GI Symptoms May Be Characteristic of a Multiple Sclerosis Prodrome, Study Suggests
Physician visits for gastritis, duodenitis, and esophageal disorders were more than 40% higher in MS patients 5 years before diagnosis than for controls.
Statin Use May Reduce VTE Risk in Perimenopausal Women Taking Exogenous Hormones
While not eliminated, study authors found risk of VTE reduced roughly by half in women taking vs not taking a statin when initiating hormone therapy.
EPA, DHA May Have Protective Effects in Pulmonary Fibrosis
Higher serum levels of the omega-3 fatty acids were associated with slowed disease progression and longer transplant-free survival in a new study.
Patient Health Beliefs, Priorities, and Fears for 2024: National Survey Highlights
Plans for changes in health behavior, fear of high drug prices and a switch in health plans, and a role for AI in clinical medicine are some of the topics probed.
New SARS-CoV-2 Variant Fastest Growing Strain in US: CDC
Infections with the JN.1 Omicron descendent have doubled since mid-November and now comprise 1 in 5 cases of COVID-19 in the US.
CDC: "Leverage All Available Tools" to Increase Flu, RSV, COVID Vaccination
Vaccination against all 3 cocirculating viruses are lower than this time last year and hospitalizations are up across age groups, according to a CDC Health Advisory.
FDA Grants Priority Review to Merck BLA for Investigational 21-Valent Pneumococcal Vaccine
If approved the 21-valent shot would be the first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine indicated specifically for adults.
Obesity Medicine Certificates Increase 40% from 2022 to 2023, says ABOM
The American Board of Obesity Medicine says annual first-time certificates now exceed those for cardiology, pulmonology, and medical oncology.
Primary Care and Physiatry: When One Leads to the Other, Sooner is Better than Later
Physiatrist Dr Espiritu McKay works closely with primary care clinicians in getting performing artists back to work and stresses that early referral can make a big difference.
Physical Rehabilitation for Performing Artists is Sometimes a Negotiated Plan, says Physiatrist Dr Espiritu McKay
The injured dancer needs to perform on closing night; the physiatrist may need to securely tape an ankle in exchange for a promise that this performance will be the last for a while.
Two Vaccines Against RSV in Older Adults Approved One Month Apart: It Happened in 2023
First-ever vaccines against RSV in older adults, from GSK and Pfizer, won FDA approval in 2023. This brief slide show highlights the year's headline news about both.
Exemption Rate from School Vaccination for Kindergartners Unprecedented in 2022-23: CDC Report
Nonmedical exemptions from required school vaccinations accounted for more than 90% of the increase, according to the published data.
Physiatrist Treats Performing Artists, a Population She Knows from Personal Experience
Tracy Espiritu McKay, DO, a former musical theater performer, can almost feel her patient's pain. She highlights treatment challenges and says early referral after injury is key.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus: A Year of Infant Protection Breakthroughs
The world's first maternal vaccine against RSV in neonates and infants was approved in August. This brief slide show highlights the clinical trials that made history.
Long COVID is Still Real and Patients Still Need Validation, Especially for Mental Health Symptoms: Author Interview
Speaking about treating mental health symptoms linked to COVID-19 infection, Dr Abby Cheng reiterates the importance of validating the patient's experience.
The Devil is in the Long COVID Details When Assessing Mental Health Symptoms, Says Dr Abby Cheng
Is the patient's low energy related to long COVID-related depression, post-exertional malaise, both? The differential diagnosis is all about nuance, says physiatrist Cheng.
Tirzpatide for Chronic Weight Management Now Available in US Pharmacies, Lilly Announces
The dual GIP/GLP-1 mimetic is available by prescription for adults with obesity or overweight with comorbidities and Lilly is offering a savings card program.
Mental Health Symptoms of Long COVID: "We Don't Know Everything Yet"
Physiatrist Abby Cheng, MD, an author of the AAPM&R Long COVID Mental Health Consensus Guidance Statement, discusses why the symptoms can be confusing.
10 More Can't Miss Doctor Gifts Worth Giving for 2023
What about an MDF stethoscope from the wild-animal "Uncaged" collection with snow leopard tubing or a text highlighter that talks back? Find those and 8 More Can't Miss Doctor Gifts to give or to have.
10 Can't Miss Doctor Gifts Worth Giving (or Having) for 2023-2024
It's time for some good-natured holiday health care gift-giving and we did some window shopping for you. Take a moment, take a breath, and scroll through 10 potential winners.
10 Take-Home Messages from the New ACC/AHA Atrial Fibrillation Guidelines: A Guideline Topline
The 10 most important take-homes from the 2023 ACC/AHA AF guidelines are summarized in this Guideline Topline, an at-a-glance preview for primary care.
E-Cigarette Packaging to Resemble Products for Youth Prompt More FDA Warning Letters
Camouflaging e-cigarettes as kid- and teen-appealing drinks and toys may help youth conceal the products from adults, increase risk of harm to children.
More Timely Care for Chronic Liver Disease is Coming, Step-by-Step, says Hepatologist Bruce Luxon, MD, PhD
Reducing stigma associated with chronic liver disease and expediting diagnosis and referral will take some time but progress is being made, Luxon says.
To Help Reduce the Burden of Chronic Liver Disease, Primary Care Needs Simple, Reliable, Available Tools
Transplant hepatologist Dr Bruce Luxon says primary care is essential to making progress against chronic liver disease but doesn't have the resources it needs.
10 Top Studies from The Liver Meeting 2023: At-a-Glance
Simplified risk stratification tools for NAFLD, effects of statins on hepatic disease, trends in OHE, and patient perspectives are samples of the noteworthy research areas.
Updated Guidelines for Atrial Fibrillation from ACC/AHA Focus on Aggressive Prevention and Control and a Continuum of Care
The revised guidance classifies AF into 4 stages, emphasizes prevention and aggressive rhythm control, and upgrades recommendations for catheter ablation and LAA occlusion.
Obesity Advocacy Groups Say Exclusion of People with Obesity from Drug Research Must Stop
The 5 leading advocacy groups said the safety of people with obesity is at risk and called on the FDA to change clinical trial inclusion requirements and expedite labeling changes.
Treat the Neuropathic Pain—and the Rest of the Person, Too: PM&R Physician Saloni Sharma, MD
Physiatrist Saloni Sharma, MD, stresses the essential role of coordinated, multidisciplinary care for a person with neuropathic pain—and any person with limited function.
CV Risk Factors Increasing Among Middle-Aged US Adults, Socioeconomic Inequities Persist: New Findings
Cardiovascular mortality has been increasing among middle-aged US adult since 2011; a new study looked at changes in CV risk factors by income level over the past 20 years.
Dupilumab sBLA Submission for COPD Accelerated Based on Second Positive Phase 3 Trial Findings
Dupilumab reduced COPD exacerbations by more than one-third in the phase 3 NOTUS trial, matching outcomes from the earlier BOREAS study this year.
