A new study led by Saurabh Thosar, Ph.D., finds that going to bed at the same time each night significantly lowers blood pressure, especially overnight.

MedPage Today reports that some studies suggest GLP-1 drugs might reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, but there are also hints that they could make progression to advanced AMD more likely. "In truth, it's all still a mystery," Abhimanyu Ahuja, M.D., says. So far "findings are observational. So while the association appears very strong and consistent, the biological mechanism and whether the relationship is causal remain unknown."

Lorne Walker, M.D., talks with PBS Newshour about the rise in cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, across the country. He says, “Unfortunately, the rates of vaccination against whooping cough have been falling for years, even going back prior to the COVID pandemic. Currently in Oregon, one out of every five two-year-olds hasn’t completed their whooping cough series of vaccinations, and one out of every ten kindergarteners, who are starting school and being exposed to lots of other kids and people, are not up to date on their whooping cough vaccines. We’re pretty confident that the low rates of vaccination are the key risk factor for having this high number of cases.”

The Scientist reports on OHSU research that aims to understand how amniotic fluid changes through pregnancy and what advancements it could support in prenatal and preterm care. Jamie Lo, M.D., says, “We all understand how important the placenta is in terms of that prenatal environment and shaping fetal development. What we haven't really delved into is the amniotic fluid, which is kind of equally important in its role in shaping fetal development.”

A new study led by Saurabh Thosar, Ph.D., finds that going to bed at the same time each night significantly lowers blood pressure, especially overnight.

In a story about “bike buses” — groups of kids biking together to school — Willamette Week mentions that OHSU rolled out its first employee bike bus in May.

OHSU announces that Tarek Salaway, M.H.A, M.P.H., M.A., is the new executive vice president and chief executive officer of the OHSU Health system.

Recent OHSU research highlights persistent and widening racial disparities in cesarean birth rates in the United States. Marie Boller, M.D., says, “Patient-centered care is essential for improving birth outcomes and ensuring that cesarean decisions are made for the right reasons. Care plans must be individualized, with patients meaningfully involved in conversations about their options.”

OHSU research finds people with untreated obstructive sleep apnea have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Lee Neilson, M.D., says, “If you stop breathing and oxygen is not at a normal level, your neurons are probably not functioning at a normal level either … Add that up night after night, year after year, and it may explain why fixing the problem by using CPAP may build in some resilience against neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s."

OHSU research finds people with untreated obstructive sleep apnea have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Lee Neilson, M.D., says, “If you stop breathing and oxygen is not at a normal level, your neurons are probably not functioning at a normal level either … Add that up night after night, year after year, and it may explain why fixing the problem by using CPAP may build in some resilience against neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s."