Do GLP-1s Lower VTE Risk in People With Type 2 Diabetes?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/do-glp-1s-lower-vte-risk-in-people-with-type-2-diabetes/ Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists led to a significant reduction in the risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) among individuals with type 2 diabetes compared with dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, a recent analysis indicated. Overall, GLP-1 agonist use was associated with a 20% reduction in VTE compared with DPP-4 inhibitor […]
Early Oseltamivir Benefits Hospitalized Influenza Patients
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/early-oseltamivir-benefits-hospitalized-influenza-patients/ TOPLINE: Early treatment with oseltamivir on the same day as hospital admission was associated with fewer severe clinical outcomes, such as worsening pulmonary disease, need for invasive ventilation, organ failure, and in-hospital death in adults hospitalized with influenza. METHODOLOGY: The 2018 guidelines from the Infectious Disease Society of America recommend prompt […]
How Do Rheumatology PAs Stand Out Among Their Peers?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/how-do-rheumatology-pas-stand-out-among-their-peers/ TOPLINE: In recent years, the number of physician assistants (PAs) practicing in rheumatology has steadily increased, with most of them being women, working in office-based private practices, and engaging more in telemedicine services; they also report higher job satisfaction and lower burnout symptom rates than their peers in other specialties. METHODOLOGY: […]
Vertebral Fractures and Myeloma: Link Is Questionable
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/vertebral-fractures-and-myeloma-link-is-questionable/ SAN DIEGO — Incidentally discovered vertebral fractures are common on scans in the general population, while the absolute risk for multiple myeloma (MM) in those with such fractures is “quite modest,” according to findings in a Danish cohort of more than 9000 patients. The findings suggest that evaluation for underlying MM […]
Meds Fail to Improve Survival in Comatose Cardiac Arrest
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/meds-fail-to-improve-survival-in-comatose-cardiac-arrest/ TOPLINE: Compared with placebo or standard care, steroids, coenzyme Q10, and thiamine fail to reduce mortality rates in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest. METHODOLOGY: This meta-analysis included 45 randomized clinical trials (5800 patients) analyzing 30 different drugs that were categorized as supportive drugs (10 studies), neuroprotective agents (19 studies), and anti-inflammatory/antioxidants […]
Carer’s Allowance overpayment debt rises to £250m
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/carers-allowance-overpayment-debt-rises-to-250m/ Outstanding debt from Carer’s Allowance overpayments rose to more than £250m last year, according to the government’s spending watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) said the figure had increased by £100m since 2018/19. Charity Carers UK said the report was “further evidence of a broken system that is failing unpaid carers”. […]
‘I went in for a tackle and heard my neck snap’
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/i-went-in-for-a-tackle-and-heard-my-neck-snap/ Luke Orton was playing in a rugby tournament in 2023 when his life changed forever Luke Orton was playing in a rugby tournament on the Isle of Wight in July 2023 when his life changed forever. “I went in for a tackle and heard my neck snap,” he said. “It sounded […]
Services will close over National Insurance rise, Mencap tells BBC
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/services-will-close-over-national-insurance-rise-mencap-tells-bbc/ BBC Barry and Betty’s service is not under threat, but Mencap fears it will have to close others A leading charity that supports people with learning disabilities says it may be forced to stop running at least 60 of its services as a result of increasing National Insurance costs. Mencap is […]
State ‘Gold Card’ Laws Sound Good — But Are They Working?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/state-gold-card-laws-sound-good-but-are-they-working/ Have you wished you could be exempt from prior authorizations, especially because your procedures or prescriptions are almost always approved? That’s the idea behind “gold card” laws some states have implemented, but the laws have not always worked out quite the way supporters have envisioned. Take Texas, for example. Under that […]
Generous Blood Transfusions Not Beneficial for Some With Burst Brain Aneurysms
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/generous-blood-transfusions-not-beneficial-for-some-with-burst-brain-aneurysms/ For people with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and anemia, there was no significant neurological benefit from getting red blood cell transfusions more liberally, the SAHARA randomized trial showed. Between a liberal transfusion strategy (mandatory transfusion at a hemoglobin cutoff of ≤10 g/dL) and a restrictive strategy (optional transfusion at a hemoglobin level […]
USPSTF Plans Changes to Cervical Cancer Screening Recommendations
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/uspstf-plans-changes-to-cervical-cancer-screening-recommendations/ The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) plans to add self-collected human papillomavirus (HPV) testing to its recommendations for cervical cancer screening, among other changes. Task Force Chair Wanda Nicholson, MD, MPH, MBA, of the Milken Institute School of Public Health and George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington D.C., […]
More Beans, Less Red Meat: Nutritionists Weigh in on U.S. Dietary Guidelines
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/more-beans-less-red-meat-nutritionists-weigh-in-on-u-s-dietary-guidelines/ Americans should eat more beans, peas, and lentils and cut back on red and processed meats and starchy vegetables, all while continuing to limit added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat. That’s the advice released Tuesday by an expert panel of nutritionists charged with counseling the U.S. government about the 2025 edition […]
Some Kratom Products Contain Lead at Dangerous Levels for Children
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/some-kratom-products-contain-lead-at-dangerous-levels-for-children/ NEW ORLEANS — A large portion of products made with the herbal supplement kratom contained more lead than is safe for children and women of child-bearing potential to consume in a day, even at low doses, a review of three independent assessments found. At the lowest kratom dose of 3 g, […]
Brain Aging Biomarkers; Midlife Anxiety and Dementia Risk; Who Chose Assisted Dying?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/brain-aging-biomarkers-midlife-anxiety-and-dementia-risk-who-chose-assisted-dying/ Researchers identified 13 proteins that predicted how quickly or slowly a person’s brain aged. (Nature Aging) Midlife anxiety was common decades before people developed dementia, the Norwegian HUNT study showed. (Alzheimer’s & Dementia) Investigational tavapadon met its primary endpoint in a flexible dosing phase III trial of Parkinson’s disease, showing improvements […]
HEARTS Act Gets Senate Vote; New Myocarditis Classes; Aftermath of PAD Device Scare
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/hearts-act-gets-senate-vote-new-myocarditis-classes-aftermath-of-pad-device-scare/ The office of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that this week he will bring the HEARTS Act, the bipartisan legislation to equip schools with automatic external defibrillators and provide CPR training to laypeople, to the Senate floor for a vote on it becoming law. A novel four-stage myocarditis classification […]
Arrhythmia Risk of Lamotrigine Questioned by Observational Data
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/arrhythmia-risk-of-lamotrigine-questioned-by-observational-data/ LOS ANGELES — The FDA’s warning about arrhythmia risk with lamotrigine (Lamictal) based on in vitro data wasn’t borne out in observational cohorts of people with epilepsy, although the risk did appear significant in people with bipolar disease. The difference in findings presented at the American Epilepsy Society (AES) annual meeting […]
Transplantation Fails to Improve Survival in Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/transplantation-fails-to-improve-survival-in-mantle-cell-lymphoma/ SAN DIEGO — Patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and undetectable minimal residual disease (uMRD) after induction therapy did not live longer if they underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), a randomized trial showed. After a median follow-up of 2.7 years, patients treated with rituximab (Rituxan) and transplantation had a 3-year overall […]
Half-Truths, Big Risks: The Dangers of an Incomplete Medical History
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/half-truths-big-risks-the-dangers-of-an-incomplete-medical-history/ Bitterman is an orthopedic surgeon. Honesty is the lifeblood of the doctor-patient relationship. Without it, even the most skilled physician is working with one hand tied behind their back. I learned this firsthand with a patient who sought elective surgery for a toe deformity. She withheld two crucial facts: she smoked […]
Benefits of Transplant for Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Add Up a Decade Later
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/benefits-of-transplant-for-pediatric-sickle-cell-disease-add-up-a-decade-later/ SAN DIEGO — Kids with sickle cell disease who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) had fewer serious disease complications along with better quality-of-life and cognitive outcomes a decade later, updated findings from a French trial showed. The prospective study involved 67 children with a history of abnormal cerebral velocities receiving […]
Masking Policies Show Clear Impact on Hospital-Onset Respiratory Infections
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/masking-policies-show-clear-impact-on-hospital-onset-respiratory-infections/ In this exclusive MedPage Today video, Theodore Pak, MD, PhD, of Harvard Medical School in Boston, discusses the findings from a study that examined how changes in masking and testing policies in hospitals influenced rates of respiratory viral infections, including COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), during the 2023-2024 season. […]
What Happened to the Canadian Teen Who Became Critically Ill With H5N1 Bird Flu?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/what-happened-to-the-canadian-teen-who-became-critically-ill-with-h5n1-bird-flu/ Canadian public health officials closed their investigation into the teenager who became critically ill with the H5N1 bird flu virus, with no source of infection identified. It’s not clear whether the teenager recovered or was released from the hospital. Andy Watson, director of communications for the Office of the Provincial Health […]
Lentiviral Gene Therapy Shows Promise in Severe Hemophilia A
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/lentiviral-gene-therapy-shows-promise-in-severe-hemophilia-a/ SAN DIEGO — Results from a small single-center study showed that treatment with a gene therapy involving the use of lentiviral vector-transduced autologous hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) increased factor VIII levels in patients with severe hemophilia A. Among five patients, the median factor VIII activity level from 4 weeks until the […]
I Am Torn: Grappling With the Killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/i-am-torn-grappling-with-the-killing-of-unitedhealthcares-ceo/ Young is a family medicine physician and nocturnist. I am torn. I have the devil whispering in one ear, telling me to join with the masses hailing the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and shouting that he had it coming to him. And I have the angel speaking in my […]
Alecensa (alectinib) Offers Hope for Certain Patients With ALK Positive NSCLC
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/alecensa-alectinib-offers-hope-for-certain-patients-with-alk-positive-nsclc/ When Matt was diagnosed with ALK-positive (ALK+) metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC), his world turned upside down. It’s a moment that many patients like Matt dread — the words “you have cancer” hang in the air, bringing with it waves of fear and uncertainty. For Matt, a Stage 4 diagnosis […]
Year in Review: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/year-in-review-chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia/ Developments in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) this year included the first CAR T-cell therapy approval for the chronic blood cancer, potential treatments for Richter transformation, and investigations into triplet regimens. First CAR-T Approved for CLL In March, the FDA granted accelerated approval to lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel, Breyanzi) for pretreated CLL or […]
Suspect in UnitedHealthcare Killing Wrote ‘Parasites Simply Had it Coming’
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/suspect-in-unitedhealthcare-killing-wrote-parasites-simply-had-it-coming/ Police arrested a “strong person of interest” Monday in the brazen Manhattan killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO after a quick-thinking McDonald’s employee in Pennsylvania alerted authorities to a customer who was found with a weapon and writings linking him to the ambush. The 26-year-old man had a gun believed to be the […]
Novel Drug Fails for Two Rare Seizure Disorders
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/novel-drug-fails-for-two-rare-seizure-disorders/ LOS ANGELES — The novel agent soticlestat flopped in a pair of phase III trials for rare seizure disorders, researchers reported here. Among Dravet syndrome patients in the SKYLINE trial, the median change from baseline in convulsive seizure frequency over the full treatment period was -22.16% with soticlestat and -8.64% with […]
AI Screening of Home Videos Proves Accurate for Infantile Seizure Detection
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/ai-screening-of-home-videos-proves-accurate-for-infantile-seizure-detection/ LOS ANGELES — An artificial intelligence (AI) model accurately detected and ruled out infantile epileptic spasm syndrome in videos captured by family, a study showed. The model had an area under the receiver-operating-curve (AUC) of 0.96, with 82% sensitivity and 90% specificity, reported Gadi Miron, MD, of Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin in Germany, […]
Empathetic Phone Calls Help Vulnerable Diabetes Patients Lower HbA1c
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/empathetic-phone-calls-help-vulnerable-diabetes-patients-lower-hba1c/ Empathy-oriented phone calls from laypersons helped patients with uncontrolled diabetes improve glycemic control, a parallel-arm superiority trial found. Among 260 participants, those who received calls from community-hired laypeople decreased their HbA1c from 10% to 9.3% by 6 months. Meanwhile, HbA1c in the usual care group held steady from 9.8% to 9.7%, […]
‘Parasites Simply Had it Coming’; Second U.S. Kid With Bird Flu? Rx for Solar Power
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/parasites-simply-had-it-coming-second-u-s-kid-with-bird-flu-rx-for-solar-power/ Note that some links may require registration or subscription. Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old suspect in last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was charged with murder in New York. A three-page, handwritten document found in his possession included a line that “these parasites simply had it coming,” a law enforcement […]
Women Who Revolutionized Modern Medicine
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/women-who-revolutionized-modern-medicine/ In the winter semester of 2023, there were 113,383 students enrolled in medical programs in Germany, 73,244 of whom were women. This equates to nearly 65%, a remarkable figure considering that women were only granted access to universities in 1899. The rationale for their exclusion was the belief that a woman’s […]
The Multipronged Problem of Candida auris
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/the-multipronged-problem-of-candida-auris/ Candida auris, a yeast-like fungus, is spreading globally, increasing the urgency for enhanced surveillance, new therapies, and more antimicrobial stewardship to combat its multidrug-resistant strains. Since its discovery in 2009, Candida auris has been found in more than 50 countries across six continents, including Asia, Africa, and the Americas, according to […]
Clopidogrel Tops Aspirin Post-PCI, Even in High-Risk Cases
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/clopidogrel-tops-aspirin-post-pci-even-in-high-risk-cases/ TOPLINE: The beneficial effect of clopidogrel monotherapy over aspirin monotherapy in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and remained event free for 6-18 months on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is consistent, regardless of bleeding risk or PCI complexity, according to a post hoc analysis of the HOST-EXAM trial. METHODOLOGY: The […]
Fertility Preservation in SCD: Women Have More Complications
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/fertility-preservation-in-scd-women-have-more-complications/ SAN DIEGO — Significant complications were common in female patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) who underwent fertility preservation (FP) procedures, and 13% required multiple retrieval cycles, a five-center retrospective study found. Of 46 patients with SCD, complications occurred in 25 of 55 controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles, including 29 vaso-occlusive episodes […]
Sleep Apnea Linked to Heightened Mortality in Epilepsy
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/sleep-apnea-linked-to-heightened-mortality-in-epilepsy/ LOS ANGELES — Individuals with both uncontrolled epilepsy and sleep apnea are at significantly higher risk for mortality than those with epilepsy alone, according to a new analysis of over 2 million patient-years drawn from the Komodo Health Claims Database. “A 10-year-old with uncontrolled central sleep apnea is about 200 times […]
AI Tool Predicts Progression From MCI to AD: What to Know
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/ai-tool-predicts-progression-from-mci-to-ad-what-to-know/ An estimated 14 million older adults in the United States live with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). While many will never progress to dementia — experiencing stable or even improved cognitive function — predicting the likely course of the condition has remained elusive. That is, until now. Earlier this year, the US […]
Leaded Gas Exposure Tied to Millions of Mental Illness Cases
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/leaded-gas-exposure-tied-to-millions-of-mental-illness-cases/ Childhood exposure to leaded gasoline via car exhaust over the past 75 years is linked to 151 million excess cases of psychiatric disorders in the United States, new research suggested. The data revealed that the group most heavily exposed to lead — individuals born between 1966 and 1986, commonly known as […]
Extended Results Confirm Standard of Care for DLBCL
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/extended-results-confirm-standard-of-care-for-dlbcl/ SAN DIEGO — Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) continue to show superior progression-free survival at 5 years with first-line pola-R-CHP compared with the R-CHOP regimen, according to updated results of the phase 3 POLARIX study. These findings “confirm pola-R-CHP as the standard of care for patients with previously untreated […]
How Are Patients Managing Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/how-are-patients-managing-intermediate-risk-prostate-cancer/ TOPLINE: The use of active surveillance or watchful waiting increased by more than twofold overall between 2010 and 2020 among patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer. METHODOLOGY: Current guidelines support active surveillance or watchful waiting for select patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer. These observation strategies may help reduce the adverse effects associated […]
Smart Mattress to Reduce SUDEP?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/smart-mattress-to-reduce-sudep/ LOS ANGELES — A mattress designed to detect seizures in individuals with epilepsy who are lying face down and quickly reposition them onto their side could significantly reduce the risk for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), says one of the experts involved in its development. When used along with a […]
TIVA Enables Earlier Facial Nerve Monitoring in Ear Surgery
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/tiva-enables-earlier-facial-nerve-monitoring-in-ear-surgery/ TOPLINE: Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) enables earlier intraoperative monitoring of facial nerve activity than sevoflurane anesthesia during ear surgery, with reduced patient-ventilator dyssynchrony and fewer requirements for postoperative antiemetics. METHODOLOGY: Researchers evaluated the difference in the timeliness of intraoperative monitoring of facial nerve activity during ear surgery with TIVA vs sevoflurane […]
Smoking Linked to More Genetic Havoc in MDS
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/smoking-linked-to-more-genetic-havoc-in-mds/ SAN DIEGO — A new study linked longer duration and deeper intensity of tobacco smoking to more genetic mutations in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs), a group of bone marrow cancers that are similar to acute myeloid leukemia. The prospective National MDS Natural History Study evaluated 1898 patients with recently diagnosed or suspected […]
More Biologics Breaking Through for COPD
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/more-biologics-breaking-through-for-copd/ New biologic drugs for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are finally here, said Stephen Rennard, MD, in a presentation in a session on new drugs at the 2024 GOLD International COPD Conference. The inflammatory pathways associated with COPD are diverse and offer a range of potential targets for biologics, said Rennard, […]
Malpractice in the Age of AI
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/malpractice-in-the-age-of-ai/ Instead of sitting behind a laptop during patient visits, the pediatrician directly faces the patient and parent, relying on an ambient artificial intelligence (AI) scribe to capture the conversation for the electronic health record (EHR). A geriatrician doing rounds at the senior living facility plugs each patient’s medications into an AI […]
Self-Care Can Elevate Quality of Life in Chronic Diseases
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/self-care-can-elevate-quality-of-life-in-chronic-diseases/ TOPLINE: Self-care preparedness is positively associated with improved health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic conditions over 36 months, and patients who enhance their self-care preparedness experience better QOL outcomes. METHODOLOGY: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial conducted in Finland from 2017 to 2021 aimed to analyze […]
Does Acalabrutinib Fit Into Frontline MCL Therapy?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/does-acalabrutinib-fit-into-frontline-mcl-therapy/ For younger, fit patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), adding the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor acalabrutinib to standard induction therapy with bendamustine/rituximab followed by cytarabine/rituximab adds toxicity without improving efficacy, results of the phase 2 ECOG-ACRIN EA4181 trial indicate. However, treating patients with bendamustine/rituximab plus acalabrutinib might be preferred to […]
Canadian Bill Would Require Interoperable Health IT
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/canadian-bill-would-require-interoperable-health-it/ New legislation would require health information technology (IT) to be interoperable across the country, thus allowing patients and healthcare providers to access health data from different electronic medical records. The Connected Care for Canadians Act, also known as Bill C-72, says, “data blocking by a health information technology vendor is prohibited.” […]
Which States Have the Most Outstanding Hospitals for Maternity Care?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/which-states-have-the-most-outstanding-hospitals-for-maternity-care/ Among the 414 facilities that earned top marks on the 2024 “Best Hospitals for Maternity Care” list from U.S. News & World Report, 17 states had 10 or more high-performing hospitals. California had the most, followed by New Jersey, and Texas. Rhode Island and South Dakota did not have any facilities […]
APA Updates Guidance on Borderline Personality Disorder
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/apa-updates-guidance-on-borderline-personality-disorder/ For the first time since 2001, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has updated its clinical practice guideline on borderline personality disorder (BPD). The new guideline is “quite substantial and really serves as a rich textbook of the literature, about borderline personality disorder that any clinician would find very valuable,” John Oldham, […]
One in Six Adults With Asthma Didn’t Adhere to Meds Due to Cost
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/one-in-six-adults-with-asthma-didnt-adhere-to-meds-due-to-cost/ Despite a declining trend, the number of adults in the U.S. who say they did not adhere to their asthma treatment because of costs remains high, according to an observational study. From 2011-2022, the prevalence of cost-related non-adherence decreased from 23.2% to 13.1%. However, about one in six adults with asthma […]
‘My autistic son had no safety net when in crisis’
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/my-autistic-son-had-no-safety-net-when-in-crisis/ Family handout Declan Morrison’s father said the 26-year-old had enjoyed listening to birdsong at twilight The family of a man who died after he repeatedly banged his head against a wall in a mental health suite said there was no “safety net” for people with their son’s needs. Declan Morrison, 26, […]
Procalcitonin Confirmed as Good Gauge for Window of Sepsis Antibiotics
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/procalcitonin-confirmed-as-good-gauge-for-window-of-sepsis-antibiotics/ For critically ill patients on antibiotics for suspected sepsis, monitoring one biomarker safely shortened the course of these medications in the ADAPT-Sepsis randomized trial. Daily assessment of procalcitonin (PCT), rather than standard care alone, led to patients spending significantly less time on antibiotics cumulatively in the first 28 days (9.8 days […]
Who Is Luigi Mangione, the ‘Person of Interest’ in the UnitedHealthcare Murder?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/who-is-luigi-mangione-the-person-of-interest-in-the-unitedhealthcare-murder/ Police arrested a 26-year-old man on Monday in the Manhattan killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO after they say a Pennsylvania McDonald’s worker alerted authorities to a customer who resembled the suspected gunman. The suspect, identified by police as Luigi Nicholas Mangione, had a gun believed to be the one used in Wednesday’s […]
How Measles, Whooping Cough, and Worse Could Roar Back on RFK Jr.’s Watch
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/how-measles-whooping-cough-and-worse-could-roar-back-on-rfk-jr-s-watch/ The availability of safe, effective COVID vaccines less than a year into the pandemic marked a high point in the 300-year history of vaccination, seemingly heralding an age of protection against infectious diseases. Now, after backlash against public health interventions culminated in President-elect Donald Trump’s nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the […]
Modernizing the Electronic Health Record
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/modernizing-the-electronic-health-record/ Fred Pelzman is an associate professor of medicine at Weill Cornell, and has been a practicing internist for nearly 30 years. He is medical director of Weill Cornell Internal Medicine Associates. In the evolving world of healthcare, what should the medical record — and in particular, the 21st century progress note […]
Hydroxyurea Shows Some Benefits in Milder Sickle Cell Disease
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/hydroxyurea-shows-some-benefits-in-milder-sickle-cell-disease/ SAN DIEGO — Treatment with hydroxyurea led to more hematologic dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) compared with placebo in patients with hemoglobin SC, a milder form of sickle cell disease (SCD), a Ghanaian randomized phase II trial showed. Hematologic DLTs — mostly mild and transient — occurred in 33% of patients taking hydroxyurea […]
Rheumatoid Arthritis Boosts Risk for Heart Failure, but Not Every Kind
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/rheumatoid-arthritis-boosts-risk-for-heart-failure-but-not-every-kind/ Rates of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) were doubled in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) relative to other people of the same age and sex, researchers found. On the other hand, risk for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) wasn’t significantly higher in the RA patients, according to […]
Use of Depression Treatments Lower for Teens in States With Parental Consent Laws
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/use-of-depression-treatments-lower-for-teens-in-states-with-parental-consent-laws/ Use of treatment for depression among adolescents was significantly lower in states that mandate caregiver consent for such treatment, according to a cross-sectional study. After adjusting for state-level prevalence estimates of adolescent major depressive episodes, those who experienced an episode in the past year in states with laws prohibiting independent adolescent […]
Racial Diversity Lacking in Epilepsy Genetics Studies
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/racial-diversity-lacking-in-epilepsy-genetics-studies/ LOS ANGELES — Low racial diversity has limited genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in epilepsy, researchers found, with implications for prognostication and management decisions. Across all published GWAS on epilepsy, 71.5% of tested individuals were of European ancestry, 14.3% East Asian, 0.5% African, and 13.7% without reported ancestry. None of the participants […]
Disability Redefines ‘Ability’ in the Medical Profession
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/disability-redefines-ability-in-the-medical-profession/ Lazarus is an adjunct professor of psychiatry. Last month, Elton John told Good Morning America‘s Robin Roberts that he has lost significant vision in his right eye due to an infection and is unsure whether he can record an album again. Paul Simon recently revealed that hearing loss has caused him […]
Stopping MS Drugs Leads to Inflammatory Activity in Some Stable Patients
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/stopping-ms-drugs-leads-to-inflammatory-activity-in-some-stable-patients/ Nearly one in five stable MS patients developed significant radiological inflammation after stopping first-line treatment. The median time to disease activity after discontinuing treatment was 12 months. The trial was terminated early because recurrent disease activity exceeded predefined limits. Significant radiological inflammation emerged in nearly one in five stable multiple sclerosis […]
Fixed-Duration Oral Doublet for Fit CLL Wins in Frontline Setting
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/fixed-duration-oral-doublet-for-fit-cll-wins-in-frontline-setting/ SAN DIEGO — A fixed-duration oral combination significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death compared with chemoimmunotherapy in fit patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the phase III AMPLIFY trial showed. The progression-free survival (PFS) rate at 3 years reached 76.5% with acalabrutinib (Calquence) plus venetoclax (Venclexta), […]
Person of Interest in CEO’s Killing in Police Custody
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/person-of-interest-in-ceos-killing-in-police-custody/ A man with a gun thought to be similar to the one used in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was taken into police custody Monday for questioning in Pennsylvania, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press. The man is being held near Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 233 miles (375 […]
Women With Epilepsy Often Remain Unaware of Medication’s Pregnancy Risks
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/women-with-epilepsy-often-remain-unaware-of-medications-pregnancy-risks/ LOS ANGELES — Many women of reproductive age who were taking antiseizure medication didn’t fully understand its implications for pregnancy or have care that aligned with their reproductive goals, researchers found. Of 107 women ages 18-49, 67.3% answered at least one question incorrectly about the teratogenicity of their antiseizure medication or […]
Could a Hypertension Drug Protect Against Post-Stroke Epilepsy?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/could-a-hypertension-drug-protect-against-post-stroke-epilepsy/ LOS ANGELES — Use of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) was linked to a lower risk of epilepsy after an acute ischemic stroke, according to an observational study. Among hypertensive patients, ARB use was the only factor significantly associated with onset of post-stroke epilepsy after multivariate adjustment, reported Giacomo Evangelista, MD, of […]
Treatment of Smoldering Myeloma Cuts Progression Rate in Half
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/treatment-of-smoldering-myeloma-cuts-progression-rate-in-half/ SAN DIEGO — The risk of progression from smoldering multiple myeloma to symptomatic disease decreased by 50% in patients treated with the anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody daratumumab (Darzalex), according to a study reported here. The progression-free survival (PFS) rate at 5 years improved from 40.8% with active monitoring and no disease-specific treatment […]
Thirteen proteins in your blood could reveal the age of your brain
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/thirteen-proteins-in-your-blood-could-reveal-the-age-of-your-brain/ Researchers trained an artificial intelligence model to gauge people’s ages from their brain scans laboratory/Alamy The abundance of 13 proteins in your blood seems to be a strong indicator of how rapidly your brain is ageing. This suggests that blood tests could one day help people track and even boost their […]
RFK Jr. to Investigate Vaccines; Microdosing Semaglutide; Methadone Clinic Fraud?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/rfk-jr-to-investigate-vaccines-microdosing-semaglutide-methadone-clinic-fraud/ Note that some links may require registration or subscription. President-elect Donald Trump suggested that HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will investigate the alleged connection between autism and childhood vaccines, despite many studies deeming them safe. (NBC News) A federal judge ruled that the FDA must publicly disclose additional records related […]
Prioritise safety not A&E target, NHS leaders told
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/prioritise-safety-not-ae-target-nhs-leaders-told/ Health Secretary Wes Streeting has told health chiefs in England to prioritise safety even if it means performance against the four-hour A&E target slips this winter. The message was delivered at a meeting with hospital bosses and other NHS leaders in London on Monday amid mounting concern about the winter pressures […]
Why Do People Struggle to Prioritize Their Long-Term Health?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/why-do-people-struggle-to-prioritize-their-long-term-health/ Understanding how people make health-related decisions requires a deeper exploration of their motivations, beliefs, and circumstances, Christopher Dye, DPhil, professor of epidemiology at the University of Oxford, Oxford, England, and former director of strategy at the World Health Organization, told Medscape Medical News. “In public health, we tend to prescribe solutions,” […]
Rise in Psychotherapy Use Exposes Access Inequities
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/rise-in-psychotherapy-use-exposes-access-inequities/ Outpatient psychotherapy use in the United States rose sharply between 2018 and 2021, an increase that was driven primarily by young, urban professionals with higher family incomes, new data exposed significant disparities in access to this treatment type. Results of a large population-based repeated cross-sectional study revealed that psychotherapy use increased […]
Do Patients Prefer Access or Benefit?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/do-patients-prefer-access-or-benefit/ When the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants cancer drugs accelerated approval, a key aim is to provide patients faster access to therapies that can benefit them. The downside of a speedier approval timeline, however, is that it’s often not yet clear whether the new drugs will actually allow a […]
Untreated Female Infertility Raises Autoimmune Disease Risk
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/untreated-female-infertility-raises-autoimmune-disease-risk/ TOPLINE: Women who have experienced infertility without fertility treatment show a 25% higher risk for systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARD) up to 9 years after delivery compared with those without infertility. The association persists even after accounting for adverse pregnancy outcomes. METHODOLOGY: Population-based cohort study analyzed 568,053 singleton births among 465,078 […]
Lupus Nephritis Biomarkers ‘Robustly’ Predict Organ Damage
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/lupus-nephritis-biomarkers-robustly-predict-organ-damage/ WASHINGTON — An investigational 12-protein panel of urinary biomarkers predicted histologically active lupus nephritis (LN) with 86% accuracy, according to research presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2024 Annual Meeting. The noninvasive biomarker panel “robustly predicts meaningful and actionable histological findings” in patients with active proliferative LN, Andrea Fava, […]
Low Bone Strength Even After Remission in Cushing Syndrome
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/low-bone-strength-even-after-remission-in-cushing-syndrome/ TOPLINE: Bone material strength index (BMSi) values remain low in patients with Cushing syndrome even after 6 years in remission, despite having comparable bone mineral density (BMD) values to matched control, suggesting that altered bone quality may contribute to ongoing bone fragility. METHODOLOGY: Although BMD improves after remission of hypercortisolism in […]
Pediatric Programs Continue to Struggle
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/pediatric-programs-continue-to-struggle/ Over half of pediatric rheumatology fellowship positions went unfilled in 2024, according to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Comparatively, nearly all adult rheumatology positions were filled. Across all 39 subspecialities in internal medicine and pediatrics, there was an 86% fill rate. In pediatric subspecialties, the fill rate was 78%. There […]
Experts Warn of Epidemic Risks Under RFK Jr.’s Leadership
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/experts-warn-of-epidemic-risks-under-rfk-jr-s-leadership/ The availability of safe, effective Covid vaccines less than a year into the pandemic marked a high point in the 300-year history of vaccination, seemingly heralding an age of protection against infectious diseases. Now, after backlash against public health interventions culminated in President-elect Donald Trump’s nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the […]
Whooping Cough and Newborns: How to Set Boundaries
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/whooping-cough-and-newborns-how-to-set-boundaries/ Dec. 6, 2024 — Whooping cough is making a dangerous comeback across the US, with cases soaring to 4.5 times more this year than last, according to the CDC. For parents of newborns, this highly contagious respiratory illness poses a serious threat — and protecting your baby starts with setting clear […]
Treatment Effective Before CAR T
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/treatment-effective-before-car-t/ SAN DIEGO — Single-agent epcoritamab demonstrated deep and durable responses in CAR T–naïve patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (R/R LBCL) in a subgroup analysis of the pivotal phase 2 Epcore NHL-1 trial. These findings show that epcoritamab — a bispecific antibody therapy available off the shelf and shown […]
Skin Stress Biomarker May Predict Nerve Damage in Early T2D
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/skin-stress-biomarker-may-predict-nerve-damage-in-early-t2d/ TOPLINE: Increased cutaneous carbonyl stress is linked to slower nerve conduction in patients with metabolically well-controlled, recent-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) and can predict the development of neuropathic deficits over 5 years. METHODOLOGY: Accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which results from endogenous carbonyl stress, may be a potential target […]
Promising Results With Epcoritamab Monotherapy in Relapsed/Refractory CLL
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/promising-results-with-epcoritamab-monotherapy-in-relapsed-refractory-cll/ SAN DIEGO — Single-agent epcoritamab (Epkinly) achieved encouraging response rates in patients with heavily-pretreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to early results from a phase I trial. The overall response rate (ORR) was 67% among 21 of 23 evaluable patients treated with the CD3 x CD20 bispecific antibody in an expansion […]
Real-World Data Question Low-Dose Steroid Use in Vasculitis
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/real-world-data-question-low-dose-steroid-use-in-vasculitis/ TOPLINE: Compared with a standard dosing regimen, a reduced-dose glucocorticoid regimen is associated with an increased risk for disease progression, relapse, death, or kidney failure in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)–associated vasculitis, particularly affecting patients receiving rituximab or those with elevated creatinine levels. METHODOLOGY: The PEXIVAS trial demonstrated that a reduced-dose glucocorticoid […]
Delivery at 39 Weeks Optimal for Hypertensive Pregnancies
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/delivery-at-39-weeks-optimal-for-hypertensive-pregnancies/ TOPLINE: Among pregnant patients with chronic hypertension, delivery at 39 weeks of gestation provides an optimal balance between stillbirth risk and neonatal outcomes. Analysis of 227,977 term singleton deliveries shows consistent findings across different patient subgroups. METHODOLOGY: A population-based retrospective cohort study analyzed 227,977 nonanomalous singleton term births in the United […]
With Chemo, Blinatumomab Boosts DFS in Pediatric B-ALL
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/with-chemo-blinatumomab-boosts-dfs-in-pediatric-b-all/ SAN DIEGO — The addition of the bispecific T-cell engager blinatumomab (Blincyto) to chemotherapy greatly boosted 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) in younger pediatric patients with newly diagnosed, standard-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), in a phase 3 randomized trial. Among pediatric patients with B-ALL followed for a mean of 2.5 years […]
Novel PTSD Treatment Improved Symptom Severity in Phase IIb Trial
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/novel-ptsd-treatment-improved-symptom-severity-in-phase-iib-trial/ An investigational therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) improved symptom severity as soon as one month into a 12-week, phase IIb study. In a modified intent-to-treat analysis of 182 patients, treatment effects with BNC210 — a novel α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-negative allosteric modulator — were seen as early as week 4 […]
High-Fiber Diet Linked to Improved Stem Cell Transplant, GvHD Outcomes
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/high-fiber-diet-linked-to-improved-stem-cell-transplant-gvhd-outcomes/ SAN DIEGO — Recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) for blood disorders who maintain diets high in fiber show significant improvements in overall survival and a reduced risk of developing the potentially life-threatening complication of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), new research shows. Importantly, the findings suggest standard recommendations for patients […]
‘You Don’t Just Shoot an Arrow at It’: What We Heard This Week
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/you-dont-just-shoot-an-arrow-at-it-what-we-heard-this-week/ “You don’t just shoot an arrow at it … you throw a grenade, fire a torpedo, and drown it all at once.” — Natalie Callander, MD, of the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center in Madison, discussing quadruplet therapy for multiple myeloma. “There is a misconception that fractures are ‘normal’ in […]
Loncastuximab-Rituximab Boosts Response Rates in R/R Follicular Lymphoma
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/loncastuximab-rituximab-boosts-response-rates-in-r-r-follicular-lymphoma/ SAN DIEGO — The combination of loncastuximab tesirine (Zynlonta) and rituximab achieved promising response rates in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (R/R FL), according to a phase II trial. The single-arm study showed that 38 of 39 patients (97%) achieved a response at 12 weeks after treatment, with 26 […]
Novel BTK Inhibitor Succeeds in Heavily Pretreated Immune Thrombocytopenia
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/novel-btk-inhibitor-succeeds-in-heavily-pretreated-immune-thrombocytopenia/ SAN DIEGO — Treatment with an investigational oral inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) was safe and boosted platelet counts in heavily pretreated patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), a phase III trial showed. In the so-called LUNA 3 study, 23% of patients assigned to rilzabrutinib achieved a durable platelet response at […]
IVIG Prophylaxis in Myeloma Cuts Infections, Ups Survival
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/ivig-prophylaxis-in-myeloma-cuts-infections-ups-survival/ Patients with multiple myeloma who receive intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) prophylaxis during treatment with teclistamab have fewer infections and better overall survival compared with those who do not receive IVIG prophylaxis, according to new findings presented here at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2024 Annual Meeting. Among 225 consecutive patients who […]
Dietary Intervention Shows Promise in Blood Cancers
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/dietary-intervention-shows-promise-in-blood-cancers/ SAN DIEGO — Increased dietary fiber had a significant association with improved outcomes in blood cancers, according to studies reported here. Patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (allo-HCT) had significantly better survival and a lower rate of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) with higher levels of fiber intake. The outcomes were associated with […]
Hospitalization Should Not Mean Financial Ruin for Medicare Beneficiaries
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/hospitalization-should-not-mean-financial-ruin-for-medicare-beneficiaries/ Chatterjee is a physician, health policy researcher, and an assistant professor of medicine. Macneal is a statistical analyst. Patel is a senior research coordinator. Medicare was created to ensure older adults in the U.S. have healthcare coverage while protecting them from financial ruin. But for at least 10 million older adults […]
GLP-1 Drugs Tied to Reduced Risk of Dangerous Blood Clots
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/glp-1-drugs-tied-to-reduced-risk-of-dangerous-blood-clots/ SAN DIEGO — Type 2 diabetes patients may have a lower risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) when treated with a GLP-1 receptor agonist, regardless of their obesity status, a database study involving more than half a million patients found. Propensity-score matched analysis showed that VTE rates at 1 year were 20% […]
Rilzabrutinib Shines in Phase 3 Trial of Tough-to-Treat ITP
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/rilzabrutinib-shines-in-phase-3-trial-of-tough-to-treat-itp/ Phase 3 data support rilzabrutinib as a potential first-in-class oral Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor for patients with previously treated immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). In the LUNA 3 trial, treatment with rilzabrutinib (Sanofi) led to rapid and durable platelet responses, reduced bleeding and need for rescue therapy, and improved health-related quality of […]
Are GLP-1 Drug Holidays a Risk Worth Taking?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/are-glp-1-drug-holidays-a-risk-worth-taking/ In part three of this three-part Instagram Live discussion, MedPage Today editor-in-chief Jeremy Faust, MD, Karl Nadolsky, DO, and Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA, explore the concept of GLP-1 drug holidays, the challenges of maintaining cardiometabolic benefits, and the evolving landscape of obesity care. Nadolsky is a clinical endocrinologist […]
24-Hour Urine Testing in Multiple Myeloma: Time to Stop?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/24-hour-urine-testing-in-multiple-myeloma-time-to-stop/ Omitting 24-hour urine testing from multiple myeloma response assessments does not compromise accurate tracking of patients’ responses to treatment, a new analysis indicates. Overall, evaluating patients’ responses using urine-free and traditional criteria led to nearly identical assessments. When comparing the two criteria, only seven of 645 patients evaluated had discordant results. […]
Do Men or Women Benefit More From Short Bursts of Daily Activity?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/do-men-or-women-benefit-more-from-short-bursts-of-daily-activity/ The 24-hour news cycle is just as important to medicine as it is to politics, finance, or sports. At MedPage Today, new information is posted daily, but keeping up can be a challenge. As an aid for our readers, and for a little amusement, here is a 10-question quiz based on […]
Bispecific Antibodies Fare Less Well in Real-World Analysis
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/bispecific-antibodies-fare-less-well-in-real-world-analysis/ SAN DIEGO — Compared with clinical trials, a real-world retrospective analysis has linked the bispecific antibodies epcoritamab (Epkinly) and glofitamab (Columvi) to somewhat poorer outcomes in relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). In a presentation here at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2024 Annual Meeting, researchers reported that of […]
Texting to Improve Adherence to CVD Medications; Detecting Maternal Cancers
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/texting-to-improve-adherence-to-cvd-medications-detecting-maternal-cancers/ TTHealthWatch is a weekly podcast from Texas Tech. In it, Elizabeth Tracey, director of electronic media for Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, and Rick Lange, MD, president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, look at the top medical stories of the week. This week’s topics include […]
Dual Targeted CAR-T Yields 99% Response Rate in Pediatric ALL
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/dual-targeted-car-t-yields-99-response-rate-in-pediatric-all/ SAN DIEGO — An investigational CAR T-cell therapy induced responses in nearly every single patient with childhood B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), a researcher reported here. In a cohort of more than 300 patients with relapsed or refractory disease, 99.1% treated with the CD19/CD22-directed product bicistronic achieved a complete remission or […]