COVID
FDA panel endorses lower-dose Moderna COVID shot for booster
and backs
J&J COVID vaccine booster.
The final decision on both Moderna and J&J is up to the FDA, but in general
they follow the recommendations of the expert panel. The half dose Moderna is
recommended six months after the second dose, while J & J is recommended 2
months after the initial dose.
COVID-19
Hospitalisation '80% More Likely for Smokers' Thorax.
Merck says
COVID-19 pill cuts risk of death, hospitalization: Merck & Co Inc's experimental oral
drug for COVID-19, molnupiravir, reduced by around 50% the chance of
hospitalization or death for patients at risk of severe disease, according to
interim clinical trial results. AP
Merck Says Research Shows Its COVID-19 Pill Works Against Variants: Laboratory studies show that Merck
& Co's experimental oral COVID-19 antiviral drug, molnupiravir, is likely
to be effective against known variants of the coronavirus, including the
dominant, highly transmissible Delta. Medscape
FDA unlikely
to rule on Merck's COVID pill before December: The FDA is asking outside experts to
meet in late November to scrutinize Merck's pill to treat COVID-19. The Nov. 30
meeting means U.S. regulators almost certainly won't issue a decision on the
drug until December, signaling that the agency will conduct a detailed review
of the experimental treatment's safety and effectiveness.
Antibody
Cocktail Reduces Chance of Developing COVID: A one-time dose of two long-acting monoclonal antibodies,
tixagevimab and cilgavimab, reduced the
risk of developing symptomatic COVID by 77% in comparison with placebo in a
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial in adults.
Infectious Disease Week 2021 Annual Meeting PROVENT trial
Having Flu
and COVID Vaccines at Same Time Is Safe: Having flu and COVID jabs at the same time is safe,
according to preprint
research from the ComFluCOV study. Researchers concluded that concomitant
vaccination did not raise safety concerns, and the immune response to both
vaccines was preserved. Side effects were reported for some combinations but
were found to be mainly mild to moderate, including fatigue, apart from one
hospitalisation with severe headache related to the trial.
At Least One Long-Term Symptom Seen in 37% of COVID-19 Patients: The most common symptoms included
breathing problems, fatigue, pain and anxiety, Oxford University said, after
investigating symptoms in over 270,000 people recovering from COVID-19. The
symptoms were more frequent among people who had been previously hospitalised
with COVID-19 and were slightly more common among women, according to the study
published in PLoS Medicine. PLOS Medicine
Yes, You’re Fully Vaccinated Even if You Haven’t Had a Booster Shot: People who have received the Johnson
& Johnson shot or both doses of the Pfizer and Moderna shots are still
considered fully vaccinated in the United States, even with the Food and Drug
Administration’s (FDA) recent authorization of booster doses for select groups.
American Journal
of Medicine commentary says COVID-19 vaccines should be shored up with a
plant-based diet. “A
solid vaccination program is lifesaving, essential, and insufficient,” begins
the commentary
“Shoring Up Vaccine Efficacy,” which appears today in the American
Journal of Medicine. The authors say that in addition to vaccinations,
health care workers should recommend plant-based diets to help patients improve
their health and decrease vulnerability to COVID-19.
Poor oral
health may impact COVID-19 severity, especially for cardiac patients: The correlation between poor oral
health and COVID-19 severity, as well as the correlation between oral health
and delayed recovery, demonstrates a potential need to consider oral health an
additional risk factor for cardiac patients who may contract COVID-19. ACC
Middle East 2021
Pfizer's
Vaccine Protection May Wane After 2 Months: The protection from Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine may begin to
wane against infection after 2 months, but it still prevents hospitalization
and death for at least 6 months, according to two new studies published
Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Pfizer COVID
Vaccine Antibodies May Disappear in 7 Months: Antibody levels may wane after 7 months for people who got
the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to a new study
published on the bioRxiv preprint server. In the study, which hasn't yet been
peer-reviewed or formally published in a medical journal, researchers analyzed
blood samples from 46 healthy young or middle-aged adults after receiving two
doses, and then 6 months after the second dose. "Our study shows
vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine induces high levels of
neutralizing antibodies against the original vaccine strain, but these levels
drop by nearly 10-fold by 7 months,"
HEPA Filters
May Clean Sars-CoV-2 From the Air:
High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and ultraviolet (UV) light
sterilization effectively remove SARS-CoV-2 particles from the air — the first
such evidence in a real-world test. The journal Nature reported this week
that the research, which has not been peer-reviewed, suggests the filters may
help reduce the risk of hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2.
Interferon Treatment in COVID-19 Linked to Thyroid Changes: Treatment of COVID-19 with interferon
beta-1b — even for just a few days, a much shorter period than is commonly used
for maintenance in multiple sclerosis (MS), for example — is associated with
potentially important adverse effects on thyroid function, according to
research presented at the virtual 90th Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid
Association (ATA).
Convalescent
plasma ‘futile’ for critically ill COVID-19 patients, study finds: Blood plasma from people who have
recently recovered from an infection, which experts call convalescent plasma,
contains antibodies that can potentially tackle the same infection in others. A
large study has now concluded that the treatment does not provide any benefits
for critically ill patients, with the possible exception of those with weakened
immune systems. Proponents of the therapy argue that convalescent plasma can
save lives if given early enough, before the onset of the inflammatory phase of
the disease. JAMA
High-dose of
readily available blood thinner reduces risk of death for moderately ill
COVID-19 patients: A
high dose of heparin medication reduces the risk of death in hospitalized
patients who are moderately ill with COVID-19. British Medical Journal
Vaccinating
against flu and COVID-19 at the same time is safe: It is safe to have an influenza vaccine
at the same time as a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a study. The
coadministration of the two vaccines did not affect the immune response. Only a
few people reported mild side effects, such as fatigue or soreness at the
injection site. The Lancet
Statins linked
to reduced risk of death from COVID-19 in major population study: Researchers
at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have now conducted the largest population
study to date in the field. The study indicates that statin treatment slightly
lowers COVID-19 mortality. PLoS Medicine
PAIN
Psychological treatment shown to yield strong, lasting pain relief, alter brain networks: The study, published Sept. 29 in JAMA
Psychiatry, found that two-thirds of chronic back pain patients who underwent a
four-week psychological treatment called Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) were
pain-free or nearly pain-free post-treatment. And most maintained relief for
one year. The findings provide some of the strongest evidence yet that a
psychological treatment can provide potent and durable relief for chronic pain,
which afflicts one in five Americans.
Researchers’
novel mind-body program outperforms other forms of treatment for chronic back
pain: In a new
publication appearing in journal PAIN, researchers found
that the mind-body intervention based on John Sarno’s work
was highly beneficial for treating back pain when compared
to standard care, with 64 percent of research
volunteers reporting being 100 percent pain free six months
later.
Corticosteroid
injections of hip linked to 'rapidly destructive hip disease': A new study adds to concerns that hip
steroid injections may lead to increased rates of a serious complication called
rapidly destructive hip disease (RDHD), according to a paper in The Journal of Bone & Joint
Surgery.
How do
migraines affect the sleep cycle?
Adults and children with migraines may get less quality, REM sleep time than
people who don’t have migraines. That’s according to a meta-analysis published
in the September 22, 2021, online issue of Neurology®. Children with
migraines were also found to get less total sleep time than their healthy peers
but took less time to fall asleep.
History of migraines lead to more severe hot flashes for postmenopausal women: A new study links a history of
migraines and hot flashes and highlights the fact that both could be associated
with an increased risk of heart disease. The North American Menopause Society
(NAMS) Annual Meeting
Weather can
affect pain tolerance:
It may sound like an old superstition – but on some standard quantitative
sensory tests, weather-related factors do indeed affect pain tolerance,
suggests a study in PAIN®
Acupuncture
reduces pain and opioid use for total knee replacement surgery patients:
Patients who have acupuncture during total knee replacement surgery report less
pain and need far fewer opioids to manage their discomfort, according to a
study being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY®
2021 annual meeting. Results of the study showed that 65% of patients who
received acupuncture during surgery achieved a low-dose or opioid-free
postoperative experience, compared to 9% of patients outside of the study.
COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
Meditation training reduces long-term stress Psychosomatic Medicine
Nature-based
activities can improve mood and reduce anxiety, new study shows: Outdoor nature-based activities are
effective for improving mental health in adults, including those with
pre-existing mental health problems, a new study has found. The research showed
that taking part in outdoor, nature-based activities led to improved mood, less
anxiety, and positive emotions. The study found that activities lasting for 20
to 90 minutes, sustained for over the course of 8 to 12 weeks, have the most
positive outcomes for improving mood and reducing anxiety. Gardening and
exercise were among the activities associated with mental health benefits.
Engaging in conservation activities was also reported to make people feel
better, as did ‘forest bathing’ (stopping in a forest to take in the
atmosphere). SSM - Population Health.
Daily use of
cannabidiol ('CBD') oil may be linked to lung cancer regression according to one case report of a woman
in her 80s with a non-small cell lung cancer. BMJ Case Reports
FDA ACTION
• Warns
against using at-home dermal filler pens
• Approved
marketing of three products from the vaping company Vuse, along with one
device. The authorization only relates to tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes and not
the wider range of flavors that critics say are aimed at younger consumers.
• Issued
guidelines for voluntary salt reduction in packaged goods
• Approved
Rethymic for the treatment of pediatric patients with congenital athymia
• Issued an
emergency use authorization (EUA) for the ACON Laboratories Flowflex COVID-19 Home Test, an
over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 antigen test, which adds to the growing list of
tests that can be used at home without a prescription.
• Warned
consumers that using the Safe-T-Lite UV WAND, a handheld ultraviolet-C (UV-C)
germicidal wand intended for sanitization, may put you or a nearby person at
risk of exposure to unsafe levels of UV-C radiation, and may cause injury to
the skin, eyes or both after just a few seconds of exposure.
• Approved
Byooviz (ranibizumab-nuna) as the first biosimilar to Lucentis (ranibizumab
injection) for the treatment of several eye diseases and conditions, including
neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (nAMD)
PREVENTION:
Exercise
Moderate-Vigorous
Exercise Boosts Fitness 3 Times More Than Walking: The study, published in the European Heart
Journal, included about 2,070 people involved in the Framingham Heart
Study. A new study finds that “moderate-vigorous” exercise can improve your
fitness three times as much as walking. Moderate-vigorous exercise is activity
that leaves you able to hold a conversation but sometimes having to catch your
breath. It is recommended that you aim for 150-300 minutes a week of
moderate-intensity activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous activity.
Aerobic exercise after a sport-related concussion speeds recovery in adolescent athletes: Adolescents
can speed their recovery after a sport-related concussion and reduce their risk
of experiencing protracted recovery if they engage in aerobic exercise within
10 days of getting injured. The
Lancet Child & Adolescent Health
Why ‘DryScooping’ Protein Powder Before Your Workout Is a Terrible Idea: Experts say the trend on TikTok and
other social media platforms encouraging people to “dry scoop” fitness powder
before exercising poses a number of health risks.Trying to swallow these
powders can cause coughing, shortness of breath, and other more serious health
issues.Instead have a smoothie or a single cup of coffee before working out.
Healthline
Want a
Better Night’s Sleep? Avoid Intense Workouts Less Than 2 Hours Before Bed: A literature review study
found that exercise completed 2 or more hours before bedtime aided sleep
quality. Participants fell asleep faster and slept longer. Exercise that
occurred closer to bedtime, however, had a negative impact, causing people to
take longer to fall asleep and to sleep for a shorter amount of time.
Active Video
games can have similar health benefits to jogging: Active video games have similar positive
health effects on the body as traditional exercises, such as jogging on a
treadmill, according to a new study. The researchers say these games could be
used by type 1 diabetics as a more enjoyable way to stay active and manage
their condition. Games for Health Journal
Exercise may
stop cancer in its tracks:
Forget bedrest, research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has shown exercise
may be a key weapon in cancer patients’ battle against the disease. The
study focused on prostate cancer due it being the most common non-skin cancer
among men and the high number of patient fatalities – however the findings
could have a wider impact. Medicine and Science in Sports and
Exercise.
Data shows
Americans need at least 5 hours per week of physical activity to prevent some
cancers: A new report
finds more than 46,000 cancer cases annually in the United States could be
prevented if Americans met the 5 hours per week of moderate-intensity
recommended physical activity guidelines. The latest data appearing in the
journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise show 3% of all
cancer cases in adults in the U.S. aged 30 years and older during 2013 to 2016
were attributable to physical inactivity and the proportion was higher in women
(average annual attributable cases 32,089) compared to men (14,277). Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercis
Serious
injury risk higher for horse riding than for football, motor racing, or skiing: While the most common site of injury
was the chest, head and neck
injuries were the most lethal, the findings show. Trauma Surgery & Acute
Care Open https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-10-injury-higher-horse-football-motor.html
PREVENTION:
Vitamins/Supplements
Why Getting
Enough Iron in Middle Age Can Lower Your Heart Disease Risk: Not getting enough iron in middle age
can lead to about a 10 percent increase in heart attack risk within a decade
That’s according to a study published in ESC Heart Failure. Experts say you can increase your iron
levels through diet, either with meat or vegetarian items, as well as with
supplementation.
Can ketone supplements
improve brain function in obesity?
People with obesity may have a higher risk of cognitive impairment, such as
difficulty making decisions or remembering. A small study involving oral ketone
supplementation for 14 days suggests an improvement in brain blood flow and
function in people with obesity. Scientists will need to carry out larger
studies with a more diverse population to understand the underlying mechanism
and confirm whether this approach could have real-world application. The Journal of PhysiologyTrusted Source.
Omega-3
supplements could elevate risk of atrial fibrillation: A meta analysis found that the risk of
developing atrial fibrillation is dependent on the dose of omega-3 fatty acids.
Although there's strong evidence that omega-3 fatty acids can significantly
reduce blood triglyceride levels and arthritis pain, most experts agree it's
best to get omega-3 fatty acids from eating fish several times a week.
Circulation
PREVENTION: Diet/Nutrition
MIND Diet
Preserves Cognition Even in the Presence of Alzheimer's Pathology: Adherence to the MIND diet can improve
memory and thinking skills of older adults, even in the presence of Alzheimer's
disease pathology, new data from the Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP) show.
A hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
diets, the MIND diet includes green leafy vegetables, fish, nuts, berries,
beans, and whole grains and limits consumption of fried and fast foods, sweets,
and pastries. The study was published
online in the Journal of
Alzheimer's Disease
Peanut
consumption: Potential benefits in young and healthy people: A study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition
provides new knowledge on the health effects of a diet rich in nuts. According
to the study, focused on the consumption of peanuts, the daily intake of
products from this nut could have beneficial effects on the cognitive function
and stress response in young and healthy individuals.
In tightly
controlled study, low-carb diet improves cardiometabolic risk profile: A clinical trial led by Boston
Children’s Hospital demonstrates that low-carb diets — even though higher in
saturated fat — produce better cardiovascular and metabolic profiles than
low-fat, higher-carb diets. online
September 28 by the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition.
Diet may
help alleviate some symptoms of bipolar disorder: A study in the journal Bipolar
DisordersTrusted Source suggests that individuals with bipolar disorder who
adjust their intake of specific fatty acids may experience less variability in
their moods. The researchers decreased the experimental group’s consumption of
omega-6 fatty acids by limiting red meat, eggs, and certain oils and increased
their consumption of omega-3 fatty acids by adding flaxseed and fatty fish.
Research review shows intermittent fasting works for weight loss, health changes: Intermittent fasting can produce
clinically significant weight loss as well as improve metabolic health in
individuals with obesity, according to a new study review led by University of
Illinois Chicago researchers. Annual Review of Nutrition
Rye a better
choice than wheat for weight loss:
Researchers recently published a study showing that people who ate high-fiber
products made from whole grain rye lost more body fat and overall weight than
those who ate corresponding products made from refined wheat. Clinical
Nutrition
Moderate carbohydrate intake is a cardiovascular benefit for women: Research found that in middle-aged
Australian women, increasing the percentage of carbohydrate intake was
significantly associated with reduced odds of CVD, hypertension, diabetes
mellitus, and obesity. A moderate
carbohydrate intake between 41.0 percent—44.3 percent of total energy intake
was associated with the lowest risk of CVD compared to women who consumed less
than 37 percent energy as carbohydrates. No significant relationship was
demonstrated between proportional carbohydrate intake and all-cause mortality.
British Medical Journal
Mushroom
consumption may lower risk of depression: Penn State researchers used data on diet and mental health
collected from more than 24,000 U.S. adults between 2005 and 2016. They found
that people who ate mushrooms had lower odds of having depression.
Journal
of Affective Disorders.
Switching to
reduced-sodium salt may reduce stroke risk: There is good evidence that limiting sodium in the diet
and taking potassium supplements can lower blood pressure. People can achieve
both of these ends by replacing the ordinary salt that they add to food with
reduced-sodium salt. Regular salt is sodium chloride, while the reduced-sodium
variety is a mixture of sodium chloride and potassium chloride. The
New England Journal of Medicine.
PREVENTION
Why flu vaccination
is more important this year:
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) hosted a news conference thighlighting the need to get vaccinated
against influenza and pneumococcal disease before a potentially severe 2021-22
influenza season. The flu is unpredictable. The best way to protect yourself
and others in your community is to get vaccinated. Last flu season, very few
people became sick with the flu due to masking and physical distancing. This means fewer people will have immunity to
flu strains this flu season. Experts are
warning that this flu season could be a bad one.
Combined treatments are the most effective to stop smoking: Combination therapies, particularly
varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) combined, are the most
effective tobacco cessation pharmacotherapies, the largest review to examine
the effectiveness and safety of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and
medicines that people use to quit tobacco has found. Addiction
Natural
light may be key to improving mood and reducing insomnia: The cross-sectional and longitudinal
study of more than 400,000 participants in the UK Biobank program found that a
lack of daytime light exposure was a risk factor for depressive symptoms, poor
mood, and insomnia. The greater time spent in outdoor light during the day was
associated with fewer depressive symptoms, lower odds of using antidepressant
medication, better sleep and fewer symptoms of insomnia," Journal of Affective Disorders
Advice
shifting on aspirin use for preventing heart attacks: Older adults without heart disease
shouldn't take daily low-dose aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or
stroke. Bleeding risks for adults in their 60s and up who haven't had a heart
attack or stroke outweigh any potential benefits from aspirin, the U.S.
Preventive Services Task Force said in its draft guidance. There may be a small
benefit for adults in their 40s who have no bleeding risks. For those in their
50s, the panel softened advice and said evidence of benefit is less clear.
Some sunscreen mixtures lose effectiveness and become harmful during sun exposure: Chemical reactions involving a main
ingredient-zinc oxide- mean many sunscreens become ineffective after just two
hours of sun exposure, according to a new collaborative study "Once exposed to sunlight for two hours,
zinc oxide destroys the UVA protection provided by other ingredients. In this
context, putting on sunscreen could actually make things worse because people
believe they are being protected from harmful UV rays and may stay in the sun
longer." Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences
2021 USPSTF
guidance expands eligibility for lung cancer screening: Adopting the 2021 U.S. Preventive
Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations for lung cancer screening will
increase the number of eligible people, including more women and racial and
ethnic-minority groups, according to a study published online Oct. 12 in JAMA
Network Open. JAMA Network Open
Pesticide linked to chronic kidney disease:
A commonly available pesticide has been associated with an increased risk of
chronic kidney disease (CKD). "The findings suggest we should limit our
exposure to pesticides, even in very small doses, as chronic exposure may lead
to negative health outcomes." International
Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
TREATMENT
Stopping
Antidepressants Too Early Can Increase the Risk of Relapse: A majority of people who stop taking
long-term antidepressant medication relapse to depression within a year, a new study
finds. Researchers from University College London found that 56 percent of
people who stopped taking long-term antidepressants such as citalopram,
sertraline, fluoxetine, and mirtazapine experienced a relapse within 12 months.
That compared to a 39 percent relapse rate among people who kept taking their
medication. Conversely, the study found that 44 percent of participants who
quit taking antidepressants did not relapse.
Statin use
associated with type 2 diabetes progression: Researchers have found associations between statins and
decreased insulin sensitivity, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. In the
present study, the team found people with type 2 diabetes who took statins were
more likely to have greater disease progression. JAMA Internal MedicineTrusted
Source,
Promising
results for Parkinson's disease treatment: Researchers have found a way to make deep brain
stimulation (DBS) more precise, resulting in therapeutic effects that outlast
what is currently available. The work will significantly advance the study of
Parkinson's disease. Science
GI bleeding
up for new users of rivaroxaban:
Rivaroxaban is associated with increased rates of gastrointestinal bleeding
(GIB) compared with other direct oral anticoagulants. Annals of Internal Medicine
Contraceptive
pill can reduce type 2 diabetes risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome Diabetes Care
Possible alternative treatment for Lyme disease: Researchers have described a new antibiotic that appears
to have the potential to cure Lyme disease.
OTHER
Gas-related
intestinal symptoms affect nearly all adults on a daily basis: Gas-related symptoms are associated
with poorer quality of life, and higher stress, anxiety, and depression, with
breaking wind being the most frequently reported gas issue, affecting eight out
of 10 adults in the general population (81.3 %) in a 24-hour period, according
to a new survey1 being presented today at UEG Week Virtual 2021. Other
gas-related symptoms included stomach rumbling, which affected 60.5% of
respondents, closely followed by belching (58%), and bad breath (48.1%).
Trapped wind (47.2%), abdominal distension/swollen tummy (39.6%) and
bloating/abdominal pressure (38.5%) also had a noticeable impact, while only
11.1% of respondents reported having no gas symptoms. On average survey
participants had been affected by three different gas symptoms within the
previous 24-hour period.
