A team of researchers led by two University of Mississippi professors is working to unlock patterns and causes of the No. 1 killer of Mississippians: heart disease.

In a new study, researchers found that novel eye-tracking metrics can help properly identify concussion-related vision disorders, a common phenomenon among patients with persisting post-concussive symptoms that last more than 28 days after their initial injury.

Most U.S. adults have a “heart age” several years older than their chronological age — sometimes by more than a decade. And that gap is wider among men and among those with lower incomes or education or who identify as Black or Hispanic, according to a new study led by Northwestern Medicine.

About The Study: In this cohort study, the likelihood of receiving stroke treatments increased for white but not Black patients within the same facility after the center was stroke certified as a primary stroke center or a thrombectomy-capable or comprehensive stroke center. These within-hospital racial differences serve as sobering evidence that racial disparities in stroke care persist despite increased access to care. 

About The Study: Although nonsurgeon physicians have lower mortality rates than other highly educated professionals, this mortality benefit does not extend to surgeons. Because surgeons and nonsurgeon physicians have similar levels of health care knowledge and resources, higher mortality rates among surgeons might reflect differences related to work environment, professional demands, and lifestyle. The results of this study indicate that several causes of death (e.g., motor vehicle collisions), disproportionately affect surgeons, aligning with evidence that hazardous driving events associated with extended work hours are especially pronounced among surgeons.