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Efficacy of the investigational drug lebrikizumab is maintained in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis for at least 1 year, according to new results from the phase 3 ADvocate1 and ADvocate2 trials. “We’re focused on the responders,” said Andrew Blauvelt, MD, MBA, as he presented the positive findings at the European Academy of Dermatology

CHICAGO — Bumping up the dose of aflibercept (Eylea) led to prolonged treatment intervals for neovascular eye disease without a loss in efficacy or major increase in adverse events, two randomized trials showed. Dosing the VEGF inhibitor at 8 mg every 12 or 16 weeks achieved non-inferiority to treatment with 2 mg every 8 weeks

COVID-19 vaccination does lead to an average increase in menstrual cycle length, according to a new large international study.  The study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that women experienced a longer menstrual cycle length after getting vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2.  The slight increase was less than one day, so there was no

The Medicare and Medicaid programs spent more than $18 billion over 3 years on medications for which there was no proof of a significant clinical benefit, a new federal report shows. On Tuesday, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services released an initial take on its ongoing

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning against severe monkeypox illness after the country reported its third patient death this week.  The public health agency said via CNN it was aware of the latest monkeypox fatality, so it issued a new warning to health care providers about the possibility of

Device maker LivaNova (TandemLife) has recalled the LifeSPARC controller, part of the LifeSPARC system, because of a software malfunction that may cause the controller’s monitoring feature to wrongly enter critical failure mode, causing the pump to stop working. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has labeled this a Class I recall, the most serious

Be alert for potentially severe manifestations of monkeypox in patients who are immunocompromised or co-infected with HIV, the CDC told healthcare workers on Thursday. “People who are immunocompromised due to HIV or other conditions are at higher risk for severe manifestations of monkeypox than people who are immunocompetent,” the agency said in a health advisory

Scientists fear what could come next once monkeypox spreads in wild animals, and here’s why you should be worried too.  After the first cast of human-to-dog transmission was reported in August, many got anxious on how this could become more common as the outbreak continues.  But the problem was not only about the human-to-dog transmission.

Shortening the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and continuing with a P2Y12 inhibitor alone after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was associated with a similar rate of ischemic events but with less bleeding than prolonged DAPT after 3 years of follow-up in the SMART-CHOICE trial. “The current results of extended follow-up from the SMART-CHOICE trial

Nursing home residents could largely benefit from the second COVID-19 vaccine booster, according to a new study published this week.  The study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Friday indicated that the second mRNA COVID-19 booster shots were effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths among nursing home residents. 

Men who have sex with men have an increased prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, according to a new report. In particular, those with high-risk sexual activity, such as engaging in unprotected sex or having multiple sexual partners, were more likely to have IBD diagnoses than men who

Note that some links may require subscriptions. Is insomnia solvable? Experts say yes. (New Scientist) Patients at several healthcare facilities in Florida were evacuated following electricity outages, building damage, and lack of potable water. (AP) Oregon plans to cover health-related climate change expenses for certain low-income patients as part of its Medicaid program, the first

ndonesia said it has granted emergency use approval to an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine developed by a Chinese company, becoming the first country, ahead of even China, to do so. Indonesia’s food and drugs agency (BPOM) greenlighted the use of Walvax Biotechnology’s mRNA vaccine, which has been in development for more than two years and targets

The Future of Epidemics It seems like one epidemic after another is in the news these days. But are there really more of them? Short answer: yes. Emerging, reemerging diseases: Some diseases have appeared in recent years for the first time; some are old ones that are resurging. New vectors include SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and H1N1.

t is easy for your dog to know if you’re stressed, and that’s because it may smell it in your breath and sweat, according to a new study. Previous studies have suggested that dogs can tell if people are stressed, a team of researchers wrote in their study, published Wednesday in PLOS (Public Library of Science) ONE.

Unvaccinated people were 14 times more likely to get infected with the monkeypox virus compared with those who had one dose of the monkeypox vaccine, according to data released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These findings, compiled from monkeypox case data in 32 states from July 31– September 3,

Note that some links may require subscriptions. Mild or moderate consumption of most types of coffee (even instant!) may be protective against cardiovascular disease and early death. (European Journal of Preventive Cardiology) Queen Elizabeth II died of “old age,” according to her death certificate. (BBC News) If COVID and monkeypox have taught us anything, it’s

Bed bugs may not only be unwanted visitors in our homes and beds but also creatures harboring a hidden risk. A team of researchers has found that they may actually be producing amounts of histamine that may potentially be problematic for humans. Bed bugs are tiny, parasitic insects that can be found all over the world. At

A novel method of quantifying disease activity and severity in Crohn’s disease that aims to be simpler and easier to use in clinical practice than the current standard appears to offer reliable and reproducible results, suggests a study of clinical trial data. The Simplified Endoscopic Mucosal Assessment for Crohn’s Disease (SEMA-CD) was tested on ileocolonoscopy

There’s been growing concern on how COVID-19 could have significantly increased the risk of children developing type 1 diabetes.  Based on new research that analyzed electronic health records of over 1 million patients aged 18 and below, children infected with SARS-CoV-2 showed a higher risk for type 1 diabetes.  “Incidence of new-onset type 1 diabetes

Prompt diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is essential to reduce mortality, and improving education of primary care providers can help, suggests a new white paper. The nonspecific nature of the symptoms of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) especially in early stages, and the relative rarity of IPF compared with other conditions that have similar symptoms, may

Note that some links may require subscriptions. Investigational lecanemab showed a small but significant reduction in cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s disease in a phase III trial, drug developers Eisai and Biogen said. Vaccine-related aluminum exposure may be linked with asthma in kids, a preliminary finding that needs further investigation. (Academic Pediatrics) Florida hospitals cancelled

Obesity continues to be a problem in the United States and many parts of the world. New data shows that the number of U.S. states with high rates of adult obesity has even more than doubled since 2018. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the updated adult obesity prevalence map Tuesday, and it

Nightmares May Predict Dementia Healthy middle-aged adults who have nightmares once a week or more were four times more likely to develop dementia within a decade, new research suggests. The results were reported in a study published in The Lancet journal eClinicalMedicine. The large cohort study also showed that older adults were twice as likely

Australia’s season just ended, causing 300 deaths and around 1,700 hospitalizations. Because of this, doctors in the U.S. are worried about a more challenging flu season in the country this fall.  For Kencee Graves, an associate professor of internal medicine and chief medical officer for inpatient health at the University of Utah Health, there’s much

New research shows that SBIRT — screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for drug misuse — is effective at preventing substance use in adolescents in a variety of clinical settings. In a collection of 12 articles published as a supplement to the Journal of Adolescent Health, investigators offered new perspectives on the role of

Note that some links may require subscriptions. Canada will lift all COVID-19 restrictions for travelers beginning October 1. (Reuters) In some lactating women, trace amounts of mRNA from COVID vaccines were detected in the breast milk, mostly within the first 48 hours of vaccination. (JAMA Pediatrics) Will a Supreme Court case looking at Medicaid recipients’

Stress can affect how people behave in a relationship, but how does it impact the way individuals see their significant others? Stressful life experiences may make someone more attuned to their partner’s negative behaviors, researchers have found. For their new study, published Monday in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, the researchers looked at the impact