How Safe Are Migraine Drugs for People With Cardiovascular Conditions?
Triptans were associated with fewer major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in acute migraine patients with a history of cardiovascular conditions compared with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids/butalbital, patient registry data showed. Among people with acute migraine and at least one baseline cardiovascular condition, MACE occurred with 0.90% of triptan prescriptions, 4.52% of opioid/butalbital prescriptions, […]
Patients With HIV at Higher Risk for COVID Breakthrough Infections
Patients with HIV who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 were more likely to develop a breakthrough infection, according to a study of the Corona-Infectious-Virus Epidemiology Team (CIVET)-II cohort. Among nearly 114,000 fully vaccinated patients, those with HIV had a 28% higher risk of breakthrough infection compared with those without HIV (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.28, […]
Study: Not Sticking to Schedule Shouldn’t Block PAP Machines for Kids With OSA
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Positive airway pressure (PAP) machines were helpful enough that pediatric patients could have symptoms improve even without being compliant, according to researchers advocating for greater access to this therapy for this population. At one center’s sleep clinic, 172 out of 221 children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) reported improved symptoms approximately 3 […]
The Biggest COVID Issues People Bring Up In Therapy
Even if it feels like we are in “post-pandemic” times, we’re certainly not. Not only are case rates still high, we’re seeing mental health implications. Therapists are just starting to unpack the last two years with their clients. Experts are working harder than ever trying to accommodate patients with spiking mental health concerns as a […]
Particulate Matter Size Tied to Stroke Mortality
Hospitalized stroke patients living in areas with greater air pollution were more likely to die from their stroke, but the size of ambient particulate matter (PM) and duration of exposure both played a role in the level of risk, an observational study from China indicated. Effect sizes were greatest for smaller-sized particles (PM1) and with […]
Paclitaxel Devices Safe in PAD In Medicare Data Beyond 3 Years
ATLANTA — Paclitaxel-coated devices for femoropopliteal artery revascularization were not associated with any excess mortality risk in the latest update from Medicare data. The risk of death from any cause, if anything, trended slightly lower (hazard ratio 0.98, 95% CI 0.96-0.99) with paclitaxel-eluting stents or -coated balloons compared with bare metal stent or percutaneous transluminal […]
New weight-loss intervention targets instinctive desire to eat
People who are highly responsive to food lost more weight and, importantly, were more successful at keeping the pounds off using a new alternative weight-loss intervention that targets improving a person’s response to internal hunger cues and their ability to resist food, reported a team led by University of California San Diego experts in the […]
Can Trained Dogs Sniff Out COVID-Positive Travelers?
Four trained dogs detected people who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 with similar accuracy to PCR tests, according to a randomized trial and real-life study at a busy international airport earlier in the pandemic. In the validation trial, the dogs had 92% accuracy, with 92% sensitivity (95% CI 89-94) and 91% specificity (95% CI 89-93) compared […]
Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and CKD Face Poor COVID Outcomes
SAN DIEGO — Certain factors were highly predictive of severe COVID illness in hospitalized patients who had type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), a researcher reported. In a single-center study of patients with T2D and CKD hospitalized with COVID-19 infection, having hyperglycemia upon admission was tied with more than a 10 times […]
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Lean Patients Linked With CVD Risk
Lean patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were more likely to have cardiovascular disease (CVD) than those overweight or obese, a researcher reported. Among over 18,000 such patients, logistic regression analysis — adjusting for demographics and clinical risk factors — showed patients with overweight or obesity with NAFLD were associated with a significantly lower […]