Investigators in Canada have discovered that molecular changes to an infectious bacterium (Group A Streptococcus pyogenes [GAS]) underlie a post-pandemic surge of coinfections with a respiratory diagnosis, prompting one expert to suggest lockdowns during the pandemic might have created an immunity deficiency in hosts while at the same time helping the bacteria create newly virulent … Read more
Rapid spread of the H5N1 avian influenza virus has reached an “unprecedented” scale this season, wiping out hundreds of millions of birds worldwide and increasingly infecting mammals, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations warned on March 16. The spread of the virus poses significant risks from food and public health perspectives. … Read more
AI Predicts Premature Death in IBD Patients: A Call for Multidisciplinary Care Table of Contents AI Predicts Premature Death in IBD Patients: A Call for Multidisciplinary Care The Alarming Reality of Premature Death in IBD Patients Understanding the Scope of the Problem in the U.S. Key Findings: Unveiling the Predictors of Premature Death A Call … Read more
Almost half of people who experience sudden cardiac death were never diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD) before it was too late, warned investigators. “A substantial number of deaths happen in people we don’t see in the cardiac ward,” said Tobias Skjelbred, MD, a cardiologist at Copenhagen University Hospital and lead author of a new nationwide … Read more
Influenza is surging in Canada, with a test positivity rate of 24.3% in the first week of February, according to data from the Canadian respiratory virus surveillance report. There were 10,449 detections of influenza during the week ending February 8. About 94% of cases resulted from influenza A (H1N1), and about 6% of cases resulted … Read more
TOPLINE: Hospitalization for cannabis use disorder (CUD) is associated with a nearly threefold higher risk for premature death compared with the general population, with risk particularly high for death by trauma, suicide, and opioid poisoning, a new study showed. METHODOLOGY: A population-based retrospective cohort study included 11.6 million individuals aged 15-105 years from Ontario, Canada, … Read more
Canada’s legalization of cannabis has been linked to an increase in schizophrenia cases, new research shows. Over a 16-year time period — spanning before and after legalization of cannabis for medical and recreational use — the number of new cases of schizophrenia associated with cannabis use disorder (CUD) in Ontario nearly tripled after legalization, investigators … Read more
Earlier initiation of digital screening mammography at age 40 years leads to substantial healthcare savings by reducing the cost of breast cancer treatment, according to a new cost-effectiveness study. Based on data in Canada for a population-based breast screening program, biennial screening for ages 40-74 years results in fewer deaths, more years of life for … Read more