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1. Want to summarize the latest high yield journal studies or…

2. Love finding great deals and resources for doctors.

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Staying #Up2Date 🚨

1. Buprenorphine for chronic pain

In this study of 207 patients with chronic pain on opioids (≥70 mg/d for at least 3 months), patients were randomized to either have the option to switch to buprenorphine or continue their current regimen. Both groups had similar small pain improvements (AMD: −0.59 vs. −0.50) and significant opioid reductions (AMD: −61.0 vs. −58.5 mg/d). Only 26% opted to switch. 

2. Atrial fibrillation (AF) post-stroke

In this study, an AI model used MRI data to identify high risk AF in acute ischemic stroke patients. The model detected all AF cases diagnosed by Holter monitoring, suggesting a potential association between brain ischemic lesion pattern on MRI and underlying AF. Models like these may serve as rapid screening tools for AF on stroke units. 

3. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) de-escalation

This meta-analysis of patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing drug-eluting stent (DES) compared de-escalation from DAPT to ticagrelor monotherapy for 12 months vs. continuing DAPT. There was no difference in ischemic events (1.7% vs. 2.1%; HR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.63–1.16]), but ticagrelor monotherapy significantly reduced major bleeding (0.8% vs. 2.5%; HR, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.21–0.45]). These benefits were consistent across STEMI, NSTEMI, and unstable angina subgroups.

Jab of Hope 💉

How one vaccine is giving cancer patients a new shot at life

What happened: A new personalized mRNA vaccine may reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer relapse. 

Why it matters: A pancreatic cancer diagnosis is a death sentence for most patients. In 2024, it took about 6,100 Canadian lives – more than breast or prostate cancer. For 35 years, that number has stuck around, usually because it’s often found too late.

One New York cancer centre is working to change that. The study followed 16 patients who, in addition to surgery and chemotherapy, received a customized mRNA vaccine designed using their tumours. The vaccines train a patient’s immune system to fight cancer by targeting genetic mutations.

Surgeons removed each patient’s tumour and shipped it to BioNTech, which created their personalized vaccine, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy. The results were encouraging: 8 out of 16 patients had a strong immune response, and 6 stayed cancer-free for over 3 years because of long-lasting T cells. 

But: The study didn’t have a clean bill of health. Cancer reappeared for 7 patients, possibly due to their lack of spleen weakening their immune systems. While the results are promising, this vaccine is still in its early days and could take years to reach the public.

Hot Off The Press

1: 👶🏽 Trump’s new executive order wants to make IVF more accessible and affordable in the US, while he also pushes for “radical transparency” to keep government waste on the chopping block. Critics aren’t impressed — past moves have made IVF access harder. This could spark battles in ongoing US healthcare wars, as Trump continues positioning himself as the fixer-in-chief.

2: 😠 Teens are ace at moodiness, angst, slamming doors — and feeling social pain. A new study from the University of Kent suggested that people in their 20s and 30s are particularly sensitive to embarrassment, grief, and sadness in other people, more so than adolescents or older adults. Brain activity linked to empathy does increase with age, but older adults were less likely to rate others' pain as intense — suggesting they still feel it, but don’t express it as readily.

3: 🐓 A new research letter describes an antiviral drug-resistant mutation of H5N1 bird flu that was discovered in BC. Found on 8 poultry farms during a 2024 outbreak, researchers are calling this Tamiflu-resistant mutation “exceptionally rare,” though it could force a different approach to treatment. Given its rapid spread, health officials are keeping a close eye.

4: 💪 A new study of Canadian adolescents and young adults found that muscle-building supplement use (everything from creatine to whey protein) was linked to higher rates of muscle dysmorphia symptoms. The more supplements used, the stronger the association. It’s unclear whether supplements fuel dysmorphia or vice versa, but these findings suggest that the pursuit of gains could lead to bigger pains.

Notable Numbers 🔢

$0: how much is Google paying for the content it summarizes with its AI-generated overviews. Apparently, nothing, according to Chegg, an online education company who is suing Google. They claim this AI is siphoning traffic, eroding the publishing industry, and providing low-quality, unverified answers. Google’s power in the search engine space has already been proclaimed illegal — so this case could mean another big antitrust fight over online AI.

30%: how much glyphosate (also known as the controversial herbicide Roundup) is absorbed through the skin. The science on glyphosate is still up for debate, as some studies link it to DNA damage, endocrine disruption, and even non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in farm workers. Regulatory bodies remain divided on its carcinogenic potential. South of the border, RFK Jr. is pushing for a federal review.

1 in 4: the number of Canadians skipping the dentist due to cost, according to new StatsCan data. Dentists say it’s no surprise — rising living costs are making out-of-pocket care tougher to manage. While the Canadian Dental Care Plan is supposed to help, it only covers certain groups, leaving many without options. The result? Delayed care, worsening oral health, and a bigger bill down the road.

Postcall Picks

😂Laugh: at this totally real photo of Justin Trudeau calling out Donald Trump after the 4 Nations Final on Tuesday. 

🤑Save: does your car also double as an ice box? Try this Amazon ice chopper to defeat the winter blues. 

🗳️Vote: this Thursday, the 27th, for Ontario’s next Premier. Use this website to see your voting location and the list of candidates. 

👂Listen: to this week’s hilarious episode of Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine. Their latest episode dives into frostbite, which seems fitting. 

Relax

First Question: Drug regimen of NRTIs, NNRTIs, PIs, and INSTIs

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