Rare Skin Blistering Condition Gets First Drug Approved
The FDA granted the first drug approval for dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB), a topical gene therapy that treats the blistering wounds it causes, the agency announced Friday. The herpes-simplex virus type 1 vector-based gene therapy, Vyjuvek, was approved for patients ages 6 months and older with mutation in the COL7A1 (collagen type VII alpha 1 […]
FDA Panel Gives Strong Backing to RSV Vaccine for Protecting Infants
An FDA panel on Thursday gave a strong endorsement for what could become the first maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine approved for protecting infants against the annual scourge. In a unanimous vote, all 14 members of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) said that the available data support the efficacy of […]
My Daughter Told Me She Wanted To Die. To Save Her Life, I Gave Her Permission To End It.
The author and her daughter Faith. “Faith is 9 in this photo, the same age she was the first time she threatened to hurt herself with a knife,” the author writes. Courtesy of Brenda Ferber My daughter, who is now a 28-year-old therapist leading a happy and productive life, almost didn’t make it to adulthood […]
More Men Are Expressing Interest in Vasectomy After SCOTUS Abortion Decision
CHICAGO — Vasectomy consults more than doubled in the first 3 months after the Supreme Court decision overturning national abortion rights, according to data from one large health system. From June 24 — the day the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision was announced — until Sept. 24, 2022, a total of 342 vasectomy […]
Idaho’s Abortion Ban Is Forcing Doctors To Leave The State — And It’s Creating A Crisis
Panic was the first thing Dr. Kylie Cooper felt when her home state of Idaho implemented a near-total abortion ban following the repeal of federal protections last year. As a maternal-fetal medicine physician in the largest hospital in the state, Cooper wasn’t used to feeling panicky. Her job working with high-risk obstetric patients didn’t allow […]
Surgery No Help for the Kidneys in Older Folks With Primary Hyperparathyroidism
Parathyroidectomy within the first year after a primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) diagnosis wasn’t much help for preserving kidney function in older adults, an observational study suggested. Looking at over 43,000 patients with PHPT, there was no difference in the risk for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline between patients managed surgically with early parathyroidectomy compared with […]
New form of omega-3 could prevent visual decline with Alzheimer’s disease: By crossing into the retina, new DHA supplement achieves what previous ones could not
For the first time, researchers have developed a form of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that is capable of crossing into the eye’s retina to ward off visual declines related to Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and other disorders. The DHA found in fish oil capsules and other supplements is typically in a form called […]
Introducing Allergenic Foods Early Tied to a Reduction in Later Allergies
Earlier introduction of common allergenic foods in the first year of life was linked to a lower risk of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy from 1 to 5 years of age, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of 23 randomized trials. Moderate-certainty evidence from four trials (n=3,295) showed that the introduction of multiple allergenic […]
Clinical Note Writing App Powered by GPT-4 Set to Debut This Year
The first fully automatic clinical documentation application powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 is scheduled to be widely released later this year, Nuance and Microsoft announced. This latest artificial intelligence (AI)-powered application, known as Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) Express, will be able to create an automatic clinical note based on recordings of patient visits, said Diana Nole, […]
Opinion | Nobody Wants This Job. Should Physicians Stick Around?
As I enter the patient exam room, the first question is no longer, “When can I get my COVID-19 vaccine?” but rather, “Are you leaving? My old doctor left. You are my fifth doctor in 3 years. What is happening?” Nowadays, I spend more time educating patients about the visible cracks our medical system flaunts. […]