Staying #Up2Date 🚨

1: Parkinson’s Disease Dementia Drug Shows Promise 

This RCT looked at the safety and tolerability of ambroxol, a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease dementia that lowers a-synuclein levels. After 52 weeks, both low and high doses were safe and well-tolerated. The safety profile looks solid — now it’s time to test its effects on cognition.

2: Missing Microbes: 1 in 4 US Infants Lack Key Gut Bacteria

A cross-sectional study found 25% of US infants lack Bifidobacterium — a bacterial strain normally dominant in the gut microbiome. These infants also had higher risks of noncommunicable diseases and immune-related issues in infancy, including obesity and autoimmunity. The findings suggest the loss of Bifidobacterium may be contributing to poor health outcomes and abnormal development. 

3: Hearing Loss Meets Gene Therapy

This single-arm trial looked at the safety and efficacy of an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene therapy for congenital hearing loss. After a single dose, all 10 participants showed rapid improvements in hearing. The effect was age-dependent, with the best outcomes in 5 to 8-year-olds. The trial is still ongoing, but early results point to real potential. 

Private Clinics: Yay or Nay? 🏥

Will opening more private clinics give patients a leg up or leave them limping along?

What happened: Ontario is hoping to break its backlog of hip and knee surgeries by opening more private clinics to help tackle the wait. The promise? Faster surgeries and shorter wait times. The worry? Public hospitals might end up trailing behind, short on staff and funding.

Why it matters: Almost 2 months ago, we reported on a study that found centralized referral systems may be the secret sauce to faster hip and knee surgeries. Researchers believed that team-based and fully integrated models were most effective at keeping surgery wait times down. Despite these findings, last week Ontario announced it’s moving forward with a plan to perform 20,000 more orthopedic surgeries at private surgical centres over the next 2 years. They’ll fork out $125 million to make it happen, and the provincial health minister said the decision will give more connected and convenient care to patients in need.  

The surgical centres will be run by Accreditation Canada, the independent organization that ensures hospitals meet quality and safety standards. In a press release, a spokesperson for Ontario was clear: these private clinics can’t turn away insured patients who opt out of uninsured “upgrades,” and no one gets to jump the queue by paying more.

Some doctors, like the president of the Ontario Medical Association, say they’re hopeful the surgical centres will cut wait times and keep Ontario within the national benchmark. Last year, Ontario was within the 26-week benchmark, completing over 80% of surgeries on time. Despite the support, the rollout for the clinics is expected to be slow, allowing time to address staffing challenges and work out any early kinks.

But: Not everyone is on board. An emergency physician took to X to vent frustrations, warning that private clinics could “starve public hospital funding.” One researcher is concerned private surgical centres might deepen the anesthesiologists and nurses shortage, by pulling staff away to handle simpler surgeries. There’s also lingering concern from past experiences – Ontario patients have complained about being upcharged for cataract surgery at private clinics. While OHIP is said to cover the surgeries, experts worry extra billing could become a slippery slope for privately owned clinics. 

Bottom line: The debate between private and public isn’t new, and it’s unlikely to fade anytime soon as more clinics pop up around the province and the rest of the country. The key question remains: what’s truly best for patients?

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Hot Off The Press

1: 🧬 Microplastics have officially made it into human semen and ovarian follicular fluid, according to new research published as an abstract in Human Reproduction. Nearly 90% of samples contained particles like PET and PVC. We already knew these things infiltrate the body — but finding them in reproductive fluids raises fresh questions about fertility. Are they messing with hormones? Damaging cells? The jury’s still out, but it’s a red flag worth watching.

2: 🦠 The U.S. just hit a 33-year high in measles cases, the most since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. According to the CDC,  92% of cases are in unvaccinated people or those with unknown vax status. There's a bit of relief closer to home: Ontario saw only 12 new cases last week, down from earlier spikes. But vaccine hesitancy may be rising, and with the Stampede underway in Alberta, no one’s letting their guard down. 

3: 🏠 After 3 overheated years, Canada’s housing market is finally showing signs of cooling. RBC says affordability is the best it’s been since 2021, thanks to falling prices and lower mortgage rates. But don’t celebrate just yet: prices are still steep, and many would-be buyers are still on the sidelines. Condos are leading the affordability recovery — especially in cities like Edmonton and Winnipeg — but in hot markets, bidding wars aren’t totally out of season.

4: 🌭 1 hot dog a day? That’s now linked to an 11% higher risk of type 2 diabetes and a 7% bump in colorectal cancer, per a massive Nature Medicine review. Processed meat, sugary drinks and trans fats all raised red flags — and tough questions for public health, especially when the biggest risks are baked into everyday habits.

Notable Numbers 🔢

1.3 million: the estimated number of people expected at the Calgary Stampede (July 4-13). With Alberta in the midst of a widespread measles outbreak, experts warn the event could become a super-spreader, especially for unvaccinated or high-risk groups.

404: total cases of tuberculosis diagnosed during yearslong outbreaks in Pangnirtung and Pond Inlet — now declared officially over by Nunavut health officials. The total includes 60 active and 344 latent cases across the 2 communities, which have a combined population of just over 3,000. TB hasn’t disappeared completely, but health officials say the risk of transmission is now low.

52%: how much Tesla’s Cybertruck (plus Model S and X sidekicks) sales have dropped since last year. Guess not everyone wants a truck that looks like it was built for Nintendo 64.

91: the confirmed death toll after flash flooding in Texas — including 27 children at a summer camp. Search teams are still finding bodies. And the toll could still rise.

Postcall Picks ✅

😂 Laugh: Came for the funnel cakes. Stayed for the contact tracing.

🎧 Listen: to Dr. Theresa Tam in her final week as Canada’s chief public health officer in this CBC interview. She reflects on leading through COVID, why we need a national vaccine registry and why Canada can’t afford to sideline science.

🤑Save: on a trip to BC with this budget-friendly guide.

🌍Discover: England’s first luxury sleeper train. It’s set to depart this month and includes a Victorian bar, car, and spa.

🍽️ Eat: BBQ chicken and veggie skewers with a Greek-inspired marinade — flavour-packed, fast, and made for your post-shift cravings.

Relax

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