Cardio-Oncology Rehabilitation in Cancer Patients and Survivors
Dr. RR Baliga's 'Podkast for the Kurious Doc'
Release Date: 05/22/2024
š§ Can the aging brain still make new neurons?
Dr. RR Baliga's 'Podkast for the Kurious Doc'
Can the aging brain still make new neurons? A landmark 2026 Nature study analyzed 355,997 human hippocampal nuclei using single-nucleus RNA sequencing and ATAC sequencing. Neurogenesis persists into adulthoodābut chromatin accessibility collapses early in Alzheimerās disease. SuperAgers showed a 2.5-fold increase in immature neurons and a preserved resilience signature. Epigenetics may be the earliest battlefield in cognitive decline. š§
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ā” Radiation during Heart Scans: How Much Is Too Much?
Dr. RR Baliga's 'Podkast for the Kurious Doc'
Radiation. Regions. Responsibility. šā” A JAMA study (INCAPS-4) analyzing 19,302 patients across 101 countries reveals striking global disparities in radiation exposure from cardiac imaging. Median CCTA dose in Africa: 25.2 mSv Western Europe: 4.6 mSv Low-income nations had 96% higher CCTA doses. Technology and trainingānot just accessādetermine safety. As CAD rises worldwide, dose optimization must become a global quality benchmark.
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Basilar Artery Blockage. Bolus Breakthrough. Better Outcomes. š§ šš
Dr. RR Baliga's 'Podkast for the Kurious Doc'
Can a single bolus change the fate of a devastating stroke? š§ š The TRACE-5 trial (Lancet 2026) shows that tenecteplase within 24 h for basilar artery occlusion improves excellent functional outcomes (38% vs 29%; RR 1.50, p=0.014) without increased haemorrhage or mortality. š Pragmatic design. No mandatory advanced imaging. Feasible globally. š If confirmed beyond Asian cohorts, this could reshape late-window stroke care. Single shot. Shifted scale. Strong signal. šš
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Dr RR Baliga's Philosophical Discourses: Ludwig Wittgenstein (Austria/England, 1889ā1951 CE) ā Language and Logic
Dr. RR Baliga's 'Podkast for the Kurious Doc'
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889ā1951) reshaped modern philosophy by asking a deceptively simple question: How does language work? š§ In the Tractatus, he argued that language āpicturesā reality ā and that what cannot be clearly said must be passed over in silence. Later, in Philosophical Investigations, he reversed course: meaning is not fixed ā it is use, embedded in ālanguage games.ā šÆ His lasting insight? Many philosophical problems are really linguistic confusions. Clarity is not cosmetic ā it is transformative. āØ In medicine, law, policy, or everyday...
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Low Dose Tobacco, High Stakes, Time to Quit š¬šÆā³
Dr. RR Baliga's 'Podkast for the Kurious Doc'
Light smoking is not harmless. š¬ A powerful New England Journal of Medicine Perspective highlights the rising challenge of nondaily and low-intensity smokers in Latin America. Even fewer than 10 cigarettes per day carry meaningful cardiovascular and cancer risk ā yet these smokers often underestimate harm and receive limited cessation support. The future of tobacco control must address the ālightā smoker with tailored counseling, pharmacotherapy, and smarter primary-care integration.
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A Blood Test Before Symptoms: PPP2R5C and the Molecular Clock of Alzheimerās
Dr. RR Baliga's 'Podkast for the Kurious Doc'
š§ Alzheimerās doesnāt begin when memory fails ā it begins years earlier. A new Cell Reports Medicine study identifies PPP2R5C, a brain-derived protein detectable in blood, that declines before significant Tau hyperphosphorylation. š ā 61% in amnestic mild cognitive impairment š AUC 0.85 for Alzheimerās diagnosis š¬ Mechanism: activates Protein Phosphatase 2A and ULK1-driven autophagy to regulate Tau A blood signal before symptoms. Early detection means earlier intervention.
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š§ A Blood-Based Clock for Alzheimerās Symptom Onset
Dr. RR Baliga's 'Podkast for the Kurious Doc'
š§ Can a simple blood test tell us when Alzheimerās symptoms will begin? A new Nature Medicine study introduces a plasma p-tau217 āmolecular clockā that estimates time to symptom onset with an error margin of ~3ā4 years. By modeling the rise of phosphorylated tau in cognitively unimpaired individuals, investigators move from predicting if to predicting when. ā³ Implication: smarter prevention trials, earlier intervention windows, and biologically timed enrollment. ā ļø Not ready for routine screeningābut a compelling proof of concept. The era of...
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The brainās āskull drainsā are far from passive plumbing.
Dr. RR Baliga's 'Podkast for the Kurious Doc'
The brainās āskull drainsā are far from passive plumbing. In Nature (2026), Monaghan et al. show that dural venous sinuses actively constrict, dilate, and even rearrange endothelial borders in a phenomenon called ārufflingā to support immune surveillance. RAMP1 regulates vasomotion. RAMP2 regulates immune boundary dynamics. Blocking RAMP2 impairs antiviral defense. The meninges are not coverings. They are regulated neuroimmune interfaces. š§ š”ļø
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š Stroke. Minocycline. Meaningful Recovery.
Dr. RR Baliga's 'Podkast for the Kurious Doc'
Can we finally modulate post-stroke inflammation? š§ The EMPHASIS trial (Lancet 2026) randomized 1,724 patients with acute ischemic stroke to short-course oral minocycline within 72h. Result: higher rates of excellent 90-day outcome (mRS 0ā1 52.6% vs 47.4%; RR 1.11, p=0.0061) without safety concerns. A cheap, generic drug showing signal in late neuroprotection. Inflammation may not just follow stroke ā it may shape recovery. š¬
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Rotator Cuff Tears š¦“ Ubiquitous, Incidental, Misleading
Dr. RR Baliga's 'Podkast for the Kurious Doc'
š¦“ Rotator cuff ātearsā are nearly universal after age 40. In a population-based Finnish study (n=602), 99% had ā„1 MRI abnormality ā including 96% of asymptomatic shoulders. Even full-thickness tears were usually silent, and adjusted analyses eliminated differences between painful and painless shoulders . Lesson? After 40, imaging abnormalities are common ā causality is not. Treat function. Treat symptoms. Treat patients ā not scans.
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Dr RR Baliga's 'GOT KNOWLEDGE DOC' Podcasts for Physicians: Cardio-Oncology Rehabilitation in Cancer Patients and Survivors
derived from
Cardio-Oncology Rehabilitation in Cancer Patients and Survivors: AHA Scientific Statement
Circulation. 2019;139:e997āe1012
Not Medical Advice or Opinion