MedEvidence Articles

MedEvidence Articles

Welcome to MedEvidence Articles, where we encourage community research and education with weekly articles. Our articles review the history, risks, symptoms, complications, and treatments of diseases with a healthy dose of humor. Visit our website at MedEvidence.com. MedEvidence helps answer the question of “Who can you trust?” for medical information. The MedEvidence platform provides valuable information about many medical issues and the insights of evidence-based medicine. MedEvidence educates audiences through engaging and entertaining magazines, podcasts, videos, articles, and presentations. We strive to bring together diverse voices of top-level medical professionals, researchers, and experts to provide unique and engaging content that uncovers The Truth Behind The Data.

  1. Jun 16

    Cochlear Synaptopathy: The “Hidden” Form of Hearing Loss

    In this episode, we’re talking about cochlear synaptopathy, also known as “hidden hearing loss,” a lesser-known form of hearing damage that can make understanding speech difficult even when standard hearing tests appear normal.  References: Ponsot E. Unraveling hidden hearing loss. Elife. 2024 Dec 5;13:e104936. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.104936Haile LM, Kamenov K, Briant PS, Orji AU, Steinmetz JD, Abdoli A, Abdollahi M, Abu-Gharbieh E, Afshin A, Ahmed H, Rashid TA. Hearing loss prevalence and years lived with disability, 1990–2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet. 2021 Mar 13;397(10278):996-1009. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00516-XLivingston G, Huntley J, Liu KY, Costafreda SG, Selbæk G, Alladi S, Ames D, Banerjee S, Burns A, Brayne C, Fox NC. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. The lancet. 2024 Aug 10;404(10452):572-628.Liu H, Wang L, Su W, Xie XQ. Advances in recent patent and clinical trial drug development for Alzheimer’s disease. Pharmaceutical patent analyst. 2014 Jul 1;3(4):429-47. https://doi.org/10.4155/ppa.14.22Liberman MC, Kujawa SG. Cochlear synaptopathy in acquired sensorineural hearing loss: Manifestations and mechanisms. Hearing research. 2017 Jun 1;349:138-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2017.01.003Bramhall N, Beach EF, Epp B, Le Prell CG, Lopez-Poveda EA, Plack CJ, Schaette R, Verhulst S, Canlon B. The search for noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy in humans: Mission impossible?. Hearing research. 2019 Jun 1;377:88-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2019.02.016Share with a friend. Rate, Review, and Subscribe to MedEvidence! Articles to be notified when new episodes are released. Follow us on Social Media: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Tiktok Youtube For more great content, including discussions by physicians and clinical research experts, check out the MedEvidence! Podcast and MedEvidence.com Thank you for listening!

    5 min
  2. Jun 9

    Tooth Regeneration Sounds Like a Great Idea

    In this week's episode, we take a first look at early-stage clinical trials for tooth regrowth in Japan. We look at some of the key molecules involved in tooth development, and why they are suppressed after our permanent teeth come in. Finally, we explore what happens when the protein that stops tooth growth is turned off. References Novacescu D, Dumitru CS, Zara F, Raica M, Suciu CS, Barb AC, Rakitovan M, Armega Anghelescu A, Cindrea AC, Diana S, Gaje PN. The Morphogenesis, Pathogenesis, and Molecular Regulation of Human Tooth Development—A Histological Review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025 Jun 27;26(13):6209. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26136209 Moradi Z, Karimi M, Kolahdouz S, Arya N, Akheshteh V, Ayanzadeh F, Aalizadeh Y, Moravvej H, Keshavarzi M, Basri A. USAG‐1 and Regenerative Dentistry, Therapeutic Implications and Future Directions: Review of the Literature. Clinical and Experimental Dental Research. 2026 Feb;12(1):e70301. https://doi.org/10.1002/cre2.70301Murashima-Suginami A, Takahashi K, Sakata T, Tsukamoto H, Sugai M, Yanagita M, Shimizu A, Sakurai T, Slavkin HC, Bessho K. Enhanced BMP signaling results in supernumerary tooth formation in USAG-1 deficient mouse. Biochemical and biophysical research communications. 2008 May 16;369(4):1012-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.02.135Takahashi K, Kiso H, Mihara E, Takagi J, Tokita Y, Murashima-Suginami A. Development of a new antibody drug to treat congenital tooth agenesis. Journal of Oral Biosciences. 2024 Dec 1;66(4):1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.job.2024.10.002Share with a friend. Rate, Review, and Subscribe to MedEvidence! Articles to be notified when new episodes are released. Follow us on Social Media: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Tiktok Youtube For more great content, including discussions by physicians and clinical research experts, check out the MedEvidence! Podcast and MedEvidence.com Thank you for listening!

    5 min
  3. Jun 1

    Islet Transplantation and the Evolving Landscape of Type 1 Diabetes

    On this week's episode, we’re talking about breakthroughs in Type 1 Diabetes management. References: National Park Service. History of wolf management. National Park Service; Accessed 2026, April 30. https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/wolf-management.htmEspona-Noguera A, Ciriza J, Cañibano-Hernández A, Orive G, Hernández RM, Saenz del Burgo L, Pedraz JL. Review of advanced hydrogel-based cell encapsulation systems for insulin delivery in type 1 diabetes mellitus. Pharmaceutics. 2019 Nov 12;11(11):597. Accessed 2026, April 30. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6920807/Pang H, Xia Y, Luo S, et al. Emerging roles of rare and low-frequency genetic variants in type 1 diabetes mellitus. J Med Genet. 2021;58(5):289-296. Accessed 2026, April 30.  https://jmg.bmj.com/content/58/5/289American Diabetes Association. Diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care. 2009;32(Suppl 1):S62–S67. Accessed 2026, April 30. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2613584/ Hoang DT, Matsunari H, Nagaya M, et al. A conserved rule for pancreatic islet organization. PLoS One. 2014;9(10):e110384. Accessed 2026, April 30. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4211668/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes data and research. Atlanta (GA): CDC; 2026 Jan 21. Accessed 2026, April 30. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/php/data-research/index.htmlShapiro AMJ, Lakey JRT, Ryan EA, et al. Islet transplantation in seven patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus using a glucocorticoid-free immunosuppressive regimen. N Engl J Med. 2000;343(4):230–238. Accessed 2026, April 30. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3138095/Kabakchieva P, Assyov Y, Gerasoudis S, Vasilev G, Peshevska-Sekulovska M, Sekulovski M, Lazova S, et al. Islet transplantation-immunological challenges and current perspectives. World J Transplant. 2023 Jun 18;13(4):107–121. doi:10.5500/wjt.v13.i4.107. Accessed 2026, April 30. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10303418/#sec2Eledon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Eledon announces updated data from investigator-initiated islet transplant trial of tegoprubart in patients with type 1 diabetes at UChicago Medicine. Irvine (CA): Eledon Pharmaceuticals; 2026 Mar 16. Accessed 2026, April 30. https://ir.eledon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/eledon-announces-updated-data-investigator-initiated-isletWitkowski P, Philipson LH, Kaufman DB, Ratner LE, Abouljoud MS, Bellin MD, et al. The demise of islet allotransplantation in the United States: A call for an urgent regulatory update. Am J Transplant. 2021 Apr;21(4):1365–1375. doi:10.1111/ajt.16397. PMCID: PMC8016716. Accessed 2026, April 30. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8016716/#S1United States Congress. S.3105 - ISLET Act (119th Congress): A bill to regulate human cadaveric islets for transplantation as organs. Washington (DC): Library of Congress, Congress.gov; 2025 Nov 5. Accessed 2026, April 30. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3105/textWeir GC, Bonner-Weir S. Why pancreatic islets should be regarded and regulated like organs. CellR4 Repair Replace Regen Reprogram. 2021;9:e3083. doi:10.32113/cellr4_20213_3083. PMCID: PMC8006072. Accessed 2026, April 30.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8006072/Share with a friend. Rate, Review, and Subscribe to MedEvidence! Articles to be notified when new episodes are released. Follow us on Social Media: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Tiktok Youtube For more great content, including discussions by physicians and clinical research experts, check out the MedEvidence! Podcast and MedEvidence.com Thank you for listening!

    6 min
  4. May 25

    The Confounding Case of Skin Cancer and Sunscreen

    On this week's episode, we look into one of the key benefits of clinical trials: that they tend to isolate against confounding variables. We look at what confounding variables are and look at the long-term example of reported links between sunscreen use and increased skin cancer rates. We look at why excessive sun exposure is dangerous, how sunscreen works, why rates of skin cancer appeared to increase as sunscreen was introduced. References: Lapides R, Saravi B, Mueller A, Wang-Evers M, Maul LV, Németh I, Navarini A, Manstein D, Roider E. Possible explanations for rising melanoma rates despite increased sunscreen use over the past several decades. Cancers. 2023 Dec 16;15(24):5868. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15245868Garland CF, Garland FC, Gorham ED. Rising trends in melanoma an hypothesis concerning sunscreen effectiveness. Annals of epidemiology. 1993 Jan 1;3(1):103-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/1047-2797(93)90017-xStern RS. Prevalence of a history of skin cancer in 2007: results of an incidence-based model. Archives of dermatology. 2010 Mar 1;146(3):279-82. https://doi.org/10.1001/archdermatol.2010.4Olsen CM, Wilson LF, Green AC, Bain CJ, Fritschi L, Neale RE, Whiteman DC. Cancers in Australia attributable to exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation and prevented by regular sunscreen use. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health. 2015 Oct 1;39(5):471-6. https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12470Neale R, Janda M. Sun Exposure Summit Position Statement. 2023. http://assc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Sun-Exposure-Summit-PositionStatement_V1.9.pdfCadet J, Douki T. Formation of UV-induced DNA damage contributing to skin cancer development. Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences. 2018;17(12):1816-41. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7PP00395ASuh S, Pham C, Smith J, Mesinkovska NA. The banned sunscreen ingredients and their impact on human health: a systematic review. International journal of dermatology. 2020 Sep;59(9):1033-42. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijd.14824Kaden DA, Gentry R, Ledger BM. Comparative Health Risks from Benzene in Sunscreens. Brief. 2024 Jul 1;53(4). Chang MS, Moore KJ, Trepanowski N, Koru-Sengul T, Hartman RI. Sunscreen use is not associated with increased blood concentrations of benzene among adults in the United States: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006 and 2009-2018. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2022 Aug 1;87(2):440-3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2021.09.003DiNardo JC, Downs CA. Dermatological and environmental toxicological impact of the sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone/benzophenone‐3. Journal of cosmetic dermatology. 2018 Feb;17(1):15-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.12449Share with a friend. Rate, Review, and Subscribe to MedEvidence! Articles to be notified when new episodes are released. Follow us on Social Media: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Tiktok Youtube For more great content, including discussions by physicians and clinical research experts, check out the MedEvidence! Podcast and MedEvidence.com Thank you for listening!

    8 min
  5. May 11

    What Avocados and FibroScan Teach Us About Liver Health

    In this episode, we look at the need for cheap, accurate screening tools for common diseases. To that end, we take the example of fatty liver disease. We review the "gold standard" diagnostic tool, liver biopsy, and why that shouldn't be the first line of detection for a fatty liver. We review some standard methods of screening before diving into transient elastography, also known as FibroScan. We look at what this method is, why it may be preferable to an MRI or CT scan, and how clinical researchers use transient elastography in trials. References: Hass Avocado Board. Avocado Quality Manual: A Guide to Best Practices for Each Step of the Supply Chain [Internet]. Available from: https://hassavocadoboard.com/avocado-quality-manual/Benton Lowey-Ball. Avocad-Ode. In: Allpoetry. 2026.Available from https://allpoetry.com/poem/19042255-Avocad-Ode-by-Benton2Kalra A, Yetiskul E, Wehrle CJ, Tuma F. Physiology, liver. InStatPearls [internet] 2023 May 1. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535438/Wong VW, Ekstedt M, Wong GL, Hagström H. Changing epidemiology, global trends and implications for outcomes of NAFLD. Journal of hepatology. 2023 Sep 1;79(3):842-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2023.04.036Troelstra MA, Witjes JJ, van Dijk AM, Mak AL, Gurney‐Champion O, Runge JH, Zwirs D, Stols‐Gonçalves D, Zwinderman AH, Ten Wolde M, Monajemi H. Assessment of imaging modalities against liver biopsy in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: The Amsterdam NAFLD‐NASH cohort. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2021 Dec;54(6):1937-49. https://doil.org/10.1002/jmri.27703Rinaldi L, Giorgione C, Mormone A, Esposito F, Rinaldi M, Berretta M, Marfella R, Romano C. Non-invasive measurement of hepatic fibrosis by transient elastography: a narrative review. Viruses. 2023 Aug 13;15(8):1730. https://doi.org/10.3390/v15081730 Share with a friend. Rate, Review, and Subscribe to MedEvidence! Articles to be notified when new episodes are released. Follow us on Social Media: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Tiktok Youtube For more great content, including discussions by physicians and clinical research experts, check out the MedEvidence! Podcast and MedEvidence.com Thank you for listening!

    7 min
  6. May 4

    The Mental and Physical Toll of PCOS

    In this week's episode, guest author Maya Yanchuck explores the ins and outs of PCOS. We review what the condition is, symptoms, complications, and what is happening in the body. Finally, we look at treatments, from mental health to medications. References: Azziz R. PCOS: a diagnostic challenge. Reproductive biomedicine online. 2004 Jan 1;8(6):644-8.https://doi.org/10.1016/S1472-6483(10)61644-6Barber TM, Wass JA, McCarthy MI, Franks S. Metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovaries and oligo‐amenorrhoea but normal androgen levels: implications for the management of polycystic ovary syndrome. Clinical endocrinology. 2007 Apr;66(4):513-7. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2265.2007.02764.xBarber, T. M., Hanson, P., Weickert, M. O., & Franks, S. (2019). Obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome: Implications for pathogenesis and novel management strategies. Clinical Medicine Insights Reproductive Health, 13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1179558119874042Bromberger, A. (2022). Why women face difficulty receiving PCOS diagnoses. Global Reproductive Health at Duke. https://dukecenterforglobalreproductivehealth.org/2022/12/26/why-women-face-difficulty-receiv ing-pcos-diagnoses/Douglas, K. M., Fenton, A. J., Eggleston, K., & Porter, R. R. (2022). Rate of polycystic ovary syndrome in mental health disorders: a systematic review. Archives of Women’s Mental Health 25, 9–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-021-01179-4Horst, G. J. (2010). Estrogen in the limbic system. Hormones of the Limbic System 82, 319-338. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0083-6729(10)82017-5Johnston, M. A. (2007). Bearded women in early modern England. SEL Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 47(1), 1-28. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/sel.2007.0004.Joo, Y. Y., Actkins, K., Pacheco, J. A., Basile, O. A., Carroll, R., Crosslin, D. R., Day, F., Denny, J. C., Edwards, D. R. V., Hakonarson, H., Harley, J. B., Hebbring, S. J., Ho, K., Jarvik, G. P., Jones, M., Karaderi, T., Mentch, F.D., Meun, C., Namjou, B., . . . International PCOS Consortium (2020). A polygenic and phenotypic risk prediction for polycystic ovary syndrome evaluated by phenome-wide association studies. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 105(6), 1918–1936. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgz326Lebovitz, H. E. (2001). Insulin resistance: Definition and consequences. Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes 2001 109(2), S135-S148. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2001-18576Rosenfield, R. L. & Ehrmann, D. A., (2016). The pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): The hypothesis of PCOS as functional ovarian hyperandrogenism revisited. Endocrine Reviews 37(5), 467–520. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2015-1104Ruth, K. S., Day, F. R., Tyrrell, J., Thompson, D. J., Wood, A. R., Mahajan, A., Beaumont, R. N., Wittemans, L., Martin, S., Busch, A. S., Erzurumluoglu, A. M., Hollis, B., O’Mara, T. A., The Endometrial Cancer Association Consortium, McCarthy, M. I., Langenburg, C., Easton, D. F., Wareham, N. J., Burgess, S., Murray, A., . . . Perry, J. R. B. (2020). Using human genetics to understand the disease impacts of testosterone in men and women. Nature Medicine 26, 252–258. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0751-5Sharma, S. & Sharma, S. (2020). Obesity epidemic: Striking the younger age group. Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth 13(4), 333-334. https://doi.org/10.4103/mjdrdypu.mjdrdypu_307_19Stener-Victorin, E. & Deng, Q. (2021). Epigenetic inheritance of polycystic ovary syndrome — Challenges and opportunities for treatment. Nature Reviews Endocrinology 17, 521-533. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-021-00517-xTay, C. T., Hart, R. J., Hickey, M., Moran, L. J., Earnest, A. & Doherty, D. A. (2020). Updated adolescent diagnostic criteria for polycystic ovary syndrome: Impact on prevalence and longitudinal body mass index trajectories from birth to adulthood. BMC Med 18(1), 389. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-020-01861-xU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024). About insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/about/insulin-resistance-type-2-diabetes.htmlU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025). Epigenetics, health, and disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/genomics-and-health/epigenetics/index.htmlWild, R. A., (2002). Long-term health consequences of PCOS. Human Reproduction Update 8(3), 231–241. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/8.3.231Witchel, S. F., Azziz, R., & Oberfield, S. E. (2022). History of polycystic ovary syndrome, premature adrenarche, and hyperandrogenism in pediatric endocrinology. Hormone Research in Paediatrics 95(6), 557–567. https://doi.org/10.1159/000526722Yu, O., Christ, J. P., Schulze-Rath, R., Covey, J., Kelley, A., Grafton, J., Cronkite, D., Holden, E., Hilpert, J., Sacher, F., Micks, E., & Reed, S. D. (2023). Incidence, prevalence, and trends in polycystic ovary syndrome diagnosis: a United States population-based study from 2006 to 2019. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 229(1), 39.e1–39.e12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2023.04.010Share with a friend. Rate, Review, and Subscribe to MedEvidence! Articles to be notified when new episodes are released. Follow us on Social Media: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Tiktok Youtube For more great content, including discussions by physicians and clinical research experts, check out the MedEvidence! Podcast and MedEvidence.com Thank you for listening!

    7 min

About

Welcome to MedEvidence Articles, where we encourage community research and education with weekly articles. Our articles review the history, risks, symptoms, complications, and treatments of diseases with a healthy dose of humor. Visit our website at MedEvidence.com. MedEvidence helps answer the question of “Who can you trust?” for medical information. The MedEvidence platform provides valuable information about many medical issues and the insights of evidence-based medicine. MedEvidence educates audiences through engaging and entertaining magazines, podcasts, videos, articles, and presentations. We strive to bring together diverse voices of top-level medical professionals, researchers, and experts to provide unique and engaging content that uncovers The Truth Behind The Data.