Health Newsfeed – Johns Hopkins Medicine Podcasts

Hot flashes and night sweats are called vasomotor symptoms, and they're experienced by many women approaching menopause and those being treated for certain breast cancers. Now a new class of drugs has been developed to help. William Nelson, director of … Can hot flashes and night sweats be controlled in women having treatment for breast cancer? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Women whose breast cancer has estrogen receptors are usually treated with estrogen depleting medicines, with the consequence that they have hot flashes and night sweats, so called ‘vasomotor symptoms,' that many describe as worse than menopause. Now a new medicine … There's hope for women with breast cancer who are experiencing menopausal symptoms, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

CAR-T cells, a highly activated immune cell, have been used to treat a solid tumor, stomach cancer, for the first time. Yet the fact remains that CAR-Ts are expensive and time consuming to produce. Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center director … CAR-T cells are an expensive form of cancer treatment, but other techniques may soon supplant them, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

For the first time CAR-T cells, a highly activated type of immune cell, have been used with some success to treat stomach cancer, a so-called solid tumor. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, says solid … Why has it been so hard to use CAR-T cells to treat solid tumors? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

You've probably heard of CAR-T cells, a type of immune cells taken from someone's body, grown up in a lab and trained to attack their cancer. CAR-Ts are known to be good for treating blood cancers like leukemia, and for … Will solid tumors now be treated with CAR-T cells? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

When it comes to managing with the dog days of summer, air conditioning is very helpful, especially for people with chronic lung problems. Johns Hopkins lung health expert William Checkley says clean systems with filters that are regularly changed are … Humidity may be as important as temperature when it comes to air conditioning, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

People with lung conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, abbreviated COPD, rely on air conditioning in the summer to help keep their symptoms from getting much worse. William Checkley, a lung health expert at Johns Hopkins, says it's … If you don't use AC properly you may make lung problems worse, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

If you have any respiratory issues you likely benefit from air conditioning when the weather is hot. Lung health expert William Checkley at Johns Hopkins says you must be aware of the system's maintenance requirements to reap its benefits. Checkley: … Proper AC maintenance is key to healthful use, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

For many people air conditioning is important for alleviating symptoms of chronic respiratory disease, but Johns Hopkins lung health expert William Checkley says it's still necessary to be aware of how AC can impact on the function of your respiratory … Sometimes air conditioning can compromise your respiratory health, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

As the northern hemisphere enters full summer, many people shut their windows and turn on the air conditioning, or AC. William Checkley, a lung health expert at Johns Hopkins, says as with many things in life, it's important to have … While AC is great at making us feel comfortable it's also important for health, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Mismatch repair is just what it sounds like: when a cell divides and makes new DNA strands when a mistake is made it repairs them. Some types of cancers with a mismatch repair mutation may now be treated with an … Different types of tumors with a specific mutation may not need surgery, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Genetic analysis of most cancers is becoming more commonplace, and now identification of one specific mutation called a mismatch repair may allow people to avoid surgery entirely. Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson explains. Nelson: What they started … Are there cancers where surgery may be entirely avoided? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

More types of gut bacteria, or greater diversity, the healthier your microbiome. That's one message of a recent review looking at the impact of microbiome health on cancer. Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson at Johns Hopkins explains how gut … Which types of cancer treatment are impacted by the gut microbiome? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

A recent review in the Journal of the American Medical Association asserts that the diversity of bacteria in your colon impact on the likelihood that you'll develop cancer as well as how you may respond to treatment. William Nelson, director … If your gut microbiome isn't healthy, is there anything that can be done about it? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

The wealth of bacteria resident on and in your body may have much to do with your overall health, including how you respond to different therapies for cancer. Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson explains views from a … Your gut microbiome may have much to do with how you respond to cancer therapy, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Breathlessness clinic is a new approach at Johns Hopkins to assist people with chronic lung diseases to live their best lives with these often debilitating conditions. Anna Gersten, a lung expert and director of the clinic, explains who would benefit. … Who is suitable for a breathlessness clinic visit? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Being short of breath is a terrible feeling, most people agree, and it's a feature of many lung diseases, especially as they progress. Lung expert Anna Gersten at Johns Hopkins describes how a breathlessness clinic came to be at Hopkins … What is a breathlessness clinic? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

High blood biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease found by the newly FDA approved blood test indicate the presence of two proteins in the brain called amyloid and tau. Abhay Moghakar, a neurologist and blood biomarkers expert at Johns Hopkins, says some … What are current studies doing when high levels of blood biomarkers for Alzheimer's are found? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Let's say you've taken the newly approved blood test for Alzheimer's disease and the results indicate the presence of tau and amyloid in your brain, so you're at risk.  Abhay Moghakar, a neurologist and blood biomarkers expert at Johns Hopkins, says … What are your options if a new blood test says you are at risk for Alzheimer's disease? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

You may have heard of a new blood test for Alzheimer's disease just approved by the FDA. Abhay Moghakar, a neurologist and blood biomarkers expert at Johns Hopkins, says even if you are older and have symptoms of the disease, … People who develop dementia as they age most often have a mixed type, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

A new blood test for Alzheimer's disease isn't a stand alone diagnostic tool. That's according to Abhay Moghekar, a blood biomarkers expert and a neurologist at Johns Hopkins. Moghekar: You would still need the clinical input in the context of … A truly comprehensive test for Alzheimer's disease may be on the horizon, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Will an FDA cleared blood test for Alzheimer's disease ease or complicate diagnosis? Clearly in approving the test the FDA hopes for the former, yet the complete picture is more complex than that, says Abhay Moghekar, a blood biomarkers expert … Biomarkers alone don't mean Alzheimer's disease is present, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Positive results on the newly FDA cleared blood test for Alzheimer's disease don't necessarily mean you have the disease. That's according to blood biomarkers expert Abhay Moghekar, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins. Moghekar: Whether that's the cause of your cognitive … If you get a positive result on the new blood test for Alzheimer's disease, what does that mean? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

The FDA has just cleared a blood test to help make the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, which otherwise may require some fairly invasive methods. Blood biomarkers expert Abhay Moghekar, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins, says the test looks for the … Who is a candidate for the new blood test for Alzheimer's disease? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

A blood test to screen for proteins related to Alzheimer's disease has been cleared by the FDA, and it's designed for people who are older than 55 years of age and have cognitive symptoms. Johns Hopkins neurologist Abhay Moghekar, a … What's the basis of the new blood test to screen for Alzheimer's disease? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

NPTX2 is a protein that's pivotal for helping your brain decide to remember certain things and forget others, and when levels of it decline it suggests that neurodegenerative processes like dementia may be beginning. That's according to research by Paul … A protein that's made in your brain at night helps you remember things, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Many theories on how brain disorders like Alzheimer's disease begin point to proteins called amyloid beta and tau as accumulating and disrupting the function of neurons. Research by neuroscientist Paul Worley and colleagues at Johns Hopkins points to declining levels … How do neurodegenerative diseases begin? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

You probably know how complex your brain function is, relying on a delicately balanced system full of proteins that act as signals and specialized nerve and structural cells. Turns out there is an interplay of some neurons being shut down … A change in a protein in the brain signals possible neurocognitive disorders, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

NPTX2 is the abbreviation for a protein found in the brain that may allow much more accurate prognosis of who's at risk for developing neurocognitive disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. That's according to Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Paul Worley, … Accurately predicting who's at risk to develop Alzheimer's disease may now be easier, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Proteins known as tau and beta amyloid have been part of the dialogue on Alzheimer's disease development for many years, with methods to measure them and drugs to remove them active areas of research. Another protein involved in the process … What can proteins in the blood and elsewhere teach us about developing dementia? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Sickle cell disease was thought to be cured using gene therapy, but longer term follow up reveals that while the condition improves many are not cured. Now a new approach developed at Johns Hopkins and around the world uses ‘half-matched' … Sickle cell disease should be treated with a half-matched donor approach, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Gene therapy for sickle cell disease has a breathtaking price tag of 2-3 million dollars per person, and for some people who receive it, is doesn't actually cure the condition. That's according to Richard Brodsky, a sickle cell expert at … Gene therapy for sickle cell disease often isn't a cure, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Headlines have announced that sickle cell disease can be cured with gene therapy. Now there's a better way developed at Johns Hopkins and other centers around the world, using what are called ‘half-matched donors,' to give new bone marrow to … A new technique is better than gene therapy for curing sickle cell disease, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Bone marrow transplants used to be limited to just those people with sickle cell disease who could receive bone marrow from a matched donor. Rick Jones, an expert in blood disorders and cancers at Johns Hopkins, and colleagues have just … A new technique cures most people with sickle cell disease, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Sickle cell disease is a genetic abnormality that causes red blood cells to sickle instead of being round, and a host of problems result, including excruciatingly painful sickle cell crises. Rick Jones, an expert in blood disorders and cancer at … What's the best way to cure sickle cell disease? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Improvements in breast cancer detection and treatment have resulted in improved survival, but now those improvements seem to have stalled, a new analysis shows. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, says two groups of women … Breast cancer survival rates have stalled, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are cancer drugs that for many have been a lifeline. Yet they are associated with a range of reactions that really need to be cataloged so they're easier to recognize, some experts argue. Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer … Possible impacts of new cancer drugs need to be cataloged, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Microplastics you've inhaled and eaten are found all over your body, a recent study shows, and while no one knows exactly how they're impacting your health, odds are they aren't good for you. Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson at … How might microplastics be related to cancer risk? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Microplastics are formed from the breakdown of plastics in the environment, and they've now been found in many places in the human body, a new study reveals. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, says it's … Your body has microplastics in many places, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Breathing through your mouth makes health issues from dryer air even worse, says David Edwards, a respiratory health expert at Johns Hopkins. His recent study shows the deleterious impact of dry air on our respiratory system but says there are … There are things you can do to help protect your respiratory health even with dryer air and poor air quality, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Very tiny particles known as PM2.5 are a part of pollutants in the air, and have been shown to negatively affect health. Ditto for warming temperatures, which dry out our respiratory system, research by David Edwards, a respiratory health expert … How is poor air quality related to dry air and respiratory health? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Dry air just isn't good for your respiratory health, new research by David Edwards, a respiratory health expert at Johns Hopkins, has shown. Dry air makes mucus thicker and harder to expel, and traps both toxins and pathogens in our … Does dry air contribute to more respiratory infections? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

When you're in an environment where the air is dry, a whole cascade of responses renders you more susceptible to respiratory conditions and diseases. That's according to research by respiratory health expert David Edwards at Johns Hopkins. Edwards: It's understood … How are dry air and respiratory disease connected? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

As our planet warms, relative humidity hasn't changed much but evaporation rate has increased, so things are dryer. This is a prescription for increased respiratory problems, says David Edwards, a respiratory health expert at Johns Hopkins.  Edwards: We took airway … Dry airways and inflammation are linked, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Climate change and increasing temperatures are already taking a toll on your health, research by David Edwards, a respiratory health expert at Johns Hopkins, has shown.  Edwards: Airway mucosa is drying out, like the earth's top soil with warming temperatures, … What are increasing global temperatures doing to your airways? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »