Closer Look
Telehealth startups target menopause care
Molly Ferguson for STAT
It's a very different world now than it was in 2002 for women dealing with the hot flashes, night sweats, and other symptoms of menopause. Back then, right after the Women's Health Initiative was halted early, millions of women who relied on hormone therapy abandoned it after the landmark trial suggested estrogen and progesterone raised risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. More recent research has added nuance to the all-or-nothing approach, pointing to more benefits than risks for most healthy women under 60 using hormone therapy.
More than a dozen new telehealth startups are now catering to women in and approaching menopause, including with hormone therapy. "Women fall through the cracks," internist Lisa Larkin, president-elect of The Menopause Society and founder of concierge women's health network Ms. Medicine, told STAT's Katie Palmer. "That's why the telemedicine business is booming." Read more, including concerns about whether the pendulum has swung too far.
chronic disease
How does celiac disease do its damage?
When someone with celiac disease eats food containing gluten, part of it remains in the small intestine and ignites a full-blown inflammatory response. Consequences from the autoimmune condition can be severe: poor absorption of nutrients, chronic diarrhea and fatigue, brain fog, and osteoporosis. Scientists have said CD4+ T cells trigger inflammation, later activating T-IELs, a population of T cells in the GI tract that harm the intestinal lining.
New research published in Science Immunology suggests these T-IELs, which have natural killer receptors, are being activated by gluten right away. Small intestine biopsies performed on 37 patients and 17 healthy controls suggest T-IEL cells shift from anti-inflammatory to pro-inflammatory, killing intestinal tissue. Understanding exactly how these immune cells are triggered by gluten and how they damage the gut could prove important for not just celiac, but other autoimmune diseases. STAT's Isabella Cueto has more.
health
Not to worry: Kids' IQ scores after concussion stable
Concussions, which are common among school-age children, are classified as mild traumatic brain injuries if they don't involve a prolonged loss of consciousness, amnesia after 24 hours, or other serious problems. Still, the headaches and temporary confusion can seed fears of cognitive issues. Studies have been conflicting, so researchers writing in today's Pediatrics combined data from 866 children age 8 to 17 from seven EDs in the U.S. and in Canada. They compared those who'd had concussions to those who'd had a strain, sprain, or break in an arm or leg.
IQ tests given at least three days and then three months after their injuries showed no difference in scores between kids with brain or orthopedic injuries. Ideally, prospective studies would look more deeply into this question, the researchers say. While acknowledging the limitations of IQ tests, they also say for now, IQ scores aren't a useful way to measure concussion outcomes.
In this week's episode of Color Code, STAT's Nicholas St. Fleur explores how wildfire pollution widens asthma inequities on Long Island. Listen here.
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