Benralizumab Matches Mepolizumab for Rare Vasculitis
WASHINGTON — Treatment with benralizumab (Fasenra) was noninferior to mepolizumab (Nucala) for relapsing or refractory eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), the randomized MANDARA trial showed. Among 140 patients receiving standard therapy, the adjusted percentage of patients with remission at weeks 36 and 48 was 59% in the benralizumab group and 56% in the mepolizumab group, […]
FDA Approves Antibiotic Combination for Complicated UTIs
The FDA approved the combination of cefepime and enmetazobactam (Exblifep) for the treatment of adult patients with complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis. The agency’s decision was based on data from the phase III ALLIUM trial in which the β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combination demonstrated superiority over piperacillin/tazobactam. Clinical efficacy was shown for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and among […]
Novel Hepatitis E Vaccine Protects for at Least a Decade
A three-dose vaccine regimen prevented hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections with high efficacy in adults over the course of 10 years, a phase III trial from China found. The HEV239 vaccine, sold under the name Hecolin outside the U.S., had an efficacy rate of 83.1% (95% CI 69.4-91.4) in the study’s modified intention-to-treat analysis and […]
Metabolic diseases may be driven by gut microbiome, loss of ovarian hormones
The gut microbiome interacts with the loss of female sex hormones to exacerbate metabolic disease, including weight gain, fat in the liver and the expression of genes linked with inflammation, researchers found in a new rodent study. The findings, published in the journal Gut Microbes, may shed light on why women are at significantly greater […]
Intravascular Imaging-Guided PCI Reaches a Turning Point With Survival, MI Benefits
For the first time, intravascular imaging-guided coronary stenting was associated with better survival and reduced myocardial infarction (MI) in a meta-analysis powered to detect these benefits against angiography, researchers reported. Randomized to optical coherence tomography (OCT) or intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance, patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with contemporary stents showed a decrease in […]
Study Backs Recommended Antibiotic Approach for Aspiration Pneumonia
Antibiotic therapy with extended anaerobic coverage (EAC) was not associated with a survival benefit in patients with community-acquired aspiration pneumonia, according to results from a retrospective cohort study that support current guidelines. Across 18 hospitals in Canada, in-hospital mortality rates were 30.3% for patients treated with antibiotic therapy with limited anaerobic coverage (LAC) and 32.1% […]
Dietary Thiamine Linked With Cognition
Dietary thiamine (vitamin B1) intake was linked with cognition in older adults, a longitudinal analysis in China suggested. Over a median follow-up of 5.9 years, cognitive decline risk was minimal at dietary thiamine intake levels of 0.60 to 1.00 mg/day, reported Xianhui Qin, MD, of Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, and co-authors. However, a J-shaped […]
4 Signs You May Actually Have Two Illnesses At The Same Time
Westend61 via Getty Images Experts explain the red flags you’re dealing with a co-infection of two different illnesses. This winter illness season has been a rough one. States across the country have experienced high levels of respiratory viruses, like COVID-19, flu and RSV. And that’s not to mention the colds, stomach bugs, throat infections and […]
Surgical Remission of Cushing’s Disease Tied to New Autoimmune Conditions
Development of autoimmune disease was more common in patients with surgical remission of Cushing’s disease than in those with surgically treated nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs), according to a retrospective matched cohort study. At 3 years after surgery, 10.4% of patients with Cushing’s disease developed new-onset autoimmune disease compared with 1.6% of those with NFPAs (HR […]
Opinion | Primordial Prevention Can Protect Black Women’s Cardiovascular Health
Osude is a cardiology fellow. The U.S. kicked off its 60th annual American Heart Month with the sobering news that Black women who have high blood pressure by age 35 face up to triple the risk of a stroke by the time they reach middle age compared with their peers without hypertension. What’s more, Black […]