Prostate Cancer at Michigan Medicine. 'On the other hand, this is often how prostate cancer presents. We typically don't do PSA screening beyond 75 or late 70s." Biden, however, wasn't a typical patient. As the oldest president in U.S. history to seek re-election, his health was under considerable scrutiny by voters. His eldest son died of brain cancer at age 46, prompting Biden, then vice president, to launch his 'cancer moonshot" initiative to accelerate the fight against the disease. His poor performance in last year's presidential debate forced him out of the 2024 race, and new attention on his acuity while in office is amplifying concerns that his aides concealed his decline. Donald Trump—the second oldest president at age 78—does get screened. He released the results of his prostate cancer screening last month, showing a normal score. Barack Obama released his PSA score when he was president, as did George W. Bush. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday evening, Trump said he is 'very sad" to hear about Biden's diagnosis and raised questions about why it wasn't discovered earlier. 'Someone is going to have to speak to his doctor," Trump said. 'I feel badly about it, and I think people should try and find out what happened." The Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is currently probing whether top White House officials concealed negative information about Biden's decline. The probe began last Congress and included a request for an interview with Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's physician as president, and testimony from former Biden aides—but those asks would need to be renewed. Chris Meagher, a spokesman for Biden, didn't respond to questions about whether Biden was screened for prostate cancer as president. O'Connor didn't respond to requests for comment. Biden's cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive and could therefore be receptive to hormone-reducing drugs, and cancer doctors have said that even patients with metastatic disease can live for years, thanks to newer therapies. But the disease probably isn't curable at this stage, and Biden will likely be grappling with it for the rest of his life. Around 10% of prostate cancers are already metastatic by the time they are diagnosed, prostate cancer specialists said. Symptoms including difficulty urinating or blood in the urine often don't appear until the disease is advanced. Biden's prostate cancer is one of the most aggressive kinds, implying that it is relatively fast-spreading, though it could have gone undetected for years, specialists said. 'It's possible that he could have had it growing in him for years, or it could be possible that this had a shorter time course," said Dr. Phillip Koo, chief medical officer at the Prostate Cancer Foundation. 'If someone were to get PSA screening annually after age 70, I'd imagine something like this would have been picked up earlier." Doctors have debated for decades how often to screen men for prostate cancer, and when to stop. The test can pick up cancers early while they are more treatable, but it can also flag false positives and pick up slow-growing cancers that would never have become life-threatening, particularly in older men, leading to overtreatment and corresponding harms. 'In the majority of cases, our guidelines really maximize their quality of life and reduce the harms associated with overdetection and aggressive screening," said Dr. Behfar Ehdaie, a urologic surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which says on its website that PSA testing after age 75 is 'rarely helpful." Many men stop screening at age 75 because doctors think men with a low or normal PSA value at that age have a low risk of developing life-threatening prostate cancer, said Dr. Jonathan Shoag, a urologist who specializes in oncology at University Hospitals and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. But the number of later-stage, life-threatening diagnoses in the U.S. has increased in recent years, after medical groups started to advise less screening overall, Shoag and others said. There is no public battery of medical tests required for all presidents and no standard release forms showing results. O'Connor said in February 2024 that Biden was 'fit for duty" after a comprehensive assessment by a team of doctors. 'I would say it's surprising he did not get this test, given the fact that the proclivity of presidential physicians is to test more rather than less," said Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, a physician and vice provost for global initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, speaking Monday on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe." 'Either they didn't test for it, or they did test for it, they didn't report it, and we didn't get the information as a public," said Emanuel, a former White House health adviser. Trump has at times failed to be transparent about his health. But he made a point of bragging about his prostate screening results when he was running for president. 'My PSA has been very good," Trump said in a September 2016 interview with Mehmet Oz, who is now his Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator. 'It's always the first number I ask for. I say, 'Give me that number.'" Trump was 70 years old at the time and a candidate for president. Write to Brianna Abbott at and Annie Linskey at
Wall Street Journal
13-05-2025
- Health
- Wall Street Journal
The Latest in Hernia Repair: New Techniques, New Research
Hernias can be an unnerving manifestation of the body's wear and tear, creating a sudden bulge in the groin or abdomen when part of an internal organ or tissue—such as the intestine—pushes through the surrounding muscle or tissue. As the population ages, the incidence of hernias is increasing in the U.S. And research shows several age-related factors, such as weakened abdominal muscles, can make hernias harder to treat successfully. Researchers at the University of Michigan's Michigan Medicine found that about 1 in 6 older Americans who had undergone an operation to repair a hernia had repeat surgery less than 10 years later.
CBS News
08-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Domenico Grasso named interim president of University of Michigan
The University of Michigan has named Domenico Grasso its interim president. Grasso replaces Santa Ono, who announced on May 4 his decision to step down to take the role of president at the University of Florida. "President Grasso is widely admired for his visionary work leading University of Michigan-Dearborn, where he has held the role of chancellor since 2018," said the Board of Regents in a message to the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses and Michigan Medicine. "We have full confidence that President Grasso will provide steady leadership during this critical time of transition." In addition to his responsibilities as interim president, Grasso will lead the university's search for its next president, which is set to begin in the coming weeks. "Being asked to serve as the interim president of the University of Michigan is a profound honor," said Grasso who, in addition to his chancellorship and his position as an executive officer of the Ann Arbor campus, is a professor of public policy and sustainable engineering at UM-Dearborn. "I offer my gratitude to the board and my promise to the community to meet this opportunity with energy, integrity and dedication to our shared mission." In Grasso's time at Dearborn, the university has seen its four-year graduation rate increase by 16% and its external research funding triple, allowing the school to achieve R2 status, officials said. Before joining Michigan's Dearborn campus, Grasso was provost and chief academic officer at the University of Delaware. He also held posts as Smith College's Rosemary Bradford Hewlett Professor and founding director of the Picker Engineering Program, which is the first engineering program at a women's college in the U.S. Earlier, Grasso served as dean of the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences and vice president for research at the University of Vermont. Grasso earned his Ph.D. in environmental engineering from Michigan in 1987. He is a U.S. Army veteran who spent 10 years on active and reserve status. The Board of Regents will affirm Grasso's appointment at their next board meeting on May 15.
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Leading Healthcare Executive Examines How AI, Big Tech, And Retail Medicine Are Reshaping The Industry
'The Great Healthcare Disruption: Big Tech, Bold Policy, and the Future of American Medicine' by Marschall Runge is released with Forbes Books. NEW YORK (May 6, 2025) — The Great Healthcare Disruption: Big Tech, Bold Policy, and the Future of American Medicine by Marschall Runge, MD, PhD, is now available on Amazon. The book is published with Forbes Books, the exclusive business book publishing imprint of Forbes. In The Great Healthcare Disruption , Dr. Runge explores the forces changing medicine, from artificial intelligence and telehealth to Big Tech's growing role in patient care. As a physician-scientist and leader in academic medicine, Dr. Runge presents a frontline perspective on the challenges and opportunities created by healthcare's rapid evolution. He examines the rise of retail medicine, the promise of personalized gene therapies, the impact of AI-driven diagnostics, and the revolutionary new treatments addressing obesity, behavioral health, and chronic disease. More than a survey of emerging technologies, The Great Healthcare Disruption seeks to ensure that innovation leads to more accessible, equitable, and effective care. Dr. Runge discusses how policymakers, providers, and patients can manage these changes to create a healthcare system that works for everyone. 'With The Great Healthcare Disruption , I want to encourage conversations about the future of medicine and healthcare,' said Runge. 'I want to engage you in critical thinking about the impact and quality of the care that can result from disruptive transformations examined in this book. I want to initiate a new understanding of what's possible, inspiring innovative solutions to the biggest challenges facing the healthcare industry.' This book is essential reading for healthcare professionals and consumers alike. It provides a comprehensive look at the most significant medical transformations of our time. This release is posted on behalf of Forbes Books (operated by Advantage Media Group under license). About the Author Dr. Marschall Runge serves as executive vice president for medical affairs at the University of Michigan, dean of the medical school, and CEO of Michigan Medicine. With advanced degrees from Vanderbilt and Johns Hopkins, and specialized training at Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital, he has spent his career driving healthcare innovation and transforming medical education. His insights draw from decades of experience as both a practicing cardiologist and a healthcare executive. Dr. Runge has authored numerous medical books and the novel, Coded to Kil l , a techno-medical thriller about the rising risks associated with electronic medical records and artificial intelligence. About Forbes Books Founded in 2016 in partnership with Advantage Media Group, Forbes Books is the exclusive book publishing imprint of Forbes Media. Forbes Books offers business and thought leaders a way to share their ideas and expertise with the world. Authors are carefully vetted to ensure their stories and insights align with the Forbes mission of driving success through innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. For more information, visit
