Could a person’s heart health provide clues about their dementia risk? Study findings from University of Pittsburgh doctoral student Chendi Cui, PhD, and her team published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, found that stiffness in the aorta—the body’s main artery—is associated with an increased risk of dementia. As part of the long-term Cardiovascular Health Study at Pitt, researchers measured aortic stiffness using a non-invasive test called pulse wave velocity (PWV) and assessed brain...

By the age of 60, almost one in three Americans experience fat pad atrophy of the foot—a breakdown of the shock-absorbing pad in the ball of the foot that can lead to foot pain, ulcers, and callus formation. A new study from University of Pittsburgh researcher Jeffrey Gusenoff, MD, shows that fat grafting, a minimally-invasive procedure in which a person’s own fat is removed from one area and injected into another, can provide long-lasting improvements in foot pain and function for patients...

Understanding cold-related injuries is important for parents at this time of year, according to Raymond D. Pitetti, MD, MPH, associate professor of pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. There are two broad categories for cold injuries—freezing injuries like frostbite, and nonfreezing injuries like hypothermia. Kids are especially at risk for both types of cold injuries, in part because when they are having fun outside they just don’t know when to quit! Kids are also different...

For people experiencing the loss of a loved one, the holidays can be a painful time of year. Festive music, decorations, and holiday parties meant to bring comfort and joy can instead serve as painful reminders of the loss, and many bereaved individuals are faced with making new holiday rituals and traditions. University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry researcher Sarah Stahl, PhD, whose work focuses on improving the mental and physical health of bereaved older adults, shares her tips for...

We hear a lot about the negative impacts of video games, but recent research suggests they may help emergency room physicians improve their skills. Medical errors are common, and the emergency room can be a particularly challenging setting for doctors to make an accurate diagnosis due to limited time and information available. Pitt researcher Deepika Mohan, MD, MPH, and her team set out to develop a video game solution that would help emergency room doctors make better decisions about care...

School suspension rates are high in some Allegheny County school districts, and a new report shows that African American students are suspended at much higher rates than their non-Black classmates, according to a report from University of Pittsburgh researchers James P. Huguley, EdD, and Ming-Te Wang, EdD. High suspension rates were found to be related to poor academic performance, lower graduation rates, and increased contact with justice officials­­—often referred to as the “school-to-prison...

“What is your idea to improve human performance?” That was the question posed to researchers at the 2018 Pitt Innovation Challenge (PInCh) contest, during which teams presented their innovative solutions for a range of health issues including asthma, cancer, catheter care, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), fall prevention, foot surgery, medication dosing, sleep disorders, sports injuries, tremor, and others. Presenters competed for cash awards of $25,000 or $100,000, plus ongoing...

If you’re interested in participating in the All of Us Pennsylvania Research Program, we have great news! In addition to the Pittsburgh and Altoona sites, you can now schedule enrollment visits at new locations in the North Hills at UPMC Hampton, in the South Hills at St. Clair Commons in Bethel Park, and at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Oakland. In addition, look for the All of Us PA pop-up clinics at various other locations around Pittsburgh and beyond. Part of a national study that aims to...

Your new profile picture on Facebook received a lot of likes and complimentary comments, but the one person who said she hated your shoes has really got you down. Sound familiar? While social media allows for increased connectivity and social interaction, a new study from the University of Pittsburgh reports that negative experiences on social media may have more impact than positive ones for young adults. Researchers at Pitt surveyed 1,179 West Virginia University students ages 18 to 30 to...

  Following a severe injury, uncontrolled blood loss often leads to life-threatening complications. But a new study from the University of Pittsburgh shows that two units of plasma—a yellowish liquid that helps blood clot—given during air transport to the hospital could increase the odds of survival by 10 percent for traumatically injured patients with severe bleeding, according to the results of a national clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers from nine...

Sepsis, a complication caused by the body's overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection, is the leading cause of death in hospitalized patients. More than 1.5 million people get sepsis each year in the United States, and about 250,000 die from the condition. Children with sepsis tend to worsen particularly quickly – looking relatively healthy one moment and needing life support within hours. Unfortunately, more than one in 10 children hospitalized with sepsis do not survive, but a...

Most people think of babies or weddings when they hear the word “registry,” but some registries can actually help to improve health. A “research registry” is a list of individuals who volunteer to provide information about themselves for researchers to study; most registries also ask participants to agree to be contacted about future research opportunities. Some registries collect information about people who have a specific disease or condition, while others enroll participants of any age and...

Dentists regularly prescribe opioid pain relievers following surgery to remove wisdom teeth, but a new article reports that over-the-counter drugs are safer and more effective. About 3.5 million young adults have surgery each year to remove wisdom teeth, also known as third molars. For several days after surgery, most people experience some amount of pain, swelling, and bleeding that requires pain medication.  The most commonly recommended pain medication following dental surgery is Vicodin—a...

Worried about that spot on your skin? A new study finds that dermatologists are more likely than physician assistants (PAs) to accurately diagnose some skin cancers. PAs are increasingly used in dermatology practices to cut costs and improve access to care, but according to research published in JAMA Dermatology, PAs are more likely than dermatologists to perform unnecessary skin biopsies to check for cancer, and less likely to accurately diagnose melanoma skin cancer at its earliest stage. ...

The opioid epidemic has many negative effects on health and society, but an often overlooked issue is the potential risk of a pregnant woman passing the hepatitis C virus (HCV) to her unborn baby. HCV is spread through contact with infected blood. The most common way to get HCV in the United States is by sharing needles or equipment used to inject illegal drugs such as heroin. While some people infected with HCV have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, others go on to develop serious...