TOP 10 Medical News Stories
Fri, September 8 – 10 Stories of The Day!
8 Sep, 2017 | 04:08h | UTC
See also: Advisory Highlights: Seven steps to keep your brain healthy from childhood to old age (free) AND News release: As brain problems increase, experts offer advice to keep yours healthy (free) AND Commentary: Optimal Cardiovascular Health and a Healthy Brain (free) AND Top Ten Things to Know: Defining Optimal Brain Health in Adults (free PDF)
Commentary: Heart and Stroke Groups Issue Advisory on Optimal Brain Health – Physician’s First Watch (free)
2 – Everybody active, every day: an evidence-based approach to physical activity – Public Health England (free report and other documents)
See also: 10 minutes brisk walking each day in mid-life for health benefits and towards achieving physical activity recommendations: evidence summary (free PDF)
Press release: 6 million adults do not do a monthly brisk 10-minute walk (free)
Commentaries: 10-minute walk a day app to tackle ‘inactivity epidemic’ – NHS Choices (free) AND 6 million middle-aged people take no exercise – The Guardian (free)
3 – Report: Size matters: The impact of upselling on weight gain – Royal Society for Public Health; Slimming World (free PDF)
See also: Press release (free)
Commentaries: Supersize us: upselling is fuelling the obesity epidemic, warns report – The Guardian (free) AND Going Large – Is Upselling Making You Gain Weight? – Medscape (free registration required)
Commentaries: High levels of ‘good’ cholesterol linked to excessive mortality – University of Copenhagen, via ScienceDaily (free) AND Does ‘good cholesterol’ really deserve its name? – The Conversation (free) AND Can Your “Good” Cholesteral Be To High? – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
5 – Antipsychotic Use With and Without Comorbid Psychiatric Diagnosis Among Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities – The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Antipsychotics common for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities – Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (free) AND Antipsychotics Overused in Intellectually Disabled Adults – Medscape (free registration required)
“Antipsychotics are used inappropriately particularly in vulnerable groups: Poor children; Intellectually challenged; Autistic; Nursing homes. (RT @AllenFrancesMD see Tweet)
Editorial: Human Immunodeficiency Virus Preexposure Prophylaxis for Adolescent Men (free)
Commentaries: Safety, Feasibility of PrEP for Adolescent Men Who Have Sex With Men – The JAMA Network (free) AND PrEP safe and effective for young men who have sex with men – OnMedica (free) AND HIV PrEP for adolescent men found to be safe, effective – UPI (free)
Original article: Drug-Eluting or Bare-Metal Stents for Coronary Artery Disease – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
In this large trial, differences in outcomes between bare metal stents (BMS) and drug eluding stents (DES) were small. During 6 years of follow-up there was a 3.3% absolute risk reduction in any repeat revascularization with DES, without differences in cardiovascular mortality or death.
8 – Chronic Health Conditions and Key Health Indicators Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Older US Adults, 2013–2014 – American Journal of Public Health (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Older Adults Suffer More Chronic Health Conditions Than Heterosexuals, Study Finds – The University of Washington, via NewsWise (free) AND LGB Older Adults Suffer More Chronic Health Conditions Than Heterosexuals, Study Finds – Science Magazine (free)
9 – IBM pitched its Watson supercomputer as a revolution in cancer care. It’s nowhere close – STAT (free)
10 – Intravenous Versus Nonintravenous Benzodiazepines for the Cessation of Seizures: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials – Academic Emergency Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Source: Hospital Medicine Virtual Journal Club
“Should you give your preferred benzo by the fastest means possible? Or establish an IV and administer via that route? The short answer provided by this study, is to give your benzo IM or IN. While seizures stopped sooner after IV administration, the additional time needed to establish an IV resulted in overall longer seizure time when administered via that method” (by Jeremy Fried in Research and Reviews in the Fastlane 182).
Thu, September 7 – 10 Stories of The Day!
7 Sep, 2017 | 01:23h | UTC
1 – Guideline: Endometriosis: diagnosis and management – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (free)
News release: Suspect endometriosis in women with chronic pelvic pain, says NICE (free)
USPSTF Recommendation Summary: Vision in Children Ages 6 Months to 5 Years: Screening (free)
Editorials: The 2017 US Preventive Services Task Force Report on Preschool Vision Screening – JAMA Ophthalmology (free) AND Vision Screening in Very Young Children—Making Sense of an Inexorable Diagnostic Process – JAMA Pediatrics (free)
Author interview: USPSTF Recommendation: Vision Screening in Children (free audio)
Editorial: Prenatal exposure to antidepressants and increased risk of psychiatric disorders (free)
Commentary: Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy Linked to Psychiatric Disorders in Offspring – Physician’s First Watch (free)
6 – Effectiveness of a Third Dose of MMR Vaccine for Mumps Outbreak Control – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Quick Take Video Summary: Third Dose of MMR Vaccine to Reduce Risk of Mumps during Outbreaks? (free)
Commentary: Third dose of mumps vaccine could help stop outbreaks, researchers say – STAT (free)
7 – State of The Art Review: Perioperative tobacco use treatments: putting them into practice – The BMJ (free for 2 weeks)
8 – Review: The Diagnosis and Management of Bipolar I and II Disorders – Mayo Clinic Proceedings (free)
9 – Global Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Among Children and Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – JAMA Pediatrics (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: What Is the Global Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder? – The JAMA Network (free)
Commentary: Updated Decision Pathway For Non-Statin Therapies Published – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
Wed, September 6 – 10 Stories of The Day!
6 Sep, 2017 | 01:44h | UTC
Related: Redesigning Care for High-Cost, High-Risk Patients – Harvard Business Review (a few articles per month are free) AND Caring for High-Need, High-Cost Patients — An Urgent Priority – New England Journal of Medicine (free) AND Multimorbidity: clinical assessment and management – NICE Guideline (free) AND Multimorbidity in Older Adults with Cardiovascular Disease – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Focusing on High-Cost Patients — The Key to Addressing High Costs? – NEJM Catalyst (free) AND Richard Smith: The challenge of high need, high cost patients – The BMJ Blogs (free) AND Playbook: Better Care for People with Complex Needs – Institute for Healthcare Improvement (free)
Editorial: Prostate Cancer Screening: Time to Question How to Optimize the Ratio of Benefits and Harms (free)
Commentaries: A new study claims prostate cancer screenings significantly reduce deaths. Not everyone agrees – STAT (free) AND New Study Offers Support for Prostate Testing – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
3 – Scanning The Future, Radiologists See Their Jobs At Risk – NPR (free)
See more on the impact of artificial intelligence in healthcare in our June 14th issue (see #2), in our April 28th issue (see #1) and in our April 10th issue (see #8).
Commentaries: A.I., Big Data Project Predicts Dementia 2 Years Before Symptoms Onset, Researchers Show – Alzheimer’s News Today (free) AND Artificial intelligence predicts dementia before onset of symptoms – Science Daily (free)
See also related article and commentaries on Elevated Brain Amyloid and Subsequent Cognitive Decline Among Cognitively Normal Persons.
Commentary with highlights from the document: European Society for Vascular Surgery Guidelines on the Management of Atherosclerotic Carotid and Vertebral Artery Disease (free)
Related Guidelines: Management of febrile neutropaenia: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines (free) AND Guideline for the Management of Fever and Neutropenia in Children With Cancer and Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation Recipients: 2017 Update (free)
7 – Headache and migraine: interventions for preventing or treating headache and migraine – Cochrane Library (free) (RT @CochraneUK see Tweet)
Migraine awareness week (3-9 September). Latest Cochrane Evidence on interventions for preventing or treating headache and migraine.
8 – Comprehensive assessment may reduce risk of delirium after hip fracture – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for Prevention of Delirium After Hip Fracture: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials – Journal of The American Geriatrics society (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
“Comprehensive geriatric assessment reduced the risk of delirium by 20% in patients having hip fracture surgery” (RT @NIHR_DC see Tweet)
“Even 1 to 2 times a week of moderate‐ to vigorous‐intensity physical activity might be beneficial to prevent a first‐ever stroke in the general population… from a public health perspective, we need to encourage inactive people to start exercising with more‐achievable goals”.
Commentary: Prolonged sitting and frailty a deadly combination – Medical News Today (free) AND Inactivity Toll Worst for Frailest Elders – Medscape (free registration required)
Tue, September 5 – 10 Stories of The Day!
5 Sep, 2017 | 00:08h | UTC
1 – Estimated economic impact of vaccinations in 73 low- and middle-income countries, 2001–2020 – Bulletin of the World Health Organization (free) (RT @Onisillos see Tweet)
Commentaries: Vaccines Save 20 Million Lives, $350 billion in Poor Countries since 2001 – Eshelman School of Pharmacy (free) AND Global vaccine program will save 20 million lives and $820 billion by 2020, research finds – International Business Times (free)
2 – Ranking 93 health interventions for low- and middle-income countries by cost-effectiveness – PLOS One (free) (RT @equitylist see Tweet)
3 – Effect of Palliative Care on Aggressiveness of End-of-Life Care Among Patients With Advanced Cancer – Journal of Oncology Practice (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Palliative Care May Substantially Decrease Health-Care Utilization in Patients With Advanced Cancer – ASCO Post (free) AND End-of-Life Palliative Care Lowered Utilization for Patients With Cancer – AJMC (free) AND Palliative Care Cut Healthcare Use in Advanced Cancer – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Related guideline: Integration of Palliative Care Into Standard Oncology Care: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update (free)
5 – Committee Opinion: Obesity in Adolescents – American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (free)
Commentary: ACOG Offers Tips for Managing Obesity in Adolescents – Physician’s First Watch (free)
Original report: Application of Systematic Review Methods in an Overall Strategy for Evaluating Low-Dose Toxicity from Endocrine Active Chemicals – The National Academies Press (free PDF)
Related Scientific Statement: EDC-2: The Endocrine Society’s Second Scientific Statement on Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (free) AND Executive Summary (free)
Source: Global Health NOW Newsletter
7 – Richard Lehman’s journal review / 4 September 2017 (free)
Richard Lehman’s weekly review of medical journals.
8 – Zika virus: still no clear answers – The Globe and Mail (free) (RT @Onisillos see Tweet)
Editorial: Medication and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pediatric Anxiety Disorders: No Need for Anxiety in Treating Anxiety (free)
Commentary: SSRIs, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Effective for Childhood Anxiety – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND SSRIs, SNRIs Provide Modest Benefit to Kids with Mental Disorders – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Mon, September 4 – 10 Stories of The Day!
4 Sep, 2017 | 00:09h | UTC
Source: Hospital Medicine Virtual Journal Club
4 – Review: Mechanical Ventilation: State of the Art – Mayo Clinic Proceedings (free)
5 – Guideline: Psoriasis: assessment and management – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (free)
6 – FDA News Release: FDA approval brings first gene therapy to the United States (free)
Commentaries: A $475,000 cancer drug: Wall Street sees ‘bargain’; patients see ‘completely broken’ system – HealthNewsReview (free) FDA Approves First CAR-T Cell Therapy for Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia – National Institutes of Health (free) AND FDA Approves First Gene-Altering Leukemia Treatment, Costing $475.000 – New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND The FDA Approves a Landmark Cancer Drug – The Atlantic (free)
“…is a cancer therapy that represents several things at once: a game-changing way to treat cancer through genetic engineering, a novel paradigm for the biotech business, and the latest turn in the debate over just how astronomically expensive a life-saving therapy can be”. (from The Atlantic)
Commentary with highlights from the document: Appropriate Use Criteria Published for Valvular Heart Disease Imaging Tests – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
Commentaries: Sitting for 20 minutes less a day won’t make you ‘more muscly’ – NHS Choices (free) AND Just 21 minutes less sitting improves health – Medical News Today (free)
9 – New Nutrition Study Changes Nothing – The Atlantic (free) (RT @drjohnm see Tweet)
See original article and commentaries in our August 30 issue (see #1 and #2)
“Why the science of healthy eating appears confusing – but isn’t”
10 – Molluscum contagiosum is best left to clear by itself – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Interventions for cutaneous molluscum contagiosum – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
“Clinicians should advise people with a healthy immune system to leave molluscum contagiosum to clear by itself” (RT @NIHR_DC see Tweet)
Fri, September 1 – 10 Stories of The Day!
1 Sep, 2017 | 00:42h | UTC
1 – Public Health Guideline: Vitamin D: supplement use in specific population groups – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (free)
“Only test vitamin D status if someone has symptoms of deficiency or is at very high risk”
Commentary: Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Treatments Compared – MPR (free)
Source: ACP Journal Wise ($)
This study suggests a reduction in all-cause mortality with beta-blocker therapy in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. The authors recommend further trials to confirm the benefits of beta-blockers in this patient group.
Commentaries: Acupuncture, Electrotherapy after Knee Replacement Associated with Reduced and Delayed Opioid Use – The JAMA Network (free) AND Electrotherapy, Acupuncture Tied to Less Opioid Use After Knee Arthroscopy – Medscape (free registration required) AND Meta-Analysis: Electrotherapy, Acupuncture May Help Reduce Opioid Use After Knee Arthroplasty – Physician’s First Watch (free)
4 – Original articles: Cost-Effectiveness of Intensive versus Standard Blood-Pressure Control – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text) AND Effect of Intensive Blood-Pressure Treatment on Patient-Reported Outcomes – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Analyses from SPRINT examine cost-effectiveness, patient-reported outcomes with intensive BP control – ACP Internist (free) AND Intensive BP Management Well Tolerated, Cost-effective: SPRINT – Medscape (free registration required) AND Can SPRINT Be Used To Inform Hypertension Treatment? – Cardiobrief (free)
Be sure to measure the patient’s blood pressure in the same way it was done in the SPRINT trial before adopting this study results in clinical practice (see Cardiobrief commentary)
5 – Natural History and Tumor Volume Kinetics of Papillary Thyroid Cancers During Active Surveillance – JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery (free for a week)
Author interview: Natural History and Tumor Volume Kinetics of Papillary Thyroid Cancers (free audio)
Commentaries: Findings Support Use of Active Surveillance for Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Cancer – The JAMA Network (free) AND Many People Can Delay Treatment For Thyroid Cancer, Study Finds – NPR (free)
Original article: Complete versus culprit-only revascularisation in ST elevation myocardial infarction with multi-vessel disease – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
7 – Preventing Teen Suicide: What Does the Evidence Shows – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Related Guideline: Preventing Suicide: A Technical Package of Policy, Programs, and Practices – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (free PDF)
8 – Low molecular weight heparin for prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients with lower-limb immobilization – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
“Moderate-quality evidence showed that the use of LMWH in outpatients reduced DVT when immobilization of the lower limb was required, when compared with no prophylaxis or placebo”.
9 – Pembrolizumab versus ipilimumab for advanced melanoma: final overall survival results of a multicentre, randomised, open-label phase 3 study (KEYNOTE-006) – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Pembrolizumab Prolongs Overall Survival Compared With Ipilimumab in Melanoma – Cancer Therapy Advisor (free)
Source: Richard Lehman’s journal review (free)
10 – Impact of Obesity on Intensive Care Unit Resource Utilization After Cardiac Operations – The Annals of Thoracic Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Obese cardiac patients a drain on ICU resources – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND Obese Cardiac Surgery Patients a Burden on ICU Resources – TCTMD (free) AND Post–Cardiac Surgery ICU Usage Rises With Increasing Obesity – Medscape (free registration required)
Thu, August 31 – 10 Stories of The Day!
31 Aug, 2017 | 00:04h | UTC
1 – Comparison of recommendations for screening mammography using CISNET models – Cancer (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Three questions to ask about calls to widen breast cancer screening – The Conversation (free) AND Comparison of Screening Recommendations for Mammography – ASCO Post (free)
Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care: Risks & Benefits, Age 40–49 (free) AND Risks & Benefits, Age 50–69 (free) AND Risks & Benefits, Age 70–74 (free) AND Full Guideline and Resources (free)
This article had a lot of attention from the media and suggests an annual screening starting at age 40 would prevent more breast cancer deaths. But screening has potential harms. For a clearer picture of the benefits and harms of screening in this context have a look at The Conversation commentary above and the infographics from the Canadian Task Force.
2 – History of breast feeding and risk of incident endometriosis: prospective cohort study – The BMJ (free)
Commentaries: Breast-Feeding Associated with Reduced Endometriosis Risk – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Breast-Feeding May Lower Risk of Endometriosis – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
3 – Sleep architecture and the risk of incident dementia in the community – Neurology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Lack of REM sleep may lead to higher risk for dementia – Boston University School of Medicine, via EurekAlert (free) AND Less REM Sleep May Significantly Boost Dementia Risk – Medscape (free registration required) AND Dreaming may keep dementia at bay – Medical News Today (free) AND Lack of REM sleep tied to increased risk of dementia – Reuters (free)
4 – Association of Sleep-Disordered Breathing With Cognitive Function and Risk of Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review Meta-analysis – JAMA Neurology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Breathing Disorders During Sleep Tied to Cognitive Issues – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Sleep-Disordered Breathing Raises Risk for Cognitive Decline – Medscape (free registration required)
This meta-analysis of observational studies suggests a possible association. Further studies are needed to examine whether the treatment of this condition can help in the prevention of dementia and in improvement of cognition.
5 – Chest CT Signs in Pulmonary Disease: A Pictorial Review – Chest (free)
Source: Critical Care Review Newsletter (free)
6 – Viewpoint: Management of Parkinson Disease in 2017: Personalized Approaches for Patient-Specific Needs – JAMA (free)
7 – Chronic cough postacute respiratory illness in children: a cohort study – Archives of Disease in Childhood (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Kids often have a chronic cough after respiratory illness – Reuters (free)
8 – Medical News & Perspectives: Medical Students Fall Short on Blood Pressure Check Challenge – JAMA (free)
Original Article: Medical students and measuring blood pressure: Results from the American Medical Association Blood Pressure Check Challenge – The Journal of Clinical Hypertension (free)
“Only 1 out of 159 medical students correctly performed all 11 elements in a BP check challenge w simulated patients” (RT @JAMA_current see Tweet)
9 – #ESCCongress – Clopidogrel or ticagrelor in acute coronary syndrome patients treated with newer-generation drug-eluting stents: CHANGE DAPT – EuroIntervention (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Rethinking dual antiplatelet guidelines in acute coronary syndrome? (CHANGE-DAPT) – ESC Press Releases (free) AND Ticagrelor for DAPT Again Questioned in Current Era of PCI for ACS: CHANGE DAPT – Medscape (free registration required) AND CHANGE DAPT: Study Contests Benefit of Ticagrelor Over Clopidogrel After PCI in ACS – TCTMD (free)
10 – Resistance training may prevent obese older people becoming frail when losing weight – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Aerobic or Resistance Exercise, or Both, in Dieting Obese Older Adults – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text) AND Video Summary: Exercise and Dieting in Obese Older Adults (free)
Wed, August 30 – 10 Stories of The Day!
30 Aug, 2017 | 00:02h | UTC
#ESCCongress – Highlights from the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017 – Part III
1 – #ESCCongress – Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Revisiting dietary fat guidelines? (PURE) – ESC Press Release (free) AND PURE Investigators: Rethink Diet Guidance to Plug More Fats, Fewer Carbs – TCTMD (free) AND International study shows moderate consumption of fats and carbohydrates best for health – McMaster University, via EurekAlert (free) AND PURE: Findings Could Have Implications For Global Dietary Guidelines – ACC News Story (free) AND Huge Diet Study Questions Conventional Wisdom About Carbs And Fats – Cardiobrief (free)
2 – #ESCCongress – Fruit, vegetable, and legume intake, and cardiovascular disease and deaths in 18 countries (PURE): a prospective cohort study – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Reassessing the benefits of plant-based eating (PURE) – ESC Press Release (free) Fruit, Vegetable, Legume Intake and CVD Events – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Life-saving fruit and vegetable diet need only be three portions – study – The Guardian (free) AND Less Is More? Health Benefits of Fruits, Vegetables, and Legumes Seen at Lower Intake Levels – TCTMD (free)
3 – #ESCCongress – Study confirms safety of rapid algorithm to rule-out and rule-in myocardial infarction – ESC Press Release (free) (the results have not been published yet)
Commentary: ESC Rapid Rule-In, Rule-Out Algorithm for NSTEMI Safe, Accurate – Medscape (free registration required)
Related guideline: 2015 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation (free) AND Other Resources (free)
4 – #ESCCongress – Underweight associated with highest mortality and costs after cardiac catheterization (free) (the results have not been published yet)
Commentaries: Underweight and Overlooked: Low BMI Patients May Be Highest-Risk Post-PCI – TCTMD (free) AND Underweight Patients Fare Worse After Heart Catheterization – Medscape (free registration required) AND ESC 2017: Underweight Is Associated With Highest Mortality and Costs After Cardiac Catheterization – PracticeUpdate (free registration required)
5 – #ESCCongress – Effects of Anacetrapib in Patients with Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Commentaries: Anacetrapib REVEALs ‘Modest’ Effect on Cardiovascular Outcomes – Medscape (free registration required) AND Anacetrapib Finds (Modest) Success Where All Other CETP Inhibitors Failed – TCTMD (free) AND REVEAL Revealed: A Slightly Positive CETP Inhibitor Trial – Cardiobrief (free)
Interesting new drug, but with modest benefits. During the median follow-up period of 4.1 years, the primary outcome occurred in fewer patients in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (10.8% vs. 11.8% / absolute risk difference = 1%, meaning 100 patients would have to be treated for 4.1 years to benefit 1 patient)
6 – #ESCCongress – Automatic external defibrillators save lives in amateur sports and fitness centres (free) (the results have not been published yet)
“Neurologically intact survival was 93% for patients treated with an onsite Automatic external defibrillator (AED) compared to 9% without an AED”
7 – Richard Lehman’s journal review, 29 August 2017 – The BMJ Blogs (free)
Richard Lehman reviews the latest research in the top medical journals.
Commentary: International Consensus (or Not) on Management of Advanced Prostate Cancer – ASCO Post (free)
10 – Clinical Report: Pediatric Integrative Medicine – American Academy of Pediatrics (free)
AAP News: From acupuncture to yoga, report updates integrative medicine therapies (free)
Commentaries: AAP Recommendations Address Complementary Therapies – Medscape (free registration required) AND AAP: Counsel on Complementary Medicine: Natural doesn’t always mean safe – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Tue, August 29 – 10 Stories of The Day!
29 Aug, 2017 | 00:18h | UTC
#ESCCongress – Highlights from the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017 – Part II
1 – #ESCCongress – Oxygen Therapy in Suspected Acute Myocardial Infarction – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Editorial: Is Oxygen Therapy Beneficial in Acute Myocardial Infarction? Simple Question, Complicated Mechanism, Simple Answer (free)
Commentaries: Oxygen therapy does not improve survival in patients with heart attack symptoms (DETO2X-AMI) – ESC Press Releases (free) AND Supplemental Oxygen Provides No Benefit to Patients With Suspected MI: DETO2X-AMI – TCTMD (free) AND Suspected MI and Normal Oxygen Saturation? Don’t Bother with Supplemental Oxygen – Physician’s First Watch (free)
2 – #ESCCongress – Population screening and intervention for vascular disease in Danish men (VIVA): a randomised controlled trial – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Screening for vascular disease saves one life for every 169 patients assessed (VIVA) – ESC Press Releases (free) AND VIVA: Could Population-Wide Screening Trial for AAA, PAD, and Hypertension Save Lives at Low Cost? – TCTMD (free) AND VIVA: Overall Mortality Significantly Reduced Among Older Men Receiving Triple Vascular Screening – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
3 – #ESCCongress – PATHWAY-2 uncovers main cause of drug-resistant hypertension, finds old drugs work best – ESC Press Releases (free) (the results have not been published yet)
Commentary: Prevention And Treatment of Hypertension With Algorithm based therapY-2 – PATHWAY-2 – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
4 – #ESCCongress – Bag-mask ventilation fails to improve on endotracheal intubation in cardiac arrest (CAAM) – ESC Press Releases (free) (the results have not been published yet)
Commentary: CAAM: Is Bag-Mask Ventilation Superior to ETI During CPR? – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
5 – #ESCCongress – Closure of left atrial appendage during heart surgery protects the brain (LAACS) – ESC Press Releases (free) (the results have not been published yet)
Commentary: LAACS: LAA Closure May Protect Against Long-Term Cerebral Ischemic Events – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
6 – #ESCCongress – Risk factor driven upstream atrial fibrillation therapy improves sinus rhythm maintenance (RACE 3) – ESC Press Releases (free) (the results have not been published yet)
Commentaries: Broad, Early AF Risk-Factor Intervention Preserves Sinus Rhythm: RACE-3 – Medscape (free registration required) AND Routine vs. Aggressive upstream rhythm Control for prevention of Early persistent atrial fibrillation in heart failure study – RACE 3 – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
7 – #ESCCongress – The Prognostic Value of Coronary Artery Calcium in the PROMISE Study – Circulation (free PDF)
Editorial: Computed Tomography or Functional Stress Testing for the Prediction of Risk: Can I Have My Cake and Eat It? (free PDF)
Commentary: Prospective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of Chest Pain – PROMISE – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
8 – Why developing countries must improve primary care – The Economist (free) (RT @AnjaNitzscheB see Tweet)
“The changing burden of disease requires a better approach to keeping people healthy”
9 – Necrotizing pancreatitis: Diagnose, treat, consult – Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine (free)
Source: Hospital Medicine Virtual Journal Club (free resource to find articles of interest)
10 – Using mesh does not improve results in vaginal prolapse surgery – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Mesh, graft, or standard repair for women having primary transvaginal anterior or posterior compartment prolapse surgery: two parallel-group, multicentre, randomised, controlled trials (PROSPECT) – The Lancet (free) AND Commentary: Mesh, graft, or standard repair for prolapse surgery? – The Lancet (free)
“About 12% of vaginal prolapse patients had complications from surgery using mesh” (RT @NIHR_DC see Tweet)
Mon, August 28 – 10 Stories of The Day!
28 Aug, 2017 | 00:14h | UTC
#ESCCongress – Highlights from the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017
1 – 2017 ESC/EACTS Guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease (free) (RT @rafavidalperez see Tweet)
Commentary: European Societies Issue New Valvular Heart Disease Guidelines, With Important Shifts – TCTMD (free)
See also: #ESCCongress Slides (free PPT file)
2 – 2017 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation: The Task Force for the management of acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) (free) (RT @rafavidalperez see Tweet)
Commentary: ESC Updates Guidelines for Treating STEMI Patients – TCTMD (free)
See also: #ESCCongress Slides (free PPT file)
3 – 2017 ESC Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Diseases, in collaboration with the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS): Document covering atherosclerotic disease of extracranial carotid and vertebral, mesenteric, renal, upper and lower extremity arteries (free) (RT @rafavidalperez see Tweet)
See also: #ESCCongress Slides (free PPT file)
4 – 2017 ESC focused update on dual antiplatelet therapy in coronary artery disease developed in collaboration with EACTS (free) (RT @rafavidalperez see Tweet)
See also: #ESCCongress Slides (free PPT file)
Editorial by Dr. Eugene Braunwald: An Important Step for Thrombocardiology (free)
Commentaries: Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies – COMPASS – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND COMPASS: Does Rivaroxaban Plus Aspirin Improve CV Outcomes in Patients With Stable Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease or PAD? – ACC News Story (free) AND Rivaroxaban, Aspirin, or Both in Stable Coronary Disease – Physician’s First Watch (free)
The primary outcome (composite of cardiovascular death, stroke, or myocardial infarction) occurred in fewer patients in the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group than in the aspirin-alone group (4.1% vs. 5.4% / Absolute risk difference = 1.3% / NNT = 76), but major bleeding events occurred in more patients in the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group (3.1% vs. 1.9% / Absolute risk difference = 1.2 / NNH = 83).
Commentaries: Randomized Evaluation of Dual Antithrombotic Therapy With Dabigatran vs. Triple Therapy With Warfarin in Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention – RE-DUAL PCI – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) Dual Antithrombotic Therapy Is Safe for Patients with AF and a New Stent – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND When two is better than three: Dual antithrombotic therapy cuts bleeding risk – Brigham and Women’s Hospital, via ScienceDaily (free)
“In summary, several lines of evidence now suggest that it is safe to treat atrial fibrillation patients who undergo coronary revascularization with anticoagulation (warfarin studied in WOEST, rivaroxaban studied in PIONEER AF-PCI, dabigatran studied in RE-DUAL PCI) and clopidogrel monotherapy” (from American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology).
Editorial: Targeting Inflammation in Coronary Artery Disease (free)
Commentaries: Anti-Inflammatory Therapy for Atherosclerotic Disease: A Step Closer? – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND CANTOS: Anti-inflammatory Agent Canakinumab Modestly Reduces Major CVD Events – TCTMD (free) AND CANTOS Validates Role Of Inflammation In Heart Disease – Cardiobrief (free)
“This widely anticipated study delivered some modestly positive results (fewer nonfatal MIs), some worrisome results (increased fatal infections), and some unexpected results (fewer cancer deaths)” (from Physician’s First Watch).
Commentary: CASTLE-AF: Catheter Ablation vs. Conventional Therapy For Patients With AFib and LV Dysfunction – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
The study has not been published yet, but the results suggest that patients with symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent AF and heart failure with ejection fraction less than 35% may have a better outcome with catheter ablation.
Commentaries: What Do Implanted Cardiac Monitors Reveal About Atrial Fibrillation? – JAMA Cardiology (free) AND REVEAL AF: Incidence of AFib Could Be Substantial in Older Patients With Stroke Risk Factors – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Detection of Undiagnosed AF Using Insertable Cardiac Monitors – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
Implanted Cardiac Monitors showed the incidence of intermittent atrial fibrillation is extremely common among older individuals with stroke risk factors, but the clinical significance of these findings (do they need to be anticoagulated??) remains to be determined by further trials.
“Previous long-term monitoring studies have suggested that patients with short episodes of subclinical AF have a lower risk of stroke compared with traditional clinical AF, which raises important questions about the risk-benefit ratio of anticoagulation in this setting” (from Latest in Cardiology).
10 – CI Versus CABG in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes and Multivessel Disease – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Patients With Type 1 Diabetes and Multivessel Disease Have Greater Benefit From CABG Than PCI – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Revascularization in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND CABG Appears Superior to PCI for Patients With Type 1 Diabetes, Multivessel Disease – TCTMD (free)
“The observational findings support existing recommendations favoring surgical revascularization in patients with diabetes” (from TCTMD).
Fri, August 25 – 10 Stories of The Day!
25 Aug, 2017 | 00:21h | UTC
1 – Diabetes and Hypertension: A Position Statement by the American Diabetes Association (free) (RT @Abraham_RMI and @ADA_Journals see Tweet)
Commentary: ADA Offers Position Statement on Diabetes and Hypertension – AJMC (free)
“the guideline continues the advice that most patients with diabetes should be treated to a blood pressure goal of <140/90 mm Hg; a goal of <130/80 can be considered for patients who have other cardiovascular risk factors” (from AJMC)
Editorial: Rheumatic Heart Disease — An Iceberg in Tropical Waters (free) (RT @NEJM see Tweet with interesting table)
Quick Take Video Summary: What is the Global Burden of Rheumatic Heart Disease? (free)
Commentary: Death rates from rheumatic heart disease falling since 1990 – Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (free)
3 – Long-Term, Supplemental, One-Carbon Metabolism–Related Vitamin B Use in Relation to Lung Cancer Risk in the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) Cohort – Journal of Clinical Oncology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Vitamin B supplements linked to lung cancer – here’s why you probably don’t need to worry – The Conversation (free) AND High Doses of Vitamin B Linked to Lung Cancer Increase – Medscape (free registration required) AND High Dose Vitamin B Supplements Should Not Be Taken for Lung Cancer Prevention – Cancer Therapy Advisor (free) AND High doses of vitamin B tied to lung cancer risk, study says – CNN (free)
4 – Association of Lithium in Drinking Water With the Incidence of Dementia – JAMA Internal Medicine (free)
Editorial: Could Lithium in Drinking Water Reduce the Incidence of Dementia? (free)
Commentaries: Lithium in drinking water may affect Alzheimer’s risk – Reuters (free) AND Dementia Rates Fall with Rising Lithium Levels in Water – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Lithium in Drinking Water Linked to Lower Dementia Risk? – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Lithium in tap water may cut dementia – BBC Health (free)
5 – The Case for a Breakfast Feast – The New York Times (free)
Related article: Meal Frequency and Timing Are Associated with Changes in Body Mass Index in Adventist Health Study 2 – The Journal of Nutrition (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
8 – Estimates of the global, regional, and national morbidity, mortality, and aetiologies of lower respiratory tract infections in 195 countries: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015 – Lancet Infectious Diseases (free) (RT @simonihay and @IHME_UW see Tweet)
Invited commentary: Measuring progress on preventing pneumonia deaths: are we there yet? (free)
9 – A bold open-access push in Germany could change the future of academic publishing – Science (free) (RT @hildabast and @RickyPo see Tweet)
Related commentary: Sci-Hub’s cache of pirated papers is so big, subscription journals are doomed, data analyst suggests – Science (free)
10 – Drug reduces deaths from bleeding after childbirth – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial – The Lancet (free) and Editorial: WOMAN: reducing maternal deaths with tranexamic acid (free)
“Tranexamic acid reduces risk of death from bleeding after childbirth by 31% when given within three hours”. (RT @NIHR_DC see Tweet)
Thu, August 24 – 10 Stories of The Day!
24 Aug, 2017 | 00:06h | UTC
1 – Effect of Oral Prednisolone on Symptom Duration and Severity in Nonasthmatic Adults With Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infection: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Oral Steroid Does Not Reduce Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Symptoms in Nonasthmatic Adults – JAMA Network (free) AND No Benefit for Oral Steroids in Lower Respiratory Tract Infection – Medscape (free registration required) AND Don’t use steroids for chest infections, GPs advised – Pulse (free)
In patients with acute respiratory infection without evidence of pneumonia or asthma, the addition of corticosteroids did not reduce symptom duration or severity.
2 – Screening for Occult Cancer in Patients With Unprovoked Venous Thromboembolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Individual Patient Data – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Outcomes of limited cancer screening after unprovoked VTE similar to extensive screening – ACP Hospitalist (free) AND Cancer Screening Not Recommended in Patients With VTEs – Medscape (free registration required) AND Extensive cancer screening may not improve outcomes for patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Screening for Occult Cancer in Patients With Unprovoked Venous Thromboembolism – ASCO Post (free)
Commentaries: Short sleep linked to body mass, waist size – Reuters (free) AND Insufficient sleep may be adding to your waistline – University of Leeds, via Science Daily (free)
7 – Effect of Natriuretic Peptide–Guided Therapy on Hospitalization or Cardiovascular Mortality in High-Risk Patients With Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Natriuretic Peptide-Guided Therapy No Better Than Usual Care in Heart Failure Patients – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND NT-proBNP Tx Disappoints for HF Drug Titration – MedPage Today (free registration required)
8 – Global Burden of Sugar-Related Dental Diseases in 168 Countries and Corresponding Health Care Costs – Journal of Dental Research (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: High sugar consumption gives rise to dental treatment costs in the billions – Science Daily (free)
“Worldwide, people are eating far too much sugar. This has negative consequences for their teeth and for their purses: seen at the global level, the costs of dental treatment are currently running at around $172 billion”
9 – Benefits and Harms of Osteoporosis Medications in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Benefits and harms of osteoporosis medications unclear for patients with CKD – Medical News Today (free) AND Benefits and harms of osteoporosis medications unclear for patients with CKD – 2 Minute Medicine (free)
Source: ACP Journal Club ($)
Commentary: Rotavirus vaccines continue to reduce diarrhea hospitalizations, medical costs in US kids – Medical News Today (free) AND Study: Rotavirus vaccine cuts healthcare costs in US children – CIDRAP (free)
Wed, August 23 – 10 Stories of The Day!
23 Aug, 2017 | 00:04h | UTC
1 – Risk of Arterial Thromboembolism in Patients With Cancer – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Cancer Patients at Heightened Risk for Arterial Thromboembolism – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Thromboembolism Risk Doubled in Cancer Patients – Medscape (free registration required) AND Cancer patients carry double the short-term risk of arterial thromboembolism – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND Short-Term Risk of Arterial Thromboembolism in Newly Diagnosed Patients With Cancer – ASCO Post (free)
Multimedia: Author Interview (free) AND JAMA Report Video (free)
Commentaries: Study Examines Effectiveness of Steroid Medication for Sore Throat – The JAMA Network (free) AND Corticosteroids for sore throat: a mixed bag of results – Clinical Advisor (free)
Source: ACP Journal Club ($)
Dexamethasone increased complete symptom resolution at 48 hours (35.4% vs 27.1%), but not at 24 hours. Trade-offs between the benefits and risks of dexamethasone in this situation are uncertain.
Expert opinion of the Working Group on Prevention, AKI section, European Society of Intensive Care Medicine
4 – Guideline: Antenatal Corticosteroid Therapy for Fetal Maturation – American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (free)
See also: Summary
Related: Antenatal corticosteroids for accelerating fetal lung maturation for women at risk of preterm birth – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text) AND A dose of corticosteroids benefit most women anticipating a preterm delivery – NIHR Signals (free)
5 – Guideline: Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy – American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (free)
See also: Summary
6 – Is Weight Loss Associated with Less Progression of Changes in Knee Articular Cartilage among Obese and Overweight Patients as Assessed with MR Imaging over 48 Months? Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative – Radiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Weight Loss Can Slow Down Knee Joint Degeneration – RSNA Press Release (free) AND Osteoarthritis: Knee joint degeneration slowed with weight loss, study confirms – Medical News Today (free)
Commentaries: Air pollution ups stress hormones, alters metabolismo – Reuters (free) AND AND Novel Study Shows How Air Pollution Increases CVD Risk – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Air pollution linked to cardiovascular disease; air purifiers may lessen impact – American Heart Association, via Science Daily (free)
Related: The cost of a polluted environment: 1.7 million child deaths a year, says WHO – World Health Organization (free) AND Estimates and 25-year trends of the global burden of disease attributable to ambient air pollution: an analysis of data from the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2015 – The Lancet (free) AND Death in the Air: Air Pollution Costs Money and Lives – World Bank (free infographic and report)
Commentary: ASCO Guideline on Stage IV NSCLC Therapy Updated – ASCO Post (free)
Commentaries: Liquid Biopsy Reads RNA Collected by Platelets to Diagnose Cancer – Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (free) AND Blood biopsy test reads platelets to detect human lung cancer – Cell Press, via EurekAlert (free)
Related: Analysis of Plasma Epstein–Barr Virus DNA to Screen for Nasopharyngeal Cancer – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text) AND Video – EBV DNA Screening for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (free) AND Can a ‘liquid biopsy’ detect cancer and save lives? – STAT (free) AND Plasma Epstein–Barr virus DNA useful for nasopharyngeal carcinoma screening – 2 Minute Medicine (free)
Tue, August 22 – 10 Stories of The Day!
22 Aug, 2017 | 00:09h | UTC
News release: AAP issues new pediatric hypertension clinical practice guideline – AAP News (free)
2 – Factors Associated With Choice of Infant Sleep Position – Pediatrics (free)
Commentaries: Less than half of mothers place sleeping infants supine – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Most moms aren’t putting babies to sleep safely, study says – CNN (free) AND Less Than Half of Mothers Report Always Putting Babies to Sleep in Supine Position – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Parents still failing to put babies to sleep on their backs – Reuters (free)
Placing infants in the supine position for sleep reduces the risk of sudden unexpected infant death and has been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics since 2005. Nevertheless, in this survey only 43,7% of mothers placed their infants exclusively in supine position for sleep.
Commentaries: Study: Hypertension in pregnancy may affect long-term heart health – UPI (free) AND Hypertension during pregnancy may affect women’s long-term cardiovascular health – Wiley, via EurekAlert (free)
Related: Women with High-Risk Pregnancies Are More Likely To Develop Heart Disease – NPR (free) AND Adverse Pregnancy Conditions, Infertility, and Future Cardiovascular Risk: Implications for Mother and Child – Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy (free)
4 – Medical News & Perspectives: Chess Study Revives Debate Over Cognition-Enhancing Drugs – JAMA (free)
Related: Growing use of smart drugs by students could be a recipe for disaster – The Conversation (free) AND Brain Hackers Seeking Peak Performance Use Risky Chemical Cocktails: “Smart drugs” are not clinically proven and could be dangerous – Scientific American (free) AND Universities must do more to tackle use of smart drugs, say experts – The Guardian (free) AND Tweaking brains with ‘smart drugs’ to get ahead in Silicon Valley – The Washington Post (free) AND Professors take same ‘smart drugs’ as students to keep up with workloads, claims academic – Independent (free)
5 – When surgery is just a stitch-up – The Guardian (RT @Onisillos see Tweet)
Related article: Use of placebo controls in the evaluation of surgery: systematic review – The BMJ (free)
“With evidence mounting that many minor operations owe their success to the placebo effect, is it time to call a halt to some routine procedures?”
Commentaries: Smokers hospitalized for heart attacks often don’t get cessation drugs – Reuters (free) AND Smokers Hospitalized for CHD Rarely Receive Cessation Pharmacotherapy During Hospitalization – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
7 – Re-analysis of All-Cause Mortality in the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force 2016 Evidence Report on Colorectal Cancer Screening – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Tied to Lower Mortality Risk – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Reduces All-Cause Mortality – Medscape (free registration required)
Source: Critical Care Review Newsletter
10 – Uric acid and incident dementia over 12 years of follow-up: a population-based cohort study – Annals of Rheumatic Diseases (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Elevated Uric Acid Linked to Dementia in the Elderly – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Dementia risk may be higher in elderly patients with high serum uric acid levels – ACP Internist (free)
Fri, August 18 – 10 Stories of The Day!
18 Aug, 2017 | 00:06h | UTC
1 – A randomized synbiotic trial to prevent sepsis among infants in rural India – Nature (free PDF)
Commentaries: At Last, a Big, Successful Trial of Probiotics – The Atlantic (free) AND Probiotic Bacteria Could Protect Newborns From Deadly Infection – NPR Goats and Soda (free) AND Seeding the Gut Microbiome Prevents Sepsis in Infants – The Scientist (free)
Invited commentary: COPD and asthma: the emergency is clear, now is the time for action (free)
3 – Perspective: Saying Goodbye to Lectures in Medical School: Paradigm Shift or Passing Fad? – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Related: Vermont Medical School Says Goodbye To Lectures – NPR (free)
4 – Analysis – Too much medicine: Mapping the drivers of overdiagnosis to potential solutions – The BMJ (free)
Related: Overdiagnosis, ethics, and trolley problems: why factors other than outcomes matter – The BMJ (free) AND The overdiagnosis community targets solutions – The BMJ (free) AND Are expanding disease definitions unnecessarily labelling women with polycystic ovary syndrome? – The BMJ (free) AND When technology creates uncertainty: pulse oximetry and Overdiagnosis of hypoxaemia in bronchiolitis – The BMJ (free)
Commentaries: Tuberculosis in children: under-counted and under-treate – The Lancet Global Health (free) AND TB killed an estimated 239,000 children in 2015, nearly all of them untreated, study finds – Science Speaks Blog (free)
Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
Early initiation of RRT in critically ill patients did not result in reduced mortality, change in renal function recovery, duration of RRT, renal recovery time, mechanical ventilation time or complications.
“@CDC_HIVAIDS recommends men who have sex with men be tested for HIV at least annually”. (RT @CDCMMWR see Tweet)
8 – Special issue: Topical Collection on Decompensated Heart Failure – Current Heart Failure Reports
Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
– Inpatient Monitoring of Decompensated Heart Failure: What Is Needed? (free)
– Acute Heart Failure: Definition, Classification and Epidemiology (free)
– Mechanical Circulatory Support for Decompensated Heart Failure (free)
– Pharmacological and Non-pharmacological Treatment for Decompensated Heart Failure: What Is New? (free)
– Current Approach to Decongestive Therapy in Acute Heart Failure (free)
9 – A National Implementation Project to Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection in Nursing Home Residents – JAMA Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Study Shows 54 Percent Drop in CAUTIs Among Nursing Home Residents – Infection Control Today (free) AND AHRQ safety program helps cut catheter infections by more than 50% among nursing home patients, JAMA study shows – Healthcare Finance (free) AND Implementing technical and socioadaptive bundles may decrease catheter-associated urinary tract infections in nursing homes – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Nursing homes cut urinary tract infections in half through focused effort on catheter care – Michigan University, via EurekAlert (free)
Related: Toolkit for Reducing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) – Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (free resources)
10 – Review: The role of bariatric surgery to treat diabetes: current challenges and perspectives – BMC Endocrine Disorders (free)
Mon, August 21 – 10 Stories of The Day!
21 Aug, 2017 | 01:10h | UTC
1 – Separate and combined associations of obesity and metabolic health with coronary heart disease: a pan-European case-cohort analysis – European Heart Journal (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: ‘Fat but fit’ people may still be at risk of heart disease – NHS Choices (free) AND ‘Fat but fit’ still has higher risk of heart disease, study confirms – CNN (free) AND ‘Fat but Fit’ is Myth; New UK Study Finds BMI>25 Ups MI Risk – Medscape (free registration required) AND ‘Fat but fit’ still risk heart disease – BBC (free)
2 – Clinical Practice Guideline: Safe Medication Use in the ICU – Critical Care Medicine (free)
See also: Executive Summary (free)
3 – Free Online Courses Starting Today
– Introduction to Health Technology Assessment – University of Glasgow and FutureLearn
– Science of Exercise – University of Colorado Boulder and Coursera
– Psychological First Aid – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera
– Epidemiology in Public Health Practice – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera
– Essentials of Global Health – Yale University and Coursera
– Understanding Cancer Metastasis – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera
– Advanced Neurobiology I – Peking University and Coursera
– Systems Thinking In Public Health – Jonhs Hopkins University and Coursera
– Bacteria and Chronic Infections – University of Copenhagen and Coursera
– Introduction to Breast Cancer – Yale University and Coursera
– Healthcare Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Duke University and Coursera
– Foundations for Assisting in Home Care – The State University of New York and Coursera
4 – Acute Kidney Injury After Computed Tomography: A Meta-analysis – Annals of Emergency Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: When kidneys are injured, CT contrast isn’t the culprit – Health Imaging (free)
Related article: Risk of Acute Kidney Injury After Intravenous Contrast Media Administration – Annals of Emergency Medicine (free)
Source: Hospital Medicine Virtual Journal Club
Compared with noncontrast CT, contrast-enhanced CT was not significantly associated with either acute kidney injury, need for renal replacement therapy, or all-cause mortality.
5 – Trajectories of energy drink consumption and subsequent drug use during young adulthood – Drug & Alcohol Dependence (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Study suggests energy drinks can lead to cocaine use – News.com.au (free text and video) AND Energy Drinks May Trigger Future Substance Use – Medscape (free registration required)
6 – Sleep Duration and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes – Pediatrics (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Lack of sleep tied to higher risk of diabetes in kids – Reuters (free) AND Sleep in Children Linked to Later Risk of Type 2 Diabetes – AJMC (free) AND Insufficient sleep raises type 2 diabetes risk in children – Medical News Today (free) AND Sleep duration inversely related to childhood type 2 diabetes risk makers – 2 Minute Medicine (free)
7 – Review: Postoperative pulmonary complications – British Journal of Anaesthesia (free)
Source: Critical Care Reviews Topic of The Week
8 – When Sports Injuries Lead to Arthritis in Joints – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Related guideline: The Role of Athletic Trainers in Preventing and Managing Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis in Physically Active Populations: a Consensus Statement of the Athletic Trainers’ Osteoarthritis Consortium (free)
9 – NCCN Guidelines Insights: Palliative Care, Version 2.2017 – JNCCN (free)
Related guideline: Integration of Palliative Care Into Standard Oncology Care: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update (free)
Commentaries: Ahead of their time – The BMJ (free) AND Preemies do better now than years ago, but still at risk – Reuters (free) AND Premature baby survival rates are improving – OnMedica (free)
Thu, August 17 – 10 Stories of The Day!
17 Aug, 2017 | 00:18h | UTC
1 – Special issue: 60 years of metformin use – Diabetologia (Source: ACP Diabetes Monthly)
– Editorial: 60 years of metformin use: a glance at the past and a look to the future (free)
– Metformin: historical overview (free)
– The mechanisms of action of metformin (free)
– Metformin: clinical use in type 2 diabetes (free)
– A new perspective on metformin therapy in type 1 diabetes (free)
– Metformin use in pregnancy: promises and uncertainties (free)
– Metformin and ageing: improving ageing outcomes beyond glycaemic control (free)
– Repurposing metformin for the prevention of cancer and cancer recurrence (free)
– The pharmacogenetics of metformin (free)
– Metformin therapy for the reproductive and metabolic consequences of polycystic ovary syndrome (free)
– The effects of metformin on gut microbiota and the immune system as research frontiers (free)
2 – Inactivation of porcine endogenous retrovirus in pigs using CRISPR-Cas9 – Science (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Birth of CRISPR’d pigs advances hopes for turning swine into organ donos – STAT (free) AND Gene editing to remove viruses brings transplant organs from pigs a step closer – The Guardian (free) AND Gene Editing Spurs Hope for Transplanting Pig Organs Into Humans – New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND Gene editing brings pig organ transplant closer – NHS Choices (free) AND Scientists edit pig genome with goal of human organ transplants – CNN (free text and video)
3 – Five-Year Outcomes after On-Pump and Off-Pump Coronary-Artery Bypass – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Off-Pump CABG Raises Long-Term Mortality Risk – Cardiobrief (free) AND Newer method of open-heart surgery carries more risks, study finds – STAT (free)
Commentaries: Gabapentinoids Seem to Offer Little Benefit, Substantial Risks in Low Back Pain – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Evidence does not support the use of gabapentinoids for chronic low back pain – PLOS, via Science Daily (free) AND Gabapentinoids for Chronic Low Back Pain? Not So Fast – Practical Pain Management (free)
Pregabalin and gabapentin have significant risk of adverse effects without any demonstrated benefit in chronic low back pain.
5 – Bored reading science? Let’s change how scientists write – The Conversation (free) (RT @Onisillos see Tweet)
“Science communicators, journalists, entrepreneurs, policymakers and interested members of the general public are all motivated to follow the latest scientific research. And yet, strangely enough, science papers are a communication tool but they are not that effective at communication”.
6 – The Fight Against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Might Start With Vaccines – Allice Callahan, via FiveThirtyEight (free) (RT @greg_folkers see Tweet with infographic)
7 – Cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in patients with type 2 diabetes following initiation of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors versus other glucose-lowering drugs (CVD-REAL Nordic): a multinational observational analysis – The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: SGLT2 Agents Cut CV Events in ‘Real-World’ Analysis – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Cardiovascular disease and mortality appear lower in patients on SGLT2 inhibitors – ACP Diabetes (free)
Related article: Lower Risk of Heart Failure and Death in Patients Initiated on SGLT-2 Inhibitors Versus Other Glucose-Lowering Drugs: The CVD-REAL Study – Circulation (free PDF)
Another observational study suggests this class of drugs may reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity.
Source: Journal Watch ($)
“we found that the risk associated with nonobstetric surgery was relatively low, confirming that surgical procedures during pregnancy are generally safe”
9 – Study: diet soda can really mess with your metabolism – VOX (free)
Original article: Integration of Sweet Taste and Metabolism Determines Carbohydrate Reward – Current Biology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
See also a related meta-analysis showing little evidence of benefit from the consumption of artificial sweeteners for weight loss in our July 18th issue (see #2)
“New research helps explain why artificial sweeteners are linked to obesity and metabolic disease”.
10 – Talking therapy given by parents shows promise for childhood anxiety disorders – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of brief guided parent-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused brief therapy for treatment of childhood anxiety disorders: a randomised controlled trial – The Lancet Psychiatry (free) AND Commentary: Low-intensity interventions for anxiety disorders (free)
“70% of children receiving guided parent-delivered CBT had recovered from anxiety six months after treatment” (RT @NIHR_DC see Tweet)
Wed, August 16 – 10 Stories of The Day!
16 Aug, 2017 | 00:10h | UTC
Related article: Benefits and Harms of Plant-Based Cannabis for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review – Annals of Internal Medicine (free)
Commentaries: Evidence on cannabis for chronic pain and PTSD – American College of Physician’s, via EurekAlert (free) AND Evidence Lacking on Benefits of Cannabis for Treating Chronic Pain, PTSD – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Limited evidence available to determine effectiveness and safety of cannabis to treat chronic pain – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Little evidence that marijuana helps chronic pain, PTSD, studies find – CNN (free text and video)
2 – Blood pressure targets for hypertension in older adults – Cochrane Library (free)
Full review: Blood pressure targets for hypertension in older adults – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Related guideline: Pharmacologic Treatment of Hypertension in Adults Aged 60 Years or Older to Higher Versus Lower Blood Pressure Targets: A Clinical Practice Guideline From ACP and AAFP (free)
“At the present time there is insufficient evidence to know whether a higher BP target (less than150 to 160/95 to 105 mmHg) or a lower BP target (less than 140/90 mmHg) is better for older adults with high BP”
3 – Analysis of Plasma Epstein–Barr Virus DNA to Screen for Nasopharyngeal Cancer – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Quick Take Video Summary: EBV DNA Screening for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (free)
Commentaries: Can a ‘liquid biopsy’ detect cancer and save lives? – STAT (free) AND Liquid Biopsy Passes Test for Nasopharyngeal Cancer – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Early Detection of Nasopharyngeal Cancer With EBV DNA – Medscape (free registration required) AND Plasma Epstein–Barr virus DNA useful for nasopharyngeal carcinoma screening – 2 Minute Medicine (free)
Commentaries: C-Section Delivery Associated with Increased Risk of Complications from Hysterectomy – The JAMA Network (free) AND C-Section Now, Hysterectomy Complications Later? – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Commentary: Antidepressant use increases risk of head injuries among persons with Alzheimer’s disease – University of Eastern Finland, via EurekAlert (free)
6 – Cholera count reaches 500 000 in Yemen – World Health Organization (free)
Commentaries: Yemen’s cholera outbreak passes 500,000 cases – CIDRAP (free) AND More Than 500,000 Infected With Cholera in Yemen – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
7 – Surgery must be a core part of health care – even in the poorest countries – The Guardian (free)
Related book: Essential Surgery – Disease Control Priorities 3 (DCP3) (free)
Related report: Global Surgery 2030 (free PDF)
Related commentary on the subject: In countries with a shortage of surgeons, other health care workers can fill in the gaps – STAT (free)
8 – Dexamethasone before bowel surgery reduces postoperative nausea and vomiting – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Dexamethasone versus standard treatment for postoperative nausea and vomiting in gastrointestinal surgery: randomised controlled trial (DREAMS Trial) – The BMJ (free)
9 – Relationship of Alcohol Consumption to All-Cause, Cardiovascular, and Cancer-Related Mortality in U.S. Adults – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (link to abstract and infographic – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Consuming Alcohol in Moderation Can Lower Mortality Risks – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Alcohol Consumption and All-Cause, CV, and Cancer-Related Mortality – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Can drinking a little bit help you live longer? – Reuters (free)
Press release: AAFP, Baylor Partner to Create Alcohol Screening Practice Manual (free)
Commentary: Alcohol screening and brief intervention: A practice manual for clinicians – Clinical Advisor (free)
Tue, August 15 – 10 Stories of The Day!
15 Aug, 2017 | 01:19h | UTC
1 – Eliminating Creatine Kinase–Myocardial Band Testing in Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Value-Based Quality Improvement – JAMA Internal Medicine (free) (RT @EricTopol see Tweet)
Author interview: Eliminating Creatine Kinase–Myocardial Band Testing in Suspected ACS (free)
Commentaries: Eliminating CK-MB Testing in Suspected ACS – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Research review recommends eliminating widely ordered blood test for diagnosing heart attacks – Johns Hopkins Medicine, via Science Daily (free)
“Review is first publication from national consortium of academic medical centers working to eliminate unnecessary medical tests, treatments and procedures” (from Science Daily)
2 – Associations Between Midlife Vascular Risk Factors and 25-Year Incident Dementia in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Cohort – JAMA Neurology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Midlife cardiovascular risk factors may increase chances of dementia – NIH News Releases (free) AND Midlife smoking, diabetes, and hypertension associated with late life dementia – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Heart-healthy middle age tied to lower risk of dementia – Medical News Today (free) AND Heart disease risk in middle age tied to dementia later – Reuters (free)
Commentaries: Fluctuations in home-monitored blood pressure may raise dementia risk – Circulation Journal Report (free) AND Fluctuations in Blood Pressure Linked to Vascular Dementia – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Fluctuating Home Blood Pressure Linked to Dementia – Medscape (free registration required) AND Blood pressure fluctuations linked to dementia – Reuters (free)
Full review: Self-management interventions including action plans for exacerbations versus usual care in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (link to summary – $ for full-text)
Related: Asthma self-management programmes can reduce unscheduled care – NIHR Signal (free)
Self-management interventions that include a COPD exacerbation action plan are associated with improvements in health-related quality of life and lower probability of respiratory-related hospital admissions.
This systematic review and meta-analysis mostly of observational studies suggests early breastfeeding initiation is associated with increased survival. The authors acknowledge that there are many reasons for delayed breastfeeding initiation that may confound the relationship between breastfeeding initiation and mortality, but remember that randomized trials would not be considered ethical, so we must rely on high quality observational data. Based on their analysis, the authors suggest the implementation of programs that emphasize the importance of early initiation of breastfeeding, in addition to promoting exclusive breastfeeding.
6 – State of the Art Review: Advances in the diagnosis and management of neck pain – The BMJ (free)
Related guideline: Neck Pain: Revision 2017 – Clinical Practice Guidelines Linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health from the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (free)
7 – Neurologic Complications Associated With the Zika Virus in Brazilian Adults – JAMA Neurology (free)
Editorial: The Expanding Spectrum of Zika Virus Infections of the Nervous System (free)
Commentary: Brazilian study sheds new light on Zika neuro complications in adults – CIDRAP (free)
8 – Richard Lehman’s journal review, 14 August 2017 – The BMJ Blogs (free)
Richard Lehman reviews the latest research in the top medical journals.
“Car crashes in older adult drivers: Zolpidem (aOR 2.27) > zolpidem + zopiclone combo (aOR 2.20)” (RT @psychopharmacol see Tweet)
10 – Risk of Stroke With Various Types of Menopausal Hormone Therapies: A National Cohort Study – Stroke (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Source: EvidenceAlerts
This large cohort confirms an increased stroke risk with oral hormone therapies, but suggests no increased risk of stroke with transdermal or vaginal estrogen application.
Mon, August 14 – 10 Stories of The Day!
14 Aug, 2017 | 00:01h | UTC
1 – Use of Alternative Medicine for Cancer and Its Impact on Survival – Journal of the National Cancer Institute (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Use of alternative medicine hastens death of cancer patients – Edzard Ernst (free) AND Cancer Survival Takes a Hit with Alternative Medicine – MedPage Today (free) AND Using Alternative Medicine Only for Cancer Linked to Lower Survival Rate – Yale Cancer Center, via NewsWise (free) AND ‘Alternative Medicine’ for Cancer Ups Death Risk – Medscape (free registration required)
2 – Free Online Courses Starting Today
– Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera
– Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics – University of Cape Town and Coursera
– Public Health in Humanitarian Crises – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera
– Health Across the Gender Spectrum – Stanford University and Coursera
– Major Depression in the Population: A Public Health Approach – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera
– An Introduction to Global Health – University of Conpenhagen and Coursera
– Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities – Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Coursera
– Leading Healthcare Quality and Safety – The George Washington University and Coursera
– The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera
Commentaries: Regulatory control of highly hazardous pesticides to prevent self-poisoning – The Lancet Global Health (free) AND Highly hazardous pesticides: policies should focus on bans, rather than secure storage, Lancet studies suggest – Bristol Health Partners (free)
Related: Effectiveness of household lockable pesticide storage to reduce pesticide self-poisoning in rural Asia: a community-based, cluster-randomised controlled trial – The Lancet (free) AND Learning from a negative trial of lockable pesticide storage – The Lancet (free)
“A worldwide ban on the use of highly hazardous agricultural pesticides is likely to prevent tens of thousands of deaths every year”.
Invited commentary: Universal eye health: are we getting closer? (free)
Commentary: Global blindness set to ‘triple by 2050’ – BBC (free) (via Global Health NOW Newslellter)
“Blindness is set to rise at an alarming rate reaching 115 million by 2050” (RT @UniMelbMDHS see Tweet)
5 – Guideline: Counseling Adolescents About Contraception – American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (free)
Commentary: Contraception and adolescents: ACOG releases counseling recommendations for clinicians – Clinical Advisor (free)
Commentary: Pneumonia Or Sepsis in Adults Associated With Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease – European Society of Cardiology Press Releases (free) AND Elevated Cardiovascular Risk May Linger for Several Years After a Severe Infection – TCTMD (free) AND CVD risk may rise sixfold in the year after pneumonia, sepsis – Medical News Today (free)
Observational study suggests anticoagulation for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation is beneficial even for very elderly subjects.
8 – Sildenafil for pulmonary hypertension in neonates – Cochrane Library (link to summary – $ for full-text)
“Sildenafil may help reduce mortality and improve oxygenation in neonates with pulmonary hypertension” (RT @CochraneUK see Tweet)
9 – Preventing Severe Asthma Exacerbations in Children. A Randomized Trial of Mite-Impermeable Bedcovers – American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Mite-proof covers may reduce severity of asthma exacerbations in allergic children – News Medical (free)
Source: EvidenceAlerts
10 – Treatments for reducing menopausal hot flushes are ranked for effectiveness – NIHR Signal (free)
Fri, August 11 – 10 Stories of The Day!
11 Aug, 2017 | 00:08h | UTC
1 – The association of depression at any time to the risk of death following coronary artery disease diagnosis – European Heart Journal – Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Having depression and heart disease could double death risk – Medical News Today (free) AND Death risk doubles for heart patients with depression – Cardiovascular Business (free)
Related: AAFP Guideline for the Detection and Management of Post–Myocardial Infarction Depression – Annals of Family Medicine (free)
Commentaries: Gout Patients Run Higher Risk of Kidney Stones – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Gout associated with elevated risk for kidney stones – MedWire News (free)
“60% increased risk of first-time nephrolithiasis versus general population, with little protection from allopurinol” (from MedPage Today)
3 – Efficacy, safety, and effect on sexual behaviour of on-demand pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV in men who have sex with men: an observational cohort study – The Lancet HIV (free registration required)
Commentaries: PrEP on demand or every day? – The Lancet HIV (free registration required) AND HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis can be taken as needed – Reuters (free)
“four doses of PrEP around the time of sexual activity cut the risk of HIV by 97 percent” (from Reuters Health)
4 – Interventions for emergency contraception – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Summary: Methods of emergency contraception (free)
See also a recent study showing CPAP does not reduce cardiovascular events in our July 13th issue (see #2)
“CPAP is effective in improving health-related quality of life in OSA, and Mandibular Advancement Devices may be just as effective, but further RCTs comparing the two treatments are required”.
6 – Strategies to prevent death by suicide: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials – British Journal of Psychiatry (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Brief Intervention and Contact (BIC) to prevent suicide – Dave Cesarini, via Medium (free)
Related article: Effectiveness of brief intervention and contact for suicide attempters: a randomized controlled trial in five countries – Bulletin of the World Health Organization (free)
Source: Psychiatry Research Review
“The WHO BIC is a promising suicide prevention strategy. No other intervention showed a statistically significant effect in reducing suicide”.
7 – Suicide Prevention in an Emergency Department Population: The ED-SAFE Study – JAMA Psychiatry (link to abstract – Free Full Text PDF via @unpaywall)
Commentaries: Intervention Phone Calls May Save The Lives Of Suicidal Patients, Reduce New Attempts, Trial Finds – Medical Daily (free) AND National study shows interventions like telephone calls can reduce suicides – EurekAlert (free) AND Intervention Curbs New Suicide Attempts in At-Risk ED Patients – Medscape (free registration required)
Source: Psychiatry Research Review
“Patients who received a multifaceted intervention that included follow-up telephone calls resulted in a 30 percent reduction in future suicide attempts” (from Medical Daily)
8 – The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: a systematic review and meta-analysis – The Lancet Public Health (free) (RT @equitylist see Tweet)
Invited commentary: Inequality and intergenerational transmission of complex adversity (free)
Editorial: Our greatest untapped resource (free)
9 – Diet and Risk of Cholecystectomy: A Prospective Study Based on the French E3N Cohort – American Journal of Gastroenterology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Fewer gallbladder surgeries with Mediterranean diets – Reuters (free)
Commentaries: Cognitive decline could be reduced with a Mediterranean-style diet – Medical News Today (free) AND Mediterranean-style diets linked to better brain function in older adults – Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Research Summary (free)
Thu, August 10 – 10 Stories of The Day!
10 Aug, 2017 | 01:19h | UTC
1 – Developmental follow-up of children and young people born preterm – NICE Guideline (free)
2 – Sleep Disorder Diagnosis During Pregnancy and Risk of Preterm Birth – Obstetrics & Gynecology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Sleep Disorders in Pregnancy Linked to Preterm Birth – Medscape (free registration required) AND Insomnia linked to premature birth in study of 3 million mothers – Nature News (free)
“Women with sleep disorders were about twice as likely to deliver babies more than six weeks early” (from Nature News)
Commentaries: Marijuana associated with three-fold risk of death from hypertension – European Society of Cardiology, via Science Daily (free) AND Marijuana use holds three-fold blood pressure death risk: study – Reuters (free) AND Marijuana Use Tied to Death from Hypertension, Study Suggests – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Marijuana ‘may be worse than cigarettes for cardiovascular health’ – Medical News Today (free)
4 – The verdict: is blogging or tweeting about research papers worth it? – The London School of Economics and Political Science (free) (RT @CLAHRC_West and @CebmOxford)
Researchers can no longer ignore social media.
5 – What do hypnotics cost hospitals and healthcare? – F1000 Research (free)
Source: Hospital Medicine Virtual Journal Club
“A best estimate is that U.S. costs of hypnotic harms to healthcare systems are on the order of $55 billion, but conceivably might be as low as $10 billion or as high as $100 billion”.
6 – Treating subclinical thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy probably has no benefit – NIHR Signal (free) (RT see Tweet)
Related: Subclinical Hypothyroidism – NEJM Resident 360 (free) AND Levothyroxine Shows No Benefit in Older Adults with Subclinical Hypothyroidism – Physician’s First Watch (free)
“Treating subclinical thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy probably has no benefit” (RT @NIHR_DC see Tweet)
7 – Gadolinium deposition in the brain: summary of evidence and recommendations – The Lancet Neurology (free registration required)
Commentaries: Gadolinium deposition: practical guidelines in the face of uncertainty – The Lancet Neurology (free registration required) AND MRI Contrast Agents Accumulate in the Brain – Case Western Reserve University, via NewsWise (free)
8 – A systematic review to identify and assess the effectiveness of alternatives for people over the age of 65 who are at risk of potentially avoidable hospital admission – BMJ Open (free) (RT @NIHR_DC)
Alternatives to hospital admission for people aged over 65 years can be safe and reduce costs across a range of acute and chronic conditions.
9 – All-Cause and Specific-Cause Mortality Risk After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in Patients With and Without Diabetes (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Gastric Bypass Sharply Lowers Death Risk for People With Diabetes, Study Finds – AJMC (free)
Case-control study suggests the procedure may reduce the risk of death in patients with diabetes.
10 – Tai Chi for Risk of Falls. A Meta-analysis – Journal of The American Geriatrics Society (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Meta-Analysis: Tai Chi Keeps Seniors from Falling – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Tai chi may help reduce rate of falls in older and at-risk adults – News Medical (free)
‘Can reduce fall rates by almost half during the first year’ (from MedPage Today)
Tue, August 8 – 10 Stories of The Day!
8 Aug, 2017 | 00:05h | UTC
1 – Optimal timing of an invasive strategy in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomised trials – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Optimal Timing of an Invasive Strategy in NSTE-ACS Patients – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
An early invasive strategy does not reduce mortality compared with a delayed invasive strategy in most patients with NSTE-ACS, but seems to reduce mortality in high-risk patients.
Commentaries: Raw milk: a superfood or super risky? – The Guardian (free) AND Raw milk and cheese cause 840 times more illnesses than pasteurized products – STAT News (free)
3 – State of The Art Review: Advances in the diagnosis of pneumonia in children – The BMJ (free)
Commentary: Short sleep linked to body mass, waist size – Reuters Health (free)
5 – simple guide to CRISPR, one of the biggest science stories of the decade – VOX (free) (RT @Students4BE see Tweet)
Commentaries: Metabolic syndrome: An hour of resistance training per week may cut risk – Medical News Today (free) AND Resistance Training Tied to Lower Risk for Metabolic Syndrome – Physician’s First Watch (free)
7 – Factors Associated With Achieving a Body Mass Index of Less Than 30 After Bariatric Surgery – JAMA Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Opting for Weight-Loss Surgery at Lower BMIs May Be Best for Patients’ Health, Study Suggests – University of Michigan, via NewsWise (free) AND Delayed Weight Loss Surgery Tied to Worse Outcomes – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Weight-loss surgery may work better when patients aren’t too obese – Reuters (free) AND With bariatric surgery, a patient’s starting weight makes a difference, study finds – STAT (free)
8 – Richard Lehman’s journal review, 7 August 2017 – The BMJ Blogs (free)
Richard Lehman reviews the latest research in the top medical journals.
9 – Review: Environmental/lifestyle factors in the pathogenesis and prevention of type 2 diabetes – BMC Medicine (free)
10 – Review: Subclinical thyrotoxicosis: prevalence, causes and choice of therapy – European Journal of Endocrinology (free)
Wed, August 9 – 10 Stories of The Day!
9 Aug, 2017 | 01:53h | UTC
1 – New NICE Guideline: Fever in under 5s: assessment and initial management (free)
4 – Prognostic Factors for Treatment Failure in Acute Otitis Media – Pediatrics (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Features predicting treatment failure in acute otitis media – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Study IDs Children With AOM Who Benefit From Antibiotics – Medscape (free registration required)
“Children with severe bulging of the tympanic membrane seem to benefit most from antimicrobial treatment of AOM”
5 – Half of papers searched for online are free to read – Nature News (free)
“Large study of open research analysed reader data from Unpaywall tool, which finds freely available versions of articles”.
Commentaries: Nonspecialists Could Safely Provide Hepatitis C Care – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND HCV treatment by NPs, PCPs appears safe, effective as that provided by subspecialists – ACP Internist (free)
“Expansion of Treatment for HCV Infection by Task Shifting to Community-Based Nonspecialists” (RT @kennylinafp see Tweet)
8 – Opinion: How Low Is Too Low With Salt in Heart Failure? Randomized Studies Needed to Resolve Concern – Circulation (free)
See more on sodium intake and cardiovascular disease in our July 11th issue (see #1)
9 – Association of Estimated Sodium Intake With Adverse Cardiac Structure and Function – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Typical adults eat enough salt to damage heart – Reuters (free) AND High Dietary Sodium Linked to Subclinical Cardiac Dysfunction – Medscape (free registration required)
Related: The antibiotic course has had its day – The BMJ (free) AND Keep taking the tablets: three reasons to stay the full antibiotics course – The Conversation (free) (RT @Onisillos) AND Why you really should take your full course of antibiotics – The Conversation (free)
Mon, August 7 – 10 Stories of The Day!
7 Aug, 2017 | 01:14h | UTC
1 – Guideline: Nutrition support for adults: oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE – UK) (free)
2 – Free online courses starting today:
– Community Change in Public Health – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera
– Health for All Through Primary Health Care – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera
– Global Health at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface – University of Geneva and Coursera
– Childbirth: A Global Perspective – Emory University and Coursera
– An Introduction to Population Health – University of Manchester and Coursera
– Global Adolescent Health – University of Melbourne and Coursera
– Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health – University of Sidney and Coursera
4 – Too Many Meds? America’s Love Affair With Prescription Medication – Consumer Reports (free)
See more on “Deprescribing” in our May 8th issue (see #4), May 9th issue (see #7) and May 15th issue (see #2), and also a related article on Current and future perspectives on the management of polypharmacy (free)
“Yes. Way Too Many Meds. Think De-prescribe”. (RT @EricTopol see Tweet)
5 – Design Thinking for Doctors and Nurses – New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
6 – Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation? – The Atlantic (free)
Long read… very interesting.
7 – A comprehensive guide to the new science of treating lower back pain – VOX (free)
“Mainstream medicine has failed people with chronic back pain”
8 – Modifiable Risk Factors for Incident Heart Failure in Atrial Fibrillation – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Risk for Incident Heart Failure in Atrial Fibrillation – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
“Lose weight, treat hypertension & diabetes, stop smoking: That’s how we might prevent heart failure” (RT @JACCJournals see Tweet)
10 – The global crackdown on parents who refuse vaccines for their kids has begun – VOX (free)
See more on mandatory vaccination in our May 29th (see #6) and July 12th (see #5) issues
“Countries like Italy and Australia are tired of measles outbreaks — so they’re moving to fine anti-vaccine parents”.