Treat-to-Target Approach for RA Improves Time to Pregnancy
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/treat-to-target-approach-for-ra-improves-time-to-pregnancy/ WASHINGTON — Women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience improved fertility when treated using a treat-to-target (T2T) approach aimed at remission, according to a new research presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2024 Annual Meeting. In the study, more than half the women following this T2T approach were able to […]
Which Canadians Have Greater Need?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/which-canadians-have-greater-need/ VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — Amid a lack of consensus on screening men for prostate cancer using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA), family physicians can consider suggesting that their Black and Indigenous patients undergo PSA testing for prostate cancer, according to a presentation at the Family Medicine Forum 2024. Anmol Lamba, MD, an […]
Can a Changing World Agree on the WHO Pandemic Treaty?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/can-a-changing-world-agree-on-the-who-pandemic-treaty/ LISBON, Portugal — “Work together and mobilize our forces” around the Pandemic Treaty, said experts at the 17th European Public Health Conference (EPH) 2024. The agreement is being designed to promote equity in allocating vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for international health security in preparation for future pandemics. But time is running […]
Common Heart Failure Drugs Ease Heart Damage During Chemo
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/common-heart-failure-drugs-ease-heart-damage-during-chemo/ Sacubitril-valsartan, a common drug combination for heart failure, cuts the risk for cardiomyopathy after chemotherapy in patients who received anthracycline drugs by 77% in the first randomized controlled study of this approach. The small, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, called SARAH, involved 114 patients in Brazil and was conducted over 6 months. It […]
New Pill Successfully Lowers Lp(a) Levels
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/new-pill-successfully-lowers-lpa-levels/ Muvalaplin, a novel oral medication, safely and effectively lowers high levels of lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), results from the phase 2 KRAKEN trial show. Concentrations of Lp(a) cholesterol are genetically determined and remain steady throughout life. Levels of 125 nmol/L or higher promote clotting and inflammation, significantly increasing the risk for heart […]
Reused Pacemakers Good as New in Early Safety Data
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/reused-pacemakers-good-as-new-in-early-safety-data/ CHICAGO — Secondhand permanent pacemaker use in poorer countries, following thorough cleaning and repackaging, has not resulted in patient harm so far, according to the My Heart Your Heart trialists. In patients who could not afford new devices on their own, use of so-called “reconditioned” pacemakers met criteria for non-inferiority on […]
CDC Advisors Defend Infection Control Draft Guidance
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/cdc-advisors-defend-infection-control-draft-guidance/ Members of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) voted Friday to defend what some have called weak standards of infection control for healthcare settings, agreeing nearly unanimously that surgical masks provide adequate protection against airborne pathogens, and that sick healthcare workers may return to work after 3 days of […]
‘America Deserves Better’: Major Public Health Group Slams RFK Jr. Nomination
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/america-deserves-better-major-public-health-group-slams-rfk-jr-nomination/ One of the leading public health associations came out Monday against President-elect Trump’s nomination of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for HHS secretary. Kennedy’s selection, which would have to be either confirmed by the Senate or finalized temporarily in a recess appointment, “raises serious concerns for the health of the […]
Primary Care Doctors at Mass General Brigham Want to Unionize
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/primary-care-doctors-at-mass-general-brigham-want-to-unionize/ Several hundred primary care physicians at Mass General Brigham (MGB) notified the National Labor Relations Board on Friday that they support unionization, a move they called historic and increasingly common throughout the country. The petition to link up with the Doctors Council, a labor union for physicians, was prompted by a […]
Novel Anti-Inflammatory Flops for HFpEF, HFmrEF
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/novel-anti-inflammatory-flops-for-hfpef-hfmref/ CHICAGO — The novel myeloperoxidase (MPO) inhibitor mitiperstat failed to improve quality of life or functional capacity in heart failure with mid-range to preserved ejection fraction (HFmrEF, HFpEF), the phase II ENDEAVOR trial showed. For the primary endpoint of Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ-TSS) quality of life scores, the drug had […]
Extended Dosing Intervals Possible With Aflibercept in Diabetic Macular Edema
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/extended-dosing-intervals-possible-with-aflibercept-in-diabetic-macular-edema/ Positive 3-year results from the phase III PHOTON study were presented at the recent American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting, demonstrating that patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) achieved sustained vision improvements with extended dosing intervals and no new safety signals with aflibercept 8 mg (Eylea HD). MedPage Today brought together […]
Over 50% of U.S. Adults Qualify for Ozempic, Wegovy
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/over-50-of-u-s-adults-qualify-for-ozempic-wegovy/ More than half of all adults in the U.S. are eligible for semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus), researchers estimated. Among 25,531 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2015 to 2020, 8,504 were eligible for semaglutide, representing an estimated 136.8 million adults across the country. All met the […]
Gene-Editing Therapy Shows Promise in Hereditary Angioedema
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/gene-editing-therapy-shows-promise-in-hereditary-angioedema/ A single dose of the CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy NTLA-2002 significantly reduced angioedema attacks compared with placebo in patients with hereditary angioedema, according to results from a phase II randomized study presented at the recent American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) annual meeting. In this exclusive MedPage Today video, study […]
Is Low Disease Activity Good Enough in RA?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/is-low-disease-activity-good-enough-in-ra/ WASHINGTON — Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who achieved sustained remission had better long-term outcomes than those with lingering low-level symptoms, a single-center study found — casting doubt on current guidelines that say low disease activity (LDA) is an acceptable target for management. Patient-reported outcomes tracked for 2 years all pointed to […]
The Dual Role of Illusion in Patient Care
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/the-dual-role-of-illusion-in-patient-care/ Lazarus is an adjunct professor of psychiatry. “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry, published in 1907 in his collection The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories of the Four Million, follows the story of “Johnsy” (Joanna), a young, impoverished artist who is seriously ill with pneumonia. Feeling hopeless, she believes she will […]
Topical Ivermectin Among Rx Options for Ocular Rosacea
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/topical-ivermectin-among-rx-options-for-ocular-rosacea/ LAS VEGAS — In the clinical experience of Julie C. Harper, MD, patients with ocular rosacea don’t always present with telltale signs like red or bloodshot eyes. “Sometimes they just have a dry, gritty feel to their eye and only the lid margin is red,” Harper, who practices dermatology in Birmingham, […]
Study: Statins Mitigate Heart Risks From JAK Inhibitors
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/study-statins-mitigate-heart-risks-from-jak-inhibitors/ WASHINGTON — Patients taking Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may not have to worry so much about increased cardiovascular risk — if they’re taking statins, research presented here suggested. Among participants in the landmark ORAL Surveillance study assigned to the JAK inhibitor tofacitinib (Xeljanz) and also using statins, […]
Gene Therapy Promising for Rare Genetic Cardiomyopathy
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/gene-therapy-promising-for-rare-genetic-cardiomyopathy/ CHICAGO — Gene therapy for Danon disease, a rare inherited cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, appeared to improve or stabilize the structure and function of the heart over a period of 24 to 54 months without major safety concerns in the first seven patients treated. Phase I and interim long-term follow-up study […]
We’re starting to understand why some people regain weight they lost
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/were-starting-to-understand-why-some-people-regain-weight-they-lost/ It can be hard to keep weight off Tero Vesalainen/Getty Images People with obesity who lose weight often put it back on, which may partly be driven by lasting changes to the DNA within their fat cells, a discovery that could one day lead to new treatments. Around 85 per cent […]
ALD and AUD on the Rise in Older Adults
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/ald-and-aud-on-the-rise-in-older-adults/ SAN DIEGO — The prevalence of and number of deaths from alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are growing among people age 70 and older in the United States, according to the results of a new study. Even as mortality rates decline globally, AUD deaths rose in the […]
Fecal Therapy Shows Survival Benefit in Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/fecal-therapy-shows-survival-benefit-in-severe-alcoholic-hepatitis/ Adding fecal microbiota therapy to standard care for steroid-ineligible severe alcoholic-associated hepatitis appeared safe and effective in a small randomized trial from India. Survival at 90 days reached 73% with fecal transplant delivered via a nasoduodenal tube compared with 40% with standard care alone (P=0.02), with more than twice as many […]
Electronic Nudges Improved Flu Shot Uptake in Patients With Acute MI History
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/electronic-nudges-improved-flu-shot-uptake-in-patients-with-acute-mi-history/ CHICAGO — Electronic nudges increased uptake of flu vaccines among patients with a history of acute myocardial infarction (MI), results from three Danish randomized trials showed. Among over 2 million patients, a letter explaining the cardiovascular benefits of influenza vaccination led to larger improvements in vaccine uptake among patients with a […]
New Trial Result Pushes Past Antiarrhythmic Therapy After MI
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/new-trial-result-pushes-past-antiarrhythmic-therapy-after-mi/ Upfront catheter ablation is a better first-line strategy for patients who develop ventricular tachycardia (VT) after a myocardial infarction (MI) than waiting until antiarrhythmic drugs fail, a multicenter randomized trial shows. At the end of follow up in the VANISH2 trial, upfront catheter ablation reduced the hazard ratio for a primary […]
Left Atrial Appendage Closure Reduced Bleeding After Afib Ablation
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/left-atrial-appendage-closure-reduced-bleeding-after-afib-ablation/ CHICAGO — For patients at high risk of stroke who underwent catheter-based atrial fibrillation ablation, left atrial appendage closure led to less bleeding compared with oral anticoagulation, the randomized OPTION trial showed. Non-procedure-related major bleeding or clinically relevant non-major bleeding at 36 months occurred in 8.5% of patients who had left […]
Is It the Therapy or the Therapist Who Helps With Knee Pain?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/is-it-the-therapy-or-the-therapist-who-helps-with-knee-pain/ WASHINGTON — Patients with meniscal tears undergoing physical therapy (PT) had no more improvement in a randomized trial than those receiving sham PT, raising — and perhaps answering — the question of how real-world patients actually derive benefit from PT. In the study, called TeMPO, which also tested home-based exercise with […]
Davina McCall makes ‘enormous leap forward’ as she leaves ICU after surgery
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/davina-mccall-makes-enormous-leap-forward-as-she-leaves-icu-after-surgery/ TV presenter Davina McCall is out of intensive care and has made an “enormous leap forward” in the last 24 hours, following her surgery to remove a rare brain tumour. In an update on her Instagram account her partner Michael Douglas said: “Thanks so much to all the well wishers. She […]
CDC’s Carrot Warning; New Mpox Strain in the U.S.; DEA Extends Telehealth Rules
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/cdcs-carrot-warning-new-mpox-strain-in-the-u-s-dea-extends-telehealth-rules/ Note that some links may require registration or subscription. Organic carrots sold at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and other stores have been linked to 39 cases of E. coli across 18 states, according to the CDC; 15 people have been hospitalized and one person is dead. California health officials announced the […]
Making Life Better at the Bottom of the Healthcare Pyramid
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/making-life-better-at-the-bottom-of-the-healthcare-pyramid/ 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. Every day, we all get calls, emails, texts, and chats, from patients, friends, and colleagues. It seems like everyone is […]
Vulvar Dermatoses: Ob.Gyn Collaboration With Dermatologists
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/vulvar-dermatoses-ob-gyn-collaboration-with-dermatologists/ Sarah Cigna, MD, sees patients every week with vulvovaginal pain and vulvar dermatoses. She’s an ob.gyn. with a focus on sexual health — often the first physician seen by patients with vulvar pain or itch — and she believes collaboration with dermatologists is essential, especially for complex cases in what she […]
Test Gives Mixed Results for Preeclampsia Risk in SLE
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/test-gives-mixed-results-for-preeclampsia-risk-in-sle/ WASHINGTON — A diagnostic test to predict preeclampsia does not effectively rule in or out this pregnancy complication in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and proteinuria, according to new research presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2024 Annual Meeting. “If you have a patient who has proteinuria during […]
Which Therapies Improve Survival Most in Esophageal Cancer?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/which-therapies-improve-survival-most-in-esophageal-cancer/ TOPLINE: Perioperative chemotherapy as well as neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy followed by surgery (trimodality therapy) are associated with improved overall survival in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer compared with chemoradiation and radiotherapy alone, according to a retrospective study. Despite the benefits, perioperative chemotherapy is the least used approach. METHODOLOGY: Studies have […]
How Will Trump’s Govt Impact Health Policy Abroad?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/how-will-trumps-govt-impact-health-policy-abroad/ It’s been 2 weeks since election day, and US President-Elect Donald Trump’s transition team is nominating candidates for crucial cabinet and White House positions, including the role of secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Health policy experts in Europe told Medscape Medical News that the Trump administration’s healthcare […]
Any Hypertension Drug Combo Can Work in Underserved Groups
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/any-hypertension-drug-combo-can-work-in-underserved-groups/ Three combination therapies for hypertension are equally effective in reducing blood pressure, according to a new global study conducted in India, where this significant health burden affects nearly 300 million people. Control rates in the country are “abysmal”; just 10%-20% of people with hypertension have their condition under control, Dorairaj Prabhakaran, […]
Revumenib Approved for KMT2A Translocation Leukemia
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/revumenib-approved-for-kmt2a-translocation-leukemia/ The US Food and Drug Administration has approved revumenib (Revuforj — Syndax Pharmaceuticals) for relapsed or refractory acute leukemia with a KMT2A gene translocation in adult and pediatric patients 1 year or older. The approval makes the oral small-molecule menin inhibitor the first pharmaceutical to carry the indication. It blocks the […]
Adjusting Thyroid Ranges for Age Cuts Hypothyroidism Rates
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/adjusting-thyroid-ranges-for-age-cuts-hypothyroidism-rates/ The reference ranges of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4), known to vary in children compared with adults, also shift considerably in older age, to the degree that the use of standard ranges in older patients without age adjustment results in significant overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment for subclinical or overt […]
Key Updates in Resuscitation Procedure After Drowning
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/key-updates-in-resuscitation-procedure-after-drowning/ New recommendations on rescuing adults and children who have drowned include an important update for healthcare professionals, trained rescuers, and untrained lay rescuers. The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have issued recommendations that highlight delivering rescue breaths as well as calling 911 and performing chest […]
Telehealth Promotes STI-PEP in Cisgender African American Men
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/telehealth-promotes-sti-pep-in-cisgender-african-american-men/ African American cisgender men who had sex with men (MSM) were significantly more likely to continue HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care after a telehealth initiation of prophylactic doxycycline than those who did not receive this intervention, based on data from a new study of 712 individuals. African American cisgender MSM are […]
Group Interventions Ease Loneliness in Older Adults With HIV
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/group-interventions-ease-loneliness-in-older-adults-with-hiv/ Tailoring existing evidence-based loneliness intervention according to urban or rural settings may more effectively reduce loneliness in adults living with HIV, based on a comparison of programs in urban and rural settings. The comparison was presented in a poster at the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care 2024 Annual Meeting. “Loneliness […]
Gut Microbiome Has Potential to Counter Gout
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/gut-microbiome-has-potential-to-counter-gout/ Efforts to combat hyperuricemia may find help from gut microbes, according to Dylan Dodd, MD, PhD, who spoke at the annual research symposium of the Gout, Hyperuricemia, and Crystal-Associated Disease Network. Dodd is an assistant professor of pathology and microbiology and immunology at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, where he studies […]
Vitamin D May Lower Blood Pressure in Overweight Seniors
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/vitamin-d-may-lower-blood-pressure-in-overweight-seniors/ TOPLINE: Supplementation with vitamin D and calcium can reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in older individuals with overweight, particularly in those with a body mass index (BMI) > 30 and those diagnosed with hypertension. METHODOLOGY: Large cohort data have provided epidemiologic evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to a higher risk […]
Do Statins Improve Nasopharyngeal Cancer Outcomes?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/do-statins-improve-nasopharyngeal-cancer-outcomes/ TOPLINE: Statin use during concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for advanced nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is associated with a 52% reduction in all-cause mortality. Higher cumulative defined daily doses of statins correlate with improved survival outcomes, particularly with rosuvastatin and atorvastatin. METHODOLOGY: Statins have demonstrated potential anticancer effects in various malignancies, including the ability […]
New Strategy Led to Modest Decline in Antibiotic Misuse
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/new-strategy-led-to-modest-decline-in-antibiotic-misuse/ TOPLINE: Multifaceted antimicrobial stewardship interventions show varying effectiveness and modest reductions in unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, particularly in general practice. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted this study to assess the impact of an intervention on antibiotic prescribing and dispensing for common infections. Healthcare professionals from general practice, out-of-hours services, nursing homes, and community pharmacies […]
Water Fluoridation: Where Does Canada Stand?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/water-fluoridation-where-does-canada-stand/ Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, who has been nominated to head the US Department of Health and Human Services, has called for the removal of fluoride from public water. Canada, meanwhile, appears to be on the fence. In Alberta, Calgary’s plans to reintroduce fluoride into the water have been delayed for 3 years […]
Does Repeated Anesthesia Affect IQ in Children?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/does-repeated-anesthesia-affect-iq-in-children/ TOPLINE: Multiple exposures to general anesthesia before age 5 years are linked to lower IQ, decreased verbal and perceptual skills, and increased behavioral issues in children. METHODOLOGY: An international group of researchers conducted an observational study using data from the GAS trial carried out across seven countries, which compared infants who […]
Oral Drug Safe, Effective in Kids With Achondroplasia
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/oral-drug-safe-effective-in-kids-with-achondroplasia/ The oral FGFR1-3 selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor infigratinib was found to be safe and effective at the highest studied dose among children with achondroplasia in a phase II dose-finding study. During treatment, all 72 participants had at least one adverse event, though most were mild (54%) or moderate (39%) in severity, […]
Health Security Scores Low on Europeans’ Health Agendas
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/health-security-scores-low-on-europeans-health-agendas/ LISBON, Portugal — Aging populations, climate change, and addressing the determinants of health through health for all and health in all policies are of the highest priority for future health in Europe, according to results of a public debate. Results showed support for stronger cross-sectoral action. Also, digital solutions and artificial […]
Providers’ ‘exploitative’ profits to be curbed
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/providers-exploitative-profits-to-be-curbed/ Getty Images Plans aimed at preventing companies that run children’s homes in England from making excessive profits will be set out by the government on Monday. It says it will bring forward new measures that will require large providers to disclose their finances. If they do not limit their profits voluntarily, […]
Prostate Cancer Overtreatment Persists
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/prostate-cancer-overtreatment-persists/ Overtreatment of men with prostate cancer and limited life expectancy (LE) has persisted in the era of active surveillance and worsened in some instances, according to a new study. “Overtreatment of men with limited longevity for intermediate- and high-risk tumors has not only failed to improve but has actually worsened over […]
Blood Pressure Variability Linked to Glaucoma Progression
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/blood-pressure-variability-linked-to-glaucoma-progression/ TOPLINE: Fluctuations in blood pressure over an extended period, along with their interaction with mean blood pressure or intraocular pressure, are associated with a more rapid visual field progression in patients with suspected or confirmed glaucoma. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate the association between blood pressure parameters […]
Evidence is growing that microbes in your mouth contribute to cancer
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/evidence-is-growing-that-microbes-in-your-mouth-contribute-to-cancer/ Scientists may have found another reason to prioritise dental hygiene skynesher/Getty Images Mounting evidence suggests that the microbes in our mouths could be putting us at risk of certain cancers, as well as affecting our prognosis if we do develop them, but the relationship isn’t straightforward. Second only to the gut, […]
What’s Exposome Data and Can It Lead to Healthier Kids?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/whats-exposome-data-and-can-it-lead-to-healthier-kids/ LISBON, Portugal — Europe needs a Child Health Exposome Mission to better understand how to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases over the life course, protecting the health and well-being of future generations, said Peter van den Hazel, MD, PhD, vice president of the European Public Health Association’s environment and health section. […]
Novel CRISPR-Cas9-Based Promising in ATTR Cardiomyopathy
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/novel-crispr-cas9-based-promising-in-attr-cardiomyopathy/ CHICAGO – A CRISPR-Cas9-based investigational therapy was linked with a drop in serum transthyretin (TTR) levels in patients with transthyretin amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), according to phase I data. A single IV infusion of nexiguran ziclumeran (nex-z), a therapy that targets production of TTR in the liver, was delivered to patients […]
Big Blow to Anticoagulation Strategy Against Afib-Related Cognition Problems
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/big-blow-to-anticoagulation-strategy-against-afib-related-cognition-problems/ CHICAGO — Researchers failed to prevent cognitive impairment in people with existing atrial fibrillation (Afib) by going the route of anticoagulation to mitigate subclinical brain infarcts, according to the BRAIN-AF trial. Stopped early for futility, BRAIN-AF suggested a similar risk of cognitive decline, stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA) whether Afib […]
Gynaecology waiting lists in UK double, leaving women in pain
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/gynaecology-waiting-lists-in-uk-double-leaving-women-in-pain/ BBC Anna Cooper has had 17 operations and is in constant pain Waiting lists for gynaecology appointments across the UK have more than doubled since February 2020, BBC research reveals. Records show around three-quarters of a million (755,046) women’s health appointments are waiting to happen – up from 360,400 just before […]
Two Treatments That Don’t Work for Osteoarthritis
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/two-treatments-that-dont-work-for-osteoarthritis/ WASHINGTON — If you’re looking for nonsurgical osteoarthritis (OA) treatments with fewer side effects than ordinary pain relievers, two randomized trials presented here with negative results should at least narrow your search. In one, colchicine proved to be no better than placebo for pain relief or patient-reported functional improvement in OA […]
Is DOAC A Viable Option After Bioprosthetic Valve Surgery Even in Sinus Rhythm?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/is-doac-a-viable-option-after-bioprosthetic-valve-surgery-even-in-sinus-rhythm/ CHICAGO — Edoxaban (Savaysa) appeared at least on par with warfarin for 12-week thromboembolic prophylaxis after bioprosthetic valve surgical implant in a Japanese trial with a population largely in sinus rhythm, but small numbers made the results inconclusive. Edoxaban had a numerically lower rate of the primary outcome of stroke or […]
Spironolactone Misses the Mark in Acute MI Without HF
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/spironolactone-misses-the-mark-in-acute-mi-without-hf/ CHICAGO — A mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) was unable to further improve 3-year outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (MI) in the modern era, based on the CLEAR OASIS 9 trial. Among heart attack survivors without heart failure who were on “very good” background medical therapy, routine spironolactone was no better than […]
AI Can Do Whole Echo Reports, Improve Efficiency
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/ai-can-do-whole-echo-reports-improve-efficiency/ CHICAGO — Artificial intelligence (AI) assistance for echocardiography is becoming better validated and proving mettle for clinical use. AI-fed echocardiography videos were able to complete 18 tasks at once, classifying patients on measures ranging from severe aortic valve stenosis to left ventricular systolic dysfunction and valvular regurgitation with high accuracy with […]
New Guidance Updates Ultrasound Use for Psoriatic Arthritis
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/new-guidance-updates-ultrasound-use-for-psoriatic-arthritis/ WASHINGTON — New draft guidance on the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) for diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis of psoriatic arthritis was presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2024 Annual Meeting. The new recommendations, intended to update 2012 guidance on rheumatologic use of MSUS, will go through another round of […]
Reconditioned Pacemakers Expand Access
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/reconditioned-pacemakers-expand-access/ Reconditioned pacemakers are as safe as new ones, and work just as well, preliminary results from the My Heart Your Heart trial show, which could help more people receive lifesaving devices. More than three quarters of the 20 million deaths caused by cardiovascular disease annually around the world occur in low- […]
Low-Dose Steroids Prevent GPA Relapse, With Caveats
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/low-dose-steroids-prevent-gpa-relapse-with-caveats/ WASHINGTON — Patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) completely tapered off prednisone have a more than fourfold risk of relapse by 6 months compared with those tapered to 5 mg/day of prednisone; however, this benefit was only seen in patients not on rituximab, according to new research presented at the American […]
‘Not a Good Choice’: What We Heard This Week
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/not-a-good-choice-what-we-heard-this-week/ “Not a good choice.” — Wendell Primus, PhD, visiting fellow at the Brookings Schaeffer Initiative on Health Policy in Washington, D.C., on president-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. “This is absurd, a real misuse of numbers and safety data.” […]
AI Makes Echocardiography Faster, More Accessible
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/ai-makes-echocardiography-faster-more-accessible/ Artificial intelligence (AI) helps produce echocardiograms more quickly and efficiently, with better-quality images and less fatigue for operators, shows the first prospective randomized controlled trial of AI-assisted echocardiography. The Japanese study used Us2.ai software, developed from an 11-country research platform and supported by the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research. […]
New Guidance for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound With RA
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/new-guidance-for-musculoskeletal-ultrasound-with-ra/ WASHINGTON — After more than a decade, the American College of Rheumatology has developed new draft guidance for the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) to help with diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Though not yet finalized, the statements that came out of a first round of committee voting […]
Where There’s Wildfire Smoke, There’s Respiratory Infection
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/where-theres-wildfire-smoke-theres-respiratory-infection/ Meyer is an emergency physician and former director of disaster preparedness for a large healthcare system. Myers is a practicing pulmonologist and intensivist. In summer 2017, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) was notified of a mysterious illness that had afflicted 10 inmate wildland firefighters. After several days at the […]
Expert-Backed Tips for Revitalizing Dystrophic Nails
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/expert-backed-tips-for-revitalizing-dystrophic-nails/ LAS VEGAS — After antifungal therapy for fungal nail disease, some dystrophy may persist, which can be addressed by several available treatments. Tracey C. Vlahovic, DPM “With the fingernails, we don’t often see onychomycosis, but with toenails, we certainly do,” Tracey C. Vlahovic, DPM, a professor at the Samuel Merritt University […]
Zoster Vaccine Found Effective, Safe in Autoimmune Patients
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/zoster-vaccine-found-effective-safe-in-autoimmune-patients/ WASHINGTON — Individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and multiple sclerosis (MS) had fewer herpes zoster (shingles) attacks if they had received the recombinant vaccine against the virus, compared with otherwise similar unvaccinated patients, a researcher reported. When data from two data sources were analyzed — one of commercial health insurance […]
B-Cell Depleting Drug Shows Benefit in IgG-Related Disease
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/b-cell-depleting-drug-shows-benefit-in-igg-related-disease/ WASHINGTON — The B-cell depleting agent inebilizumab (Uplizna) dramatically reduced the risk of flares and increased year-long remission of IgG4-related disease (RD), new research has found. In a phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 135 adults with active IgG4-RD, treatment with inebilizumab resulted in a significant 87% reduction in […]
Intense Blood Pressure Lowering Benefit Confirmed in Diabetes
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/intense-blood-pressure-lowering-benefit-confirmed-in-diabetes/ CHICAGO — An intensive treatment approach to lower systolic blood pressure to a target of 120 mm Hg in patients with type 2 diabetes led to a lower risk of cardiovascular events than a standard treatment approach in the BPROAD trial. In the new Chinese clinical trial, the relative risk of […]
JAK Inhibitor Succeeds in Giant Cell Arteritis Trial
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/jak-inhibitor-succeeds-in-giant-cell-arteritis-trial/ WASHINGTON — Giant cell arteritis (GCA) can be successfully treated with the oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor upadacitinib (Rinvoq), allowing corticosteroids to be withdrawn, results of a phase III trial indicated. Among 209 GCA patients receiving the drug at 15 mg/day, 46.4% achieved clinical remission without needing rescue steroids during weeks […]
Ablation Bests Drugs for Ventricular Tachycardia After Heart Attack
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/ablation-bests-drugs-for-ventricular-tachycardia-after-heart-attack/ CHICAGO — For patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ischemic cardiomyopathy, going right to catheter ablation improved outcomes compared with trying antiarrhythmic drugs first, the VANISH2 trial showed. Death or serious arrhythmic events occurred 25% less often over a median 4.3 years after catheter ablation compared with an initial strategy of […]
Intensive Blood Pressure Control Benefits People With Type 2 Diabetes Too
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/intensive-blood-pressure-control-benefits-people-with-type-2-diabetes-too/ CHICAGO — The cardiovascular outcome benefit of a tighter systolic blood pressure target was affirmed in patients with type 2 diabetes in the randomized BPROAD trial from China. A target of less than 120 mm Hg reduced a composite of stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure treatment or hospitalization, and cardiovascular death […]
Tirzepatide Officially Puts GLP-1 Meds on the Map for Obesity-Related Heart Failure
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/tirzepatide-officially-puts-glp-1-meds-on-the-map-for-obesity-related-heart-failure/ CHICAGO — A long-acting GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist conferred significant clinical benefit for people with obesity and accompanying heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), according to the SUMMIT trial. Incident cardiovascular death or worsening heart failure (HF) events were down over a median 104 weeks of follow-up in people who had […]
What New Warning Is on GLP-1 Drug Labels?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/what-new-warning-is-on-glp-1-drug-labels/ 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 […]
US reports first case of Clade I mpox in California
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/us-reports-first-case-of-clade-i-mpox-in-california/ California has reported the first US case of mpox – formerly known as monkeypox – that is part of a new outbreak. The state’s department of health, the CDPH, said the new case was from the Clade I strain – different from the Clade II strain that has been in circulation […]
Multiple Chronic Conditions and Death; Diabetes Treatment for Gout
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/multiple-chronic-conditions-and-death-diabetes-treatment-for-gout/ 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 […]
Tirzepatide Reduces Heart Failure Events in HFpEF With Obesity
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/tirzepatide-reduces-heart-failure-events-in-hfpef-with-obesity/ CHICAGO — A new study has shown for the first time that a drug therapy can reduce major heart failure clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure and a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obesity. The SUMMIT trial found that tirzepatide, a long-acting agonist of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic […]
Could Avian Flu Cause Our Next Pandemic?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/could-avian-flu-cause-our-next-pandemic/ Claire Panosian Dunavan is a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a past-president of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Colleagues, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee. Or, for a true reality check, just scan the […]
How to Handle a Negative Patient Review
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/how-to-handle-a-negative-patient-review/ LAS VEGAS — Early in his career as a physician associate in dermatology, Joe Cari, MPAS, PA-C, received a negative online review from a patient that really got under his skin. “It said something like, ‘Do not see Joe the fake doctor. Joe should have his medical license pulled. He didn’t […]
FDA Approves First Menin Inhibitor for Acute Leukemia
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/fda-approves-first-menin-inhibitor-for-acute-leukemia/ The FDA granted full approval to the menin inhibitor revumenib (Revuforj) for adults and children 1 year and older with relapsed/refractory acute leukemia and a lysine methyltransferase 2A gene (KMT2A) translocation. Support for the approval came from the phase I/II AUGMENT-101 trial, which evaluated single-agent revumenib in 104 children and adults […]
Physician Groups Quiet on RFK Jr. Nomination for HHS Secretary
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/physician-groups-quiet-on-rfk-jr-nomination-for-hhs-secretary/ The response from physician groups to President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for HHS secretary has been rather measured so far. Take for example the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “[This] nomination … offers an important opportunity to share the settled science on vaccines with government leaders, policymakers, […]
Clozapine’s REMS Program on the Chopping Block at Upcoming FDA Meeting
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/clozapines-rems-program-on-the-chopping-block-at-upcoming-fda-meeting/ Is a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) still needed for clozapine? That’s what a joint meeting of two FDA advisory committees will discuss on Tuesday. Risk management requirements for the atypical antipsychotic have evolved in the past 35 years to a REMS that manages the risk of severe neutropenia, which […]
Medical Groups Wary of RFK Jr. Nom to Lead HHS
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/medical-groups-wary-of-rfk-jr-nom-to-lead-hhs/ Some public health and medical organizations are expressing concern over President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to be secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), citing his vaccine skepticism and fringe medical views. Kennedy has falsely linked vaccines to autism and opposes community water […]
Higher BP Linked to Faster Visual Field Progression in Glaucoma
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/higher-bp-linked-to-faster-visual-field-progression-in-glaucoma/ Higher mean blood pressure (BP) levels were associated with faster rates of visual field progression in patients with glaucoma, according to a retrospective cohort study. Among 985 patients, the interaction terms of higher mean BP and higher standard deviation of BP were associated with faster annual mean deviation changes for both […]
A Potential Reason Behind COVID Vaccines’ Waning Benefit
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/a-potential-reason-behind-covid-vaccines-waning-benefit/ The inability of COVID vaccines to reach the long-lived plasma cell compartment in the bone marrow may explain their waning protection compared with vaccines for influenza or tetanus, according to a recent study published in Nature Medicine. In this exclusive MedPage Today video, study author Frances Eun-Hyung Lee, MD, of Emory […]
MEK Inhibitor Scores Big Win in Adults, Children With Neurofibromatosis Type 1
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/mek-inhibitor-scores-big-win-in-adults-children-with-neurofibromatosis-type-1/ Almost half of adults and children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) responded to the investigational MEK inhibitor mirdametinib, a large multicenter study of the rare condition showed. Overall, 53 of 114 patients met response criteria, defined as ≥20% reduction in target plexiform neurofibroma (PN) volume on consecutive MRI scans. Responses occurred […]
Response Duration After Stopping Enfortumab Vedotin in Bladder Cancer
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/response-duration-after-stopping-enfortumab-vedotin-in-bladder-cancer/ Patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma who achieved a complete response after more than 8.5 months of single-agent enfortumab vedotin (Padcev) were able to be off treatment for over 2 years before needing to restart therapy, according to retrospective data presented at the recent European Society for Medical Oncology annual congress in […]
How Often Do Doctors Use New Weight-Loss Drugs in Kids?
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/how-often-do-doctors-use-new-weight-loss-drugs-in-kids/ This story is part of a series called “Ozempic: Weighing the Risks and Benefits.” It was produced in part through a grant from the NIHCM Foundation. When Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, attended a holiday party thrown by two patients she was treating for obesity, she noticed something unusual about […]
Big Comeback for Myeloma Drug; DIY Cancer Therapy; Gut Clues to Bladder Cancer
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/big-comeback-for-myeloma-drug-diy-cancer-therapy-gut-clues-to-bladder-cancer/ GSK announced that belantamab mafodotin (Blenrep) plus bortezomib (Velcade) and dexamethasone improved overall survival in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma as compared with daratumumab (Darzalex) plus bortezomib and dexamethasone, coming full circle in a bid to return to the U.S. market after withdrawal in 2022. China-based BeiGene announced a rebranding as BeOne Medicines. […]
NMO Drug Looks Good for IgG4-Related Disease
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/nmo-drug-looks-good-for-igg4-related-disease/ WASHINGTON — Patients with IgG4-related disease appeared to benefit from inebilizumab (Uplizna), currently approved for neuromyelitis optica (NMO), in a pivotal clinical trial. Just 10% of patients treated with the drug in the 135-person phase III study developed disease flares during 1 year of follow-up, compared with 60% of a placebo […]
Group Sues Tennessee Over Racial Requirements for Medical Boards
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/group-sues-tennessee-over-racial-requirements-for-medical-boards/ A nonprofit dedicated to opposing diversity initiatives in medicine has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the requirements surrounding the racial makeup of key medical boards in Tennessee. The Virginia-based Do No Harm filed the lawsuit earlier this month, marking the second legal battle the group has launched in the Volunteer State […]
Betsi move some vascular surgeries to England after ‘incident’
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/betsi-move-some-vascular-surgeries-to-england-after-incident/ Getty Images A major surgery which between 10 and 15 patients have each year at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd will no longer take place at the hospital Some major operations will no longer be going ahead in north Wales, a health board has announced. Betsi Cadwaladr health board said it was pausing […]
An Update on Therapeutics for COVID-19
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/an-update-on-therapeutics-for-covid-19/ Although the general population now has at least some immunity against COVID-19, the consequences of severe disease are frequently overlooked for certain patient populations, such as those with comorbidities or immune compromise. However, new research into COVID prophylaxis and therapeutics offers some hope that novel treatments may be on the horizon. […]
Europe Rejects Cinainu (Alopecia) & Kizfizo (Neuroblastoma)
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/europe-rejects-cinainu-alopecia-kizfizo-neuroblastoma/ Europe’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended refusal of marketing authorizations for: Cinainu (allium/citrus/Paullinia/cacao), an herbal medicine intended to treat moderate to severe alopecia areata in children and adolescents Kizfizo (temozolomide) for the treatment of neuroblastoma in children older than 1 year Herbal Extracts Cinainu contains herbal […]
EMA Recommends Vilobelimabfor ARDS Induced by SARS-CoV-2
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/ema-recommends-vilobelimabfor-ards-induced-by-sars-cov-2/ Following a consultation with its emergency task force, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has backed a drug for adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by the SARS‑CoV-2 virus. As a result, the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommended granting a marketing authorization “under exceptional circumstances” […]
Nurse Suicides High During the Pandemic, but Feared Surge Never Materialized
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/nurse-suicides-high-during-the-pandemic-but-feared-surge-never-materialized/ Female nurses’ suicide risk remained higher but didn’t worsen through the COVID-19 pandemic compared with other women, according to a large retrospective cohort study. Female nurses had 21% and 41% higher suicide rates than their general population counterparts in the pre-pandemic years of 2018 and 2019, respectively, found researchers led by […]
Two Lung Cancer Drugs Recommended by EMA
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/two-lung-cancer-drugs-recommended-by-ema/ The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended eight medicines for approval this month, including two cancer drugs for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Repotrectinib for Advanced Cancers The regulatory body’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) supported granting a conditional marketing authorization for repotrectinib (Augtyro). The drug is intended […]
Leqembi Okayed for Subset of Early Alzheimer’s Patients
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/leqembi-okayed-for-subset-of-early-alzheimers-patients/ The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA’s) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended granting marketing authorization for Leqembi (lecanemab) to treat mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer’s disease, following a re-examination of the clinical data. The recommendation is only for patients who have one or no copies of the […]
Primary Biliary Cholangitis Incidence and Prevalence Growing
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/primary-biliary-cholangitis-incidence-and-prevalence-growing/ Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) has typically been considered a rare condition, with a pooled global estimated incidence of two per 100,000 people per year and an estimated prevalence of 15 per 100,000 people per year. But both its incidence and prevalence have been increasing, and it’s the most common cholestatic disease […]
Eyenovia to Discontinue Late-stage Study for Eye Drug
Source link : https://www.newshealth.biz/health-news/eyenovia-to-discontinue-late-stage-study-for-eye-drug/ (Reuters) -Eyenovia said on Friday it would terminate a late-stage study for its experimental drug-device combination to treat an eye disease after failing the main goal of slowing the progression of the condition. The disease, called pediatric progressive myopia, causes near-sightedness in early childhood, which worsens as the person grows. An […]