Medical Editor
Dr. Amelia Tan, PhD
Internal Medicine & Chronic Disease — Organ-system RCTs, biomarker endpoints, immune-mediated disease, biologics.
Dr. Amelia Tan is a freelance medical writer based in Singapore with over 10+ years of experience in clinical research, regulatory writing, and pharmaceutical communications, specializing in Internal Medicine & Chronic Disease. She holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the National University of Singapore and a Master's degree in Clinical Research from Nanyang Technological University. She also holds certification in Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) and regulatory writing standards.
Amelia's expertise spans organ-system clinical trials and biologic therapies, with a focus on cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, hematology, rheumatology, and immune-mediated diseases. She has extensive experience working with randomized controlled trials involving biomarker endpoints and chronic disease progression models.
Prior to transitioning into freelance writing, Amelia worked as a Clinical Research Scientist at a global pharmaceutical company, where she led multi-center trials across Southeast Asia. She is known for her ability to translate complex clinical datasets into clear, compliant, and publication-ready scientific content for regulatory authorities, clinicians, and research teams.
Articles in this group — last 14 days
Expert consensus provides a framework for harmonizing HLH diagnosis and management in GCC countries
Experts Reach Consensus on Managing Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis
This consensus study utilizes a modified Delphi approach to establish management guidelines for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in …
Experts in the Gulf region have agreed on new guidelines to help doctors identify and treat the rare condition HLH more effectively.
Thymectomy and immunotherapy improve symptoms in a patient with myasthenia gravis and paraneoplastic syndrome
Rare Nerve Damage Tied to Thymoma Improves After Treatment
This case report and literature review describes a 53-year-old male with myasthenia gravis, invasive thymoma, and CRMP5/CV2 antibody-positiv…
A 53-year-old man with myasthenia gravis and a rare paraneoplastic nerve syndrome improved after thymectomy and immunotherapy.
Fragmented patient-reported outcome measures currently characterize the clinical landscape of type 3c diabetes
Mapping how patients experience life with type 3c diabetes
This scoping review of 40 reports maps standardized patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in adults with type 3c diabetes. Findings indi…
Living with type 3c diabetes after a total pancreatectomy often impacts physical function and general health, but more consistent tracking i…
Creeping fig polysaccharides exhibit potential anti-colitis, anti-obesity, and immunomodulatory activities in preliminary reviews
Creeping fig extracts show potential for colitis and obesity
This review examines the biological activities and physicochemical properties of Creeping fig (Ficus pumila L.) polysaccharides. The authors…
Researchers found that certain compounds in the creeping fig plant may help manage inflammation, weight, and blood sugar levels.
Natural products like Aloe vera and guar gum show significant improvements in diarrhea management
Natural Products Show Promise for Diarrhea, But Evidence Is Weak
This systematic review evaluates the efficacy and safety of natural products, including Aloe vera, guar gum, and Berberis aristata, for mana…
A new review finds aloe vera and other natural products may ease diarrhea, but the evidence is too weak to recommend them yet.
Antidiabetic drugs and gut microbiota interact to influence treatment efficacy and tolerability in metabolic syndrome
Gut bacteria may influence how well diabetes drugs work
This narrative review explores how gut microbiota dysbiosis contributes to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. It synthesizes evidence t…
Your gut bacteria might be the secret reason why some people respond better to diabetes medications than others.
Gut-kidney axis drives sepsis-associated AKI, review argues for microecological and neuromodulatory therapies
New Approaches Target Gut Health to Treat Sepsis Kidney Damage
This systematic review examines the gut-kidney axis as a mechanistic driver of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury and evaluates microecol…
New research explores how targeting the gut-kidney axis could help treat and prevent kidney damage in patients with sepsis.
Bioactive components of medicinal-food homology substances show marked efficacy in treating functional constipation
Medicinal Food Components Show Promise for Managing Constipation
This systematic review examines the role of bioactive components from medicinal-food homology (MFH) substances in managing functional consti…
Certain bioactive components found in medicinal foods may show significant effectiveness in helping people manage symptoms of functional con…
Butyrate and fecal acetate levels are significantly lower in patients with type 2 diabetes
Short Chain Fatty Acids Linked to Type 2 Diabetes Levels
This meta-analysis of 7,371 participants analyzed short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels in individuals with normal glucose tolerance, prediab…
Lower levels of specific fatty acids in the gut are linked to type 2 diabetes and prediabetes in a large review of over 7,000 people.
Cow's milk consumption supports physical growth, bone health, and cognitive performance in healthy children
Cow's Milk Offers Growth and Bone Benefits for Children
This expert review of 70 publications examines the safety and benefits of cow's milk consumption in children and adolescents. The authors co…
Cow's milk provides important nutrients for bone health and physical growth in children who do not have a milk allergy or lactose intoleranc…
Integrated food supplementation and behavioral counseling protocol for maternal and infant malnutrition in Guatemala
New Trial Plans to Tackle Malnutrition in Maya Communities
This trial protocol describes a study of 766 pregnant women and infants in Indigenous Maya communities. The intervention includes integrated…
A new trial plans to use food supplements and counseling to improve health for pregnant women and infants in Guatemala.
Metabolomics profiling identifies amino acid and lipid metabolism alterations in patients with diabetes mellitus
Metabolomics Profiling Identifies Key Markers for Diabetes Management
This systematic review of 188 studies examines metabolomics profiling to identify metabolite signatures associated with diabetes and glucose…
New research highlights how metabolomics can identify specific patterns in amino acids and lipids to help manage and predict diabetes outcom…
Impact of Time-Restricted Eating on Gut Microbiota Diversity in Overweight and Obese Adults
Time-restricted eating shows mixed results for gut health in obesity
Evidence regarding the effects of time-restricted eating on gut microbial diversity remains inconclusive and inconsistent across clinical re…
New data on time-restricted eating shows inconsistent results for gut bacteria diversity in adults with overweight or obesity.
Combination therapy of erythromycin and metoclopramide increases feeding success in critically ill patients
Combination Therapy Shows Better Feeding Success for Critically Ill Patients
This systematic review and network meta-analysis of 17 studies involving 2,654 patients found that combination therapy was more effective fo…
Combining erythromycin and metoclopramide may improve feeding success for critically ill patients, though safety profiles vary between the t…
Coumarins and derivatives may protect musculoskeletal health by modulating inflammatory and oxidative mediators
Coumarins may protect bone and joint health in several diseases
This systematic review examines the role of coumarins and their derivatives in managing musculoskeletal diseases including osteoporosis, rhe…
Coumarins and their derivatives may slow the progression of bone and joint diseases by targeting inflammation and specific cellular pathways…
Quercetin immunity research surges, mapping review finds 12 thematic clusters
Mapping the growth of quercetin research for immune health
This systematic mapping review analyzed 10,619 unique publications on quercetin and immunity, finding that 6,440 (60.65%) appeared during 20…
A massive review of over 10,000 publications reveals how research into the compound quercetin is expanding to tackle inflammation and infect…
Aging leads to mixed gut hormone changes and altered appetite responses in older adults
Aging Impacts Gut Hormones and Appetite in Older Adults
This mini-review synthesizes evidence on gut hormone changes and appetite regulation in older adults. The authors identify conflicting repor…
New research highlights how aging affects gut hormones like ghrelin and incretins, which may change how older adults experience hunger and m…
NADH shows strongest cognitive improvement while NAD+ precursors fail to improve perceived fatigue or sleep
NAD+ precursors show mixed results for fatigue and brain health
This systematic review and network meta-analysis of 1,599 adults found that NADH significantly improves cognitive performance (SMD=1.50). Ho…
New research shows that while some NAD+ precursors may help with endurance and brain function, they do not improve sleep or feelings of fati…
Acetazolamide reduces AMS risk by 31% but females face 4.8-fold higher risk of side effects
Acetazolamide helps prevent mountain sickness but causes more side effects in women
This randomized clinical trial of 303 healthy residents found that acetazolamide 125 mg twice daily reduced AMS incidence by 31% compared to…
Acetazolamide reduces mountain sickness risk, but women in a new study faced much higher rates of moderate to severe side effects.
NewSTeP protocol using single-pill combinations for hypertension is currently being evaluated in a trial
New trial tests single-pill combinations for high blood pressure
This randomized clinical trial protocol describes the NewSTeP intervention for adults with hypertension in India. The study aims to evaluate…
A new clinical trial in India is testing if combining multiple blood pressure medications into one pill improves treatment for patients.
Cardiac myosin inhibitors improve exercise capacity and health status in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
New heart medication shows promise for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients
This meta-analysis evaluated the impact of cardiac myosin inhibitors on adults with symptomatic non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.…
A new class of heart drugs may improve exercise capacity and quality of life for people with a specific heart muscle condition.
Rheumatic heart disease prevalence in Nepal is 3.1% with significant geographic and temporal disparities
Rheumatic heart disease is much more common in rural Nepal
This meta-analysis of 209,815 participants in Nepal indicates a pooled rheumatic heart disease prevalence of 3.1%. Findings show a higher pr…
New data shows rheumatic heart disease is six times more common in rural areas of Nepal compared to the capital city of Kathmandu.
Impact of Routine Functional Testing on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Routine Stress Testing Does Not Reduce Heart Risk After Procedure
Routine functional testing at one year post-PCI did not improve clinical outcomes but led to a higher rate of invasive procedures.
Routine stress testing after heart procedures did not lower the risk of death or heart attacks, but it did lead to more invasive medical pro…
Metabolic syndrome affects 21.3% of Nepalese adults but extreme heterogeneity limits national estimates
New data reveals high rates of metabolic syndrome in Nepal
This meta-analysis estimates metabolic syndrome prevalence among Nepalese adults at 21.3%, with low HDL (64.5%) and abdominal obesity (59.5%…
Over 20 percent of adults in Nepal show signs of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions like high blood pressure and obesity.
Short-term exposure to outdoor air pollution is linked to biochemical markers in emergency department patients
Air Pollution Linked to Biomarkers in Emergency Department Patients
This scoping review examines the impact of short-term exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 on patients presenting to emergency departments. The …
Short-term exposure to outdoor air pollution is linked to specific markers of inflammation and blood clotting in people visiting emergency d…
Nurse-coordinated monitoring of biomarkers and symptoms supports clinical assessment for immune checkpoint inhibitor safety
Nurse-Led Monitoring Helps Manage Side Effects of Cancer Treatment
This narrative review explores the role of nurse-coordinated biomarker and symptom monitoring in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibi…
Nurse-coordinated monitoring of symptoms and biomarkers helps manage side effects from immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer patients.
Rapid integrated molecular testing shows high diagnostic accuracy for influenza, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2
Rapid molecular testing shows high accuracy for common respiratory viruses
This meta-analysis evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of rapid integrated molecular testing for influenza A, influenza B, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2…
New data shows rapid molecular tests are highly accurate at identifying influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 in both lab and near-patient settings.
Generative AI in medical education poses risks of deskilling and automation bias in clinical training
Artificial intelligence poses new risks for medical student training
This narrative review explores the cognitive and educational impacts of generative AI on medical education. The authors identify risks such …
New tools like generative AI could lead to deskilling and automation bias, making it harder for medical students to develop core clinical sk…
Microbiota-directed interventions reduce hospital stay and infection risk in acute pancreatitis patients
Microbiota treatments may shorten hospital stays for acute pancreatitis
This meta-analysis of 25 studies evaluated prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in patients with acute pancreatitis. The analysis found a …
New research shows that probiotics and prebiotics may help patients with acute pancreatitis spend less time in the hospital and face fewer i…
Vonoprazan reduces delayed bleeding risk in patients with gastric post-endoscopic submucosal dissection ulcers
Vonoprazan may reduce bleeding risk for patients with gastric ulcers
This meta-analysis of 1,136 patients found that vonoprazan significantly reduced the risk of delayed bleeding compared to proton pump inhibi…
A new medication called vonoprazan may lower the risk of bleeding for patients with gastric ulcers compared to standard acid-blocking treatm…
Biologics provide effective and long-lasting disease control for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps
Biologics May Help Chronic Sinusitis With Nasal Polyps
This narrative review examines the efficacy of biologics, including dupilumab, mepolizumab, omalizumab, and tezepelumab, for patients with c…
A new review suggests biologic drugs may improve sinus symptoms, smell, and asthma in people with nasal polyps.
Seaweed sulfated polysaccharides modulate gut microbiota and mucosal barrier in inflammatory bowel disease
Seaweed compounds may help manage gut health and inflammation
This systematic review examines the effects of seaweed sulfated polysaccharides, including fucoidan, carrageenan, ulvan, and porphyran, on i…
Specific compounds found in seaweed like fucoidan and porphyran show promise in supporting the gut barrier and managing intestinal inflammat…
FDA Approves Ameluz (aminolevulinic acid) for Actinic Keratoses of the Face and Scalp
FDA Approves New Gel and Light Treatment for Sun Damage on Face and Scalp
The FDA has approved Ameluz, a porphyrin precursor, in combination with photodynamic therapy using a narrowband red light source, for lesion…
The FDA approved Ameluz, a gel used with a special red light, to treat mild to moderate actinic keratoses on the face and scalp. These rough…
Higher Triglyceride-glucose index increases MACE risk in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting
Higher Triglyceride-Glucose Index Linked to Risks After Heart Surgery
This meta-analysis of 5,978 patients found that a higher Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) is associated with a 62.4% higher hazard of MACE p…
A higher triglyceride-glucose index is linked to a higher risk of major heart events and death in patients following heart bypass surgery.
Subclinical hypothyroidism does not significantly alter FSH, LH, estradiol, or total testosterone in PCOS
Thyroid Link To PCOS Hormones Looks Weak, Review Finds
This meta-analysis of 3,114 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) found no significant differences in FSH, LH, estradiol, or total tes…
A review of 3,114 women with PCOS found no clear hormone differences tied to mild thyroid problems, except one weak signal.
Short-bout accumulated physical activity reduces mean glucose in adults with type 2 diabetes
Short bursts of activity may lower blood sugar in diabetes
This meta-analysis of 175 participants indicates that short-bout accumulated physical activity and sedentary-break interventions reduce mean…
Short bursts of physical activity and frequent breaks from sitting may help lower average blood sugar levels for adults with type 2 diabetes…
Older age, longer diabetes duration, and higher HbA1c levels associate with sarcopenia in type 2 diabetes
Several Factors Linked to Muscle Loss in Type 2 Diabetes
This meta-analysis of 4,727 patients identifies several clinical factors associated with sarcopenia in older patients with type 2 diabetes. …
Older patients with type 2 diabetes may face higher risks of muscle loss linked to age, longer disease duration, and higher blood sugar leve…
Ecnoglutide improves glycemic control and reduces body weight in adults with type 2 diabetes
Ecnoglutide Shows Promise for Type 2 Diabetes Management
This meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of ecnoglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes compared to placebo and dulaglutide. The findings in…
Ecnoglutide may help manage blood sugar and reduce body weight in adults with type 2 diabetes, though more large-scale studies are needed.
Pembrolizumab-induced myositis and cardiogenic shock may be reversible with early immunosuppression and circulatory support
Immune therapy for thymoma can cause severe heart and muscle damage
This case report and literature review describes a patient with stage IV thymoma who developed severe myositis and cardiogenic shock followi…
A new case report reveals how a specific cancer treatment can cause severe heart and muscle issues, requiring intensive life support.
Geographic and socioeconomic disparities limit access to mechanical circulatory support and heart transplantation
Heart Devices and Transplants Are Out of Reach for Many
This narrative review with scoping methods examines the global landscape of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) and heart transplantation f…
A new review finds heart transplants and mechanical support are concentrated in wealthy regions, leaving many patients without access.
Breviscapine Add-On May Improve Angina Response in Coronary Heart Disease
Breviscapine May Help Heart Disease Patients With Angina Symptoms
A meta-analysis finds breviscapine plus conventional therapy improves total effective rate in coronary heart disease with angina. Safety dat…
A new analysis finds breviscapine may improve treatment success for people with heart disease and angina. More research is needed to confirm…
Skeletal muscle dysfunction impacts exercise capacity and exacerbation risk in patients with COPD
Muscle Health Linked to Better Outcomes for COPD Patients
This narrative review explores the lung-muscle axis in patients with COPD, linking skeletal muscle dysfunction to impaired physical function…
Weak muscles can lead to lower exercise capacity and higher risk of flare-ups for people living with COPD.
High abdominal aortic calcification index predicts poorer cardiovascular event-free survival in patients with chronic kidney disease
High Abdominal Aortic Calcification Linked to Worse Outcomes in Kidney Disease
This meta-analysis of 1,914 patients found that high abdominal aortic calcification index (ACI) is associated with significantly worse cardi…
High levels of calcium buildup in the aorta are linked to a higher risk of heart issues and lower survival in patients with chronic kidney d…
Mentefact-based algorithmic framework improves conceptual alignment in health sciences education systematic reviews
New Framework Improves Consistency in Health Sciences Education Research
This methodological proposal introduces a mentefact-based algorithmic framework to improve the rigor and consistency of systematic reviews i…
A new method helps researchers better align educational goals with the evidence they gather, moving beyond simple keyword searches to improv…
Rare cardiac epithelioid hemangioendothelioma demands thorough imaging and pathology workup
Rare Vascular Tumor Can Affect Multiple Organs at Once
This case report and literature review describes a single patient with right atrial epithelioid hemangioendothelioma and multi-system involv…
A rare vascular tumor called epithelioid hemangioendothelioma can involve several organs like the lungs and liver at the same time.
Antisynthetase syndrome can mimic cellulitis, with skin, muscle, and lung improvement on immunosuppression
Doctors Report Rare Muscle Disease That Looked Like Cellulitis
This case report and targeted literature review describes a 72-year-old woman with unilateral lower limb cellulitis-like edema ultimately di…
A 72-year-old woman's swollen leg looked like an infection, but it was a rare autoimmune muscle disease. Treatment helped.
Endoscopic full-thickness resection resolves abdominal pain in a patient with a gastric diverticulum
Doctors Remove Rare Stomach Pocket That Caused 20 Years of Pain
This case report describes the successful treatment of a 56-year-old woman with a gastric diverticulum using endoscopic full-thickness resec…
A woman who suffered stomach pain after every meal for 20 years finally found relief when doctors removed a rare stomach pocket.
High-flow nasal cannula shows no significant difference from noninvasive ventilation in acute heart failure
High-flow nasal cannula shows no advantage over noninvasive ventilation
This meta-analysis of 1,282 patients with respiratory failure secondary to acute heart failure found no statistically significant difference…
New data shows that high-flow nasal cannula does not outperform noninvasive ventilation for patients with heart failure and respiratory issu…
Pegylated erythropoietin provides improved Hb stability and reduced dosing frequency in CKD-related anemia
Expert Consensus Shows Pegylated Erythropoietin Benefits Chronic Kidney Disease Patients
This expert consensus evaluates the use of pegylated erythropoietin for CKD-related anemia in India. The consensus indicates that pegylated …
A new expert consensus suggests that pegylated erythropoietin can improve hemoglobin stability and reduce dosing frequency for patients with…
Islatravir 60 mg oral qm showed 64.3% adverse event rate compared to 77.1% in comparator
Trial Shows Islatravir Shows Tolerable Safety Profile for HIV Prevention
This Phase 3 randomized trial evaluated islatravir 60 mg oral qm in 494 cisgender men and transgender women at increased risk of HIV-1 expos…
A Phase 3 trial of islatravir for HIV prevention showed the medication was generally well tolerated with fewer reported side effects than th…
Moxifloxacin achieves 87.0% microbiological cure in Mycoplasma genitalium compared to 61.2% for azithromycin
Trial shows moxifloxacin more effective than azithromycin for MG
This randomized trial of 358 adults with Mycoplasma genitalium infection found moxifloxacin 400 mg daily for 10 days superior to azithromyci…
A new trial shows moxifloxacin has a higher success rate than azithromycin for treating Mycoplasma genitalium infections in adults.
Monoclonal antibodies and various vaccine platforms show potential for human metapneumovirus prevention in children
New research explores ways to protect children from metapneumovirus
This narrative review examines the development of monoclonal antibodies and vaccines for human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in pediatric populatio…
Scientists are looking at new ways to protect children from metapneumovirus using both vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.
Sensititre MYCOTB shows high diagnostic accuracy for rifampicin and isoniazid in tuberculosis isolates
New test shows high accuracy for detecting drug resistant tuberculosis
This meta-analysis of 1,728 isolates evaluates the diagnostic performance of Sensititre MYCOTB against reference drug susceptibility testing…
A new testing method shows high accuracy in identifying which drugs can successfully treat drug-resistant tuberculosis infections.
Typhoidal Salmonella pathogenesis involves a unified network of virulence determinants and metabolic proteins
New Research Identifies Targets for Typhoid Fever Treatments
This systematic review synthesizes the molecular and structural architecture of typhoidal Salmonella pathogenesis. It identifies key protein…
Scientists have mapped the complex structures of the bacteria causing typhoid fever to help identify new targets for vaccines and better tre…
Peg-interferon add-on to nucleoside analogues achieves HBsAg loss in 8.6% of patients
Adding peg-interferon to standard treatment helps some hepatitis B patients
This meta-analysis of 581 patients with chronic hepatitis B evaluates peg-interferon add-on to nucleoside analogue therapy. The analysis fou…
Adding peg-interferon to standard nucleoside therapy can help some patients with chronic hepatitis B achieve a key milestone in their treatm…
Ceftolozane-tazobactam associated with higher clinical cure rates in multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections
Comparing Two Different Antibiotics for Treating Tough Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infections
Researchers compared ceftolozane-tazobactam and ceftazidime-avibactam for treating multidrug-resistant and difficult-to-treat Pseudomonas ae…
Doctors are comparing two powerful antibiotics to see which one works best against hard-to-treat bacterial infections.
No Reproducible Microbial Signature Found in Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
Microbial Signatures Linked to Medication Related Jaw Bone Damage
This systematic review and evidence map examined microbiological findings across 67 independent studies (51 MRONJ studies, 16 contextual stu…
New research looks at the types of bacteria and fungi found in jawbone tissue following certain medications to identify specific microbial p…
MMR status-guided immunotherapy provides favorable cost-effectiveness and quality-adjusted survival in dMMR/MSI-H endometrial cancer
MMR Testing Helps Identify High Value Treatment for Endometrial Cancer
This mini review examines the economic value of mismatch repair (MMR) status-guided immunotherapy for advanced and recurrent endometrial can…
Testing for mismatch repair status helps doctors identify which patients with advanced endometrial cancer may benefit most from specific imm…
B-cell targeted therapies show durable immune responses in pemphigus vulgaris and myasthenia gravis
New data shows how B-cell therapies treat autoimmune diseases
This systematic review of 24 clinical trials involving more than 3,500 participants evaluates B-cell targeted therapies for various autoimmu…
New research highlights how targeting specific immune cells can provide lasting relief for several different autoimmune conditions.
Ustekinumab May Improve Inverse Psoriasis in Single Case Report
Ustekinumab Shows Promise for Treatment of Inverse Psoriasis
This is a single case report of a 32-year-old male with inverse psoriasis treated with four subcutaneous ustekinumab injections. Skin lesion…
A new case report shows how a specific medication, ustekinumab, significantly improved skin lesions and itching for a patient with inverse p…