More Antipsychotics Given for Dementia During Pandemic
Antipsychotic drug prescribing rates among people with dementia increased markedly during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a multinational database study showed. Notably, those rates did not return to prepandemic levels after the acute phase of the pandemic had ended, Kenneth K.C. Man, PhD, of University College London School of Pharmacy, and colleagues reported […]
What Happens When Patients Learn About Their Alzheimer’s Status?
Learning about a positive amyloid-PET result was associated with psychological changes among people with subjective cognitive decline, but those changes did not reach a threshold for clinical concern. In the prospective AMYPAD consortium study, people who received news about a positive amyloid scan showed small increases in distress, anxiety, or depression scores compared with peers […]
Fewer cases of melanoma among people taking vitamin D supplements
Fewer cases of melanoma were observed among regular users of vitamin D supplements than among non-users, a new study finds. People taking vitamin D supplements regularly also had a considerably lower risk of skin cancer, according to estimates by experienced dermatologists. The study, conducted in collaboration between the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University […]
Paralysis Tied to Virus in Kids Goes Off-Script, Baffling CDC
In September, MedPage Today reported on an increase of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) cases among U.S. children, which has been linked to a rare neurological condition that can cause polio-like paralysis in children. In this report, we follow up on what has happened since those initial reports. The CDC sounded the alarm on EV-D68 with a […]
Are U.S. Healthcare Workers Better Off Unionized?
Labor unionization among U.S. healthcare workers was low in recent years, even though union membership or coverage was tied to higher weekly earnings and better non-cash benefits, researchers reported. Out of 14,298 healthcare workers surveyed, 13.2% reported union membership or coverage, with no significant trend from 2009 through 2021, according to Xiaojuan Li, PhD, of […]
Metformin Protective Against Joint Replacement in Type 2 Diabetes
Among people with type 2 diabetes, use of metformin might help to stave off total joint replacement, a population-based cohort study showed. Among over 40,000 patients, daily metformin was associated with a 30% lower risk for total knee and hip replacement compared with no metformin (adjusted HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.60-0.81) over a median follow-up […]
Topical Gene Therapy Heals Blistering Skin Disease Lesions
A novel topical gene therapy healed most lesions among patients with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic blistering skin disease, the GEM-3 trial showed. Topical administration of beremagene geperpavec (B-VEC) led to complete healing of 67% of treated wounds as compared with 22% of those exposed to placebo at 6 months (P=0.002), reported M. Peter […]
Type 2 Diabetes Cases Rising in Young Adults Globally
The global burden of type 2 diabetes among young people significantly rose since 1990, researchers reported. Drawing on data from 204 countries and territories, the age-standardized incidence of type 2 diabetes from 1990 to 2019 increased from 117.22 to 183.36 per 100,000, Fan Wang, PhD, of Harbin Medical University in China, and colleagues said in […]
Simulated Driver Training May Reduce Accidents Among Teens With ADHD
A simulated driving program reduced inattention and risk of crashing among teens with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared with conventional driver’s training, according to a small study that used a program combining computer-based and driving simulator training. During 15-minute simulated drives, teens in the training group had a mean of 16.5 long glances (>2 seconds) […]
Stigma, Health Discrimination Common for Hispanic Adults With HIV
Reports of stigma and healthcare discrimination run high among Hispanic adults with HIV, according to an analysis of self-reported data from the U.S. in 2018 to 2020. Of 2,690 people interviewed, the overall median HIV stigma score was 31.7 on a scale of 0 to 100 for this population, with higher median scores among women […]