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Rethinking DALYs: Addressing the Methodological Limitations of a Widely Used Metric Proud to share our latest scientific publication, where we critically examine the methodological limitations of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), one of the most prevalent metrics in public health and health economics with the QALY. While DALYs have been instrumental in shaping our understanding of the global burden of disease, our research sheds light on key challenges in their application. These include issues related to data consistency, assumptions about disability weights, and potential biases that can influence policy priorities. Our findings call for a more prudent approach to rank disease burden—one that considers alternative metrics to ensure equitable and effective resource allocation. This publication contributes to the ongoing dialogue on public health priorities about improving the tools we use to measure and address health challenges worldwide. As the field evolves, it's critical that we continuously refine our methods to better serve populations globally. https://lnkd.in/dbwXivQV I’d love to hear your thoughts: How can we improve the tools we rely on in public health to ensure more accurate and fair decision-making?  

Population Health Versus Precision Medicine More people can live longer, happier, and healthier lives if as a nation we focus on our environment, socio-economic status, ethnic variations, persistent gender discrimination, and other self-induced non-medical risks—rather than personalized medicine or precision medicine.   This thought was well developed in a New England Journal of Medicine “Perspective.” https://lnkd.in/eHxnS3uh   No doubt clinical medicine has changed the way we live for the better. However, the greatest change for the better in overall life expectancy in the history of civilization has been an effective sewer system combined with a safe drinking water supply.   There is great enthusiasm for precision medicine or any scientific medical research to move society forward, and this enthusiasm derives from the assumption that sophisticated and rapidly evolving science will contribute to clinical practice. The argument that research helps lower morbidity and mortality has already been proven many times. One noteworthy example in our lifetime is the prevention of polio worldwide, except for three countries that are unaccepting of modern public health measures (Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan).   “There is now broad consensus that health differences between groups and within groups are not driven by clinical care but by social-structural factors that shape our lives,” according to the Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health, Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University.   We struggle with limited resources to care for our population and the world’s population by concentrating on prevention. But healthy eating, purposeful movement, work-life balance, and many of the nine principles of the Blue Zones Project would yield greater dividends than the vast spending on precision medicine. Realistically we as a nation and as a world civilization may get more “bang for our buck,” by preventing illness rather than developing new technologies for repair purposes.   Nonetheless, public investments in our nation’s public health versus precision medicine will continue to be debated—much the same way that funding pure science versus applied science has been debated for decades. There probably is no “right” answer, but looking at cost benefit with the focus on how many people will be helped by adding years of quality life is a reasonable metric. This measure is called a “quality-adjusted life-year” (QALY). It is a measure of both the quality and the quantity of life lived.   The United States spends about 18% on health care but ranks 37th out of developed nations for quality of healthcare according to the World Health Organization. Most other developed nations spend only high single digits of GNP, with longer and healthier life spans.   As a nation, we have opportunities we have always responded to. I’m optimistic we can both develop precision medicine and improve population health.

Mitophagy and its Role in Health and Disease is a one-of-a-kind resource that brings together cutting-edge research, in-depth analysis, and future perspectives on mitophagy. This book holds tremendous value for researchers, medical professionals, and students seeking to expand their knowledge regarding the role of mitophagy in aging, disease processes, and therapeutic interventions. https://lnkd.in/e6K8_peB #newbook #mitophagy #medicine #health #cellbiology

We aim to help medical professionals understand the link between neuroinflammatory diseases and mental health by bridging the gap between patients and researchers through: 1️⃣ Establishing a cohort of individuals with neuroinflammatory conditions 2️⃣ Building a biobank for storing voluntary tissue samples 3️⃣ Tracking patients' mental and physical well-being This benefits patients by: ✅ Simplifying record-keeping and test results management ✅ Potentially revealing patterns in submitted data ✅ Organizing private medical information It aids scientists and physicians by: ✅ Enabling studies on rare cohorts without geographic limitations ✅ Lowering barriers to conducting clinical research on human tissue samples ✅ Structuring patient medical records This initiative advances the diagnosis and treatment of brain inflammation-related mental health issues. Stay tuned for updates by subscribing to our newsletter (link pinned in our profile) Follow us to stay informed and help spread the word! 🧠 #BrainInflammation #MentalHealth

A date for your diary: 6pm on April 16 at Rewley House in Oxford, a public talk about the vital role of patient healthcare data in saving lives. Organised by NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (OH BRC), this session will highlight how NHS data is used to prevent diseases and improve patient outcomes. Professors Eva Morris and Andrea Cipriani will dive into the potential benefits of harnessing this information. #HealthcareData #PatientOutcomes #NHSResearch #HealthData

Understanding Internal Body Dynamics: Heart, Lungs, and Digestive Movements. The synchronized movements of the heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract are pivotal for maintaining life and health. SciePro’s educational series delves into each of these systems, highlighting their roles in circulatory, respiratory, and digestive health. This knowledge is essential for medical professionals, educators, and anyone involved in health sciences. https://lnkd.in/ec3_6ZKw #MedicalEducation #HealthcareProfessionals #Biomechanics

💡🫀ICOT consiglia: paper of the week🫀🧠 💡Assessing and Addressing Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Health: JACC State-of-the-Art Review 💡 🧠Eric J. Brandt et al. 📌Abstract: Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the social conditions in which people are born, live, and work. SDOH offers a more inclusive view of how environment, geographic location, neighborhoods, access to health care, nutrition, socioeconomics, and so on are critical in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. SDOH will continue to increase in relevance and integration of patient management, thus, applying the information herein to clinical and health systems will become increasingly commonplace. This state-of-the-art review covers the 5 domains of SDOH, including economic stability, education, health care access and quality, social and community context, and neighborhood and built environment. Recognizing and addressing SDOH is an important step toward achieving equity in cardiovascular care. We discuss each SDOH within the context of cardiovascular disease, how they can be assessed by clinicians and within health care systems, and key strategies for clinicians and health care systems to address these SDOH. Summaries of these tools and key strategies are provided. ❗️Leggi il paper completo: #cardiology #cardiologyfellow #cardiologia 

📯 Longevity is welcoming submissions relating to longevity and preventive medicine that encompass early-stage basic research in biological mechanisms of disease prevention, pathogenesis of age-related diseases including age acceleration, and healthy aging at all stages of life through to clinical, epidemiological and societal research. Clinical investigations may focus on therapeutic interventions for healthy longevity through to exploring better under of prevention and longevity related policy guidelines. #preventivemedicine #longevity All the best for the holidays and New Year 🎆 Taylor & Francis Group European Society of Preventive Medicine

🌍🧬This World Health Day, let’s remember that our health is our right. At Veritas we want to claim the right of everyone to have access to quality health services, education, and information. Genetic medicine is a powerful tool in realizing the right to health. It provides insights that can lead to disease prevention and healthier lives. Our mission is to transform genetic data into useful information to improve the quality and duration of an individual’s life. Our services encompass preventive medicine, perinatal medicine, and diagnostic genomics, all aimed at empowering individuals and doctors to make informed lifestyle decisions. World Health Organization #WorldHealthDay2024 #MyHealthMyRight #GeneticMedicine #Veritas

Part VII of VII IV. Treatment-Resistant Depression: Treating With Vagus Nerve Stimulation (webmd.com) What is Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) for Depression? Medically Reviewed by Smitha Bhandari, MD on October 03, 2022  Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a surgical procedure that can be used to treat those with treatment-resistant depression. A pacemaker-like device, implanted in the body, is attached to a stimulating wire that is threaded along a nerve called the Vagus nerve. The Vagus nerve travels up the neck to the brain, where it connects to areas believed to be involved in regulating mood. Once implanted, this device delivers regular electrical impulses to the Vagus nerve. How Vagus Nerve Stimulation Works During surgery for VNS, your surgeon will implant a small battery-powered device -- about the size of a silver dollar -- in your chest. It works like a pacemaker. Another incision is made on the left side of the neck and a thin wire (placed just under the skin) runs from the device to the large Vagus nerve in your neck. The device sends out pulses of electricity into the nerve, which transmits them to the brain. For reasons that doctors don't completely understand, these electrical impulses transmitted via the Vagus nerve to the brain can relieve the symptoms of depression. The impulses may affect the way nerve cell circuits transmit signals in areas of the brain that affect mood. However, it usually takes several months before you feel the effects. Whenever it's necessary, your doctor can change the settings on the device (essentially changing the dose) in the office with a programming wand. Usually, the device is set to go off at regular intervals. You can also turn it off using a special magnet. Research into the effects of VNS on people with treatment-resistant depression has generally been positive. A study in Biological Psychiatry in 2005 compared 124 people that received usual treatment to 205 people that received usual treatment plus VNS. After one year of treatment, the combination treatment group showed more improvement than the usual treatment group. Significant improvement was seen in 27% of patients that received VNS vs. 13% that did not. VNS is not a rapid treatment for depression. Studies show that, on average, it may take up to 9 months for a treatment response to occur. V. A. “Switching” of Mood From Depression to Mania With Antidepressants (psychiatrictimes.com) “Switching” of Mood From Depression to Mania With Antidepressants November 8, 2013 Ross J. Baldessarini, MD, PhD; Gianni L. Faedda, MD B. Antidepressant Treatment and Manic Switch in Bipolar I Disorder: A Clinical and Molecular Genetic Study - PMC (nih.gov) Antidepressant Treatment and Manic Switch in Bipolar I Disorder: A Clinical and Molecular Genetic Study Chih-Ken Chen, Lawrence Shih-Hsin Wu, Ming-Chyi Huang,4,5 Chian-Jue Kuo,4,5 and Andrew Tai-Ann Cheng Chia-Hsiang Chen, Academic Editor and Yu-Shu Huang, Academic