Oral Corticosteroids Ease Preschoolers’ Acute Wheeze
Oral corticosteroids helped reduce wheeze severity and length of hospital stay in children experiencing acute preschool wheeze, a pooled analysis of patient-level randomized trial data showed. The medication reduced wheezing severity score (WSS) after 4 hours to a greater degree than did placebo (mean difference -0.31 on a 12-point scale, P=0.011). This, however, was not […]
Need 10,000 Daily Steps to Prevent Obesity? It May Depend on Genetics
The daily step count needed to reduce the risk of obesity may be largely dependent on genetics, a retrospective cohort study indicated. Among U.S. adults without obesity in the All of Us Research Program, incidence of obesity over a median follow-up of 5.4 years was 13% for those in the lowest quartile of BMI polygenic […]
Dapivirine Vaginal Ring, Oral PrEP Safe for HIV Prevention in Pregnancy
DENVER — The monthly dapivirine ring to reduce risk of HIV in women showed similar safety outcomes as oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) when used throughout the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, according to a phase IIIb open-label trial in sub-Saharan Africa. Premature births occurred in 4% of those with the ring, compared with 6% […]
Fasting-like diet lowers risk factors for disease, reduces biological age in humans
Cycles of a diet that mimics fasting can reduce signs of immune system aging, as well as insulin resistance and liver fat in humans, resulting in a lower biological age, according to a new USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology-led study. The study, which appears in Nature Communications on Feb. 20, adds to the body […]
How fasting may protect against inflammation
Cambridge scientists may have discovered a new way in which fasting helps reduce inflammation — a potentially damaging side-effect of the body’s immune system that underlies a number of chronic diseases. In research published in Cell Reports, the team describes how fasting raises levels of a chemical in the blood known as arachidonic acid, which […]
No Laughing Matter: Nitrous Oxide for Transrectal Prostate Biopsy
Patient-adjusted nitrous oxide (N2O), commonly called laughing gas, did not reduce anxiety associated with transrectal prostate biopsy but significantly reduced pain as compared with standard anesthesia, a small randomized study showed. Scores on a standardized anxiety questionnaire, the primary endpoint, did not differ significantly between patients randomized to N2O or standard care. However, patents in […]
Apixaban Prophylaxis Fails to Reduce Clots in Pediatric ALL
Prophylaxis with apixaban (Eliquis) failed to reduce the rate of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoma, according to results from the phase III randomized PREVAPIX-ALL study. During a median follow-up of 27 days, 12% of patients receiving the direct oral anticoagulant had a composite VTE compared with 18% […]
Wyoming Department of Health Working to Reduce Stillbirths – Wyoming Department of Health
Wyoming Department of Health Working to Reduce Stillbirths November 13, 2023 The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is working to help expectant parents learn how paying attention to their baby’s movements can sometimes help prevent stillbirths. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests roughly 1 in every 162 pregnancies ends in […]
Hospitals Have Many Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Experts Say
Hospitals aiming to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions can begin by taking a few simple steps, experts said at an online event sponsored by the Bipartisan Policy Center. “The U.S. health system accounts for 8.5% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, a larger percentage than any other country in the world,” Joseph Betancourt, MD, MPH, […]
Benralizumab Allows Inhaled Corticosteroid Taper for Asthma Patients
MILAN — Benralizumab (Fasenra) allowed patients with severe eosinophilic asthma to reduce inhaled corticosteroid (ISC) use without compromising control, the SHAMAL phase IV randomized trial found. After 32 weeks, 92% of patients on the monoclonal antibody with planned tapering from high-dose ICS plus formoterol were able to reduce their use, reported David J. Jackson, MD, […]