Otolaryngology News & Perspective

• Healthy Habits Tied to Lower Dementia Risk in High-Risk Patients Higher scores on measures of seven cardiovascular and brain health factors are linked to lower dementia risk in middle-aged individuals at high genetic risk for the disorder, new research shows.
  May 26, 2022
• Surgery Delay Shortens Survival of Patients With Advanced Esophageal Cancer Delays in surgery for advanced esophageal cancer, such as those implemented in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, result in significantly worse outcomes, a new analysis found.
  Reuters Health Information, May 23, 2022
• 3M Ordered to Pay $77.5 Million to Veteran in Latest Earplug Trial A jury in Pensacola, Florida federal court ordered 3M Co to pay $77.5 million to a US Army veteran who said he suffered hearing damage as a result of using the company's military-issue earplugs.
  Reuters Health Information, May 20, 2022
• Newly Found Cells Could Help Restore Hearing Loss from Aging A single master gene has been identified that can program ear hairs and help restore hearing, according to Northwestern Medicine scientists.
  Quick Take, May 23, 2022
• Combining Allergic Rhinitis Treatments May Improve Symptoms If one treatment for allergic rhinitis doesn't improve symptoms, combining it with other treatments may work, researchers in Thailand report.
  Medscape Medical News, May 23, 2022
• Hearing, Vision Loss Combo a Colossal Risk for Cognitive Decline Seniors with hearing or vision loss are at significant risk of cognitive decline, but the risk skyrockets in individuals with both.
  Medscape Medical News, May 23, 2022
• ESC-HF Voice-Analysis App Promising as Acute-HF Early Warning System It could potentially help guide heart failure therapy to avert acute decompensations, researchers say. 'But of course, we have to show that now in larger and randomized clinical studies.'
  Medscape Medical News, May 21, 2022
• FDA Approves First Drug for Eosinophilic Esophagitis Dupilumab (Dupixent) is approved to treat eosinophilic esophagitis in adults and children aged 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kg.
  FDA Approvals, May 20, 2022
• Liquid Biopsy Predicts Resistance to Neoadjuvant Therapy in Esophageal Cancer Researchers have developed and validated a liquid biopsy assay that can predict response to neoadjuvant therapy in patients with esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma, which may lead to more personalized treatment decisions.
  Reuters Health Information, May 17, 2022
• DDW 2022 Alarming Increase in Esophageal Cancer in Middle-Aged Adults The prevalence of esophageal cancer and Barett's esophagus has increased substantially among middle-aged adults during the past 5 years, warn the authors of a new study from Florida.
  Medscape Medical News, May 16, 2022
• From Delta to Omicron in 20 Days A Spanish healthcare worker who had received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine was infected twice by the virus. She had the shortest known time between SARS-CoV-2 infections to date.
  Medscape Medical News, May 13, 2022
• Knowing How the Brain Reacts to Smells May Help Fight Disease Neuroscientists use mathematical models to reproduce how the brain processes smell.
  WebMD Health News, May 11, 2022
• Head and Neck Cancer Patients Call for Improvements in Care Patients with head and neck cancer have the highest rates of emergency department use and hospitalization during treatment, and also the highest rates of psychological distress.
  Medscape Medical News, May 11, 2022
• Antibiotic Prescribing Practice Varies Widely in Canada Specific feedback for primary care clinicians could reduce the use of avoidable antibiotics and the potential for the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
  Medscape Medical News, May 11, 2022
• COPD Screening for Asymptomatic Adults? USPSTF Weighs In, Again “In addition to potential treatment harms, there are opportunity costs to screening.”
  Medscape Medical News, May 11, 2022
• When Is a Mask Mandate Not a Mask Mandate? The travel mask mandate is dead for now. Should we resuscitate it or let it peacefully pass away?
  Medscape Blogs, May 11, 2022
• Are Ants the Future of Cancer Detection? Researchers have explored using medically trained dogs to sniff out cancer. Now French scientists say ants can do the job, too — only faster and cheaper.
  WebMD Health News, May 10, 2022
• Noninvasive Esophageal Cancer Screening May Reach More Patients Noninvasive approaches have lower sensitivity and specificity than endoscopic screening, but greater access could make them cost effective.
  Medscape Medical News, May 10, 2022
• ESOC 2022 No Benefit to Early Tracheostomy in Severe Stroke The findings don't end debate on whether an early or standard approach to tracheostomy yields better outcomes, but does give clinicians a choice.
  Medscape Medical News, May 09, 2022
• Substantial Medical Debt, Bankruptcy Linked to Thyroid Cancer Compared to other cancers, patients with thyroid cancer may face more significant financial woes, including higher rates of bankruptcy.
  Medscape Medical News, May 09, 2022