Practice Management
A large study of 771,681 adults aged 18–39 found that young people with high LDL cholesterol rarely begin statin therapy, despite guideline recommendations, as published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and presented at the American Heart Association’s 2025 Scientific Sessions. Among young adult members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California with LDL-C of 190 mg/dL or higher, just 28.4% started a statin drug within 1 year, and less than half (45.7%) had …
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A large multi-system analysis of 140,579 pediatric acute otitis media (AOM) visits published in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society found “watchful waiting” was used in only 15.6% of cases—even though watchful waiting is often a beneficial approach, according to the authors. The watchful waiting group was either sent home without a prescription (56%) or received a delayed prescription (44%). Meanwhile, the remaining 84% of AOM cases received immediate antibiotics. Both groups had …
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Kids who have irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) now have a new treatment option as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this month approved linaclotide for pediatric patients 7 years and older. There is no known underlying cause for IBS-C in children, and symptoms include chronic constipation and abdominal pain. Linaclotide is the first treatment approved for IBS-C in pediatric patients with a recommended dose of 145 mcg orally once daily. A 12-week, double-blind, …
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A systematic review and meta-analysis of 155 studies evaluated the literature on the link between any viral infection and the odds of heart attack and stroke risk. Authors found influenza and COVID infections raised such risks as much as 3-to-5-fold in the weeks following the initial infection, as published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Also noted in a related news release on the study, overall, the findings suggest acute and chronic viral …
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In a study of 9,258 adults with type 2 diabetes, frequent continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) use was linked to significantly greater HbA1C reductions over 12 months compared with no CGM use, as published in JAMA Network Open. Patients using their CGM devices on 270 days per year or more achieved a mean HbA1C decrease of −1.52 percentage points (95% confidence interval [CI], −1.73 to −1.32 percentage points) vs −0.63 percentage points in nonusers (95% CI, …
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From 2010 to 2024, prescriptions for glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) increased substantially among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity, according to a research letter in JAMA Network Open, which examined electronic medical records of more than 300 million Americans. Rates rose from 2.4% to 34.3% among individuals with both T2D and obesity; from 0.6% to 13.7% in those with T2D only; and 0.04% to 7.1% in those with obesity only. The …
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A meta-analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine of 511 studies found peer-reviewed evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of vaccines for COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza during the 2025–2026 season. The COVID-19 vaccines for the XBB.1.5 variant had a pooled vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization of 46-50% among adults and 37% among adults with weakened immune systems, according to the analysis. For RSV, vaccines had pooled estimates of 68% for maternal …
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The Food and Drug Administration has approved the oral drug elinzanetant for the treatment of moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause. It’s a novel nonhormonal drug with dual neurokinin-targeted therapy (NK1 and NK3 receptor antagonist), according to the manufacturer’s press release. Elinzanetant offers another option for patients, in addition to 2 other nonhormonal therapies: NK3 receptor antagonist fezolinetant; and the antidepressant paroxetine. Two phase III trials with a total of 796 menopausal women …
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In a cross-sectional study of 3,378 influenza-positive children across 7 U.S. pediatric hospitals, researchers found a substantial decline in antiviral prescribing in the emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic, as published in JAMA Network Open. Among 2,514 children at higher risk of severe influenza, 32.2% received antivirals in the prepandemic era (December 1, 2016, to March 31, 2020), compared with 15.6% during late pandemic era (July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2023)—a 53% relative decrease. …
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The California Department of Public Health has issued a warning that clade I mpox may be spreading in the state, “primarily impacting communities of gay and bisexual men,” after 3 cases of this rare, more severe strain of mpox were confirmed. At least 1 case occurred in a person with no recent travel who was recently hospitalized and has been discharged to recover at home, indicating that person-to-person community spread of clade I mpox is …
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