Health Sciences In The Media

Kat Kennedy, a PhD student and researcher in the Sleep and Health Research Program at the College of Medicine – Tucson, published research that foundmenstruating women who sleep less than six hours a night were 44% more likely to have an irregular period and 70% more likely to have heavy bleeding during a period than healthy sleepers who got seven to nine hours.

As 16- and 17-year-olds become eligible for the Pfizer booster, some are wondering if it will be enough against the Omicron variant. Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, a professor of immunology with the College of Medicine – Tucson, said the early data suggests after two shots, antibodies are not blocking Omicron well but after three shots, they are blocking better.

A new study by researchers at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health finds that vigorous exercise in a highly polluted area can diminish the positive brain benefits of exercise. The paper was published online in the journal Neurology.

There are only a few ways to access antibody treatments in Arizona, and even fewer choices 12- to 17-year-olds. Sean Elliott, MD, professor emeritus of pediatrics at the College of Medicine – Tucson, specializes in pediatric infectious diseases. He says treatments can be helpful to eligible pediatric patients. Dr. Elliott said health providers are looking for ways for young patients to get antibodies, and he’d welcome more resources.

Having diminished antibody levels isn’t all that telling because other immune fighters might jump in to compensate when a virus invades. Even in a worst-case scenario, where protections against infection and mild illness substantially fray, vaccine effectiveness against severe disease probably wouldn’t suffer more than “a small drop,” says Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, an immunologist at the College of Medicine – Tucson.

The anti-inflammatory diet takes principals from the Mediterranean diet, studied since the 1960s, and the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), developed in the 1990s, and has been attributed to Andrew Weil, MD, founder of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. Dr. Weil introduced the anti-inflammatory diet, including an anti-inflammatory food pyramid, in Eating Well for Optimum Health, published in 2000.

Joe Gerald, MD, PhD, a professor of public health policy in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health reported that as of Dec. 1, COVID-19 patients occupied 31% of Arizona’s general ward beds.

As clinician shortages continue to plague the hospice space, the University of Arizona Health Sciences is expanding end-of-life medical education through its new Interprofessional End-of-Life Care Training Program. The program focuses on training students to incorporate a multicultural and interdisciplinary approach to end-of-life conversations with patients and their families.

The Nov. 30 clinic at the Mariposa Port of Entry was part of a months-long effort to vaccinate Mexican citizens along Arizona’s southern border.

Three of the winners on the 40 under 40 list have ties to the UArizona Health Sciences: Precious Craig is a first-year pharmacy student in the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy; Leslie V. Farland, ScD, MSc, is an assistant professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health; and Laura Stephens, MD, is director of the Blood Bank at Banner-University Medical Center Tucson and assistant professor at the College of Medicine – Tucson.