Deep Brain Stimulation for Tardive Dyskinesia
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) can be addressed by the right intervention even in severe, refractory cases. These cases, characterized by involuntary muscle movements, are most often caused by antipsychotics, and addressing them often involves discontinuing use of the drug. Treatment with VMAT2 inhibitors like valbenazine (Ingrezza) and deutetrabenazine (Austedo) also is an option. In rare cases […]
Alternative Endpoints in Phase III Trials Don’t Always Mean Boosts to OS, QOL
CHICAGO — Late-phase trials that showed superiority for an experimental intervention on a surrogate endpoint did not necessarily lead to improvements in overall survival (OS) or quality of life (QOL), according to a meta-epidemiologic analysis. Alexander Dean Sherry, MD of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues evaluated 791 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) […]
Non-Ablative Intervention for BPH/LUTS Reduces Symptoms With Low Retreatment Rate
LAS VEGAS — A novel, non-ablative intervention for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) produced rapid, durable symptom relief with no adverse effect on sexual function, long-term results from prospective study showed. Five years after treatment with the Optilume BPH catheter system, urinary flow rate (Qmax) improved by 63% and post-void residual volume (PVR) remained substantially […]
Telehealth, Default Orders Show Promise in Palliative Care
A palliative telecare intervention improved quality of life for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure (HF), and interstitial lung disease (ILD), the ADAPT randomized clinical trial found. Patient phone calls with a nurse and social worker — who met separately with a primary care and palliative care physician and specialists as needed […]
‘Watch and Wait’ With Small Renal Masses: When and How Should Docs Intervene?
Active surveillance of small renal masses appears to be safe, but if intervention does become necessary, what should trigger it? “We now know that with at least 10 years of data that active surveillance is safe and non-inferior to primary intervention,” said Phillip Pierorazio, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, during a presentation […]
Pharmacists Can Spur Switch to Recommended Drugs for Diabetes Patients With CVD
ANAHEIM, Calif. — A pharmacist-led intervention using notes in the electronic health record (EHR) proved effective for convincing primary care providers to switch veterans with diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) to guideline-recommended care, a single-center VA-study showed. A total of 180 recommendations were made by pharmacists in the EHRs of 102 patients. Of those, 23 […]
Primary Care Intervention Improved Follow-Up of Abnormal Cancer Screening Results
A multilevel primary care intervention that included automated electronic health record (EHR) reminders and patient outreach/navigation improved timely follow-up of overdue abnormal cancer screening test results, a cluster randomized trial showed. Among nearly 12,000 patients with an abnormal screening test result for colorectal, cervical, breast, or lung cancer, completion of follow-up testing within 120 days […]
Intermittent fasting may reverse type 2 diabetes, according to study: Study finds people with diabetes who fast intermittently may no longer need medication
After an intermittent fasting diet intervention, patients achieved complete diabetes remission, defined as an HbA1c (average blood sugar) level of less than 6.5% at least one year after stopping diabetes medication, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Intermittent fasting diets have become popular in recent […]
Diet and exercise for obese mothers protects cardiovascular risk in infants
A lifestyle intervention of diet and exercise in pregnancy protects against cardiovascular risk in infants, a new study has found. The study, published recently in the International Journal of Obesity by researchers from King’s College London and funded by the British Heart Foundation, found that 3-year-old children were more likely to exhibit risk factors for […]
Taste buds can adapt to low salt diet
A taste adaptation intervention lowers salt intake and increases enjoyment of a sodium restricted diet in patients with hypertension, according to a small study presented at ACNAP-EuroHeartCare Congress 2022, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 “One of the major barriers to sticking to a low salt diet is that people do […]