Hot flashes which are sudden, temporary intense sensations of body warmth, often accompanied by flushing and sweating during the day and night (night sweats) are referred to as vasomotor symptoms (VMS). These VMS are associated with sleep disturbances, cognitive dysfunction, severe fatigue, increased pain severity and decreased quality of life. Hot flashes affect up to 80% of women going through the menopause transition, 80% of men with prostate cancer undergoing or after completion of androgen deprivation therapy and 50-80% of breast cancer patients receiving hormone deprivation therapy.

The consequences of VMS experienced by perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, aging men and breast and prostate cancer patients cannot be overstated. These overwhelming devastating symptoms not only have a significant impact on the quality-of-life, affect decision-making for life preserving hormone deprivation therapy for breast cancer and prostate cancer patients but also have significant economic and societal consequences.

A new study from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has shown that a wristband cooling device significantly reduced severe hot flash episodes among breast cancer, prostate cancer and postmenopausal women.

Access to respite services for family caregivers increases a palliative care patient’s probability of dying at home almost threefold, according to a McGill University-led study.

Funded by Quebec’s health ministry as part of its action plan for equitable access to quality palliative and end-of-life care, the study set out to find which factors matter most in helping patients avoid a transfer to a hospital or palliative care centre in their final days.

Scientists from the University of Oslo (UiO), Akershus University Hospital (Ahus), and international partners have released a new expert opinion in Nature Aging. The article brings together more than 25 researchers from around the world, including clinicians and internationally recognised leaders in the biology of ageing and metabolism, particularly in the study of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺). Their collective perspective underscores the global effort to understand how this tiny molecule, NAD⁺, could be key to healthier ageing and protection against diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Researchers at London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI) and Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry have launched a clinical trial that is evaluating a new type of dialysis filter called Elisio HX™ that may significantly improve outcomes for people living with kidney failure across Canada. Unlike standard filters, the innovative design developed by Nipro is engineered to remove a broader range of toxins from the blood – a breakthrough that scientists believe could help patients live longer, healthier lives.

A novel class of light-sensitive nanoparticles may one day enable new approaches to medical imaging. They were developed by a research team at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The particles absorb laser light and convert them into heat thereby changing their internal structure, similar to folded proteins. The research was published in the journal “Communications Chemistry”.