EAST LANSING, Mich. – The 1918 influenza pandemic provides a cautionary tale for what the future may hold for COVID-19, says a Michigan State University researcher. After a decade studying a flu virus that killed approximately 15,000 Michigan residents, Siddharth…
Tag: DEATH/DYING
Regular walnut consumption may reduce negative outcomes of H. pylori infection
FOLSOM, Calif., February 9, 2021 – A new animal study, published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition , suggests regular walnut consumption may be a promising intervention for reducing negative outcomes associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection,…
New evidence linking eggs, cholesterol to cardiovascular death
A person’s intake of whole eggs and cholesterol was positively associated with their risk of death, while intake of egg whites or egg substitutes was negatively associated with death in a new study published this week in PLOS Medicine by…
Researchers study how lifelong environmentalists want their remains handled after death
LAWRENCE — Traditional burial in a graveyard has environmental costs. Graves can take up valuable land, leak embalming chemicals and involve nonbiodegradable materials like concrete, as well as the plastic and steel that make up many caskets. But the other…
A ‘skeletal age’ calculator to predict bone fracture risk
Researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have developed a computational model to calculate ‘skeletal age’, a personalised estimate of an individual’s risk of bone fracture and premature death. The skeletal age calculator, which will be accessible to doctors…
Geisinger researchers find AI can predict death risk
Algorithm using echocardiogram videos of the heart outperforms other predictors of mortality
NeuroVascular quality initiative quality outcomes database tops 10,000 procedures
FAIRFAX, Va., February 1, 2021 – The Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery’s (SNIS) Patient Safety Organization (PSO), in partnership with the NeuroPoint Alliance (NPA), is pleased to announce that the NVQI-QOD now has over 10,000 procedures in the registry. Since its…
Researchers develop data tool that may improve care
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 8, 2021 – With the aid of sophisticated machine learning, researchers at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine demonstrated that a tool they developed can rapidly predict mortality for patients facing transfer between hospitals in…
Death by suicide? Drug overdoses muddy waters for investigators, amplify mental health crisis
Classifying a death as suicide may be easiest for medical examiners and coroners in the western United States, which reports the highest suicide rates officially. Suicide by firearm is the leading method there, and usually clear in terms of evidence.…
Raised mortality from cardiac arrest in people with COVID-19
Sudden cardiac arrest is more often fatal in people with COVID-19, a new study shows. Those responsible for the research see the results as a wake-up call for the public and care providers alike. The survey now published in the…
Study links brain cells to depression
New research linking major depression to a reduced number of cells in the brain that support neuron function, brings hope for targeted treatment options
COVID-19 health threat increases psychological distress among Black Americans
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate communities worldwide, Black Americans who face racial discrimination in hospitals and doctor’s offices weather additional stresses that can exacerbate threats from COVID-19. A new University of Georgia study examines the interplay between the…
New clues to how muscle wasting occurs in people with cancer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Muscle wasting, or the loss of muscle tissue, is a common problem for people with cancer, but the precise mechanisms have long eluded doctors and scientists. Now, a new study led by Penn State researchers gives…
Assessment of suicide in Japan during COVID-19 pandemic compared with previous years
What The Study Did: Researchers assessed potential changes in suicide rates associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan through November 2020 and performed analyses by sex, age group, and occupational status. Authors: Peter Ueda, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of…
Opioid prescriptions remained elevated two years after critical care
Nearly 11 percent of people admitted to an intensive care unit in Sweden between 2010 and 2018 received opioid prescriptions on a regular basis for at least six months and up to two years after discharge. That is according to…
Stimulant-associated deaths in US
What The Study Did: Researchers looked at changes in the rate of deaths associated with the use of illicit (such as cocaine) and medical stimulants in the United States from 2010 to 2017. Authors: Joshua C. Black, Ph.D., of Rocky Mountain…
Data shows strain on ICU capacity leads to more deaths during COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 ICU patients twice as likely to die if treated during peak COVID-19 ICU demand
Association of social, demographic factors with COVID-19 cases, death rates in US
What The Study Did: Researchers investigated the association between county-level social risk factors and COVID-19 cases and deaths, as well as weekly changes in cumulative cases and mortality, using publicly available data sets as of July 29, 2020. Authors: Renuka Tipirneni,…
County by county, study shows social inequality’s role in COVID-19’s toll
The higher a county’s score on a national index of social vulnerability, the more cases and deaths per 100,000 – highlighting the role of social factors in spread
Leading cardiovascular organizations call for urgent action to reduce air pollution
Air pollution is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and a major contributor to the global burden of disease. Long-term exposure to air pollution has also been linked to an increased risk of death from COVID-19. This dangerous “triple…
When is dead really dead?
The death prediction and physiology after removal of therapy study (DePPaRT study)
Scientists publish a blueprint to apply artificial intelligence to extend human longevity
The international team of artificial intelligence experts and medical doctors propose a framework for the application of next-generation AI to extend human longevity
Association of psychiatric disorders with mortality among patients with COVID-19
What The Study Did: In this observational study of about 7,300 adults with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in a New York health system, a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis was associated with an increased risk of death after adjusting for demographic and medical risk factors.…
Schizophrenia second only to age as greatest risk factor for COVID-19 death
People with schizophrenia, a mental disorder that affects mood and perception of reality, are almost three times more likely to die from the coronavirus than those without the psychiatric illness, a new study shows. Their higher risk, the investigators say,…
Association of smoking with COVID-19 outcomes
What The Study Did: The results of this study suggest that cumulative exposure to cigarette smoke is an independent risk factor for hospital admission and death from COVID-19. Authors: Katherine E. Lowe, M.Sc., of the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of…
Sliding life expectancy poses gender and inequity questions
Questions about why such affluent western societies are facing a reversal in life expectancy are sounding loud alarm bells for Professor Fran Baum, Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor and Director of the Southgate Institute for Health, Society and Equity. Professor Baum…
COVID-19 is dangerous for middle-aged adults, not just the elderly
Study examines infection fatality rates for COVID-19
Suicide deaths during COVID-19 stay-at-home advisory in Massachusetts
What The Study Did: Researchers assembled suicide death data for people 10 and older from January 2015 through May 2020 in this observational study and they report stable rates of suicide deaths during the COVID-19 stay-at-home advisory in Massachusetts, a…
Suicide-related internet searches during early stages of COVID-19 pandemic
What The Study Did: This study monitored suicide-related internet search rates during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and researchers report searches for suicide decreased during that time. Although this study cannot independently confirm that…
Rescuers at risk: emergency personnel face trauma and post traumatic stress symptoms
Emergency workers face suicidal thoughts and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), with emergency department and psychiatric department staff most at risk
Geisinger researchers find sex is not an independent risk factor for stroke mortality
Stroke survival rates for men and women equal among Geisinger patients
Youths with mood disorders who use marijuana at higher risk of death, self-harm
Not only might youth with mood disorders of greater severity be more inclined to use cannabis than less severely affected youth, but cannabis use can also worsen symptoms and interfere with successful mood disorder treatment
Where COVID-19 hit hardest, sudden deaths outside the hospital increased
A study across New York City found that out-of-hospital sudden deaths follow the geographic distribution of SARS-CoV-2, suggesting an association between the two, investigators report in Heart Rhythm
Climate impacts on health and urban areas: Heatwaves and death rate
Over the last half-century, the probability of heat extreme events has changed by orders of magnitude in almost every region of the world, with occurrences that are now up to a hundred times more in respect to a century ago.…
Stats on HIV among men who have sex with men could help resolve China’s epidemic
In China’s decades-long war against HIV, the time has come to explore infections among young men who have sex with men, new study shows
Why COVID-19 pneumonia lasts longer, causes more damage than typical pneumonia
COVID-19 pneumonia spreads like multiple wildfires, leaving destroyed lung tissue in its wake
COVID-19 pandemic indirectly disrupted heart disease care
Studies show indirect impact of COVID-19 pandemic on heart disease patients, including increased heart disease deaths and reduced diagnoses
Examining association of age, household dysfunction, outcomes in early adulthood
What The Study Did: Population data from Denmark were used to examine whether age at exposure to negative experiences in childhood and adolescence (parents’ unemployment, incarceration, mental disorders, death and divorce, and the child’s foster care experiences) was associated with outcomes…
New clues to prostate cancer
Why aggressive subtype can resist treatment
Risk of substance use disorder among patients with autism
What The Study Did: Researchers used health insurance data from Taiwan to investigate the risk of substance use disorder among patients with autism spectrum disorder and its associations with risk of death. Authors: Chih-Sung Liang, M.D., of the National Defense…
NIH study uncovers blood vessel damage & inflammation in COVID-19 patients’ brains but no infection
Results from a study of 19 deceased patients suggests brain damage is a byproduct of a patient’s illness
Imaging of ballistic wounds, bullet composition and implications for MRI safety
Since patients with ballistic embedded fragments are frequently denied MRI, due to indeterminate bullet composition sans shell casings, radiography and CT can be used to identify nonferromagnetic projectiles that are safe for MRI
One in four women with ADHD has attempted suicide
Women with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are eight times more likely to attempt suicide, while men with ADHD are four and a half times more likely; parental violence and substance dependence increase the prevalence of suicide attempts
Study shows significant sex, age differences for nonfatal opioid overdoses in youth
Boston – Results of a national study show significant sex and age-based differences among youth and young adults who experience a nonfatal opioid overdose. Female youth between the ages of 11 and 16 have a higher incidence of nonfatal opioid…
Scientists pinpoint molecular cause for severe disorder in children
A team of scientists from the University of Ottawa have opened a window into the cause of a rare genetic disorder that causes mortality in young children
Study reveals low risk of COVID-19 infection among patients undergoing head and neck cancer surgery
A recent international observational study provides important data on the safety of head and neck cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings are published early online in CANCER , a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study…
A full blood count of COVID-19 patients can predict disease severity
Publication in eLife
New study identifies greatest risk factors of mortality from COVID-19
Important new findings from UM School of Medicine could help guide healthcare clinicians with managing hospitalized patients in the weeks ahead
Palliative care improves quality of life for patients with advanced blood cancer
A first-of-its-kind intervention integrating palliative care early in the course of cancer therapy for patients with advanced acute myeloid leukemia resulted in substantial improvements in patients’ quality of life, mood and end-of-life care.
Finding a personalized approach to treating chronic rejection after lung transplantation
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Two new papers examine the processes of lung scarring and chronic rejection of the organ after transplantation, and potential therapies to stop the graft, or transplanted organ and its tissue, from failing. “Chronic graft failure due…