2 minute read
HEALTH FLASH
July 21 & 24 at 7:30PM | July 23 at 2:00PM
by stephanie wallace
INSIGHTS INTO CHEMO
An interdisciplinary team at Washington University has developed a new method to predict the effectiveness of chemotherapy after the first cycle. Combining data from tumor biomarkers, ultrasound and ultrasound-guided diffuse optical tomography, researchers were able to produce highly accurate predictions of how tumors respond to treatment in breast cancer patients. Using this combination, researchers are able to determine if a tumor and its blood vessel network are shrinking. This offers physicians important insights into whether to consider early surgery or alter the course of treatment to improve patient outcomes.
A POWERFUL COMBO
A study from Saint Louis University has found that combining two classes of anti-diabetes drugs produces better outcomes for diabetes and fatty liver disease in mouse models. The two drugs have different mechanisms of action, leading researchers to hypothesize that using them together could have enhanced results. Insulin sensitizers counteract insulin resistance, and GLP-1 receptor agonists improve blood sugar levels by slowing the rate the stomach empties and increasing insulin production. Mice who were treated with both classes of drugs saw greater improvement in blood glucose levels than those treated with only one. The study also provided insight into the control of insulin secretion by the pancreas. SUICIDE PREVENTION
The Missouri Institute of Mental Health at the University of Missouri-St. Louis is leading a new effort to reduce suicide in southeast Missouri. Funded by a $350,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health, the Gun Suicide Prevention Planning Project will create a public awareness campaign, build a continium-of-care program for at-risk individuals, and train gun owners and retailers on lethal means reduction. The funds will support two years of planning with additional funding for implementation for up to five years. The initiative is being implemented in Butler County, and researchers have identified six other counties in which to expand their efforts.
TESTOSTERONE AND COVID-19
Researchers at Saint Louis and Washington universities have found that low testosterone in men is linked to more severe cases of COVID-19. The study measured several hormones in patients hospitalized at Barnes-Jewish Hospital between March and May 2020. Low testosterone can be caused by severe illness, and it also is linked to factors like aging, obesity and diabetes. Since researchers did not have pre-COVID-19 hormone levels for patients, it was impossible to determine the cause of the lower levels. Further study is needed to determine if men with low testosterone are more likely to get severely ill when compared to men with normal levels and if testosterone replacement could help in the recovery process.
