Treatment with abiraterone significantly improves survival in advanced prostate cancer
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Treatment with abiraterone significantly improves survival in advanced prostate cancer

In December, researchers reported findings from a study showing that the drug abiraterone halves the risk of prostate cancer death among a specific group of patients who previously would not have been treated with it. Currently, abiraterone is approved only for men with prostate cancer that is spreading (metastasizing) in the body. But men enrolled…

Pandemic challenges may affect babies — possibly in long-lasting ways
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Pandemic challenges may affect babies — possibly in long-lasting ways

The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on so many people in so many ways. For babies born during this pandemic, a study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that the damage has potential to be lifelong. The first three years of life are crucial for brain development. And it’s not just the health of babies that…

Thinking of trying Dry January? Steps for success
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Thinking of trying Dry January? Steps for success

Let’s file this under unsurprising news: many American adults report drinking more since the pandemic began in March 2020, according to a survey on alcohol use in the time of COVID-19. If you’re among them, you might want to start 2022 on a healthy note by joining the millions who abstain from alcohol during Dry…

When the doctor becomes the patient: A transformative experience
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When the doctor becomes the patient: A transformative experience

I grew up in India with my loving family, living in a 1,000-square-foot room. I was fearless and often experienced the bumps and bruises of an active boyhood. I always got up, dusted myself off, and walked again. I learned resilience and was a happy child. Throughout my work as a physician, the importance of…

Tics and TikTok: Can social media trigger illness?
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Tics and TikTok: Can social media trigger illness?

A student suddenly develops leg pain and paralysis; soon hundreds of schoolmates have similar symptoms. Nuns begin biting each other, and soon the same thing is happening at other nearby convents. Three schoolgirls begin laughing uncontrollably, sometimes going on for days. When nearly 100 classmates develop the same problem, the school is forced to close…

New study investigates treatment-associated regrets in prostate cancer
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New study investigates treatment-associated regrets in prostate cancer

Men who are newly diagnosed with prostate cancer have difficult choices to make about medical therapy, and the last thing any of them want is to regret their treatment decisions later. But unfortunately, treatment-related regrets are quite common, according to a new study. After looking into the experiences of 2,072 men diagnosed with prostate cancer…

The rising tide of dementia and the need for nondrug therapies
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The rising tide of dementia and the need for nondrug therapies

The human and financial cost of Alzheimer’s disease is devastating. More that 55 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia, rising to 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050. In the United States alone, the Alzheimer’s Association estimated that in 2020, more than 11 million unpaid caregivers provided…