Health Newsfeed – Johns Hopkins Medicine Podcasts

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Messenger RNA can be used to stimulate T cells to fight cancer and autoimmune disease, Elizabeth Tracey reports Mar 11, 2026

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Put together a shelf-stable particle with a polyester shell, a homing mechanism, and mRNA instructions, and what do you have? A new technology that may be able to train your own T cells inside your body to combat some types …

Messenger RNA can be used to stimulate T cells to fight cancer and autoimmune disease, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read more →

Trust but verify may be needed for pulse oximeters, Elizabeth Tracey reports Mar 09, 2026

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With several studies saying oxygen measurements are too low and one saying they’re too high, how much can pulse oximeters be trusted in those with darker skin? Rohan Mathur, a critical care medicine expert at Johns Hopkins, says that oft …

Trust but verify may be needed for pulse oximeters, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read more →

How do we account for opposite results from studies on pulse oximeters? Elizabeth Tracey reports Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

Critical care medicine relies on pulse oximeters, which estimate oxygen levels in someone’s blood, for many decisions regarding their care. Studies during the pandemic suggested the devices said there was more oxygen in the blood of someone with darker skin …

How do we account for opposite results from studies on pulse oximeters? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read more →

What does a recent FDA funded study on pulse oximeters show? Elizabeth Tracey reports Mar 09, 2026

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Do devices that measure oxygen levels in blood, known as pulse oximeters, measure too high or too low in those with darker skin? That’s the question now that results of an FDA funded study seem to contradict those of previous …

What does a recent FDA funded study on pulse oximeters show? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read more →

Data from pulse oximeters can really impact patient care, Elizabeth Tracey reports Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

If you are a person with darker skin should you be worried about the levels of oxygen in your blood a pulse oximeter is giving? Critical care expert Rohan Mathur at Johns Hopkins says past studies looking at this issue …

Data from pulse oximeters can really impact patient care, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read more →

What is up with pulse oximeters? Elizabeth Tracey reports Mar 09, 2026

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Do the devices known as pulse oximeters, which measure the amount of oxygen in someone’s blood, underestimate or overestimate this value in people with darker skin? Controversy swirls with release of data from an FDA funded study that runs counter …

What is up with pulse oximeters? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read more →

Will brain training data change policy when it comes to Alzheimer’s prevention? Elizabeth Tracey reports Feb 23, 2026

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Cognitive speed training using a computer to generate images and accelerate task completion was able to reduce the likelihood that an older person would receive an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis by 25%, a study by Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s expert Marilyn Albert …

Will brain training data change policy when it comes to Alzheimer’s prevention? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read more →

One type of brain training seems to be important in reducing Alzheimer’s disease risk, Elizabeth Tracey reports Feb 23, 2026

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A novel study has shown that training the brain with cognitive speed training seems to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s disease expert and study author Marilyn Albert says that previous research simply compared what people who …

One type of brain training seems to be important in reducing Alzheimer’s disease risk, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read more →

Can cognitive speed training make your brain more connected? Elizabeth Tracey reports Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

If you were asked to learn a computer based task that would require an hour twice a week for six weeks, and it was something you would largely have to learn to master on your own, would you sign up? …

Can cognitive speed training make your brain more connected? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read more →

How can we account for why cognitive speed training seems to reduce Alzheimer’s risk? Elizabeth Tracey reports Feb 23, 2026

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Working with images on a computer screen on a task that gets faster and more complex may reduce one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 25% compared with a memory task or no training. Study author and Alzheimer’s disease expert …

How can we account for why cognitive speed training seems to reduce Alzheimer’s risk? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read more →