Staying #Up2Date 🚨

1: The Next Generation of Troponins Has Arrived

A cohort study of nearly 1K patients presenting to the ED with suspected myocardial infarction found that a new high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T assay improved identification of low-risk patients suitable for discharge. Further testing is still needed to confirm whether fewer serial measurements remain effective, but the sixth-generation assay marks a promising advance for acute ED care.

2: Triple Play for Better Teen Sleep

An RCT of 80 adolescents with late sleep timing assessed whether combining non-pharmacological interventions could improve sleep timing and duration. Sleep scheduling, morning bright-light glasses, and evening blue-light-blocking glasses successfully shifted circadian rhythms earlier and extended weeknight sleep compared with a simple sleep-monitoring program. The findings suggest delayed teen sleep timing may respond best to combined strategies rather than a single fix.

🗓️ Webinar: GLP-1s & Total Metabolic Health

Keeping up with the GLP-1 landscape in 2026 is practically a full-time job. Join Dr. Sean Wharton on April 30 at 7:00 PM EST for a free, 1 hour webinar into where obesity management is headed next.

Clinical success is about more than just the scale. Dr. Wharton will break down the systemic benefits of newer incretins, the biology of weight regain, and how a diversifying market is changing patient access. It’s a high-impact, zero-cost session with one of the biggest names in the field.

Grab your spot before we go live tomorrow!

Summer Swimmers ☀️

Can the weather determine when you get pregnant? Experts weigh in

What happened: A new study found that sperm motility peaks in summer months, but higher fertilization rates don’t necessarily follow.

Why it matters: Most people believe the higher the sperm quality, the more likely someone is to conceive. Consequently, patients often follow all the standard recommendations, like eating healthy, exercising, and avoiding external heat sources like hot tubs, saunas, and even hot laptops. To see if these environmental variables actually translate into measurable biological changes, the study analyzed samples from different climates.

The researchers looked at data from the sperm cells of about 16,000 men from Florida and Denmark, and examined different metrics like speed and volume. They found a consistent seasonal pattern: the concentration of rapidly progressive sperm was highest in July and August and lowest in the winter. Despite the massive difference in latitude and climate, the results were remarkably similar. Summer was the clear winner for sperm “speed,” with Denmark seeing a 29% increase in the concentration of rapidly progressive sperm and Florida seeing a 12% increase compared to their respective winter lows.

But: It turns out that faster sperm don’t necessarily equate to more babies. Despite the seasonal speed boost, there was no reported increase in pregnancies 9 months later. Instead, the study helped to debunk an outdated and sexist theory that women’s eggs “lay there and did nothing,” while the strong and eager sperm fought each other to reach the egg first. The male was portrayed as the one who held all the power, while the female had to accept whatever was given. The study challenges this theory because if that were true, then there would be an uptick in pregnancies during the summer.  

Although the study used a fairly large sample size, conducting another study with participants from around the world could help better understand the discovery. Future studies should look at sperm samples from places with varying temperature changes and seasonal sunlight variations.

Bottom line: Biology is far more complex than a simple race, and researchers are still learning (and unlearning) things about the human body every day. While the study proves things like temperature can affect sperm motility, they haven’t yet figured out why, which is an important piece in understanding the complexity of conception.

Hot Off The Press

1:🫀 New Canadian guidance wants more adults tested for a hidden heart risk. Experts are urging 1-time screening for lipoprotein(a), an inherited cholesterol particle that affects about 1 in 5 Canadians and isn’t included in routine lipid panels. The test is covered across Canada and could help family doctors catch elevated risk earlier. There’s still no dedicated therapy, but knowing a patient’s level can change how aggressively other cardiovascular risks are managed.

2: 💰 Canada’s spring economic statement landed Tuesday with a deficit of $66.9 billion, $11.5 billion better than forecast. Over 12 million Canadians will see their grocery benefit jump 25% starting June 5, CPP contributions drop next January saving average earners about $133 a year, and a new sovereign wealth fund will let everyday Canadians invest directly in nation-building projects. The backdrop is less cheerful: global recession risk is climbing, food and energy prices are expected to stay elevated, and youth unemployment sits at 13.8%. Better than expected, but the fine print is earning its keep.

3: 🏃 A new BMJ Medicine study tracking more than 100,000 people for over 30 years suggests the secret to longevity isn’t just more exercise — it may be more variety. Participants who mixed up their physical activity had a 19% lower risk of death from all causes, even after accounting for total exercise volume. Walking showed one of the strongest effects, while overall benefits appeared to plateau around 20 MET hours per week. For time-pressed physicians, swapping 1 weekly run for tennis, weights, or another modality may beat simply adding kilometres.

4: 🧬 Gene editing is starting to look less theoretical. Biotech company Intellia Therapeutics says its one-time CRISPR treatment for hereditary angioedema reported positive Phase 3 data, a key step toward FDA approval. In the trial, swelling attacks fell 87% versus placebo, and 62% had no attacks and no longer needed regular treatment at 6 months. If approved, it would be the first CRISPR therapy to edit genes directly inside the body.

5:📱 Manitoba has announced it will ban youth from using social media and AI chatbots — a first in Canada. According to Premier Wab Kinew, the platforms are designed to “hack our children’s reward system,” contributing to anxiety, depression, and trafficking. He did not specify an age limit, enforcement mechanism, or timeline. Saskatchewan is consulting residents on a similar move, and federally, Liberal party members voted in favour of setting 16 as the minimum age for social media access. The bigger question is whether any of it will work: experts say kids are already bypassing Australia’s ban, and Canada currently lacks a digital safety regulator to enforce one.

Notable Numbers 🔢

1:59:30: the time Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe clocked at the 2026 London Marathon on Sunday, becoming the 1st athlete to run a marathon in under 2 hours in a competitive race. Second-place finisher Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia also broke the barrier, crossing in 1:59:41.

70%: the share of Ontario hospitals forecasting deficits as job cuts spread across the province. Hospitals in Ottawa, London, and Chatham-Kent have announced layoffs, hiring freezes, or plans not to replace departing staff after this year’s $1.1B funding boost was less than half of what was needed. Budgets appear to be tightening fastest around staffing.

$727,907: what software giant Salesforce spent for San Francisco police protection in 2024. Airbnb reportedly paid another $428,443, while the San Francisco Giants topped the list at nearly $1.9 million. Critics say the off-duty policing program raises concerns about conflicts of interest, officer burnout, and uneven policing across neighbourhoods.

96: the age at which Eugene Braunwald, often called the father of modern cardiology, has died. Over a 74-year career, he redefined heart attack treatment by showing cardiac damage unfolds over time, helping pave the way for reperfusion therapy. He also wrote and edited Braunwald’s Heart Disease, still a standard cardiology text.

Postcall Picks ✅

📖 Read: this new CMAJ case report on the 61-year-old whose carnivore diet sent his triglycerides to 30 times the upper limit of normal and landed him in the ER with acute pancreatitis.

🍋 Make: this Pineapple & Raspberry Pavlova with Lemon Curd from Canadian pastry legend Anna Olson. It’s crisp outside, marshmallow inside, and fancy enough to make your colleagues think you have it together.

🎓 Learn: how the infectious disease landscape is shifting, from long-acting HIV injectables to Doxy-PEP and a rising syphilis rate, at the 2026 Kingston Infectious Disease Symposium on June 4th.

🤑 Save: on tools, outdoor gear, and everything your garage has been missing at the Canadian Tire spring sale.

✈️ Visit: Lisbon, Portugal, just named the most colourful city in the world with over 2.6 million unique colours identified across its pastel buildings, patterned tiles, and iconic yellow trams.

🩺 Watch: this NEJM video walking through the differential diagnosis of a woman presenting with night sweats and unintentional weight loss. The diagnosis shifts as her clinical course unfolds. It’s a good reminder that the details matter more than the first impression.

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