SciTechDaily reports on an OHSU study that confirmed a link between the timing of COVID-19 vaccination and slight, temporary changes in the length of menstrual cycles.

An article from the Lund Report discusses the responsibility primary care physicians have to protect their patients from injury and death from firearms. Katie Iossi, M.D., says, “I think that the most important thing, honestly, is to normalize the conversation around safety when talking about firearms — and normalize that the conversation is not about gun control versus gun rights, but about health and safety.”

Within the last three years, there has been a 449% increase in children younger than 6 being exposed to fentanyl, according to a new OHSU study.

In an NBC News story on a new study suggesting a type of bacteria that causes dental plaque may be behind a treatment-resistant form of colorectal cancer, Flavio Rocha, M.D., says researchers are just beginning to scratch the surface of the ways a person’s microbiome plays a role in the individual’s cancer risk, but it’s one of the most important concepts being explored in cancer research today.

To promote good heart health, Jonathan Purnell, M.D., recommends having a balanced diet instead of focusing on a single macronutrient.

An Inverse article exploring marijuana safety cites a 2022 OHSU study that found that THC exposure led to reduced testosterone levels and severe testicular shrinkage in male non-human primates.

Paula Amato, M.D., shares insight with MDEdge about the possibility of transplanting ovarian tissue to delay or prevent menopause. Amato says, “While theoretically possible, my biggest question is, how is this better than egg freezing in your 20s or 30s combined with hormone replacement for the aging benefits, given the risks associated with potentially multiple surgeries?”

Everyday Health reports on research of cognitive remediation therapy as a treatment for schizophrenia. George Keepers, M.D., says, “Recommendations have the strongest evidence for efficacy based on the literature. What’s hopeful about it is that engaging in this treatment seems to preserve the brain tissue, which is in the areas of the brain that are concerned with memory and cognitive skills.”

In response to a study that found there was a low likelihood of receiving antimicrobials for sepsis during shift changes at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., and that developing sepsis during night shift hours meant a longer time to antimicrobial initiation, Patrick Lyons, M.D., and Catherine Hough, M.D., write: "These findings add a temporal dimension to already recognized domains of sepsis care variation; in doing so, they reveal a disconnect between many patients’ illnesses trajectories and typical schedules on the wards. Therefore, there is a need for system-level interventions to recognize and respond to sepsis more consistently at particular times of the day.”

In an EveryDay Health article on how cognitive remediation therapy works and how patients with schizophrenia can access this resource, George Keepers, M.D., the lead author of the American Psychiatric Association’s practice guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia, says the therapy originated in the treatment of brain injuries, from concussions and strokes to brain damage from severe car accidents.