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 […]
Bariatric Surgery Tied to Long-Term Cognitive Benefits
Gastric bypass surgery in people with severe obesity was associated with sustained improvements in cognitive function, inflammation, and comorbidities, according to results of a cohort study in the Netherlands. At 2 years post-surgery, neuropsychological tests showed improvements of 20% or higher in global cognition (43% of patients), ability to shift attention (40%), episodic memory (32%), […]
Why Aren’t More Doctors Prescribing Paxlovid to High-Risk Patients?
Recent evidence is piling up that many people at high risk for severe COVID-19 don’t receive nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) — or any outpatient antiviral treatment — when diagnosed with a SARS-CoV-2 infection. MedPage Today looked at new studies and talked to experts to find out why. In a new observational study, people on Medicare who were […]
Prone Positioning Falls Flat for Weaning COVID Patients Off ECMO
Early application of prone positioning did not help patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) — mostly from COVID — get off venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) any faster compared to supine positioning, a randomized trial found. Among ARDS patients receiving ECMO, an identical 44% of patients were successfully weaned off ECMO after 60 […]
New Insight Into Hyperglycemia Risk With PI3K Inhibitor for Breast Cancer
Severe hyperglycemia has emerged as a common side effect among patients with PIK3CA-mutated breast cancer treated with the PI3K inhibitor alpelisib (Piqray), especially patients treated outside a clinical trial, a retrospective study showed. Overall, 61.5% of 247 patients developed any degree of hyperglycemia, which reached grade 3/4 severity in 29%. Any grade of hyperglycemia occurred […]
Link Between Psoriasis, Heart Disease Tracks to Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction
Almost a third of patients with severe psoriasis had echocardiographic evidence of asymptomatic coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), a prospective study showed. Doppler echocardiography showed that 31.5% of 448 patients with psoriasis had CMD. Every 1-point increase in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score and 1-year increase in psoriasis duration correlated with a 5% […]
Benralizumab Allows Inhaled Corticosteroid Taper for Asthma Patients
MILAN — Benralizumab (Fasenra) allowed patients with severe eosinophilic asthma to reduce inhaled corticosteroid (ISC) use without compromising control, the SHAMAL phase IV randomized trial found. After 32 weeks, 92% of patients on the monoclonal antibody with planned tapering from high-dose ICS plus formoterol were able to reduce their use, reported David J. Jackson, MD, […]
Can Aromatherapy Relax Post-Op Patients?
Open heart surgery patients reported better sleep and less severe pain after their operation when they inhaled peppermint essence, a small clinical trial suggested. Among 64 patients who underwent cardiac surgery, mean self-reported sleep quality scores on the first day after surgery were 20.10 in the group receiving peppermint aromatherapy and 25.76 in the placebo […]
Mandy Moore Says She Felt ‘Helpless’ After Her Toddler Developed Sudden Condition
Mandy Moore shared about her son Gus’ recent severe rash. Araya Doheny via Getty Images Mandy Moore is opening up about the anxiety a parent can feel when their child suddenly shows signs of a lesser-known condition. On Friday, the “This is Us” star shared a series of posts on her Instagram Stories about her […]
Uncontrolled HIV a Risk Factor for Severe Mpox, Global Analysis Confirms
BRISBANE, Australia — The elevated risk of severe mpox in people living with HIV appeared restricted to those with uncontrolled HIV or immunosuppression from other conditions, according to an update on the global outbreak from World Health Organization (WHO) researchers. Of more than 32,000 cases of mpox (formerly monkeypox) reported worldwide where patients’ HIV status […]