Day: February 13, 2026

Categories : Cancer NeurologyTags :

Could a Common Vitamin Treat Glioblastoma?

On By ModernMedia

Findings indicate vitamin B3 looks promising to help rearm a compromised immune system

Unrestricted tumour growth in mouse brain, left, compared to the tumour growth in a mouse who received niacin treatment, right (both after 42 days). Courtesy Yong lab

Edward (Ed) Waldner had no idea why he didn’t feel well, but he knew he didn’t feel like himself. At 55 years of age, he felt exhausted all the time. It didn’t seem to matter how hard he had worked that day. He wondered if he had sleep apnoea. He noticed his walking was off. His heels would drag now and again. One day, when his symptoms were worse than usual, he decided to go to the Emergency department. 

“The doctor said I had a mass on my brain and needed to see an oncologist,” says Waldner. 

The mass was glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer. Treatment often involves a three-pronged approach: surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. However, despite advances in cancer treatment, the aggressive cancer comes back. 

University of Calgary researchers are investigating whether adding high doses of vitamin B3 or niacin to the treatment plan could be beneficial. They approached Waldner about being in the trial.

“I have no problem trying to help anybody. I agreed. I want to help myself, too,” says Waldner. “I can tell you being part of this research helps me mentally because we’re trying. When I left the hospital after surgery I was told, that’s it, that’s all we can do.”

Hotchkiss, Charbonneau members partner for study

The research is led by two members of both the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute – Dr Gloria Roldan Urgoiti, MD, PGME’16, an oncologist specialised in brain cancers, and Dr Wee Yong, PhD, a neuroscientist whose research focuses on immune effects on the brain. Together, they designed a study to investigate whether niacin could rejuvenate compromised immune cells to kill tumour cells. The research began in the Yong lab, with mice, where findings showed niacin prolonged survival. That work evolved into a Phase I and II clinical trial.

“Normally, the immune system will try to counter and prevent tumour growth; however, this brain cancer supresses the immune system,” says Yong, a professor at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM). “Niacin treatment rejuvenates immune cells so they can do what they are supposed to do, attack and kill the cancer cells. I see it as an ongoing ‘battle for the brain.’”

Studying the benefits of adding niacin to chemotherapy, radiation

The clinical trial was designed to determine the maximum dose and potential benefit of controlled-release niacin that could be added to the recommended chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. Researchers decided the study would stop if the progression-free survival over six-months did not improve by at least 20 per cent compared with older studies. Early results involving 24 patients showed 82 per cent of the participants were free of progression of the cancer at six months; an increase of 28 per cent from previous studies. The researchers say this is a promising advancement for this incurable cancer. 

“Glioblastoma is the most aggressive brain cancer in adults. Survival of patients with this condition hasn’t changed significantly for 20 years,” says Roldan Urgoiti, a clinical associate professor at the CSM. “Anything that may help should be explored, but it requires strict protocols and safety monitoring.”

The findings were published in the Journal of Neuro-Oncology.

The researchers caution that high amounts of vitamins, like niacin, have toxicity and can have a negative impact on someone’s health if not monitored closely by medical professionals. 

The team hopes to be able to do the final analysis, that will include 48 participants by the end of 2026 or early 2027. 

Waldner says he’s feeling really good these days and is just happy to hear the word “stable” when he goes for his regular scans. 

Source: University of Calgary

Categories : HospitalsTags :

Nurses Match Doctors in Delivering Hospital Care

On By ModernMedia

Nurse-led hospital care matches doctor-led care for safety and effectiveness

Photo by Hush Naidoo on Unsplash

Nurses can safely deliver many services traditionally performed by doctors, with little to no difference in deaths, safety events, or how patients felt about their health, according to a new Cochrane review. In some cases, nurse-led care even outperformed doctor-led care.

Healthcare services are facing pressure due to an ageing population, complex health needs, long waiting lists, and doctor shortages. Receiving care from nurses, rather than doctors has been proposed as one way to improve access to hospital services for patients who may otherwise face long waits.

A group of researchers from Ireland, United Kingdom, and Australia evaluated nurse-doctor substitution in inpatient units and outpatient clinics, analysing 82 randomised studies involving over 28 000 patients across 20 countries. Studies included advanced nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and registered nurses substituting for junior or senior doctors across specialties such as cardiology, diabetes, cancer, obstetrics/gynaecology, and rheumatology.

Nurse-led hospital care matches doctor-led care for safety and effectiveness

The review found little to no difference between nurse-led and doctor-led care for critical outcomes, including mortality, quality of life, self-efficacy, and patient safety events. While most clinical outcomes showed no difference between groups, nurses may achieve better outcomes in some areas, including diabetes control, cancer follow-up, and dermatology. Doctor-led care performed slightly better in a small number of sexual health and medical abortion follow-up services.

Our findings show that nurse-led services provide care that is just as safe and effective as doctor-led services for many patients. In some areas, patients actually experienced better outcomes when nurses led their care.

— Professor Michelle Butler, lead author from Dublin City University


The models of substitution varied widely, with different grades of nurses operating autonomously, under supervision, or following specialized protocols. There were also differences in training, level of responsibility, and mode of substitution, all of which may influence outcomes.

Butler added:

In some cases, patients had earlier, more frequent, or on-demand appointments with nurses, or had an additional educational component to their care, which may have helped to improve their outcomes.


Evidence on direct costs was limited and varied across studies, partly due to differences in reporting methods, currencies and time periods. Seventeen studies reported reduced costs for nurse-led care, while nine suggested higher costs due to longer consultations, referrals, or prescription differences.

Not a one-size-fits-all solution

However, nurse-doctor substitution is not a one-size-fits-all approach. The authors caution that these interventions should always be interpreted within context. 

Nurse substitution isn’t simply a one-for-one replacement. To work well, these services need the right training, support and models of care, but the evidence shows patients are not disadvantaged and can benefit in meaningful ways.

— Timothy Schultz,  senior author and researcher from Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute


Expanding nurse-led services may help address doctor shortages, but the authors urge that policymakers should consider the impact of these interventions on the nursing workforce, including training and organization.

While the evidence base was substantial, the authors note important gaps. Most studies were from high-income countries, with the majority (39%) conducted in the United Kingdom. The authors call for more studies across specialties, nurse roles and patient types not yet evaluated, as well as stronger consistency in how outcomes are measured. They also highlight the need for more research in low- and middle-income countries, where nurse-led roles could potentially improve access to care in regions facing doctor shortages.

By Mia Parkinson

Read the review here

Source: Cochrane

Categories : RheumatologyTags :

Study Finds People on Colchicine Less Likely to Need Joint Replacement

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-feeling-pain-in-the-knee-11349880/

Gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, with worldwide prevalence of approximately 4%.  The accumulation of monosodium urate crystals in gout leads to the clinical manifestations of the disease and if left inadequately treated, leads to chronic arthritis with joint damage. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, colchicine, an alkaloid drug derived from the autumn crocus plant, is commonly used in the management of gout for both prophylaxis and treatment of gout flares.

A recent study on colchicine’s potential benefit for cardiovascular disease noted that participants who were taking the drug had fewer joint replacements than those taking a placebo. Since colchicine is commonly used in gout, researchers wondered if colchicine would lower risk of joint replacement in those with gout as well. Further, because osteoarthritis is the most common reason for joint replacement, and because osteoarthritis and gout can occur together, researchers wondered if colchicine could lower the risk of joint replacement in those with both gout and osteoarthritis. 

A new study from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has found that people with gout who were prescribed colchicine had a modest 12% risk of joint replacement compared to those who did not receive the drug. Additionally, those with both gout and osteoarthritis who took colchicine had a 23% lower risk of needing joint replacement. 

While it would have been ideal for a clinical trial to address the question of whether colchicine reduces the need for joint replacement in gout, it was not readily feasible to conduct such a trial of adequate sample size and duration. Therefore, the researchers used real-world evidence from a UK population-based database in which they identified people with gout, and then divided that pool into those who were newly prescribed colchicine and those who were not. They then assessed the frequency of knee and hip replacement in both groups. 

According to the researchers, these findings suggest that colchicine may have benefits beyond symptom relief alone. “This observation could have broad implications for duration of colchicine use in gout, which is often limited to just the first six months of getting started on a urate-lowering therapy or limited to treatment of flares,” explains corresponding author Tuhina Neogi, MD, PhD, Professor of Rheumatology and professor of medicine at the school. 

Additionally, Neogi believes these findings have implications for potential benefits of colchicine for osteoarthritis irrespective of gout, which is the most common form of arthritis and a leading reason for joint replacement surgery. “Prior trials of colchicine in osteoarthritis have been largely negative, but they likely have been too small and had too short a duration to detect potential effects,” adds Neogi who also is chief of rheumatology at Boston Medical Center.

These findings appear online in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology.

Source: Boston University

Categories : Metabolic DisordersTags :

Oral PCSK9 Inhibitor Offers Cholesterol Control Without the Needle

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Danilo Alvesd on Unsplash

The results of a phase 3 clinical trial for enlicitide, a novel oral medication designed to lower cholesterol have been reported in a recent New England Journal of Medicine article. The study, involving nearly 3000 adults with existing or at high risk of cardiovascular disease, compared a daily 20mg dose against a placebo over one year.

Researchers found that the drug significantly reduced LDL cholesterol by approximately 57% within 24 weeks, alongside notable decreases in other harmful lipids. These improvements remained consistent and durable throughout the 52-week treatment period. Crucially, the safety profile of the oral inhibitor appeared comparable to the placebo, with no meaningful difference in side effects. The authors conclude that this convenient pill could offer a highly effective alternative to existing injectable therapies for managing heart disease risk.

Listen to a discussion on QuickNews’ podcast!

Categories : Diet and Nutrition NeurologyTags :

Coffee Linked to Lower Dementia Risk, Better Cognitive Function

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash

A new prospective cohort study by investigators from Mass General Brigham and colleagues analysed 131 821 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS), finding that moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee (2-3 cups a day) or tea (1-2 cups a day) reduced dementia risk, slowed cognitive decline, and preserved cognitive function. Their results are published in JAMA.

“When searching for possible dementia prevention tools, we thought something as prevalent as coffee may be a promising dietary intervention – and our unique access to high quality data through studies that has been going on for more than 40 years allowed us to follow through on that idea,” said senior author Daniel Wang, MD, ScD, associate scientist with the Channing Division of Network Medicine in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Wang is also an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard Chan School and an associate member at the Broad Institute. “While our results are encouraging, it’s important to remember that the effect size is small and there are lots of important ways to protect cognitive function as we age. Our study suggests that caffeinated coffee or tea consumption can be one piece of that puzzle.”

Early prevention is especially crucial for dementia, since current treatments are limited and typically offer only modest benefit once symptoms appear. Focus on prevention has led researchers to investigate the influences of lifestyle factors like diet on dementia development. 

Coffee and tea contain bioactive ingredients like polyphenols and caffeine, which have emerged as possible neuroprotective factors that reduce inflammation and cellular damage while protecting against cognitive decline. Though promising, findings about the relationship between coffee and dementia have been inconsistent, as studies have had limited follow-up and insufficient detail to capture long-term intake patterns, differences by beverage type, or the full continuum of outcomes—from early subjective cognitive decline to clinically diagnosed dementia.

Data from the NHS and HPFS help to overcome these challenges. Participants repeated assessments of diet, dementia, subjective cognitive decline, and objective cognitive function and were followed for up to 43 years. Researchers compared how caffeinated coffee, tea, and decaffeinated coffee influenced dementia risk and cognitive health of each participant.

Of the more than 130 000 participants, 11 033 developed dementia. Both male and female participants with the highest intake of caffeinated coffee had an 18% lower risk of dementia compared with those who reported little or no caffeinated coffee consumption. Caffeinated coffee drinkers also had lower prevalence of subjective cognitive decline (7.8% versus 9.5%). By some measurements, those who drank caffeinated coffee also showed better performance on objective tests of overall cognitive function.

Higher tea intake showed similar results, while decaffeinated coffee did not – suggesting that caffeine may be the active factor producing these neuroprotective results, though further research is needed to validate the responsible factors and mechanisms.

The cognitive benefits were most pronounced in participants who consumed 2–3 cups of caffeinated coffee or 1–2 cups of tea daily. Contrary to several previous studies, higher caffeine intake did not yield negative effects – instead, it provided similar neuroprotective benefits to the optimal dosage.

“We also compared people with different genetic predispositions to developing dementia and saw the same results – meaning coffee or caffeine is likely equally beneficial for people with high and low genetic risk of developing dementia,” said lead author Yu Zhang, MBBS, MS, PhD student at Harvard Chan School and a research trainee at Mass General Brigham. 

Source: Mass General Brigham