Health Links
New Report From American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts and Figures
"Estimated number of new cancer cases for 2024, excluding basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers and in situ carcinoma except urinary bladder. Estimates are not available for Puerto Rico. Note: Incidence counts are model-based projections and should be interpreted with caution. State estimates may not equal US total due to rounding. ©2024, American Cancer Society, Inc. Surveillance and Health Equity Science©2024, American Cancer Society, Inc. Surveillance and Health Equity Science" more »
Long Covid and Impaired Cognition — More Evidence and More Work to Do; New England Journal of Medicine
"The results of the study by Hampshire and colleagues are of concern, and the broader implications require evaluation. For example, what are the functional implications of a 3-point loss in IQ? Whether one group of persons is affected more severely than others is not clear. Whether these cognitive deficits persist or resolve along with predictors and trajectory of recovery should be investigated. Will Covid-19–associated cognitive deficits confer a predisposition to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia later in life? The effects on educational attainment, work performance, accidental injury, and other activities that require intact cognitive abilities should also be evaluated." more »
NIH Study Offers New Clues Into the Causes of Post-infectious ME/CFS: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic Fatigue Syndrome; These findings, for the first time, suggest a link between specific abnormalities or imbalances in the brain and ME/CFS.
“People with ME/CFS have very real and disabling symptoms, but uncovering their biological basis has been extremely difficult,” said Walter Koroshetz, M.D., (seen right) director of NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). “This in-depth study of a small group of people found a number of factors that likely contribute to their ME/CFS. Now researchers can test whether these findings apply to a larger patient group and move towards identifying treatments that target core drivers of the disease.” Immune testing revealed that the ME/CFS group had higher levels of naive B cells and lower levels of switched memory B cells — cells that help the immune system fight off pathogens — in blood compared to healthy controls. more »
Justice Department Releases Report on its Critical Incident Review of the Response to the Mass Shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas
"The team collected and reviewed more than 14,000 pieces of data and documentation, including policies, training logs, body camera and CCTV video footage, audio recordings, photographs, personnel records, manuals and standard operating procedures, interview transcripts, investigative files and data, and other documents. The report is intended to provide the most comprehensive assessment available of the law enforcement response to the horrific incident on May 24, 2022, as well as the emergency medical response, communications, and trauma services in the wake of the tragedy. It begins with a minute-by-minute timeline reconstructing key events before, during, and immediately following the shooting. The report addresses many previously unanswered questions, builds on the existing knowledge base for responding to incidents of mass violence, and identifies generally accepted practices for effective law enforcement responses. In doing so, this report endeavors to honor the victims and survivors of this tragedy, as well as offer recommendations to improve future responses in other communities." more »