TOP 10 Medical News Stories

Commentary: Study highlights 10 most unnecessary and overused medical tests and treatments – University of Maryland School of Medicine, via EurekAlert (free)

7 – The Burden of Primary Liver Cancer and Underlying Etiologies From 1990 to 2015 at the Global, Regional, and National Level: Results From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015 – JAMA Oncology (free)

Commentary: Global burden of disease study focuses on liver cancer – eCancer News (free)

8 – Association Between Use of Non–Vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants With and Without Concurrent Medications and Risk of Major Bleeding in Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Use of Non-Vitamin K Blood-Thinners with Certain Medications Associated With Increased Risk of Major Bleeding – The JAMA Network (free) AND Drug reactions with NOACs in AFib patients could result in major bleeding problems – Cardiovascular Business (free)

9 – Association Between Use of Antithrombotic Medication and Hematuria-Related Complications – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Haematuria more common in people taking antithrombotics – OnMedica (free) AND Blood-Thinning Medications Associated With Increased Risk of Complications from Having Blood in Urine – The JAMA Network (free)

10 – Association of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder with incident systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a longitudinal cohort of women – Arthritis & Rheumatology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: A Stress Link to Lupus – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND PTSD linked with increased lupus risk – Willey, via EurekAlert (free) AND Lupus risk almost three times higher after trauma – Medical News Today (free)

Wed, October 4 – 10 Stories of The Day!

4 Oct, 2017 | 00:01h | UTC

1 – Report: Ending Cholera: A Global Roadmap to 2030 – World Health Organization (free) (RT @Onisillos)

News release: Partners commit to reduce cholera deaths by 90% by 2030 (free)

See also: WHO’s work on cholera (free resources)

2 – Potential deaths averted in USA by replacing cigarettes with e-cigarettes – Tobacco Control (free)

Commentaries: Switch to vaping could prevent millions of premature deaths – OnMedica (free) AND Tobacco smokers could gain 86 million years of life if they switch to vaping, study finds – eCancer News (free) AND Switching to e-cigarettes could save 6.6 million American smokers: researchers – Reuters (free)

3 – Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography vs Functional Stress Testing for Patients With Suspected Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – JAMA Internal Medicine (free)

Invited commentary: Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography—The First Test for Evaluating Patients With Chest Pain? (free)

Commentary: Coronary CT Angiography vs. Stress Testing: Meta-Analysis Offers Mixed Results – Physician’s First Watch (free)

Coronary Computed Tomografic Angiography (CCTA) was associated with a very small reduction in the incidence of myocardial infarction (0.7% vs 1.1% = 0.4% absolute risk reduction), but without differences in death or cardiac hospitalization. Patients undergoing CCTA were significantly more likely to undergo invasive coronary angiography (11.7% vs 9.1%), revascularization (7.2% vs 4.5%) and were also more likely to receive a diagnosis of new CAD and to have initiated aspirin or statin therapy.

4 – Korean Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Heart Failure – The Korean Society of Cardiology (free)

Source: Critical Care Review Newsletter

5 – No Calm After the Storm: A Systematic Review of Human Health Following Flood and Storm Disasters – Prehospital and Disaster Medicine (free)

Commentary: After a disaster, contaminated floodwater can pose a threat for months to come – The Conversation (free)

6 – Olfactory Dysfunction Predicts Subsequent Dementia in Older U.S. Adults – Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Elderly Who Have Trouble Identifying Odors Face Risk of Dementia – NewsWise (free) AND Poor Sense of Smell May Signal Impending Dementia – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND Sniffing out dementia with a simple smell test – Medical News Today (free)

7 – Gestational Age and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Individuals Born At Term: A Life Course Study – Journal of The American Heart Association (free)

Commentaries: Early babies could face lifelong fitness risks – The University of Queensland (free) AND Early-Term Birth Tied to Poor Cardiorespiratory Fitness Later – Medscape (free registration required) AND Early ‘full-term’ babies have poorer fitness into young adulthood – Cardiovascular Business (free)

8 – The risk of new-onset diabetes in antidepressant users – A systematic review and meta-analysis – PLOS One (free)

Commentary: Type 2 Diabetes and Antidepressant Drug Use: Is There a Causal Link? – Endocrinology Advisor (free)

9 – Carbohydrate-last meal pattern lowers postprandial glucose and insulin excursions in type 2 diabetes – BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care (free)

Commentary: People with type 2 diabetes should ‘save carbs for last’, study claims – NHS Choices (free)

10 – Review: Palliative Care in Neurology – Mayo Clinic Proceedings (free)

Thu, October 5 – 10 Stories of The Day!

5 Oct, 2017 | 02:05h | UTC

1 – Safety and Immunogenicity of an Anti–Zika Virus DNA Vaccine — Preliminary Report – New England Journal of Medicine (free)

Commentaries: First human trial of DNA-based Zika vaccine shows promise – CIDRAP (free) AND DNA-based Zika vaccine candidate found safe and effective at inducing immune response – University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, via EurekAlert (free) AND Zika vaccine shows promise in early human trial – Reuters (free)

2 – Challenges in the Design and Interpretation of Noninferiority Trials – New England Journal of Medicine (free)

See also other articles in The Changing Face of Clinical Trials Series (all free)

“All too often non-inferiority clinical trials are a means of asserting false equivalence” (RT @EricTopol see Tweet)

3 – Guidelines for the Management of Congenital Heart Diseases in Childhood and Adolescence – The German Society of Paediatric Cardiology (free PDF)

4 – New Choosing Wisely Recommendations

Choosing Wisely US: Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question: American Academy of Pediatrics – Section on Endocrinology (free) AND Commentary: Choosing Wisely: 5 Pediatric Endocrinology Tests to Avoid – Physician’s First Watch (free)

Choosing Wisely Canada: Nine Things Nurse Practitioners and Patients Should Question – Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada (free)

See more on the Choosing Wisely initiative in our April 5 issue (see #6)

5 – Outcomes In Two Massachusetts Hospital Systems Give Reason For Optimism About Communication-And-Resolution Programs – Health Affairs (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: After medical error, apology goes a long way – Stanford University Medical Center, via ScienceDaily (free) AND Conflict Resolution Program: ‘Cause for Optimism’ – MedPage Today (free registration required)

“Explaining and apologizing to patients after a medical error does not increase lawsuits, large US study finds” (RT @bmj_latest see Tweet)

6 – Exercise and the Prevention of Depression: Results of the HUNT Cohort Study – American Journal o Psychiatry (free)

Commentary: Just One Hour of Exercise a Week May Help Prevent Depression – TIME Magazine (free) AND One hour of exercise a week can prevent depression – EurekAlert (free) AND What’s the ultimate way to defy depression, disease and early death? Exercise – The Guardian (free)

7 – The high price of anticancer drugs: origins, implications, barriers, solutions – Nature Reviews: Clinical Oncology (free PDF)

8 – Meta-Analysis of the Antidepressant Effects of Acute Sleep Deprivation – The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Summary of studies on sleep deprivation didn’t caution that depression benefits are short lived – HealthNewsReview (free) AND Sleep Deprivation May Treat Depression. But Would It Ever Be Prescribed? – Forbes (free) AND Sleep Deprivation a Rapid, Effective Depression Treatment – Medscape (free registration required) AND Sleep deprivation rapidly reduces depression symptoms in nearly half of depressed patients – News Medical (free)

9 – Respiratory support in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: an expert opinion – Critical Care (free)

10 – Association Between Use of Antithrombotic Medication and Hematuria-Related Complications – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Antithrombotics Associated with Gross Hematuria – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Haematuria more common in people taking antithrombotics – OnMedica (free)

Mon, October 2 – 10 Stories of The Day!

2 Oct, 2017 | 00:18h | UTC

1 – International Day of Older Persons – 1^st October 2017: Health services must stop leaving older people behind – World Health Organization (free)

See also: WHO’s work on ageing

2 – Guideline: Preventive chemotherapy to control soil-transmitted helminth infections in at-risk population groups – World Health Organization (free)

News release: WHO recommends large-scale deworming to improve children’s health and nutrition (free)

Infographic: WHO publishes recommendations for large-scale deworming to improve children’s health and nutrition (free)

See also: WHO intestinal worms website (free resources) AND Fact sheet: Soil-transmitted helminth infections (free)

3 – Evaluation of telephone first approach to demand management in English general practice: observational study – The BMJ (free)

Editorial: Telephone first consultations in primary care (free)

Commentaries: Phone-first GP consults ‘no panacea for reducing workload’ – OnMedica (free) AND No evidence to support claims that telephone consultations reduce GP workload or hospital referrals – University of Cambridge (free)

Related study: Direct-To-Consumer Telehealth May Increase Access To Care But Does Not Decrease Spending – Health Affairs (link to abstract – $ for full-text) AND Commentaries: Telehealth Doctor Visits May Be Handy, But Aren’t Cheaper Overall – NPR (free) AND Are Virtual Doctor Visits Really Cost-Effective? Not So Much, Study Says – Health News Florida (free)

4 – Medical News & Perspectives: Study Questions Use of Acid Suppressors To Curb Mild Infant Reflux – JAMA (free) (RT @DeeMangin see Tweet)

See study abstract presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting: Infants prescribed antacids for reflux have increased risk of bone fractures (free)

5 – Perspectives: Lost in Thought: The Limits of the Human Mind and the Future of Medicine – New England Journal of Medicine (free)

6 – A single mutation in the prM protein of Zika virus contributes to fetal microcephaly – Science (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: A Single Mutation Helps Modern Zika Cause Birth Defects – Scientific American (free) AND The Zika Virus Grew Deadlier With a Small Mutation, Study Suggests – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND Zika was a mild bug. A new discovery shows how it turned monstrous – The Washington Post (free) AND How Zika Became So Dangerous For Babies – NPR (free)

7 – Association of Vision Loss With Cognition in Older Adults – JAMA Ophthalmology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Vision and Hearing Loss Are Tied to Cognitive Decline – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND Visual impairment among older adults associated with poor cognitive function – Medical News Today (free)

8 – Relationship of Sleep Duration With All‐Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Events: A Systematic Review and Dose‐Response Meta‐Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies – Journal of The American Heart Association (free)

“Our findings indicate that both short and long sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular events”.

9 – Effect of a Community Health Worker–Led Multicomponent Intervention on Blood Pressure Control in Low-Income Patients in Argentina: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentary: Community Intervention among Low-Income Patients Results in Improved Blood Pressure Control – The JAMA Network (free)

“The proportion of patients with controlled hypertension (BP <140/90 mm Hg) increased from 17 percent at baseline to 73 percent in the intervention group and from 18 percent to 52 percent in the usual care group”.

10 – Self-monitoring of blood pressure in hypertension: A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis – PLOS Medicine (free)

Commentary: Home blood pressure monitoring works best with extra support – Reuters (free)

Tue, October 3 – 10 Stories of The Day!

3 Oct, 2017 | 00:42h | UTC

1 – The Importance of Breakfast in Atherosclerosis Disease: Insights From the PESA Study – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Skipping Breakfast May Be Bad For The Heart – But There Are Caveats – Forbes (free) AND Most important meal of the day? Skipping breakfast may be linked to poor heart health – The Guardian (free) AND Cardiologists, moms agree: Breakfast the most important meal of the day – Cardiovascular Business (free) Skipping breakfast associated with hardening of the arteries – American College of Cardiology, via ScienceDaily (free)

2 – Development and validation of QMortality risk prediction algorithm to estimate short term risk of death and assess frailty: cohort study – The BMJ (free)

Editorial: Identifying frailty in primary care (free)

Commentary: Frailty calculator to support GPs in targeting patients for better care – MyScience (free)

See calculators: QMortality^®-2017 risk calculator (free) AND QFrailty^®-2017 risk calculator (free)

“the tool can reliably estimate risk of dying within 12 months and risk of unplanned admissions among patients aged between 65 and 100 years old” (from MyScience).

3 – Efficiency and safety of varying the frequency of whole blood donation (INTERVAL): a randomised trial of 45 000 donors – The Lancet (free)

Commentaries: The price of blood is measured in iron – The Lancet (free) AND Increasing frequency of blood donation has no major side effects – ScienceDaily (free)

4 – Managing Head Trauma in Children – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)

5 – How well do flu shots work? Here’s what the science says – VOX (free)

6 – Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency (CIRCI) in critically ill patients (Part I): Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) 2017 (free)

7 – Richard Lehman’s journal review, 2 October 2017 – The BMJ Opinion (free)

Richard Lehman reviews the latest research in the top medical journals.

8 – Guidelines for Diagnostic Imaging During Pregnancy and Lactation – American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (free)

See also: Guideline Summary (free)

9 – The British Society for Rheumatology guideline for the management of adults with primary Sjögren’s Syndrome – Rheumatology (free)

See also: Guideline Summary (free)

Commentary: Guidelines for treatment of primary Sjögren’s syndrome: a first useful stone but still much to do – Rheumatology (free)

10 – Review: Acute Coronary Syndromes: The Way Forward From Mechanisms to Precision Treatment – Circulation (free)

Thu, September 28 – 10 Stories of The Day!

28 Sep, 2017 | 01:34h | UTC

#LIVES2017 – Highlights from 30th European Society of Intensive Care Medicine Annual Congress

1 – #LIVES2017 – Effect of an Early Resuscitation Protocol on In-hospital Mortality Among Adults With Sepsis and Hypotension: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (free)

Editorial: Trying to Improve Sepsis Care in Low-Resource Settings (free)

“An early resuscitation protocol for adults w sepsis in Zambia increased mortality” (RT @JAMA_current see Tweet)

2 – #LIVES2017 – Effect of Lung Recruitment and Titrated Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) vs Low PEEP on Mortality in Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (free)

Editorial: Lung Recruitment and Titrated PEEP in Moderate to Severe ARDS: Is the Door Closing on the Open Lung? (free)

Commentary: Open Lung Ventilation May Worsen ARDS Mortality – MedPage Today (free registration required)

“A strategy using a lung recruitment maneuver and titrated PEEP, in association with volume-assist control ventilation, increased mortality of patients with moderate to severe ARDS”.

3 – #LIVES2017 – Effect of Individualized vs Standard Blood Pressure Management Strategies on Postoperative Organ Dysfunction Among High-Risk Patients Undergoing Major Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (free)

Editorial: Perioperative Management of High-Risk Patients: Going Beyond “Avoid Hypoxia and Hypotension” (free)

Commentary: Individualized SBP tx cuts risk for post-op organ dysfunction – MedicalXpress (free)

4 – #LIVES2017 – Effect of Systematic Intensive Care Unit Triage on Long-term Mortality Among Critically Ill Elderly Patients in France: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (free)

Editorial: Admitting Elderly Patients to the Intensive Care Unit—Is it the Right Decision? (free)

5 – #LIVES2017 – Age of Red Cells for Transfusion and Outcomes in Critically Ill Adults – New England Journal of Medicine (free)

Commentaries: Red blood cells for transfusion like a good red: A little older, a little better – Monash University, via ScienceDaily (free) AND Is Older Blood OK to Use in a Transfusion? – WebMD (free)

6 – Global, regional, and subregional classification of abortions by safety, 2010–14: estimates from a Bayesian hierarchical model – The Lancet (free)

Commentaries: Worldwide, an estimated 25 million unsafe abortions occur each year – World Health Organization (free) AND Estimating abortion safety: advancements and challenges – The Lancet (free) AND More than 25 million unsafe abortions performed worldwide each year – STAT (free)

7 – Treating tobacco dependence: guidance for primary care on life-saving interventions. Position statement of the IPCRG – Primary Care Respiratory Medicine (free)

8 – A Treatment Algorithm for Emergent Invasive Cardiac Procedures in the Resuscitated Comatose Patient – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (free)

Commentary: Cardiac Arrest: A Treatment Algorithm for Emergent Invasive Cardiac Procedures in the Resuscitated Comatose Patient – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)

9 – New Approaches to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infection – Clinical Infectious Diseases (free)

10 – Guidelines for the prevention of travel-associated illness in older adults – Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine and Vaccines (free)

Fri, September 29 – 10 Stories of The Day!

29 Sep, 2017 | 02:03h | UTC

1 – Meditation and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (free)

News releases: Meditation may decrease the risk of heart disease – AHA News (free) AND Meditation might be useful addition to heart-healthy lifestyle and medical treatment – AHA / ASA Newsroom (free)

Commentary: AHA: Meditation Might Lower Cardiovascular Risk – Physician’s First Watch (free)

2 – NICE Guideline: Urinary tract infection in under 16s: diagnosis and management (free)

News Release: Test children’s urine before prescribing antibiotics for UTIs, says NICE (free)

3 – NICE Guideline: Faltering growth: recognition and management of faltering growth in children (free)

News Release: Allow underweight children to be ‘messy’ with their food, says NICE (free)

See also: Faltering growth in children: summary of NICE guidance – The BMJ (free infographic and key points – $ for full-text)

4 – Effect of Routine Low-Dose Oxygen Supplementation on Death and Disability in Adults With Acute Stroke: The Stroke Oxygen Study Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Low-dose oxygen no benefit in adults with acute stroke – MedicalXpress (free) AND UK study ‘settles debate’ over whether to give routine oxygen to stroke patients – Nursing Times (free)

Routine oxygen was also of no benefit in a recent trial in patients with acute myocardial infarction, see Original Article (link to abstract – $ for full-text) and Quick Take Video Summary (free)

5 – State of the Art Review: Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome: pathogenesis, clinical features, and therapeutic targets – The BMJ (free)

6 – Risk factors for admission to hospital with laboratory-confirmed influenza in young children: birth cohort study – European Respiratory Journal (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Protect babies from flu by getting older siblings vaccinated, parents advised – The Guardian (free) AND Older Siblings a Risk Factor for Serious Flu Infections in Infants – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)

7 – Methods to improve healthcare worker hand hygiene to decrease infection in patient care – Cochrane Library (free)

Original article: Interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance in patient care – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

8 – World Rabies Day (28 September) – World Health Organization (free news release and infographics)

Updated Fact Sheet: Rabies – World Health Organization (free)

Related Website: Global Alliance for Rabies Control

9 – Position Statement: Energy and sports drinks in children and adolescents – Canadian Paediatric Society (free)

Commentaries: Energy, sports drinks should be avoided by children and teens, Canadian Paediatric Society warns – The Globe and Mail (free) AND Sports drinks and energy drinks unhealthy for kids and teens, Canadian pediatricians say – CBCNews (free)

10 – Local nerve blocks can improve outcomes for people with hip fracture – NIHR Signal (free)

Original article: Peripheral nerve blocks for hip fractures – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

“One case of pneumonia prevented for every 7 hip fracture patients given pain relief with nerve block” (RT @NIHR_DC see Tweet)

Wed, September 27 – 10 Stories of The Day!

27 Sep, 2017 | 00:05h | UTC

1 – Draft Recommendation Statement: Falls Prevention in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Interventions – U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (free)

Commentaries: USPSTF Draft Recommendations for Falls and Fracture Prevention – Medscape (free registration required) AND USPSTF Draft Statement: Vitamin D Supplements No Longer Recommended to Prevent Falls in Seniors – Physician’s First Watch (free)

Related guidelines: Falls in older people: assessing risk and prevention – NICE (free) AND Evidence-based guidelines for fall prevention in Korea (free) AND Summary of the Updated American Geriatrics Society/British Geriatrics Society Clinical Practice Guideline for Prevention of Falls in Older Persons (free PDF) AND Management of Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Clinical Guidance Statement From the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association (free) AND Prevention of fall-related injuries in the elderly: An Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma practice management guideline (free)

2 – Review: A Test in Context: Lipid Profile, Fasting Versus Nonfasting – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (link to abstract and free infographic – $ for full-text)

Commentary: Is fasting before a lipid panel necessary? – Cardiovascular Business (free)

3 – The effects of a rise in cigarette price on cigarette consumption, tobacco taxation revenues, and of smoking-related deaths in 28 EU countries– applying threshold regression modelling – BMC Public Health (free)

4 – Efficacy of recommended drugs against soil transmitted helminths: systematic review and network meta-analysis – The BMJ (free)

Commentary: Reduced Efficacy of Anthelmintic Drugs – MyScience (free)

5 – Childhood onset inflammatory bowel disease and risk of cancer: a Swedish nationwide cohort study 1964-2014 – The BMJ (free)

Editorial: Increased risk of cancer in children with inflammatory bowel disease (free)

Commentaries: Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Childhood Tied to Higher Cancer Risk Later – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND IBD in Childhood Raises Cancer Risk – Medscape (free registration required)

6 – Effect of Genotype-Guided Warfarin Dosing on Clinical Events and Anticoagulation Control Among Patients Undergoing Hip or Knee Arthroplasty: The GIFT Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Genotyping Reduces Adverse Events with Warfarin – Cardiobrief (free) AND Genotype-Guided Warfarin Dosing Reduces Adverse Events After Hip, Knee Arthroplasty – Physician’s First Watch (free)

7 – Clinical Report: Infectious Diseases Associated With Organized Sports and Outbreak Control – American Academy of Pediatrics (free)

News release: AAP Offers New Guidance on Preventing Spread of Infectious Diseases Associated with Organized Sports (free)

Commentary: When Athletes Share Infections – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)

8 – Mapping under-5 and neonatal mortality in Africa, 2000–15: a baseline analysis for the Sustainable Development Goals – The Lancet (free)

Commentaries: Precision public health: mapping child mortality in Africa – The Lancet (free) AND ‘Precision public health:’ 5 x 5 kilometer mapping identifies significant differences in child deaths throughout Africa – Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (free)

9 – Pregnant Women Should Still Get The Flu Vaccine, Doctors Advise – NPR (free)

Statement: It is Safe to Receive Flu Shot During Pregnancy – American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (free)

See original study showing a possible association between flu vaccine and miscarriage in our September 21st issue (see #6)

10 – Diagnostic Accuracy of Novel and Traditional Rapid Tests for Influenza Infection Compared With Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Newer influenza diagnostic tests more accurate than traditional tests – Clinical Advisor (free) AND Rapid tests linked to quicker and more accurate results for influenza diagnosis than traditional tests – 2 Minute Medicine (free)

Tue, September 26 – 10 Stories of The Day!

26 Sep, 2017 | 00:32h | UTC

1 – News release: Draft Guideline: Most common ear infections should not be treated with antibiotics, says NICE (free)

Commentaries: Common ear infections don’t need antibiotics, health watchdog says – The Guardian (free) AND Antibiotics not recommended for acute otitis, says NICE (free)

2 – Low-Dose Aspirin Discontinuation and Risk of Cardiovascular Events: A Swedish Nationwide, Population-Based Cohort Study – Circulation (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Stopping Aspirin Hikes CV risk – Cardiobrief (free) AND Aspirin Discontinuation Tied to Increased Risk for CV Events – Physician’s First Watch (free)

3 – This map shows how many years could be added to you life – if the air you breathe was less polluted – World Economic Forum (free)

4 – Olfaction and incident Parkinson disease in US white and black older adults – Neurology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Parkinson’s: Sniff test could predict risk up to a decade earlier – Medical News Today (free) AND Can a Smell Test Predict Parkinson’s? – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Scratch-and-sniff test could predict Parkinson’s even earlier – Michigan State University, via EurekAlert (free) AND Parkinson’s Disease May Be Diagnosed With Smell Test 10 Years Before Symptoms – Medical Daily (free)

5 – Prenatal Fluoride Exposure and Cognitive Outcomes in Children at 4 and 6–12 Years of Age in Mexico – Environmental Health Perspectives (free)

Commentaries: Four questions to ask when reading or writing about water fluoridation and IQ – HealthNewsReview (free) AND High fluoride levels in pregnancy may lower offspring IQ – Medical News Today (free) AND Fluoride exposure in utero linked to lower IQ in kids, study says – CNN (free)

6 – Continuous glucose monitoring in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes (CONCEPTT): a multicentre international randomised controlled trial – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: In Pregnant Women with Type 1 Diabetes, Continuous Glucose Monitoring Linked to Better Outcomes – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND All pregnant women with type 1 diabetes should be offered continuous glucose monitoring – OnMedica (free)

7 – Richard Lehman’s journal review, 25 September 2017 – The BMJ Opinion (free)

Richard Lehman reviews the latest research in the top medical journals.

8 – The path to longer and healthier lives for all Africans by 2030: the Lancet Commission on the future of health in sub-Saharan Africa – The Lancet (free registration required)

Invited commentaries: Africa and health: a Commission to accelerate success (free registration required) AND Longer and healthier lives for all Africans by 2030: perspectives and action of WHO AFRO (free registration required)

9 – Modeling the Cost-Effectiveness of Interventions to Reduce Suicide Risk Among Hospital Emergency Department Patients – Psychiatric Services (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentary: Life-Saving Post-ER Suicide Prevention Strategies are Cost Effective – National Institute of Mental Health (free)

10 – Addiction Potential of Cigarettes With Reduced Nicotine Content in Populations With Psychiatric Disorders and Other Vulnerabilities to Tobacco Addiction – JAMA Psychiatry (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Lowering Nicotine in Cigarettes Could Help Most Vulnerable – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Could Nicotine Reduction Help Curb Addiction? – Science Newsline (free)

Mon, September 25 – 10 Stories of The Day!

25 Sep, 2017 | 00:06h | UTC

1 – The effect of physical activity on mortality and cardiovascular disease in 130 000 people from 17 high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: the PURE study – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Any type of physical exercise is good for the heart – NHS Choices (free) AND Physical Activity of Any Ilk Cuts CVD, Deaths in Global Study: PURE – TCTMD (free) AND Being active saves lives whether a gym workout, walking to work or washing the floor – McMaster University, via ScienceDaily (free) AND Don’t overthink your exercise: just 2.5 hours per week of any kind could help you live longer – VOX (free) AND A daily half hour’s exercise could prevent 1 in 12 early deaths, study shows – Reuters (free)

2 – The Mortality and Myocardial Effects of Antidepressants Are Moderated by Preexisting Cardiovascular Disease: A Meta-Analysis – Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Antidepressant use associated with higher risk of death – OnMedica (free) AND Antidepressants may raise death risk by a third – Medical News Today (free) AND Antidepressants Tied to a Significantly Increased Risk for Death – Medscape (free registration required) AND Antidepressants Associated with Significantly Elevated Risk of Death, Researchers Find – McMaster University, via NewsWise (free)

3 – Adherence Tradeoff to Multiple Preventive Therapies and All-Cause Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Study Questions Incremental Benefit of Beta-Blockers After Acute MI – TCTMD (free) AND Beta blockers not needed after heart attack if other medications taken – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, via Eurekalert (free) AND Adherence to medications post-MI is below 50%; beta-blockers offer little incremental benefit – Cardiovascular Business (free)

4 – 2017 AHA/ACC Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Adults With ST-Elevation and Non–ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Performance Measures (free)

5 – Homepage: Cardiomyopathy Compendium – Circulation Research

– Cardiomyopathies: An Overview, by Eugene Brawnwald (free)

– Classification, Epidemiology, and Global Burden of Cardiomyopathies (free)

– Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Genetic Determinants and Mechanisms (free)

– Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Genetics, Pathogenesis, Clinical Manifestations, Diagnosis, and Therapy (free)

– Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy: Surgical Myectomy and Septal Ablation (free)

– Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (free)

– Inflammatory Cardiomyopathic Syndromes (free)

– Restrictive Cardiomyopathy: Genetics, Pathogenesis, Clinical Manifestations, Diagnosis, and Therapy (free)

– Cardiomyopathies Due to Left Ventricular Noncompaction, Mitochondrial and Storage Diseases, and Inborn Errors of Metabolism (free)

– Pediatric Cardiomyopathies (free)

– Modern Imaging Techniques in Cardiomyopathies (free)

Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter

6 – Adverse drug reactions of montelukast in children and adults – Pharmacology Research & Perspectives (free)

Commentaries: Montelukast Tied to Psychiatric Adverse Events in Kids, Adults – Medscape (free registration required) AND Asthma Drug, Montelukast, Tied to Nightmares, Depression – Drugs.com (free)

7 – Effect of Post–Cesarean Delivery Oral Cephalexin and Metronidazole on Surgical Site Infection Among Obese Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Post-Cesarean Antibiotics Reduce Risk for Surgical Site Infections in Obese Women – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Antibiotics After C-Section Cut Infections in Obese Women – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Antibiotics cut infection risk in obese women after caesarean – OnMedica (free)

8 – Interventions for treating tuberculous pericarditis – Cochrane Library (free)

News release: Treatment for tuberculosis infection of the membrane around the heart (free)

“For HIV-negative patients, corticosteroids may reduce death. For HIV-positive patients not on antiretroviral drugs, corticosteroids may reduce constriction. For HIV-positive patients with good antiretroviral drug viral suppression, clinicians may consider the results from HIV-negative patients more relevant”.

9 – Mechanical Thrombectomy Outcomes With and Without Intravenous Thrombolysis in Stroke Patients: A Meta-Analysis – Stroke (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentary: Better outcomes seen in patients who received IV thrombolysis before thrombectomy – ACP Hospitalist (free)

“The results support current guideline recommendations to give intravenous thrombolysis to eligible patients even if they are being considered for mechanical thrombectomy, according to the meta-analysis authors” (from ACP)

10 – Blood test and ECG may safely rule out heart attack – NIHR Signal (free)

Original article: Rapid Rule-out of Acute Myocardial Infarction With a Single High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T Measurement Below the Limit of Detection: A Collaborative Meta-analysis – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text) and Commentary: High-sensitivity troponin T result may help rule out of myocardial infarction – 2 Minute Medicine (free)

Fri, September 22 – 10 Stories of The Day!

22 Sep, 2017 | 00:37h | UTC

1 – Weight and Metabolic Outcomes 12 Years after Gastric Bypass – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Benefits of gastric bypass persist for 12 years – Reuters (free) AND Gastric bypass surgery benefits continue for 12 years – Diabetes.co.uk (free) AND Bariatric Surgery’s Benefits Last Over a Decade – Physician’s First Watch (free)

2 – Do interventions that reduce the cost of smoking cessation treatment increase quit rates, quit attempts or use of treatments? – Cochrane Library (free)

Original article: Healthcare financing systems for increasing the use of tobacco dependence treatment – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

“Full financial interventions directed at smokers when compared to no financial interventions increase the proportion of smokers who attempt to quit, use smoking cessation treatments, and succeed in quitting”.

3 – Lung Cancer Mortality Associated With Smoking and Smoking Cessation Among People Living With HIV in the United States – JAMA Internal Medicine (free)

Editorial: If We Are Smart Enough to Stop HIV From Replicating, Why Can’t We Help People to Stop Smoking? (free)

Commentaries: People with HIV who smoke are more likely to die from lung cancer than from HIV itself – eCancer (free) AND Smoking cuts life expectancy in HIV more than AIDS does – OnMedica (free)

4 – Randomized clinical trial of antibiotic therapy for uncomplicated appendicitis – British Journal of Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

“1st RCT to show uncomplicated appendicitis resolve even without antibiotics (let alone surgery)” (RT @villesallinen see Tweet)

5 – All Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Increase the Risk of Future Cardiovascular Disease – Hypertension (link to abstract – free PDF via @unpaywall)

Commentaries: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy increase future risk of heart disease – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND A type of hypertension during pregnancy more dangerous than thought – AHA News (free)

6 – Association of Trial Registration With Reporting of Primary Outcomes in Protocols and Publications – JAMA (free)

Commentaries: Discrepancy between trial goals, results may mask treatment risks – Reuters (free) AND Clinical Trials Often Unregistered, Unpublished – The JAMA Network (free)

7 – The interstitial lung disease multidisciplinary meeting: A position statement from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand and the Lung Foundation Australia (free)

8 – Cancer patients need better care, not just more technology – Nature News (free)

9 – Juvenile Stroke: A Practice-Oriented Overview – Deutsches Ärzteblatt international (free)

Commentary: German study dissects etiology behind juvenile stroke – Cardiovascular Business (free)

10 – FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA recommends separating dosing of potassium-lowering drug sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate) from all other oral drugs (free)

Commentary: Don’t Give Kayexalate With Other Oral Drugs, FDA Warns – Medscape (free registration required)

“Patients should take orally administered prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines at least 3 hours before or 3 hours after sodium polystyrene sulfonate”

Thu, September 21 – 10 Stories of The Day!

21 Sep, 2017 | 00:38h | UTC

1 – The world is running out of antibiotics, WHO report confirms – World Health Organization (free)

See WHO Reports: Antibacterial Agents in Clinical Development (free) AND Global priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to guide research, discovery, and development of new antibiotics (free)

Commentaries: WHO report paints dire picture of antibiotic development – CIDRAP (free) AND Too few antibiotics in pipeline to tackle global drug-resistance crisis, WHO warns – The Guardian (free) AND The world is running out of antibiotics, WHO says – CNN (free text and video)

2 – Rapid Recommendation: Corticosteroids for sore throat: a clinical practice guideline – The BMJ (free text and infographic)

See also other Rapid Recommendations from The BMJ (all free)

3 – Improving health systems in low-income countries – 3 New Cochrane Library Reviews

Article 1: Implementation strategies for health systems in low-income countries: an overview of systematic reviews (free) AND Summary: Implementation strategies for health systems in low-income countries (free)

Article 2: Governance arrangements for health systems in low-income countries: an overview of systematic reviews (free) AND Summary: Effects of governance arrangements for health systems in low-income countries (free)

Article 3: Delivery arrangements for health systems in low-income countries: an overview of systematic reviews (free) AND Summary: Effects of delivery arrangements for health systems in low-income countries (free)

4 – Comprehensive geriatric assessment for older adults admitted to hospital – Cochrane Library (free)

Original article: Comprehensive geriatric assessment for older adults admitted to hospital – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Related: Comprehensive assessment may reduce risk of delirium after hip fracture – NIHR Signal (free)

“Older patients are more likely to be alive and in their own homes at follow-up if they received comprehensive geriatric assessment on admission to hospital”.

5 – Low alcohol consumption and pregnancy and childhood outcomes: time to change guidelines indicating apparently ‘safe’ levels of alcohol during pregnancy? A systematic review and meta-analyses – BMJ Open (free)

Commentaries: No change to alcohol guidelines for pregnancy – NHS Choices (free) Health risks of light drinking in pregnancy confirms that abstention is the safest approach – The Conversation (free)

6 – Association of spontaneous abortion with receipt of inactivated influenza vaccine containing H1N1pdm09 in 2010–11 and 2011–12 – Vaccine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Study signals association between flu vaccine, miscarriage – CIDRAP (free) AND New study finds link between flu vaccine and miscarriage. But is it real? – Science (free) AND Study shows miscarriage risk may have increased after flu shots, puzzling researchers – STAT (free) AND A new finding of a possible flu shot-miscarriage link shows science prioritizes vaccine safety – STAT (free)

“This study does not and cannot establish a causal relationship between repeated influenza vaccination and SAB, but further research is warranted”.

7 – Metabolically Healthy Obese and Incident Cardiovascular Disease Events Among 3.5 Million Men and Women – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: New evidence shows that healthy obesity is a myth – The Conversation (free) AND Study shows so-called ‘healthy obesity’ is harmful to cardiovascular health – Medical News Today (free) AND Obesity, even without other risk factors, leads to higher rate of cardiovascular disease – STAT (free) AND Another Study Challenges Notion of ‘Healthy Obese’ – TCTMD (free)

8 – Expert consensus document: A ‘diamond’ approach to personalized treatment of angina – Nature Reviews Cardiology (free)

9 – What Does the Future Hold for Scientific Journals? Visual Abstracts and Other Tools for Communicating Research – Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery (free)

10 – Effect of Axillary Dissection vs No Axillary Dissection on 10-Year Overall Survival Among Women With Invasive Breast Cancer and Sentinel Node Metastasis: The ACOSOG Z0011 (Alliance) Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Author interview: Breast Cancer Surgery: Less Is More (free audio)

Commentary: In Treating Breast Cancer, Less Can Be As Good As More – American Council on Science and Health (free)

Wed, September 20 – 10 Stories of The Day!

20 Sep, 2017 | 00:36h | UTC

1 – Corticosteroids in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia: systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis – Clinical Infectious Diseases (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

2 – Summaries with 10 key points to remember of the latest European Society of Cardiology Guidelines – Latest in Cardiology, American College of Cardiology

– 2017 ESC Guidelines for the Management of STEMI (free)

– 2017 ESC/EACTS Guidelines for Management of Valvular Heart Disease (free)

– 2017 ESC Guidelines for PAD Diagnosis and Treatment (free)

– 2017 ESC Focused Update on DAPT in CAD (free)

See also our selection of the most relevant articles and commentaries from the Meeting, #ESCCongress Part I, #ESCCongress Part II and #ESCCongress Part III

3 – Noncommunicable Diseases Progress Monitor 2017 – World Health Organization (free)

News release: WHO launches new NCDs Progress Monitor (free)

4 – Ethics and the Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide: An American College of Physicians Position Paper (free)

Commentaries: ACP reaffirms opposition to physician-assisted suicide – ACP Internist (free) AND ACP Reaffirms Position Against Physician-Assisted Suicide – Physician’s First Watch (free)

5 – Association of Cigarette Price Differentials With Infant Mortality in 23 European Union Countries – JAMA Pediatrics (free)

Commentaries: Budget cigs linked to higher infant mortality: Stopping their sale could reduce deaths – Irish Health (free) AND The Fatal Toll of Cheap Cigarettes – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)

6 – Impact of Electronic Cigarettes on the Cardiovascular System – Journal of The American Heart Association (free)

7 – Guideline: Contemporary Management of Cardiogenic Shock: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association – Circulation (free PDF)

Top Ten Things to Know: Contemporary Management of Cardiogenic Shock (free PDF)

8 – Cancer’s Invasion Equation – The New Yorker (free)

We can detect tumors earlier than ever before. Can we predict whether they’re going to be dangerous?

9 – Medical News & Perspectives: Going With the Flow: The Promise and Challenge of Liquid Biopsies – JAMA (free)

10 – Use of public defibrillators linked to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival – NIHR Signal (free)

Original article: The Effects of Public Access Defibrillation on Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies – Circulation (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

“Each minute of delay to defibrillation is estimated to reduce the probability of long-term survival by 10%” (RT @NIHR_DC see Tweet)

Tue, September 19 – 10 Stories of The Day!

19 Sep, 2017 | 00:05h | UTC

1 – Report: Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Colorectal Cancer – American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) (Free PDF)

News release: New Report finds whole grains lower colorectal cancer risk, processed meat increases risk (free)

Infographic: Preventing Colorectal Cancer (free)

Almost half cases of colorectal cancer cases can be prevented by staying lean, eating healthy, and moving more.

2 – Guideline: Adolescent and Young Adult Tattooing, Piercing, and Scarification – Pediatrics (free)

Commentaries: Clinical Guidance on Body Modification Among Youth – Journal Watch (free) AND When Adolescents Want Tattoos or Piercings – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)

3 – The cumulative burden of surviving childhood cancer: an initial report from the St Jude Lifetime Cohort Study (SJLIFE) – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Survivors of Childhood Cancer Face Continuing Chronic Health Conditions – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Severe Health Problems Plague Survivors of Childhood CA – Medscape (free registration required) AND Comprehensive Study of Chronic Disease Reveals Vulnerability of Childhood Cancer Survivors – NewsWise (free)

4 – Viewpoint: Nutrition Counseling in Clinical Practice: How Clinicians Can Do Better – JAMA (free)

5 – How alcohol industry organisations mislead the public about alcohol and cancer – Drug and Alcohol Review (free)

Commentaries: Alcohol increases cancer risk, but don’t trust the booze industry to give you the facts straight – The Conversation (free) AND Drinks industry distorts alcohol cancer risk: scientists – Reuters (free) AND Drinks industry downplaying alcohol-cancer link – The Guardian (free) AND Drinks industry accused of downplaying ‘alcohol-cancer risk’ – NHS Choices (free)

6 – Safety of Medical Abortion Provided Through Telemedicine Compared With in Person – Obstetrics & Gynecology (free PDF)

Commentaries: Abortion via telemedicine as safe as seeing doctor in person – Reuters (free) AND Abortion Via Telemedicine Is Totally Safe, Study Says – HuffPost (free) AND Medical Abortion Via Telemedicine Found Safe – MedPage Today (free registration required)

7 – The Weekend Effect in Hospitalized Patients: A Meta-Analysis – Journal of Hospital Medicine (link to abstract – free full-text PDF via @unpaywall)

Commentary: Review finds evidence for weekend effect on mortality in hospitalized patients – ACP Hospitalist (free)

8 – Richard Lehman’s journal review, 18 September 2017 – The BMJ Opinion (free)

Richard Lehman reviews the latest research in the top medical journals.

9 – Trends in standardized mortality among individuals with schizophrenia, 1993–2012: a population-based, repeated cross-sectional study – Canadian Medical Association Journal (free)

Commentaries: Schizophrenia linked to threefold increase in death risk – Medical News Today (free) AND People with schizophrenia have threefold risk of dying – CMAJ, via EurekAlert (free)

10 – Strategies to reduce antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections in primary care – Cochrane Library (free)

Original article: Clinician-targeted interventions to influence antibiotic prescribing behaviour for acute respiratory infections in primary care: an overview of systematic reviews – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Mon, September 18 – 10 Stories of The Day!

18 Sep, 2017 | 00:15h | UTC

1 – Life, death, and disability in 2016: latest estimates from The Global Burden of Disease Study – The Lancet

Editorial: Life, death, and disability in 2016 (free)

– Global, regional, and national under-5 mortality, adult mortality, age-specific mortality, and life expectancy, 1970–2016 (free)

– Global, regional, and national age-sex specific mortality for 264 causes of death, 1980–2016 (free)

– Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016 (free)

– Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 333 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016 (free)

– Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990–2016 (free)

– Measuring progress and projecting attainment on the basis of past trends of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries (free)

Commentaries: New global study finds countries saving more lives, despite a ‘triad of troubles’ in obesity, violence, and mental illness – Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (free) AND Smoking And Poor Diet Still Leading Killers Worldwide – Pursuit (free)

2 – Guideline: Type 2 diabetes: prevention in people at high risk – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (free)

3 – Guideline: Depression in children and young people: identification and management – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (free)

4 – Percutaneous Coronary Intervention vs Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients With Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – JAMA Cardiology (free)

Commentary: CABG, PCI show similar long-term outcomes – Cardiovascular Business (free)

5 – Meat, Dietary Heme Iron, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Singapore Chinese Health Study – American Journal of Epidemiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentary: Eating meat linked to higher risk of diabetes – DukeNUS Medical School, via EurekAlert (free)

“The Singapore Chinese Health Study reveals increased risk of diabetes with higher intake of red meat and poultry, partially attributed to the dietary iron content in these meats” (from EurekAlert)

6 – How Big Business Got Brazil Hooked on Junk Food – The New York times (10 articles per month are free) (RT @glassmanamanda see Tweet)

“As growth slows in wealthy countries, Western food companies are aggressively expanding in developing nations, contributing to obesity and health problems”.

7 – Evaluation of a Rapid Molecular Drug-Susceptibility Test for Tuberculosis – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Quick Take Video Summary: Detecting Tuberculosis Resistance (free)

Commentary: New rapid molecular test for MDR-TB shows promise – CIDRAP (free)

8 – European guidelines on perioperative venous thromboembolism prophylaxis: Surgery in the elderly – European Journal of Anaesthesiology (free PDF)

9 – Effects on the incidence of cardiovascular events of the addition of pioglitazone versus sulfonylureas in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin (TOSCA.IT): a randomised, multicentre trial – The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentary: Sulfonylureas, Pioglitazone Similarly Safe for Add-On Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes – Physician’s First Watch (free)

10 – Review: Drug-induced liver injury: recent advances in diagnosis and risk assessment – Gut (free)

Fri, September 15 – 10 Stories of The Day!

15 Sep, 2017 | 00:03h | UTC

1 – 2017 HIVMA of IDSA Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Chronic Pain in Patients Living With HIV – Clinical Infectious Diseases (free)

2 – Education and coronary heart disease: mendelian randomisation study – The BMJ (free)

Commentary: Going to university may cut your risk of heart disease – NHS Choices (free)

3 – Association Between More Intensive vs Less Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering and Risk of Mortality in Chronic Kidney Disease Stages 3 to 5: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – JAMA Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Intensive blood pressure lowering linked to decreased mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Intensive BP Lowering in Chronic Kidney Disease Associated with Lower Mortality – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Is Strict BP Control a Good Bet for CKD Patients? – MedPage Today (free registration required)

4 – Pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of tachycardiomyopathy – Heart (free)

Source: Critical Care Review Newsletter

5 – Corticosteroid or Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs for the Treatment of Acute Gout: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials – The Journal of Rheumatology (free)

Source: EvidenceAlerts

Corticosteroids and NSAIDs did not have different effects on pain scores, but there was a higher risk of indigestion, nausea and vomiting with NSAIDs.

6 – New Series: The World Bank and financing global health – The BMJ

– World Bank’s financing, priorities, and lending structures for global health (free)

– Universal health coverage, health systems strengthening, and the World Bank (free)

– World Bank and the Global Financing Facility (free)

– Earmarking for global health: benefits and perils of the World Bank’s trust fund model (free)

– Health as a “global public good”: creating a market for pandemic risk (free)

– Baines and Babar: Why medical practitioners should be interested in the World Bank (free)

7 – The effects of improving sleep on mental health (OASIS): a randomised controlled trial with mediation analysis – The Lancet (free)

Commentaries: Sleep improvement by internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy might help prevent mental health disorders – The Lancet (free) AND Lack of sleep could contribute to mental health problems, researchers reveal – The Guardian (free) AND Tackling insomnia may be key to easing mental health issues – OnMedica (free)

8 – Protocol for the management of psychiatric patients with psychomotor agitation – BMC Psychiatry (free)

9 – A range of anti-epilepsy drugs are effective as first-line treatment – NIHR Signal (free)

Original article: Antiepileptic drug monotherapy for epilepsy: a network meta-analysis of individual participant data – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

10 – Osteoporosis drug treatment: duration and management after discontinuation. A position statement from the SVGO/ASCO – Swiss Medical Weekly (free)

Wed, September 13 – 10 Stories of The Day!

13 Sep, 2017 | 00:55h | UTC

1 – International ERS/ESICM/ESCMID/ALAT guidelines for the management of hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia (free) (RT @CritCareReviews see Tweet)

2 – Report: Preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) by reducing environmental risk factors – World Health Organization (free)

“We welcome new @WHO report, showing 23% of all deaths can be prevented through healthier environments” (RT @HealthandEnv see Tweet)

3 – Draft Recommendation Statement: Cervical Cancer: Screening – U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (free)

Commentaries: USPSTF Draft Recommendation Eliminates Cervical Cytology-HPV Cotesting for Women Over 30 – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND USPSTF: Pap Test or HPV Test, Not Both, For Most Cervical Ca Screening – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND USPSTF Has New Draft Guidance for Cervical Cancer Screening – Medscape (free registration required) AND Age matters when it comes to screening for cervical câncer – STAT (free)

4 – Research and Development Spending to Bring a Single Cancer Drug to Market and Revenues After Approval – JAMA Internal Medicine (free)

Author interview: Cost of Developing a Single Cancer Drug (free audio)

Invited commentary: A Much-Needed Corrective on Drug Development Costs (free)

Commentaries: R&D Costs For Cancer Drugs Are Likely Much Less Than Industry Claims, Study Finds – NPR (free) AND A new study undermines Big Pharma’s justification for charging high drug prices – Business Insider (free) AND What Does It Cost to Create a Cancer Drug? Less Than You’d Think – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)

5 – Antiretroviral therapy in pregnant women living with HIV: a clinical practice guideline – The BMJ (free guideline and infographic)

6 – Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Long-term All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Taking Hormones for Menopause Doesn’t Raise Early Death Risk – The New York Times (free) AND Menopause hormone therapy not linked to premature death – Reuters (free) AND Menopause hormones don’t shorten lives, long follow-up says – STAT (free)

7 – Patient-Clinician Communication: American Society of Clinical Oncology Consensus Guideline (free)

News release: New Guideline Aims to Improve Clinician Communication With Patients (free)

8 – Laparoscopic and robotic-assisted versus open radical prostatectomy for the treatment of localised prostate cancer – Cochrane Library (free)

Original article: Laparoscopic and robotic-assisted versus open radical prostatectomy for the treatment of localised prostate cancer – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

“Urinary and sexual quality of life-related outcomes appear similar”.

9 – LDL-Cholesterol Lowering for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Among Men with Primary Elevations of LDL-Cholesterol Levels of 190 mg/dL or Above: Analyses from the WOSCOPS 5-year Randomised Trial and 20-year Observational Follow-Up – Circulation (free)

Commentary: Statins cut heart deaths in men by 28% finds study – NHS Choices (free)

10 – Role of Total, Red, Processed, and White Meat Consumption in Stroke Incidence and Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies – Journal of The American Heart Association (free)

Increased consumption of red and processed meat may be associated with higher risk of stroke.

Thu, September 14 – 10 Stories of The Day!

14 Sep, 2017 | 00:08h | UTC

1 – Measuring progress and projecting attainment on the basis of past trends of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 – The Lancet (free)

Commentary: IHME releases second annual report on the Sustainable Development Goal indicators – Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (free)

See also: Health-related Sustainable Development Goals visualization tool, which allows users to compare and contrast between countries and among indicators, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Website.

2 – Guideline: Prevention of Early-onset Neonatal Group B Streptococcal Disease – Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (free)

News release: Group B Streptococcal Disease, Early-onset (free)

Commentaries: Antibiotics for women in early labour to combat Group B Strep – OnMedica (free) AND More pregnant women to get Group B Strep treatment – BBC News (free)

3 – Review article: Randomized, Controlled Trials in Health Insurance Systems – New England Journal of Medicine (free)

See also other articles in The Changing Face of Clinical Trials Series (all free)

4 – Benefit of Patent Foramen Ovale Closure Seen in Selected Patients with Cryptogenic Stroke – Journal Watch (free)

Original articles from the New England Journal of Medicine: Patent Foramen Ovale Closure or Antiplatelet Therapy for Cryptogenic Stroke (link to abstract – $ for full-text) AND Patent Foramen Ovale Closure or Anticoagulation vs. Antiplatelets after Stroke (link to abstract – $ for full-text) AND Long-Term Outcomes of Patent Foramen Ovale Closure or Medical Therapy after Stroke (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

5 – The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Colon Cancer (free)

6 – Prevention of COPD exacerbations: a European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society guideline (free)

7 – European Respiratory Society guidelines for the management of adult bronchiectasis (free)

8 – Risk of relapse after antidepressant discontinuation in anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis of relapse prevention trials – The BMJ (free)

Commentary: Researchers: Antidepressants for Anxiety Should Be Continued for at Least a Year After Treatment Response – Physician’s First Watch (free)

9 – Association Between Laparoscopic Antireflux Surgery and Recurrence of Gastroesophageal Reflux – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Laparoscopic Antireflux Surgery Associated With High Rate of Recurrence of GERD – The JAMA Network (free) AND GERD Recurrence Fairly Common Following Laparoscopic Antireflux Surgery – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND High recurrence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in patients treated with laparoscopic antireflux surgery – 2 Minute Medicine (free)

10 – Differential blood pressure effects of ibuprofen, naproxen, and celecoxib in patients with arthritis: the PRECISION-ABPM (Prospective Randomized Evaluation of Celecoxib Integrated Safety Versus Ibuprofen or Naproxen Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurement) Trial – European Heart Journal (free)

Commentaries: Under Pressure: PRECISION Substudy Shows Adverse BP Effects of Ibuprofen – TCTMD (free) AND Increases in BP, Hypertension Incidence Linked to Certain NSAIDs – MPR (free) AND Ibuprofen Ups Systolic BP, New-Onset Hypertension Risk – Medscape (free registration required)

Tue, September 12 – 10 Stories of The Day!

12 Sep, 2017 | 00:01h | UTC

1 – Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes: Synopsis of the 2017 American Diabetes Association Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes – Annals of Internal Medicine (free)

2 – Recommendations on screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm in primary care – Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (free)

“The number of men >65 needed to screen to prevent one AAA related death is 796 (95% confidence interval 621–1242) @ 3-5 yr follow-up” (RT @cantaskforce see Tweet)

3 – Clinical Practice Guideline: Evaluation of the Neck Mass in Adults – American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (free)

See also: Executive Summary (free) AND News Release (free)

Commentaries: Neck Mass in Adults: Guideline for Evaluation Provides Framework for Timely Diagnosis – NewsWise (free) AND Guidelines Issued on Evaluating Neck Masses – Physician’s First Watch (free)

4 – A Comparison of Alkaline Water and Mediterranean Diet vs Proton Pump Inhibition for Treatment of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux – JAMA Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery (free)

Commentaries: Could a Mediterranean diet be as good as drugs for acid reflux? – NHS Choices (free) AND Dietary Approach Found as Effective as Medications for Treating Type of Reflux Disease – The JAMA Network (free) AND Treating Reflux With Diet – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)

A small retrospective cohort study suggests a plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet may be as effective as medication.

5 – The Joint Associations of Sedentary Time and Physical Activity With Mobility Disability in Older People: The NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study – The Journals of Gerontology (free)

Commentaries: Get Off The Couch Baby Boomers, Or You May Not Be Able To Later – NPR (free) AND Prospective Study Shows Just How Bad TV Can Be – Medscape (free registration required) AND Prolonged sitting and TV watching ‘dangerous’ for seniors – Medical News Today (free) AND TV viewing ‘a potent risk factor’ for disability – OnMedica (free)

6 – Guideline: National Partnership for Maternal Safety: Consensus Bundle on Severe Hypertension During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period – Obstetrics & Gynecology (free)

Commentary: Management of Severe Maternal Hypertension During Pregnancy and Postpartum – Journal Watch (free)

7 – Hormonal contraceptive eligibility for women at high risk of HIV: Guidance Statement – World Health Organization (free PDF)

News release: Can women who are at high risk of acquiring HIV, safely use hormonal contraception? (free)

Frequently asked questions: Hormonal contraceptive eligibility for women at high risk of HIV (free)

Guideline Summary: Hormonal contraceptive eligibility for women at high risk of HIV: guidance statement – National Guideline Clearinghouse (free)

8 – Cardiovascular disease risk and androgen deprivation therapy in patients with localised prostate cancer: a prospective cohort study – British Journal of Cancer (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Prostate cancer treatment associated with higher risk of heart failure – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND Hormone Treatment for Prostate Cancer Tied to Heart Risks – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)

9 – Richard Lehman’s journal review, 11 September 2017 (free)

Richard Lehman reviews the latest research in the top medical journals.

10 – Adverse effects of proton-pump inhibitor use in older adults: a review of the evidence – Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety (free)

Mon, September 11 – 10 Stories of The Day!

11 Sep, 2017 | 00:37h | UTC

1 – Coursera – Free Online Health & Medicine Courses Starting Today!

– Easing the burden of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease – University of Sidney

– Leading Healthcare Quality and Safety – The George Washington University

– Introduction to the Biology of Cancer – Johns Hopkins University

– Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics – University of Cape Town

– Health Across the Gender Spectrum – Stanford University

– Public Health in Humanitarian Crises – Johns Hopkins University

– Major Depression in the Population: A Public Health Approach – Johns Hopkins University

– Genomics: Decoding the Universal Language of Life – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

– Living with Dementia: Impact on Individuals, Caregivers, Communities and Societies – Johns Hopkins University

– Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities – Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

– The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health – Johns Hopkins University

– The Science of Health Care Delivery – Arizona State University

– PrEParing: PrEP for Providers and Patients – Johns Hopkins University

2 – Management of Cardiac Involvement Associated With Neuromuscular Diseases: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (free PDF)

News release: Experts aim to improve treatment for heart complications in people with neuromuscular disorders (free)

Top Ten Things to Know: Management of Cardiac Involvement Associated With Neuromuscular Diseases (free PDF)

Commentary: Statement on the Management of Cardiac Involvement Associated With Neuromuscular Diseases – Practice Update (free registration required)

3 – Comprehensive primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in women – Clinical Cardiology (free)

4 – Opinion: Cardiology Is Dead. Long Live Public Health – Cardiobrief (free)

5 – 11 Drugs You Should Seriously Consider Deprescribing – Medscape Slideshow (free registration required)

6 – Educating Girls, Ending Child Marriage – World Bank (free)

Related infographic and report: Putting a Price Tag on Child Marriage

“By keeping girls in school, girls would have a better chance for safety and security, to health and education, and to make their own life choices and decisions”.

“Being born to a mother younger than 18 increases the risk dying by the age of 5” (RT @WBG_Health see Tweet)

7 – Guidance on Forgoing Life-Sustaining Medical Treatment – Pediatrics (free)

News Release: Balancing act: Weighing the decision to withhold life-sustaining medical treatment (free)

8 – Palliative Care in Heart Failure: The PAL-HF Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Palliative Care Intervention Improves Quality of Life in Advanced Heart Failure Patients – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Palliative Care & CHF: PAL-HF trial – Pallimed (free)

9 – Development and risk factors of type 2 diabetes in a nationwide population of women with polycystic ovary syndrome – The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentaries: Type 2 diabetes risk four times higher in women with PCOS – Medical News Today (free) AND Researchers reveal link between PCOS, type 2 diabetes – The Endocrine Society, via EurekAlert (free)

10 – Addressing the Social Needs of Hypertensive Patients: The Role of Patient–Provider Communication as a Predictor of Medication Adherence – Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes (free)

Commentaries: Hypertension Medication Adherence May Be Improved by Collaborate Communication – Cardiology Advisor (free) AND Better Provider Communication Might Improve Medication Adherence – Medscape (free registration required) AND Talk Why, Not What for Better Antihypertensive Adherence – MedPage Today (free)

“Odds of poor med adherence 6x greater when patient-provider interactions don’t address patients’ unmet social needs” (RT @CircOutcomes see Tweet)