Reading Room
The reading room includes articles of potential interest to consumers and medical professionals. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the NC Medical Board, its members and staff.
Can you predict future brain damage? Hundreds of pro fighters are helping researchers find out
STATNews
October 17, 2017
Researchers have enrolled close to 700 mixed martial arts fighters and boxers, both active and retired, in the past six years. The ambitious goal: to learn to identify early signs of trauma-induced brain damage from subtle changes in blood chemistry, brain imaging, and performance tests — changes that may show up decades before visible symptoms such as cognitive impairment, depression, and impulsive behavior.
Blood Pressure 101
PMT Scribe Academy
October 17, 2017
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), high blood pressure is a common and potentially dangerous condition. About 75 million people in the US—or 1 in 3 US adults—have high blood pressure. An even more terrifying fact is that only about half of the people with high blood pressure have the condition under control.
Around the World, Too Little Relief for Pain
HealthDay News
October 13, 2017
Tens of millions of people worldwide who die in severe physical and mental distress each year could have an easier death if low-cost pain drugs were available in their countries, a new report says.
Most antidepressants don’t work on kids and teens, study finds
STATNews
Originally Published June 8, 2016
The vast majority of antidepressants given to kids and teens are ineffective and potentially dangerous, according to a new study in The Lancet. Of 14 regularly prescribed drugs, only one — Prozac — proved effective enough to justify giving to children and teens, the researchers found.
Training New Doctors Right Where They’re Needed
Kaiser Health News
October 9, 2017
Rio Bravo is one of eight teaching health centers in California and 57 nationwide that were created by the Affordable Care Act in 2010 to serve areas with large unmet medical needs. This academic year, there are 732 residents in teaching health centers across 24 states.
Could playing a dolphin in a video game help stroke patients recover?
STAT News: Science Happens
March 25, 2016
In this video series by STAT, Carl Zimmer takes viewers inside labs where promising research is taking place. In this episode, Carl visits Johns Hopkins University Medical Center where Dr. John Krakauer is treating stroke patients with a video game.
The cancer stories no one wants to hear
STAT News
October 6, 2017
While our larger cultural conversation around cancer focuses on survivors and miracles, we don’t hear the stories of dying cancer patients — they are often too sick or too busy to tell them.
New Sesame Street Tools Help Build Resiliency
Robert Wood Foundation: Culture of Health Blog
October 6, 2017
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Sesame Street are partnering to help families cope with traumatic experiences and foster nurturing connections between children and the caring adults in their lives.
Harnessing the Power of Electronic Health Records to Improve Health Care
AAMC News
October 03, 2017
The use of electronic health records (EHRs) has skyrocketed—in less than a decade, the number of hospitals adopting the technology surged from fewer than 10% in 2008 to nearly 84%, in 2015 according to federal data. But adoption is only the first step health care providers must take to harness the full power of EHRs to improve people’s health.