Linaclotide Eases Abdominal Symptoms in IBS With Constipation
Linaclotide (Linzess) significantly alleviated abdominal symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients with predominant constipation compared with placebo, researchers found in a randomized study. Using an abdominal score that averaged abdominal bloating, discomfort, and pain on an 11-point scale, the average overall change from baseline was -1.9 for patients treated with linaclotide and -1.2 for […]
Brain Dysfunction, Immune Abnormalities Seen in Post-Infectious Chronic Fatigue
Fatigue in post-infectious myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may stem from dysfunction of integrative brain regions that drive the motor cortex, a deep phenotyping study suggested. In an exploratory analysis of 17 ME/CFS patients and 21 healthy controls, those with ME/CFS had lower activity in the temporal-parietal junction on functional MRI (fMRI) than did controls, […]
Suicide Risk 8-Fold Higher After Common Reproductive Disorder Diagnosis
Suicidality was substantially higher among women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a Taiwanese population-based cohort study. PCOS-diagnosed patients had an 8.47-fold (95% CI 7.54-9.51) higher risk of attempted suicide compared with women without PCOS, Mu-Hong Chen, MD, PhD, of Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan, and colleagues found. Incidence of suicide attempts […]
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Tied to Lower Midlife Cognitive Test Scores
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) was linked with lower cognitive test scores in middle age, a cohort study suggested. After 30 years of follow-up, women who were diagnosed as having PCOS in young adulthood performed lower on a composite of five cognitive function tests (ß coefficient for mean z scores difference -0.190, 95% CI -0.327 to […]
This Many U.S. Adults Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
During 2021-2022, 1.3% of adults had myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), new National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data showed. Women (1.7%) were more likely than men (0.9%) to have ME/CFS, according to Anjel Vahratian, PhD, MPH, of the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), and co-authors. The percentage of people with ME/CFS rose with […]
Anti-Androgens Can Be Used for PCOS When Oral Contraceptives Can’t
Anti-androgens may be beneficial for managing certain hyperandrogenism-related symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in cases where combined oral contraceptive pills are contraindicated, poorly tolerated, or ineffective, according to the first systematic review and meta-analysis on the subject. Using data from 13 studies including a total of 961 patients, combination treatment with antiandrogens, metformin, and […]
Tick-Related Meat Allergy Lurks Under the Radar, Unfamiliar to Many
Despite alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), or tick bite meat allergy, rising over the last several years and affecting many people in the U.S., many healthcare providers remained unsure about its diagnosis and treatment, CDC data showed. An estimated 96,000 to 450,000 people in the U.S. have been affected by AGS since 2010, the large range accounting […]
Trial: Functional Scoring a Better Guide to Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Tx
A newer function-based approach to treating neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome safely readied babies to go home sooner, the ACT NOW randomized trial showed. With the Eat, Sleep, Console care approach, time from birth to medical readiness for hospital discharge by American Academy of Pediatrics-endorsed standards was nearly a week sooner than when treating guided by […]
Arterial stiffness may cause metabolic syndrome in adolescents via an increase in fasting insulin and LDL cholesterol
Arterial stiffness may be a novel risk factor for metabolic syndrome in teens, a paper published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology concludes. The study was conducted in collaboration between the University of Bristol in the UK, the University of Exeter in the UK, and the University of Eastern Finland. The World […]
Teen Dies After Doctors Misdiagnose Tampon Infection
A 13-year-old girl from England died from Toxic Shock Syndrome earlier this year when doctors misdiagnosed her condition.