Reading Room
The reading room includes articles and videos 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. Note: Some links may require subscriptions.
Got 11 minutes? A daily brisk walk could lower risk for early death.
Washington Post
February 28, 2023
According to the largest study to date of physical activity, disease risk and mortality, walking for at least 11 minutes every day could lower your risk of premature death by almost 25%.
Why Are ORs So Cold? (It’s Not What You Thought)
Why are operating rooms (ORs) so cold, and why is that so annoying to anesthesiologists? In the video below, Max Feinstein, MD, explains why ORs are cold, and what measures are taken to protect patients against problems associated with low temperatures.
Read More…American Cancer Society warns about potential impact of missed screenings during Covid
STATNews
February 23, 2023
When the Covid-19 pandemic brought ordinary life to a halt in 2020, routine cancer screenings fell off many people’s list of priorities. Screenings for cervical, breast, and prostate cancer all dropped in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new analysis from the American Cancer Society.
Over the course of 2021, screening levels recovered — but the report’s authors say there’s still reason to be concerned about the impact of missed cancer screenings down the line.
While it’s good that people are resuming their regular visits, the data suggest people haven’t been making up for the missed screens earlier in the pandemic, said Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president of surveillance and health equity science at the American Cancer Society and the senior author on the study.
Read More…Your brain could be controlling how sick you get — and how you recover
Nature
February 22, 2023
According to a new study, your brain could be controlling how sick you get — and how you recover. Scientists are deciphering how the brain choreographs immune responses, hoping to find treatments for a range of diseases.
Cereal, pasta, and other food companies blast the FDA for a too-strict definition of ‘healthy’
STATNews
February 21, 2023
General Mills, Kellogg’s, and the rest of the country’s cereal makers are mad at the FDA. So are the packaged food companies, the pasta industry, and the pickle lobby (yes, it exists).
The companies behind America’s favorite culinary indulgences are worried their products wouldn’t be considered “healthy” under a recent Food and Drug Administration proposal — and they’re urging regulators to reconsider.
SNAC International, which represents companies like chip makers Frito-Lay and Utz, say the FDA’s restrictions around added sugars and salt are too restrictive.
Read More…The COVID emergency declaration is ending: What it means for tests, vaccines, treatment USA Today
USA Today
February 4, 2023
For the past three years, most Americans have enjoyed access to free COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines regardless of insurance status thanks to unprecedented funding from the federal government. But that’s all about the change as the Biden administration plans to end both the national emergency and the public health emergency May 11.