Practice Management
A Danish study published in JAMA Network Open found that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection was linked to a sustained rise in cardiovascular risk over 1 year in adults aged 45 years or older. In the study population, those with RSV (8,747 individuals) experienced 665 cardiovascular events vs 257 in matched controls (8,747 individuals without infection), yielding a 365-day excess risk of 4.69 percentage points. In this matched cohort study of 17,494 adults, early risk …
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A new analysis published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccines provided meaningful protection against the need for emergency department or urgent care visits related to COVID-19 in children. Using a test-negative design, researchers found vaccine effectiveness was 76% (95% confidence interval [CI], 58%–87%) for children aged 9 months-4 years and 56% (95% CI, 35%–70%) for those aged 5-17 years. Protection persisted with extended follow-up through 299 days. Approximately 38,000 …
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The Food and Drug Administration has approved 2 new oral antibiotics for the treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea, expanding therapeutic options amid growing drug resistance. Zoliflodacin was approved based on results from a multinational phase 3 trial involving 930 patients. In the study, a single oral dose of zoliflodacin was noninferior to a regimen of injectable ceftriaxone plus oral azithromycin. The study showed 91% of patients who took zoliflodacin were cured, and 96% of patients who …
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According to a U.S. retrospective analysis published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, real-world outcomes suggests that baloxavir may offer more reduction in downstream healthcare utilization among influenza outpatients compared to oseltamivir. The study evaluated electronic health records from 69 healthcare organizations, identifying more than 75,000 treated patients aged 5 years and older who received either oseltamivir (73,899) or baloxavir (1,592) from 2016 to 2023. Across 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up periods, baloxavir users …
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In a post-hoc analysis of a trial that measured weight gain and cardiometabolic factors among participants who used tirzepatide for 36 weeks, researchers found that among participants with obesity who stopped tirzepatide, a large majority had regained much of their weight—and that majority also lost more of the cardiometabolic benefits compared to those who maintained their weight reduction. In other words, those who did not keep the weight off after stopping tirzepatide also lost the …
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Just as more evidence is emerging that supports exposure to peanuts for young children as a way to avoid future peanut allergies, a study presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) found that an epicutaneous patch continued to build peanut tolerance over 3 years, according to a press release. The immunotherapy patch delivers small amounts of peanut protein through the skin, slowly building tolerance and reducing …
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Use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) may be associated with chronic cough, as published in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery. A large study of more than 2 million people with type 2 diabetes across 70 healthcare organizations suggests that adults prescribed a GLP-1RA had a 12% higher risk for developing a new cough persisting for more than 8 weeks, compared with people prescribed other medications, including dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) …
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New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) warns of a rise in drug-resistant gonorrhea worldwide. According to a news release from the agency’s Enhanced Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, resistance to ceftriaxone and cefixime—2 first-line antibiotics for gonorrhea—has increased. From 2022 to 2024, ceftriaxone resistance rose from 0.8% to 5%, while cefixime resistance rose from 1.7% to 11%. Resistance to azithromycin, which is often used alongside ceftriaxone or cefixime, also increased from 0.5% to 4%, …
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Anticipated updates for asthma treatment guidelines are shifting away from oral or systemic corticosteroids because of increasing evidence of long-term harm. Negative effects can come from even short, intermittent use, according to coverage in MedPage Today of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology meeting. Studies show that as few as 3 or 4 steroid bursts over a lifetime may lead to side effects such as bone loss, metabolic disorders, and adrenal suppression. The …
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A 5-year study that was presented this month at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology finds that thunderstorms can trigger measurable increases in asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits. Researchers analyzed 4,439 asthma-related visits across 3 hospitals in Kansas from January 2020 to December 2024, during which time, they identified 38 thunderstorm days. Data showed the mean number of admissions on storm days (17.91) was significantly higher than on …
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