Trio of Eye Diseases Linked to Falls, Fractures in Older Adults
Older adults with cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and glaucoma are all more likely to have falls or fractures compared with those without these eye diseases, a population-based cohort study suggested. While the findings don’t definitively prove that vision problems cause these accidents, an analysis of health records in England revealed higher risks of falls […]
Low-carbohydrate diets emphasizing healthy, plant-based sources associated with slower long-term weight gain
Low-carbohydrate diets comprised mostly of plant-based proteins and fats with healthy carbohydrates such as whole grains were associated with slower long-term weight gain than low-carbohydrate diets comprised mostly of animal proteins and fats with unhealthy carbohydrates like refined starches, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study […]
FDA Warns Amazon Over Supplements Containing Erectile Dysfunction Drugs
The FDA hit Amazon with a warning letter on December 20 for distributing energy supplements for men that contain potentially harmful pharmaceutical ingredients. These products, according to the letter, “are labeled as energy enhancing supplements or food, but laboratory analyses confirmed that they contained undeclared and potentially harmful active pharmaceutical ingredients.” The FDA held Amazon […]
No Improved Outcomes for HF Patients With Sleep Apnea Using ASV Breathing Devices
Breathing machines with adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) did not improve survival or other clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction and sleep-disordered breathing, the phase III ADVENT-HF trial found. Investigators found no difference between patients randomized to standard care plus bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) device therapy with ASV and those […]
Testosterone for Hypogonadism Cleared So Far of Prostate Cancer Risk
Men treated with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for hypogonadism didn’t have an increase in adverse prostate events, the TRAVERSE trial found. Over a mean follow-up of 33 months, those who used topical 1.62% testosterone gel had a 0.19% incidence of high-grade prostate cancer (Gleason score ≥4 + 3), similar to the 0.12% among placebo-treated men […]
Nirsevimab Reduced Hospitalizations for Infants With RSV
The monoclonal antibody nirsevimab (Beyfortus) reduced hospitalizations among infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-associated lower respiratory tract infection, the randomized, pragmatic HARMONIE trial showed. In over 8,000 infants included in the study, 0.3% who received nirsevimab were hospitalized for RSV-associated lower respiratory tract infection compared with 1.5% of those who received standard care, which corresponded […]
Clinical Challenges: Secondary CNS Relapse in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Central nervous system (CNS) relapse occurs in roughly one in 20 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but in some disease subtypes that risk increases substantially. “In certain subsets of patients, the risk is quite low, but in others it can be quite high so it is better to focus on the high-risk groups,” […]
FDA Approves New Agent for Nerve Pain From Rare Inherited Disease
Eplontersen (Wainua) was approved by the FDA to treat polyneuropathy associated with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR) in adults, Ionis Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca announced on Thursday. Hereditary ATTR is caused by a mutation in the TTR gene that results in the buildup of misfolded transthyretin protein, leading to amyloid deposits in the peripheral nerves (ATTR-PN) or […]
Iodine Linked With Men’s Testosterone Levels
Lower iodine concentrations in the urine was independently associated with higher testosterone levels, a cross-sectional study found. Looking at nearly 3,000 U.S. men, those with lower urinary iodine concentrations had significantly higher total testosterone levels than men with either normal or high iodine levels (β -0.028, 95% CI -0.049 to -0.006, P=0.01), Arcangelo Barbonetti, PhD, […]
CDC Tracks Down Rare, Deadly Bacteria in Mississippi Gulf Region
Three patients diagnosed with melioidosis in a Mississippi Gulf Coast county probably picked up the disease from the local environment, a new report from the CDC confirms. Researchers recovered Burkholderia pseudomallei, the bacteria that causes melioidosis, from a puddle and soil from the front and backyard of one of the patients’ homes — the first […]