Addition of Progesterone Leads to Increased Breast Growth for Transgender Women The addition of the hormone progesterone to gender-affirming hormone therapy leads to increased breast growth for transgender people following feminising hormone therapy. This is demonstrated by an Amsterdam UMC-led trial among 90 participants and these results are presented today at the European Professional Association for Transgender Health (EPATH) annual congress in Hamburg.
Concerns about independence of US guidelines for treatment of childhood obesity The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is not transparent about the creation of its guideline for childhood obesity medication. The scientific substantiation appears to be limited, and the AAP appears to have financial ties with pharmaceutical companies that produce this medication, which were not mentioned in the guidelines. This is the conclusion of researchers from Amsterdam UMC, VU Amsterdam, the University of California and the University of Colorado, which is published today.
International research into local healthcare solutions in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda Building primary care for the chronically ill together with local stakeholders, so that this care fits seamlessly with the environment. That is the idea behind M-CARE, a five-year international research project in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda that starts today, thanks to a Horizon Grant worth four million euros. Project leader Charles Agyemang: "Healthcare providers, patients, administrators: we want to hear all those voices, so that we know exactly what is going on."
Video consultations are faster, cheaper and more sustainable for patients A video consultation between patient and surgeon is just as good as a physical visit to the outpatient clinic to discuss a major operation. This is evident from research by Amsterdam UMC, demonstrated that a video consultation is just as good as a physical consultation in terms of information uptake. Alongside this finding, patients save an average of two hours of travel time and waiting time per consultation, incur no costs for travel and parking, and reduce their ecological footprint. The CO₂ emissions of a video consultation are 99 percent lower than those of a physical hospital visit. The results were published today in The Lancet Digital Health.
Proof of concept for Amsterdam UMC-led HIV vaccination Worldwide, an estimated 40 million people live with HIV, two-thirds living on the African continent. In 2023, more than 600,000 people died from HIV-related causes and 1.32 million became infected. There is no vaccine against the world's second most deadly infection – only tuberculosis kills more people. However, researchers from Amsterdam UMC have taken an important step towards reaching the goal of an HIV vaccine. The results of their phase one trial are published today in Science.
No increased risk of gynaecological cancer with testosterone use in the first years Transmasculine and gender-diverse individuals who use testosterone are not at increased risk of gynecological cancer in the first years of hormone therapy. This is evident from large-scale research by Amsterdam UMC, which was published today in eClinicalMedicine. The results provide important insights for healthcare providers and transmasculine and gender-diverse individuals who are considering starting hormone therapy.
New test diagnoses bacterial meningitis faster and better Researchers at Amsterdam UMC have developed a new diagnostic test that can quickly and accurately diagnose bacterial meningitis. The test measures the CRP protein in cerebrospinal fluid, a protein that is already often tested in blood to detect bacterial infections. Research shows that elevated CRP in cerebrospinal fluid is a very reliable indicator of bacterial meningitis. Currently it often takes a long time before meningitis is diagnosed, which delays the start of adequate treatment. The study is published today in The Lancet Regional Health Europe.
Detecting lung cancer four months earlier at the GP using artificial intelligence GPs may soon be able to identify patients with an increased risk of lung cancer up to 4 months earlier than is currently the case. The GP should be able to simply identify patients during a consultation with an algorithm created by researchers at Amsterdam UMC based on the data of more than half a million patients. The results of the study were published today in the British Journal of General Practice
Surgery after a stroke due to carotid artery stenosis is no longer necessary for a large group of patients European research led by University College London (UCL), together with Amsterdam UMC and the University of Basel shows that a significant proportion of patients who suffer a stroke due to carotid artery narrowing can be treated with medication only. A risky carotid artery operation, currently still the standard treatment for many patients, may then no longer be necessary for this group of patients. This research, published today in the Lancet Neurology, may lead to the global guidelines for the treatment of these patients being adjusted.
Global first: MRI used in treatment of complex cardiac arrhythmia Amsterdam UMC has used an interventional MRI (iMRI) scanner to successfully perform a cardiac ablation in a patient with ventricular arrhythmia, for the first time. Typically used for diagnosis, MRI is increasingly used during cardiac interventional procedures as it offers more visual insight. This global first sets a major step toward the use of iMRI as alternative treatment option for these arrhythmias.
