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OxyContin marketing push still exacting a deadly toll, study says
The uptick in rates of infectious diseases, namely, hepatitis and infective endocarditis, occurred after 2010, when OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reformulated OxyContin to make it harder to crush and snort. This led many people who were already addicted to the powerful pain pills to move on to injecting heroin or fentanyl, which fueled the spread of infectious disease.
“Our results suggest that the mortality and morbidity consequences of OxyContin marketing continue to be salient more than 25 years later,” write Julia Dennett, PhD, and Gregg Gonsalves, PhD, with Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Conn.
Their study was published online in Health Affairs.
Long-term effects revealed
Until now, the long-term effects of widespread OxyContin marketing with regard to complications of injection drug use were unknown.
Dr. Dennett and Dr. Gonsalves evaluated the effects of OxyContin marketing on the long-term trajectories of various injection drug use–related outcomes. Using a difference-in-difference analysis, they compared states with high vs. low exposure to OxyContin marketing before and after the 2010 reformulation of the drug.
Before 2010, rates of infections associated with injection drug use and overdose deaths were similar in high- and low-marketing states, they found.
Those rates diverged after the 2010 reformulation, with more infections related to injection drug use in states exposed to more marketing.
Specifically, from 2010 until 2020, high-exposure states saw, on average, an additional 0.85 acute hepatitis B cases, 0.83 hepatitis C cases, and 0.62 cases of death from infective endocarditis per 100,000 residents.
High-exposure states also had 5.3 more deaths per 100,000 residents from synthetic opioid overdose.
“Prior to 2010, among these states, there were generally no statistically significant differences in these outcomes. After 2010, you saw them diverge dramatically,” Dr. Dennett said in a news release.
Dr. Dennett and Dr. Gonsalves say their findings support the view that the opioid epidemic is creating a converging public health crisis, as it is fueling a surge in infectious diseases, particularly hepatitis, infective endocarditis, and HIV.
“This study highlights a critical need for actions to address the spread of viral and bacterial infections and overdose associated with injection drug use, both in the states that were subject to Purdue’s promotional campaign and across the U.S. more broadly,” they add.
Purdue Pharma did not provide a comment on the study.
Funding for the study was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Disclosures for Dr. Dennett and Dr. Gonsalves were not available.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
The uptick in rates of infectious diseases, namely, hepatitis and infective endocarditis, occurred after 2010, when OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reformulated OxyContin to make it harder to crush and snort. This led many people who were already addicted to the powerful pain pills to move on to injecting heroin or fentanyl, which fueled the spread of infectious disease.
“Our results suggest that the mortality and morbidity consequences of OxyContin marketing continue to be salient more than 25 years later,” write Julia Dennett, PhD, and Gregg Gonsalves, PhD, with Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Conn.
Their study was published online in Health Affairs.
Long-term effects revealed
Until now, the long-term effects of widespread OxyContin marketing with regard to complications of injection drug use were unknown.
Dr. Dennett and Dr. Gonsalves evaluated the effects of OxyContin marketing on the long-term trajectories of various injection drug use–related outcomes. Using a difference-in-difference analysis, they compared states with high vs. low exposure to OxyContin marketing before and after the 2010 reformulation of the drug.
Before 2010, rates of infections associated with injection drug use and overdose deaths were similar in high- and low-marketing states, they found.
Those rates diverged after the 2010 reformulation, with more infections related to injection drug use in states exposed to more marketing.
Specifically, from 2010 until 2020, high-exposure states saw, on average, an additional 0.85 acute hepatitis B cases, 0.83 hepatitis C cases, and 0.62 cases of death from infective endocarditis per 100,000 residents.
High-exposure states also had 5.3 more deaths per 100,000 residents from synthetic opioid overdose.
“Prior to 2010, among these states, there were generally no statistically significant differences in these outcomes. After 2010, you saw them diverge dramatically,” Dr. Dennett said in a news release.
Dr. Dennett and Dr. Gonsalves say their findings support the view that the opioid epidemic is creating a converging public health crisis, as it is fueling a surge in infectious diseases, particularly hepatitis, infective endocarditis, and HIV.
“This study highlights a critical need for actions to address the spread of viral and bacterial infections and overdose associated with injection drug use, both in the states that were subject to Purdue’s promotional campaign and across the U.S. more broadly,” they add.
Purdue Pharma did not provide a comment on the study.
Funding for the study was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Disclosures for Dr. Dennett and Dr. Gonsalves were not available.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
The uptick in rates of infectious diseases, namely, hepatitis and infective endocarditis, occurred after 2010, when OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reformulated OxyContin to make it harder to crush and snort. This led many people who were already addicted to the powerful pain pills to move on to injecting heroin or fentanyl, which fueled the spread of infectious disease.
“Our results suggest that the mortality and morbidity consequences of OxyContin marketing continue to be salient more than 25 years later,” write Julia Dennett, PhD, and Gregg Gonsalves, PhD, with Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Conn.
Their study was published online in Health Affairs.
Long-term effects revealed
Until now, the long-term effects of widespread OxyContin marketing with regard to complications of injection drug use were unknown.
Dr. Dennett and Dr. Gonsalves evaluated the effects of OxyContin marketing on the long-term trajectories of various injection drug use–related outcomes. Using a difference-in-difference analysis, they compared states with high vs. low exposure to OxyContin marketing before and after the 2010 reformulation of the drug.
Before 2010, rates of infections associated with injection drug use and overdose deaths were similar in high- and low-marketing states, they found.
Those rates diverged after the 2010 reformulation, with more infections related to injection drug use in states exposed to more marketing.
Specifically, from 2010 until 2020, high-exposure states saw, on average, an additional 0.85 acute hepatitis B cases, 0.83 hepatitis C cases, and 0.62 cases of death from infective endocarditis per 100,000 residents.
High-exposure states also had 5.3 more deaths per 100,000 residents from synthetic opioid overdose.
“Prior to 2010, among these states, there were generally no statistically significant differences in these outcomes. After 2010, you saw them diverge dramatically,” Dr. Dennett said in a news release.
Dr. Dennett and Dr. Gonsalves say their findings support the view that the opioid epidemic is creating a converging public health crisis, as it is fueling a surge in infectious diseases, particularly hepatitis, infective endocarditis, and HIV.
“This study highlights a critical need for actions to address the spread of viral and bacterial infections and overdose associated with injection drug use, both in the states that were subject to Purdue’s promotional campaign and across the U.S. more broadly,” they add.
Purdue Pharma did not provide a comment on the study.
Funding for the study was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Disclosures for Dr. Dennett and Dr. Gonsalves were not available.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
FROM HEALTH AFFAIRS
New AHA/ACC performance, quality metrics for coronary revascularization
“Performance measures are helpful to accelerate translation of scientific evidence into clinical practice and are intended to provide practitioners and institutions with tools to measure the quality of care provided and identify opportunities for improvement,” writing group chair Gregory J. Dehmer, MD, Carilion Clinic Cardiology, Roanoke, Va., said in an interview.
Performance measures are “evidence-based, have exceptions and exclusions supported by evidence, and should be actionable,” Dr. Dehmer added. They typically target meaningful gaps in the quality of care and are based on Class 1 clinical practice guidelines.
The 44-page document was published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Topics addressed in the 15 performance measures include the following:
- The importance of using coronary physiological measurements rather than visual assessment of an intermediate severity lesion.
- Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), as a “cornerstone” of therapy for prevention of thrombotic complications and reduction of ischemic events.
- Antiplatelets and anticoagulation after PCI, which provide “an important outcome benefit” and represent “an existing gap in care,” especially in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
- P2Y12 inhibitors with fibrinolytic therapy to reduce recurrent ischemia and avoid increased risk of bleeding relative to aspirin.
Other performance measures address aspirin in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), lipid management, glycemic control during and after CABG, use of internal mammary artery for CABG, arterial access for PCI, noninfarct artery revascularization in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), noninfarct artery PCI in STEMI with shock, management of ventricular arrhythmias, and referral to cardiac rehabilitation from inpatient and outpatient settings.
“The measures are structured in a typical format with the goal to seek a higher performance score, ideally nearing 100%,” Dr. Dehmer said.
The document also includes five quality measures. These measures are “important but are not based on Class 1 clinical practice guidelines or are lacking in other important characteristics (e.g., questions of feasibility, validity),” the writing group notes.
“If additional evidence supports the importance of the proposed quality measures, they may be changed to performance measures in the future,” they point out.
The quality measures emphasize shared decision-making and informed consent; periprocedural hydration in cardiovascular angiography; smoking cessation after revascularization; risk assessment before CABG; and reduction of AF after CABG.
The document also includes two structural measures. One focuses on preprocedural assessment and fostering collaborative efforts among cardiovascular specialists, and the other encourages registry participation to measure performance.
Areas for future research
The writing group notes that the field of coronary artery revascularization “continues to evolve rapidly.”
They say areas for further research include determining the optimal role and timing for revascularization in cardiogenic shock, research on conduits and techniques for CABG, the use of mechanical support for high-risk PCI, defining the role of drug-coated balloons, and the optimal duration of antiplatelet therapy after PCI and in the setting of AF.
New devices for PCI continue to enter the marketplace, and research is needed to better define their safety and effectiveness in real-world populations, they add.
Chronic total occlusions are another area in need of additional research.
“Whereas many chronic total occlusions were once thought too difficult to treat, newer techniques for the recanalization of these vessels are being developed, but more research is needed to determine the role of chronic total occlusion therapies on long-term outcomes such as death, heart failure events, and optimal case selection,” the writing group points out.
They also note that several studies have shown that an initial strategy of guideline-directed medical therapy alone, compared with guideline-directed medical therapy plus revascularization, in selected patients with chronic coronary disease has similar effects on cardiovascular outcomes such as death, MI, heart failure, and hospitalization for unstable angina.
More investigation is needed to compare the long-term effects of these two therapies and identify subgroups of stable patients that may have a mortality benefit from early revascularization as well as the effects of these two therapeutic strategies on symptoms and quality of life.
More research is also needed to identify gender-based differences in responses to available therapies.
The document was developed in collaboration with the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.
It has been endorsed by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, American Society for Preventive Cardiology, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Association of Black Cardiologists, Heart Failure Society of America, Heart Rhythm Society, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society, and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association.
This research had no commercial funding. Dr. Dehmer has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.
“Performance measures are helpful to accelerate translation of scientific evidence into clinical practice and are intended to provide practitioners and institutions with tools to measure the quality of care provided and identify opportunities for improvement,” writing group chair Gregory J. Dehmer, MD, Carilion Clinic Cardiology, Roanoke, Va., said in an interview.
Performance measures are “evidence-based, have exceptions and exclusions supported by evidence, and should be actionable,” Dr. Dehmer added. They typically target meaningful gaps in the quality of care and are based on Class 1 clinical practice guidelines.
The 44-page document was published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Topics addressed in the 15 performance measures include the following:
- The importance of using coronary physiological measurements rather than visual assessment of an intermediate severity lesion.
- Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), as a “cornerstone” of therapy for prevention of thrombotic complications and reduction of ischemic events.
- Antiplatelets and anticoagulation after PCI, which provide “an important outcome benefit” and represent “an existing gap in care,” especially in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
- P2Y12 inhibitors with fibrinolytic therapy to reduce recurrent ischemia and avoid increased risk of bleeding relative to aspirin.
Other performance measures address aspirin in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), lipid management, glycemic control during and after CABG, use of internal mammary artery for CABG, arterial access for PCI, noninfarct artery revascularization in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), noninfarct artery PCI in STEMI with shock, management of ventricular arrhythmias, and referral to cardiac rehabilitation from inpatient and outpatient settings.
“The measures are structured in a typical format with the goal to seek a higher performance score, ideally nearing 100%,” Dr. Dehmer said.
The document also includes five quality measures. These measures are “important but are not based on Class 1 clinical practice guidelines or are lacking in other important characteristics (e.g., questions of feasibility, validity),” the writing group notes.
“If additional evidence supports the importance of the proposed quality measures, they may be changed to performance measures in the future,” they point out.
The quality measures emphasize shared decision-making and informed consent; periprocedural hydration in cardiovascular angiography; smoking cessation after revascularization; risk assessment before CABG; and reduction of AF after CABG.
The document also includes two structural measures. One focuses on preprocedural assessment and fostering collaborative efforts among cardiovascular specialists, and the other encourages registry participation to measure performance.
Areas for future research
The writing group notes that the field of coronary artery revascularization “continues to evolve rapidly.”
They say areas for further research include determining the optimal role and timing for revascularization in cardiogenic shock, research on conduits and techniques for CABG, the use of mechanical support for high-risk PCI, defining the role of drug-coated balloons, and the optimal duration of antiplatelet therapy after PCI and in the setting of AF.
New devices for PCI continue to enter the marketplace, and research is needed to better define their safety and effectiveness in real-world populations, they add.
Chronic total occlusions are another area in need of additional research.
“Whereas many chronic total occlusions were once thought too difficult to treat, newer techniques for the recanalization of these vessels are being developed, but more research is needed to determine the role of chronic total occlusion therapies on long-term outcomes such as death, heart failure events, and optimal case selection,” the writing group points out.
They also note that several studies have shown that an initial strategy of guideline-directed medical therapy alone, compared with guideline-directed medical therapy plus revascularization, in selected patients with chronic coronary disease has similar effects on cardiovascular outcomes such as death, MI, heart failure, and hospitalization for unstable angina.
More investigation is needed to compare the long-term effects of these two therapies and identify subgroups of stable patients that may have a mortality benefit from early revascularization as well as the effects of these two therapeutic strategies on symptoms and quality of life.
More research is also needed to identify gender-based differences in responses to available therapies.
The document was developed in collaboration with the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.
It has been endorsed by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, American Society for Preventive Cardiology, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Association of Black Cardiologists, Heart Failure Society of America, Heart Rhythm Society, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society, and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association.
This research had no commercial funding. Dr. Dehmer has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.
“Performance measures are helpful to accelerate translation of scientific evidence into clinical practice and are intended to provide practitioners and institutions with tools to measure the quality of care provided and identify opportunities for improvement,” writing group chair Gregory J. Dehmer, MD, Carilion Clinic Cardiology, Roanoke, Va., said in an interview.
Performance measures are “evidence-based, have exceptions and exclusions supported by evidence, and should be actionable,” Dr. Dehmer added. They typically target meaningful gaps in the quality of care and are based on Class 1 clinical practice guidelines.
The 44-page document was published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Topics addressed in the 15 performance measures include the following:
- The importance of using coronary physiological measurements rather than visual assessment of an intermediate severity lesion.
- Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), as a “cornerstone” of therapy for prevention of thrombotic complications and reduction of ischemic events.
- Antiplatelets and anticoagulation after PCI, which provide “an important outcome benefit” and represent “an existing gap in care,” especially in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
- P2Y12 inhibitors with fibrinolytic therapy to reduce recurrent ischemia and avoid increased risk of bleeding relative to aspirin.
Other performance measures address aspirin in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), lipid management, glycemic control during and after CABG, use of internal mammary artery for CABG, arterial access for PCI, noninfarct artery revascularization in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), noninfarct artery PCI in STEMI with shock, management of ventricular arrhythmias, and referral to cardiac rehabilitation from inpatient and outpatient settings.
“The measures are structured in a typical format with the goal to seek a higher performance score, ideally nearing 100%,” Dr. Dehmer said.
The document also includes five quality measures. These measures are “important but are not based on Class 1 clinical practice guidelines or are lacking in other important characteristics (e.g., questions of feasibility, validity),” the writing group notes.
“If additional evidence supports the importance of the proposed quality measures, they may be changed to performance measures in the future,” they point out.
The quality measures emphasize shared decision-making and informed consent; periprocedural hydration in cardiovascular angiography; smoking cessation after revascularization; risk assessment before CABG; and reduction of AF after CABG.
The document also includes two structural measures. One focuses on preprocedural assessment and fostering collaborative efforts among cardiovascular specialists, and the other encourages registry participation to measure performance.
Areas for future research
The writing group notes that the field of coronary artery revascularization “continues to evolve rapidly.”
They say areas for further research include determining the optimal role and timing for revascularization in cardiogenic shock, research on conduits and techniques for CABG, the use of mechanical support for high-risk PCI, defining the role of drug-coated balloons, and the optimal duration of antiplatelet therapy after PCI and in the setting of AF.
New devices for PCI continue to enter the marketplace, and research is needed to better define their safety and effectiveness in real-world populations, they add.
Chronic total occlusions are another area in need of additional research.
“Whereas many chronic total occlusions were once thought too difficult to treat, newer techniques for the recanalization of these vessels are being developed, but more research is needed to determine the role of chronic total occlusion therapies on long-term outcomes such as death, heart failure events, and optimal case selection,” the writing group points out.
They also note that several studies have shown that an initial strategy of guideline-directed medical therapy alone, compared with guideline-directed medical therapy plus revascularization, in selected patients with chronic coronary disease has similar effects on cardiovascular outcomes such as death, MI, heart failure, and hospitalization for unstable angina.
More investigation is needed to compare the long-term effects of these two therapies and identify subgroups of stable patients that may have a mortality benefit from early revascularization as well as the effects of these two therapeutic strategies on symptoms and quality of life.
More research is also needed to identify gender-based differences in responses to available therapies.
The document was developed in collaboration with the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.
It has been endorsed by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, American Society for Preventive Cardiology, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Association of Black Cardiologists, Heart Failure Society of America, Heart Rhythm Society, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society, and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association.
This research had no commercial funding. Dr. Dehmer has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.
FROM JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY
Top U.S. neurology, neurosurgery hospitals ranked
of best hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery.
NYU Langone also claimed the top spot in last year’s ranking.
In the latest rankings, UCSF Health–UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, holds the No. 2 spot and New York–Presbyterian Hospital–Columbia and Cornell in New York City holds the No. 3 spot for neurology care, with no change from last year.
This year, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., is ranked No. 4 in neurology and neurosurgery care, up from No. 6 last year, while Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, ranks fifth this year, rising two spots from No. 7 last year.
Rounding out the top 10 hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery (in order) are UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles; Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Mount Sinai Hospital, New York; and Northwestern Medicine–Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago.
U.S. News evaluated 1,245 hospitals and ranked the top 50 that treat patients with challenging neurological issues including stroke, conditions affecting the central nervous system, spinal disorders and injuries, seizures, and degenerative nervous system diagnoses such as multiple sclerosis.
“Consumers want useful resources to help them assess which hospital can best meet their specific care needs,” Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, said in a statement.
“The 2023-2024 Best Hospitals rankings offer patients and the physicians with whom they consult a data-driven source for comparing performance in outcomes, patient satisfaction, and other metrics that matter to them,” Mr. Harder said.
Honor roll
This year, as in prior years, U.S. News recognized “honor roll” hospitals that have excelled across multiple areas of care. However, this year, for the first time, there is no ordinal ranking of hospitals making the honor roll. Instead, they are listed in alphabetical order.
In a letter to hospital leaders, U.S. News explained that the major change in format came after months of deliberation, feedback from health care organizations and professionals, and an analysis of how consumers navigate the organization’s website.
Ordinal ranking of hospitals that make the honor roll “obscures the fact that all of the honor roll hospitals have attained the highest standard of care in the nation,” the letter reads.
This year there are 22 honor roll hospitals:
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
- Cleveland Clinic
- Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania-Penn Medicine, Philadelphia
- Houston Methodist Hospital
- Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
- Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City
- New York–Presbyterian Hospital–Columbia and Cornell, New York City
- North Shore University Hospital at Northwell Health, Manhasset, N.Y.
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago
- NYU Langone Hospitals, New York City
- Rush University Medical Center, Chicago
- Stanford (Calif.) Health Care–Stanford Hospital
- UC San Diego Health–La Jolla and Hillcrest Hospitals
- UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
- UCSF Health–UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco
- University of Michigan Health–Ann Arbor
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.
U.S. News noted that to keep pace with consumers’ needs and the ever-evolving landscape of health care, “several refinements” are reflected in the latest best hospitals rankings.
These include the introduction of outpatient outcomes in key specialty rankings and surgical ratings, the expanded inclusion of other outpatient data, an increased weight on objective quality measures, and a reduced weight on expert opinion.
In addition, hospital profiles at usnews.com feature refined health equity measures, including a new measure of racial disparities in outcomes.
The full report for best hospitals, best specialty hospitals, and methodology is available online.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
of best hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery.
NYU Langone also claimed the top spot in last year’s ranking.
In the latest rankings, UCSF Health–UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, holds the No. 2 spot and New York–Presbyterian Hospital–Columbia and Cornell in New York City holds the No. 3 spot for neurology care, with no change from last year.
This year, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., is ranked No. 4 in neurology and neurosurgery care, up from No. 6 last year, while Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, ranks fifth this year, rising two spots from No. 7 last year.
Rounding out the top 10 hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery (in order) are UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles; Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Mount Sinai Hospital, New York; and Northwestern Medicine–Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago.
U.S. News evaluated 1,245 hospitals and ranked the top 50 that treat patients with challenging neurological issues including stroke, conditions affecting the central nervous system, spinal disorders and injuries, seizures, and degenerative nervous system diagnoses such as multiple sclerosis.
“Consumers want useful resources to help them assess which hospital can best meet their specific care needs,” Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, said in a statement.
“The 2023-2024 Best Hospitals rankings offer patients and the physicians with whom they consult a data-driven source for comparing performance in outcomes, patient satisfaction, and other metrics that matter to them,” Mr. Harder said.
Honor roll
This year, as in prior years, U.S. News recognized “honor roll” hospitals that have excelled across multiple areas of care. However, this year, for the first time, there is no ordinal ranking of hospitals making the honor roll. Instead, they are listed in alphabetical order.
In a letter to hospital leaders, U.S. News explained that the major change in format came after months of deliberation, feedback from health care organizations and professionals, and an analysis of how consumers navigate the organization’s website.
Ordinal ranking of hospitals that make the honor roll “obscures the fact that all of the honor roll hospitals have attained the highest standard of care in the nation,” the letter reads.
This year there are 22 honor roll hospitals:
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
- Cleveland Clinic
- Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania-Penn Medicine, Philadelphia
- Houston Methodist Hospital
- Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
- Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City
- New York–Presbyterian Hospital–Columbia and Cornell, New York City
- North Shore University Hospital at Northwell Health, Manhasset, N.Y.
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago
- NYU Langone Hospitals, New York City
- Rush University Medical Center, Chicago
- Stanford (Calif.) Health Care–Stanford Hospital
- UC San Diego Health–La Jolla and Hillcrest Hospitals
- UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
- UCSF Health–UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco
- University of Michigan Health–Ann Arbor
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.
U.S. News noted that to keep pace with consumers’ needs and the ever-evolving landscape of health care, “several refinements” are reflected in the latest best hospitals rankings.
These include the introduction of outpatient outcomes in key specialty rankings and surgical ratings, the expanded inclusion of other outpatient data, an increased weight on objective quality measures, and a reduced weight on expert opinion.
In addition, hospital profiles at usnews.com feature refined health equity measures, including a new measure of racial disparities in outcomes.
The full report for best hospitals, best specialty hospitals, and methodology is available online.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
of best hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery.
NYU Langone also claimed the top spot in last year’s ranking.
In the latest rankings, UCSF Health–UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, holds the No. 2 spot and New York–Presbyterian Hospital–Columbia and Cornell in New York City holds the No. 3 spot for neurology care, with no change from last year.
This year, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., is ranked No. 4 in neurology and neurosurgery care, up from No. 6 last year, while Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, ranks fifth this year, rising two spots from No. 7 last year.
Rounding out the top 10 hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery (in order) are UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles; Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Mount Sinai Hospital, New York; and Northwestern Medicine–Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago.
U.S. News evaluated 1,245 hospitals and ranked the top 50 that treat patients with challenging neurological issues including stroke, conditions affecting the central nervous system, spinal disorders and injuries, seizures, and degenerative nervous system diagnoses such as multiple sclerosis.
“Consumers want useful resources to help them assess which hospital can best meet their specific care needs,” Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, said in a statement.
“The 2023-2024 Best Hospitals rankings offer patients and the physicians with whom they consult a data-driven source for comparing performance in outcomes, patient satisfaction, and other metrics that matter to them,” Mr. Harder said.
Honor roll
This year, as in prior years, U.S. News recognized “honor roll” hospitals that have excelled across multiple areas of care. However, this year, for the first time, there is no ordinal ranking of hospitals making the honor roll. Instead, they are listed in alphabetical order.
In a letter to hospital leaders, U.S. News explained that the major change in format came after months of deliberation, feedback from health care organizations and professionals, and an analysis of how consumers navigate the organization’s website.
Ordinal ranking of hospitals that make the honor roll “obscures the fact that all of the honor roll hospitals have attained the highest standard of care in the nation,” the letter reads.
This year there are 22 honor roll hospitals:
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
- Cleveland Clinic
- Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania-Penn Medicine, Philadelphia
- Houston Methodist Hospital
- Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
- Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City
- New York–Presbyterian Hospital–Columbia and Cornell, New York City
- North Shore University Hospital at Northwell Health, Manhasset, N.Y.
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago
- NYU Langone Hospitals, New York City
- Rush University Medical Center, Chicago
- Stanford (Calif.) Health Care–Stanford Hospital
- UC San Diego Health–La Jolla and Hillcrest Hospitals
- UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
- UCSF Health–UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco
- University of Michigan Health–Ann Arbor
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.
U.S. News noted that to keep pace with consumers’ needs and the ever-evolving landscape of health care, “several refinements” are reflected in the latest best hospitals rankings.
These include the introduction of outpatient outcomes in key specialty rankings and surgical ratings, the expanded inclusion of other outpatient data, an increased weight on objective quality measures, and a reduced weight on expert opinion.
In addition, hospital profiles at usnews.com feature refined health equity measures, including a new measure of racial disparities in outcomes.
The full report for best hospitals, best specialty hospitals, and methodology is available online.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
High parathyroid hormone level a marker for NAFLD and possibly NASH
TOPLINE:
METHODOLOGY:
- The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 case-control studies of patients with NAFLD/NASH and a comparison group without NAFLD/NASH.
- All studies had data on mean PTH levels in cases and controls.
- Pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) was calculated by combining WMDs of each study using a random-effects model.
TAKEAWAY:
- A meta-analysis of 10 studies with 1,051 patients with NAFLD and 1,510 controls revealed a significant association between high PTH level and NAFLD, with a pooled WMD of 5.479.
- A meta-analysis of four studies with 99 patients with NASH and 143 controls revealed a trend toward an association of high PTH level and NASH, with a pooled WMD of 11.995; statistical significance was not achieved owing to inadequate power.
- Both meta-analyses had high statistical heterogeneity (I2 of 82.4% for NAFLD and 81.0% for NASH).
IN PRACTICE:
“These findings may have clinical implications as they may suggest that high PTH level could be another biochemical marker of presence of NAFLD and possibly NASH,” the researchers wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Aunchalee Jaroenlapnopparat, MD, Mount Auburn Hospital/Beth Israel Lahey Health, Cambridge, Mass. It was published online in Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Research & Reviews. The study had no funding.
LIMITATIONS:
This systematic review and meta-analysis included observational studies, which might not show a causal relationship owing to potential confounding effects. Both meta-analyses demonstrated high statistical heterogeneity, probably because of differences in study design, population, and quality among the included studies. The number of studies and participants in the NASH-related analysis were limited, which may have compromised the statistical power of the analysis.
DISCLOSURES:
The authors have no relevant conflicts of interest.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
TOPLINE:
METHODOLOGY:
- The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 case-control studies of patients with NAFLD/NASH and a comparison group without NAFLD/NASH.
- All studies had data on mean PTH levels in cases and controls.
- Pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) was calculated by combining WMDs of each study using a random-effects model.
TAKEAWAY:
- A meta-analysis of 10 studies with 1,051 patients with NAFLD and 1,510 controls revealed a significant association between high PTH level and NAFLD, with a pooled WMD of 5.479.
- A meta-analysis of four studies with 99 patients with NASH and 143 controls revealed a trend toward an association of high PTH level and NASH, with a pooled WMD of 11.995; statistical significance was not achieved owing to inadequate power.
- Both meta-analyses had high statistical heterogeneity (I2 of 82.4% for NAFLD and 81.0% for NASH).
IN PRACTICE:
“These findings may have clinical implications as they may suggest that high PTH level could be another biochemical marker of presence of NAFLD and possibly NASH,” the researchers wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Aunchalee Jaroenlapnopparat, MD, Mount Auburn Hospital/Beth Israel Lahey Health, Cambridge, Mass. It was published online in Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Research & Reviews. The study had no funding.
LIMITATIONS:
This systematic review and meta-analysis included observational studies, which might not show a causal relationship owing to potential confounding effects. Both meta-analyses demonstrated high statistical heterogeneity, probably because of differences in study design, population, and quality among the included studies. The number of studies and participants in the NASH-related analysis were limited, which may have compromised the statistical power of the analysis.
DISCLOSURES:
The authors have no relevant conflicts of interest.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
TOPLINE:
METHODOLOGY:
- The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 case-control studies of patients with NAFLD/NASH and a comparison group without NAFLD/NASH.
- All studies had data on mean PTH levels in cases and controls.
- Pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) was calculated by combining WMDs of each study using a random-effects model.
TAKEAWAY:
- A meta-analysis of 10 studies with 1,051 patients with NAFLD and 1,510 controls revealed a significant association between high PTH level and NAFLD, with a pooled WMD of 5.479.
- A meta-analysis of four studies with 99 patients with NASH and 143 controls revealed a trend toward an association of high PTH level and NASH, with a pooled WMD of 11.995; statistical significance was not achieved owing to inadequate power.
- Both meta-analyses had high statistical heterogeneity (I2 of 82.4% for NAFLD and 81.0% for NASH).
IN PRACTICE:
“These findings may have clinical implications as they may suggest that high PTH level could be another biochemical marker of presence of NAFLD and possibly NASH,” the researchers wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Aunchalee Jaroenlapnopparat, MD, Mount Auburn Hospital/Beth Israel Lahey Health, Cambridge, Mass. It was published online in Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Research & Reviews. The study had no funding.
LIMITATIONS:
This systematic review and meta-analysis included observational studies, which might not show a causal relationship owing to potential confounding effects. Both meta-analyses demonstrated high statistical heterogeneity, probably because of differences in study design, population, and quality among the included studies. The number of studies and participants in the NASH-related analysis were limited, which may have compromised the statistical power of the analysis.
DISCLOSURES:
The authors have no relevant conflicts of interest.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
FROM DIABETES & METABOLIC SYNDROME: RESEARCH & REVIEWS
U.S. News ranks top cardiology, heart surgery hospitals
In the magazine’s 2023-2024 list, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, takes over the No. 2 spot from Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., which dropped to No. 3. Cedars-Sinai held the No. 3 on the 2022-2023 rankings.
Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City holds the No. 4 spot in 2023-2024, up from No. 6; NYU Langone Hospitals, New York, continue to hold the No. 5 spot.
New York–Presbyterian Hospital–Columbia and Cornell in New York City is No. 6, down from No. 4 i.
Northwestern Medicine-Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago takes over the No. 7 spot (up from No. 8), while Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston holds the No. 8 (down from No. 7).
Stanford (Calif.) Health Care–Stanford Hospital holds the No. 9 spot, the same as 2, and Lenox Hill Hospital at Northwell Health in New York is No. 10 on the list.
U.S. News evaluated 779 hospitals and ranked the top 50 that care for patients with challenging heart and vascular cases, including heart transplants; implantation of cardiac devices, such as pacemakers and defibrillators; major chest procedures and patients with cardiovascular disease and other complex conditions, such as endocarditis; and heart failure and circulatory issues.
“Consumers want useful resources to help them assess which hospital can best meet their specific care needs,” Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, said in a statement.
“The 2023-2024 Best Hospitals rankings offer patients and the physicians with whom they consult a data-driven source for comparing performance in outcomes, patient satisfaction, and other metrics that matter to them,” Mr. Harder said.
Best hospitals overall honor roll
In 2023-2024, as in prior years, U.S. News also recognized Honor Roll hospitals that have excelled across multiple areas of care. However, in 2023-2024, for the first time, there is no ordinal ranking of hospitals making honor roll.
In a letter to hospital leaders, U.S. News explained that the major change in format came after months of deliberation, feedback from health care organizations and professionals, and an analysis of how consumers navigate their website.
Ordinal ranking of hospitals that make the honor roll “obscures the fact that all of the Honor Roll hospitals have attained the highest standard of care in the nation,” the letter reads.
With the new format, honor roll hospitals are listed in alphabetical order. In 2023-2024, there are 22.
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
- Cleveland Clinic
- Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania–Penn Medicine, Philadelphia
- Houston Methodist Hospital
- Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
- Mount Sinai Hospital, New York
- New York–Presbyterian Hospital–Columbia and Cornell
- North Shore University Hospital at Northwell Health, Manhasset, N.Y.
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago
- NYU Langone Hospitals, New York
- Rush University Medical Center, Chicago
- Stanford (Calif.) Health Care–Stanford Hospital
- UC San Diego Health–La Jolla (Calif.) and Hillcrest Hospitals
- UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
- UCSF Health–UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco
- University of Michigan Health, Ann Arbor
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.
According to U.S. News, to keep pace with consumers’ needs and the ever-evolving landscape of health care, “several refinements” are reflected in the latest best hospitals rankings.
These include the introduction of outpatient outcomes in key specialty rankings and surgical ratings, the expanded inclusion of other outpatient data, an increased weight on objective quality measures, and a reduced weight on expert opinion.
In addition, hospital profiles on the U.S. News website feature refined health equity measures, including a new measure of racial disparities in outcomes.
The full report for best hospitals, best specialty hospitals, and methodology is available online.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
In the magazine’s 2023-2024 list, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, takes over the No. 2 spot from Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., which dropped to No. 3. Cedars-Sinai held the No. 3 on the 2022-2023 rankings.
Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City holds the No. 4 spot in 2023-2024, up from No. 6; NYU Langone Hospitals, New York, continue to hold the No. 5 spot.
New York–Presbyterian Hospital–Columbia and Cornell in New York City is No. 6, down from No. 4 i.
Northwestern Medicine-Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago takes over the No. 7 spot (up from No. 8), while Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston holds the No. 8 (down from No. 7).
Stanford (Calif.) Health Care–Stanford Hospital holds the No. 9 spot, the same as 2, and Lenox Hill Hospital at Northwell Health in New York is No. 10 on the list.
U.S. News evaluated 779 hospitals and ranked the top 50 that care for patients with challenging heart and vascular cases, including heart transplants; implantation of cardiac devices, such as pacemakers and defibrillators; major chest procedures and patients with cardiovascular disease and other complex conditions, such as endocarditis; and heart failure and circulatory issues.
“Consumers want useful resources to help them assess which hospital can best meet their specific care needs,” Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, said in a statement.
“The 2023-2024 Best Hospitals rankings offer patients and the physicians with whom they consult a data-driven source for comparing performance in outcomes, patient satisfaction, and other metrics that matter to them,” Mr. Harder said.
Best hospitals overall honor roll
In 2023-2024, as in prior years, U.S. News also recognized Honor Roll hospitals that have excelled across multiple areas of care. However, in 2023-2024, for the first time, there is no ordinal ranking of hospitals making honor roll.
In a letter to hospital leaders, U.S. News explained that the major change in format came after months of deliberation, feedback from health care organizations and professionals, and an analysis of how consumers navigate their website.
Ordinal ranking of hospitals that make the honor roll “obscures the fact that all of the Honor Roll hospitals have attained the highest standard of care in the nation,” the letter reads.
With the new format, honor roll hospitals are listed in alphabetical order. In 2023-2024, there are 22.
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
- Cleveland Clinic
- Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania–Penn Medicine, Philadelphia
- Houston Methodist Hospital
- Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
- Mount Sinai Hospital, New York
- New York–Presbyterian Hospital–Columbia and Cornell
- North Shore University Hospital at Northwell Health, Manhasset, N.Y.
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago
- NYU Langone Hospitals, New York
- Rush University Medical Center, Chicago
- Stanford (Calif.) Health Care–Stanford Hospital
- UC San Diego Health–La Jolla (Calif.) and Hillcrest Hospitals
- UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
- UCSF Health–UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco
- University of Michigan Health, Ann Arbor
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.
According to U.S. News, to keep pace with consumers’ needs and the ever-evolving landscape of health care, “several refinements” are reflected in the latest best hospitals rankings.
These include the introduction of outpatient outcomes in key specialty rankings and surgical ratings, the expanded inclusion of other outpatient data, an increased weight on objective quality measures, and a reduced weight on expert opinion.
In addition, hospital profiles on the U.S. News website feature refined health equity measures, including a new measure of racial disparities in outcomes.
The full report for best hospitals, best specialty hospitals, and methodology is available online.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
In the magazine’s 2023-2024 list, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, takes over the No. 2 spot from Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., which dropped to No. 3. Cedars-Sinai held the No. 3 on the 2022-2023 rankings.
Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City holds the No. 4 spot in 2023-2024, up from No. 6; NYU Langone Hospitals, New York, continue to hold the No. 5 spot.
New York–Presbyterian Hospital–Columbia and Cornell in New York City is No. 6, down from No. 4 i.
Northwestern Medicine-Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago takes over the No. 7 spot (up from No. 8), while Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston holds the No. 8 (down from No. 7).
Stanford (Calif.) Health Care–Stanford Hospital holds the No. 9 spot, the same as 2, and Lenox Hill Hospital at Northwell Health in New York is No. 10 on the list.
U.S. News evaluated 779 hospitals and ranked the top 50 that care for patients with challenging heart and vascular cases, including heart transplants; implantation of cardiac devices, such as pacemakers and defibrillators; major chest procedures and patients with cardiovascular disease and other complex conditions, such as endocarditis; and heart failure and circulatory issues.
“Consumers want useful resources to help them assess which hospital can best meet their specific care needs,” Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, said in a statement.
“The 2023-2024 Best Hospitals rankings offer patients and the physicians with whom they consult a data-driven source for comparing performance in outcomes, patient satisfaction, and other metrics that matter to them,” Mr. Harder said.
Best hospitals overall honor roll
In 2023-2024, as in prior years, U.S. News also recognized Honor Roll hospitals that have excelled across multiple areas of care. However, in 2023-2024, for the first time, there is no ordinal ranking of hospitals making honor roll.
In a letter to hospital leaders, U.S. News explained that the major change in format came after months of deliberation, feedback from health care organizations and professionals, and an analysis of how consumers navigate their website.
Ordinal ranking of hospitals that make the honor roll “obscures the fact that all of the Honor Roll hospitals have attained the highest standard of care in the nation,” the letter reads.
With the new format, honor roll hospitals are listed in alphabetical order. In 2023-2024, there are 22.
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
- Cleveland Clinic
- Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania–Penn Medicine, Philadelphia
- Houston Methodist Hospital
- Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
- Mount Sinai Hospital, New York
- New York–Presbyterian Hospital–Columbia and Cornell
- North Shore University Hospital at Northwell Health, Manhasset, N.Y.
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago
- NYU Langone Hospitals, New York
- Rush University Medical Center, Chicago
- Stanford (Calif.) Health Care–Stanford Hospital
- UC San Diego Health–La Jolla (Calif.) and Hillcrest Hospitals
- UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
- UCSF Health–UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco
- University of Michigan Health, Ann Arbor
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.
According to U.S. News, to keep pace with consumers’ needs and the ever-evolving landscape of health care, “several refinements” are reflected in the latest best hospitals rankings.
These include the introduction of outpatient outcomes in key specialty rankings and surgical ratings, the expanded inclusion of other outpatient data, an increased weight on objective quality measures, and a reduced weight on expert opinion.
In addition, hospital profiles on the U.S. News website feature refined health equity measures, including a new measure of racial disparities in outcomes.
The full report for best hospitals, best specialty hospitals, and methodology is available online.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
Depression at any stage of life tied to increased dementia risk
Adults with depression have more than double the risk of developing dementia and the risk persists regardless of when in life depression is diagnosed, a large population-based study shows.
That the association between depression and dementia persisted even among individuals first diagnosed with depression in early or mid-life provides “strong evidence that depression is not only an early symptom of dementia, but also that depression increases dementia risk,” study investigator Holly Elser, MD, PhD, epidemiologist and resident physician, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, told this news organization.
The study was published online in JAMA Neurology.
Double the risk
Several prior studies that have examined the relationship between depression and dementia over the life course have consistently shown depression later in life is associated with subsequent dementia.
“Late-life depression is generally thought to be an early symptom of dementia or a reaction to subclinical cognitive decline,” said Dr. Elser.
The investigators wanted to examine whether the association between depression and dementia persists even when depression is diagnosed earlier in life, which may suggest it increases the risk of dementia.
“To my knowledge, ours is the largest study on this topic to date, leveraging routinely and prospectively collected data from more than 1.4 million Danish citizens followed from 1977 to 2018,” Dr. Elser noted.
The cohort included 246,499 individuals diagnosed with depression and 1,190,302 individuals without depression.
In both groups, the median age was 50 years and 65% were women. Roughly two-thirds (68%) of those diagnosed with depression were diagnosed before age 60 years.
In Cox proportional hazards regression models, the overall hazard of dementia was more than doubled in those diagnosed with depression (hazard ratio [HR] 2.41). The risk of dementia with depression was more pronounced for men (HR, 2.98) than in women (HR, 2.21).
This association persisted even when the time elapsed from depression diagnosis was between 20 and 39 years (HR, 1.79) and whether depression was diagnosed in early life (18-44 years: HR, 3.08), mid-life (45-59 years: HR, 2.95), or late life (≥ 60 years: HR, 2.31).
It remains unclear whether effective treatment of depression modifies the risk of dementia, as the current study explored the role of antidepressants in a “very limited fashion,” Dr. Elser said.
Specifically, the researchers considered whether an individual was treated with an antidepressant within 6 months of the initial depression diagnosis and found no evidence of a difference in dementia risk between the treated and untreated groups.
“Research that explores implications of the timing and duration of treatment with antidepressants for dementia, treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy, and is able to evaluate the effectiveness of those treatments will be extremely important,” Dr. Elser said.
‘An assault on the brain’
Reached for comment, John Showalter, MD, chief product officer at Linus Health, said one of the most “intriguing” findings of the study is that a depression diagnosis earlier in adulthood conferred a greater risk of developing vascular dementia (HR, 3.28) than did dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (HR, 1.73).
“The difference in risk for subtypes of dementia is a meaningful addition to our understanding of depression’s connection to dementia,” said Dr. Showalter, who was not involved in the study.
Also weighing in, Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, a neurologist and researcher in Boston, said the findings from this “far-reaching investigation leave little room for doubt – depression unleashes a devastating storm within the brain, wreaking havoc on the lives of those ensnared by its grip.
“This massive, multi-decade, and high-data quality registry study adds another brick to the growing edifice of evidence attesting to the profound connection between psychiatric health and the very essence of brain health,” said Dr. Lakhan, who was not involved in the study.
“In a resounding declaration, this research underscores that psychiatric health should be perceived as an integral component of overall health – a paradigm shift that challenges long-standing misconceptions and stigmas surrounding mental disorders. Depression, once marginalized, now claims its rightful place on the pedestal of health concerns that must be addressed with unwavering resolve,” said Dr. Lakhan.
He noted that depression is “not just a mental battle, it’s a profound assault on the very fabric of the brain, leaving lives in turmoil and hearts in search of hope. No longer shrouded in silence, depression demands society’s attention.”
The study had no specific funding. Dr. Elser, Dr. Showalter, and Dr. Lakhan have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.
Adults with depression have more than double the risk of developing dementia and the risk persists regardless of when in life depression is diagnosed, a large population-based study shows.
That the association between depression and dementia persisted even among individuals first diagnosed with depression in early or mid-life provides “strong evidence that depression is not only an early symptom of dementia, but also that depression increases dementia risk,” study investigator Holly Elser, MD, PhD, epidemiologist and resident physician, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, told this news organization.
The study was published online in JAMA Neurology.
Double the risk
Several prior studies that have examined the relationship between depression and dementia over the life course have consistently shown depression later in life is associated with subsequent dementia.
“Late-life depression is generally thought to be an early symptom of dementia or a reaction to subclinical cognitive decline,” said Dr. Elser.
The investigators wanted to examine whether the association between depression and dementia persists even when depression is diagnosed earlier in life, which may suggest it increases the risk of dementia.
“To my knowledge, ours is the largest study on this topic to date, leveraging routinely and prospectively collected data from more than 1.4 million Danish citizens followed from 1977 to 2018,” Dr. Elser noted.
The cohort included 246,499 individuals diagnosed with depression and 1,190,302 individuals without depression.
In both groups, the median age was 50 years and 65% were women. Roughly two-thirds (68%) of those diagnosed with depression were diagnosed before age 60 years.
In Cox proportional hazards regression models, the overall hazard of dementia was more than doubled in those diagnosed with depression (hazard ratio [HR] 2.41). The risk of dementia with depression was more pronounced for men (HR, 2.98) than in women (HR, 2.21).
This association persisted even when the time elapsed from depression diagnosis was between 20 and 39 years (HR, 1.79) and whether depression was diagnosed in early life (18-44 years: HR, 3.08), mid-life (45-59 years: HR, 2.95), or late life (≥ 60 years: HR, 2.31).
It remains unclear whether effective treatment of depression modifies the risk of dementia, as the current study explored the role of antidepressants in a “very limited fashion,” Dr. Elser said.
Specifically, the researchers considered whether an individual was treated with an antidepressant within 6 months of the initial depression diagnosis and found no evidence of a difference in dementia risk between the treated and untreated groups.
“Research that explores implications of the timing and duration of treatment with antidepressants for dementia, treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy, and is able to evaluate the effectiveness of those treatments will be extremely important,” Dr. Elser said.
‘An assault on the brain’
Reached for comment, John Showalter, MD, chief product officer at Linus Health, said one of the most “intriguing” findings of the study is that a depression diagnosis earlier in adulthood conferred a greater risk of developing vascular dementia (HR, 3.28) than did dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (HR, 1.73).
“The difference in risk for subtypes of dementia is a meaningful addition to our understanding of depression’s connection to dementia,” said Dr. Showalter, who was not involved in the study.
Also weighing in, Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, a neurologist and researcher in Boston, said the findings from this “far-reaching investigation leave little room for doubt – depression unleashes a devastating storm within the brain, wreaking havoc on the lives of those ensnared by its grip.
“This massive, multi-decade, and high-data quality registry study adds another brick to the growing edifice of evidence attesting to the profound connection between psychiatric health and the very essence of brain health,” said Dr. Lakhan, who was not involved in the study.
“In a resounding declaration, this research underscores that psychiatric health should be perceived as an integral component of overall health – a paradigm shift that challenges long-standing misconceptions and stigmas surrounding mental disorders. Depression, once marginalized, now claims its rightful place on the pedestal of health concerns that must be addressed with unwavering resolve,” said Dr. Lakhan.
He noted that depression is “not just a mental battle, it’s a profound assault on the very fabric of the brain, leaving lives in turmoil and hearts in search of hope. No longer shrouded in silence, depression demands society’s attention.”
The study had no specific funding. Dr. Elser, Dr. Showalter, and Dr. Lakhan have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.
Adults with depression have more than double the risk of developing dementia and the risk persists regardless of when in life depression is diagnosed, a large population-based study shows.
That the association between depression and dementia persisted even among individuals first diagnosed with depression in early or mid-life provides “strong evidence that depression is not only an early symptom of dementia, but also that depression increases dementia risk,” study investigator Holly Elser, MD, PhD, epidemiologist and resident physician, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, told this news organization.
The study was published online in JAMA Neurology.
Double the risk
Several prior studies that have examined the relationship between depression and dementia over the life course have consistently shown depression later in life is associated with subsequent dementia.
“Late-life depression is generally thought to be an early symptom of dementia or a reaction to subclinical cognitive decline,” said Dr. Elser.
The investigators wanted to examine whether the association between depression and dementia persists even when depression is diagnosed earlier in life, which may suggest it increases the risk of dementia.
“To my knowledge, ours is the largest study on this topic to date, leveraging routinely and prospectively collected data from more than 1.4 million Danish citizens followed from 1977 to 2018,” Dr. Elser noted.
The cohort included 246,499 individuals diagnosed with depression and 1,190,302 individuals without depression.
In both groups, the median age was 50 years and 65% were women. Roughly two-thirds (68%) of those diagnosed with depression were diagnosed before age 60 years.
In Cox proportional hazards regression models, the overall hazard of dementia was more than doubled in those diagnosed with depression (hazard ratio [HR] 2.41). The risk of dementia with depression was more pronounced for men (HR, 2.98) than in women (HR, 2.21).
This association persisted even when the time elapsed from depression diagnosis was between 20 and 39 years (HR, 1.79) and whether depression was diagnosed in early life (18-44 years: HR, 3.08), mid-life (45-59 years: HR, 2.95), or late life (≥ 60 years: HR, 2.31).
It remains unclear whether effective treatment of depression modifies the risk of dementia, as the current study explored the role of antidepressants in a “very limited fashion,” Dr. Elser said.
Specifically, the researchers considered whether an individual was treated with an antidepressant within 6 months of the initial depression diagnosis and found no evidence of a difference in dementia risk between the treated and untreated groups.
“Research that explores implications of the timing and duration of treatment with antidepressants for dementia, treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy, and is able to evaluate the effectiveness of those treatments will be extremely important,” Dr. Elser said.
‘An assault on the brain’
Reached for comment, John Showalter, MD, chief product officer at Linus Health, said one of the most “intriguing” findings of the study is that a depression diagnosis earlier in adulthood conferred a greater risk of developing vascular dementia (HR, 3.28) than did dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (HR, 1.73).
“The difference in risk for subtypes of dementia is a meaningful addition to our understanding of depression’s connection to dementia,” said Dr. Showalter, who was not involved in the study.
Also weighing in, Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, a neurologist and researcher in Boston, said the findings from this “far-reaching investigation leave little room for doubt – depression unleashes a devastating storm within the brain, wreaking havoc on the lives of those ensnared by its grip.
“This massive, multi-decade, and high-data quality registry study adds another brick to the growing edifice of evidence attesting to the profound connection between psychiatric health and the very essence of brain health,” said Dr. Lakhan, who was not involved in the study.
“In a resounding declaration, this research underscores that psychiatric health should be perceived as an integral component of overall health – a paradigm shift that challenges long-standing misconceptions and stigmas surrounding mental disorders. Depression, once marginalized, now claims its rightful place on the pedestal of health concerns that must be addressed with unwavering resolve,” said Dr. Lakhan.
He noted that depression is “not just a mental battle, it’s a profound assault on the very fabric of the brain, leaving lives in turmoil and hearts in search of hope. No longer shrouded in silence, depression demands society’s attention.”
The study had no specific funding. Dr. Elser, Dr. Showalter, and Dr. Lakhan have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.
Even one drink a day tied to increased BP in healthy adults
“A vexing question has been whether usual intake of small amounts of alcohol is associated with a higher level of BP. We identified a continuous, more or less linear association, with no evidence of a threshold for the association,” study coauthor Paul Whelton, MD, of Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, said in an interview.
For systolic BP (SBP), “the most important BP risk indicator for CVD [cardiovascular disease], the association was robust, being present in both men and women and in both North America as well as Asia,” Dr. Whelton noted.
Based on the results, “the lower the better, and no consumption even better, as we did not find any indication that human health may benefit from consumption of very small amounts of alcohol,” senior author Marco Vinceti, MD, PhD, of University of Modena and Reggio Emilia University in Italy, told this news organization.
“Clearly, alcohol is not the only or necessarily the main determinant of high blood pressure, and the effects of small intakes of alcohol emerging from our pooled analysis were certainly not biologically as relevant and meaningful as those induced by high intakes,” Dr. Vinceti added.
The study was published online in Hypertension.
The researchers analyzed data from seven large, observational studies conducted in the United States, Korea, and Japan involving 19,548 adults (65% men).
Participants ranged in age from 20 years to the early 70s at baseline and were followed for a median of 5.3 years (range, 4-12 years). None of the participants had previously been diagnosed with hypertension or other CVD, diabetes, liver disease, alcoholism, or binge drinking.
Compared with nondrinkers, SBP was 1.25 mm Hg higher in adults who consumed an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day, rising to 4.90 mm Hg in adults consuming an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day.
For reference, in the United States, 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or a 1.5-ounce shot of distilled spirits contains about 14 grams of alcohol.
Diastolic BP (DBP) was 1.14 mm Hg higher in adults who consumed an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day, rising to 3.10 mm Hg in those who consumed an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day.
Subgroup analyses by gender showed an almost linear association between baseline alcohol intake and SBP changes in men and women and for DBP in men, while in women, there was an inverted U-shaped association.
No safe level
“From a BP perspective, it’s best to avoid alcohol intake. This is what the WHO [World Health Organization] recommends,” Dr. Whelton said.
“If someone is already drinking alcohol and does not want to stop doing so, minimizing alcohol consumption is desirable; many guidelines recommend not starting to drink alcohol but in those already drinking alcohol, consumption of two or less standard drinks per day for men and one or less standard drinks of alcohol per day for women,” Dr. Whelton noted.
Commenting on the study for this article, Alberto Ascherio, MD, of Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, said it’s been known for more than 30 years that alcohol intake is associated with increased systolic and diastolic BP. The added value of this new study is a “refinement of the estimate of the dose response.”
Dr. Ascherio noted that “moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a modest increase in risk of cancer, but, in spite of the adverse association with BP, with a potentially beneficial effect on cardiovascular disease.” However, “the causality of the latter association has been questioned, but there is no consensus on this.”
Also weighing in, Timothy Brennan, MD, MPH, chief of clinical services for the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, said this new study represents “yet another piece of evidence suggesting that there simply is no ‘healthy’ amount of alcohol use in humans.
“Even small amounts of alcohol intake can have negative health effects, as demonstrated in this study,” Dr. Brennan said. “There is still a widely held belief among people that drinking in moderation is good for you. It is becoming more and more clear that this is simply not the case. As health authorities grapple with drinking ‘recommendations,’ additional datasets like these will be helpful.”
The study had no specific funding. Dr. Whelton, Dr. Vinceti, Dr. Ascherio, and Dr. Brennan have no relevant disclosures.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
“A vexing question has been whether usual intake of small amounts of alcohol is associated with a higher level of BP. We identified a continuous, more or less linear association, with no evidence of a threshold for the association,” study coauthor Paul Whelton, MD, of Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, said in an interview.
For systolic BP (SBP), “the most important BP risk indicator for CVD [cardiovascular disease], the association was robust, being present in both men and women and in both North America as well as Asia,” Dr. Whelton noted.
Based on the results, “the lower the better, and no consumption even better, as we did not find any indication that human health may benefit from consumption of very small amounts of alcohol,” senior author Marco Vinceti, MD, PhD, of University of Modena and Reggio Emilia University in Italy, told this news organization.
“Clearly, alcohol is not the only or necessarily the main determinant of high blood pressure, and the effects of small intakes of alcohol emerging from our pooled analysis were certainly not biologically as relevant and meaningful as those induced by high intakes,” Dr. Vinceti added.
The study was published online in Hypertension.
The researchers analyzed data from seven large, observational studies conducted in the United States, Korea, and Japan involving 19,548 adults (65% men).
Participants ranged in age from 20 years to the early 70s at baseline and were followed for a median of 5.3 years (range, 4-12 years). None of the participants had previously been diagnosed with hypertension or other CVD, diabetes, liver disease, alcoholism, or binge drinking.
Compared with nondrinkers, SBP was 1.25 mm Hg higher in adults who consumed an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day, rising to 4.90 mm Hg in adults consuming an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day.
For reference, in the United States, 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or a 1.5-ounce shot of distilled spirits contains about 14 grams of alcohol.
Diastolic BP (DBP) was 1.14 mm Hg higher in adults who consumed an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day, rising to 3.10 mm Hg in those who consumed an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day.
Subgroup analyses by gender showed an almost linear association between baseline alcohol intake and SBP changes in men and women and for DBP in men, while in women, there was an inverted U-shaped association.
No safe level
“From a BP perspective, it’s best to avoid alcohol intake. This is what the WHO [World Health Organization] recommends,” Dr. Whelton said.
“If someone is already drinking alcohol and does not want to stop doing so, minimizing alcohol consumption is desirable; many guidelines recommend not starting to drink alcohol but in those already drinking alcohol, consumption of two or less standard drinks per day for men and one or less standard drinks of alcohol per day for women,” Dr. Whelton noted.
Commenting on the study for this article, Alberto Ascherio, MD, of Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, said it’s been known for more than 30 years that alcohol intake is associated with increased systolic and diastolic BP. The added value of this new study is a “refinement of the estimate of the dose response.”
Dr. Ascherio noted that “moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a modest increase in risk of cancer, but, in spite of the adverse association with BP, with a potentially beneficial effect on cardiovascular disease.” However, “the causality of the latter association has been questioned, but there is no consensus on this.”
Also weighing in, Timothy Brennan, MD, MPH, chief of clinical services for the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, said this new study represents “yet another piece of evidence suggesting that there simply is no ‘healthy’ amount of alcohol use in humans.
“Even small amounts of alcohol intake can have negative health effects, as demonstrated in this study,” Dr. Brennan said. “There is still a widely held belief among people that drinking in moderation is good for you. It is becoming more and more clear that this is simply not the case. As health authorities grapple with drinking ‘recommendations,’ additional datasets like these will be helpful.”
The study had no specific funding. Dr. Whelton, Dr. Vinceti, Dr. Ascherio, and Dr. Brennan have no relevant disclosures.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
“A vexing question has been whether usual intake of small amounts of alcohol is associated with a higher level of BP. We identified a continuous, more or less linear association, with no evidence of a threshold for the association,” study coauthor Paul Whelton, MD, of Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, said in an interview.
For systolic BP (SBP), “the most important BP risk indicator for CVD [cardiovascular disease], the association was robust, being present in both men and women and in both North America as well as Asia,” Dr. Whelton noted.
Based on the results, “the lower the better, and no consumption even better, as we did not find any indication that human health may benefit from consumption of very small amounts of alcohol,” senior author Marco Vinceti, MD, PhD, of University of Modena and Reggio Emilia University in Italy, told this news organization.
“Clearly, alcohol is not the only or necessarily the main determinant of high blood pressure, and the effects of small intakes of alcohol emerging from our pooled analysis were certainly not biologically as relevant and meaningful as those induced by high intakes,” Dr. Vinceti added.
The study was published online in Hypertension.
The researchers analyzed data from seven large, observational studies conducted in the United States, Korea, and Japan involving 19,548 adults (65% men).
Participants ranged in age from 20 years to the early 70s at baseline and were followed for a median of 5.3 years (range, 4-12 years). None of the participants had previously been diagnosed with hypertension or other CVD, diabetes, liver disease, alcoholism, or binge drinking.
Compared with nondrinkers, SBP was 1.25 mm Hg higher in adults who consumed an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day, rising to 4.90 mm Hg in adults consuming an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day.
For reference, in the United States, 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or a 1.5-ounce shot of distilled spirits contains about 14 grams of alcohol.
Diastolic BP (DBP) was 1.14 mm Hg higher in adults who consumed an average of 12 grams of alcohol per day, rising to 3.10 mm Hg in those who consumed an average of 48 grams of alcohol per day.
Subgroup analyses by gender showed an almost linear association between baseline alcohol intake and SBP changes in men and women and for DBP in men, while in women, there was an inverted U-shaped association.
No safe level
“From a BP perspective, it’s best to avoid alcohol intake. This is what the WHO [World Health Organization] recommends,” Dr. Whelton said.
“If someone is already drinking alcohol and does not want to stop doing so, minimizing alcohol consumption is desirable; many guidelines recommend not starting to drink alcohol but in those already drinking alcohol, consumption of two or less standard drinks per day for men and one or less standard drinks of alcohol per day for women,” Dr. Whelton noted.
Commenting on the study for this article, Alberto Ascherio, MD, of Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, said it’s been known for more than 30 years that alcohol intake is associated with increased systolic and diastolic BP. The added value of this new study is a “refinement of the estimate of the dose response.”
Dr. Ascherio noted that “moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a modest increase in risk of cancer, but, in spite of the adverse association with BP, with a potentially beneficial effect on cardiovascular disease.” However, “the causality of the latter association has been questioned, but there is no consensus on this.”
Also weighing in, Timothy Brennan, MD, MPH, chief of clinical services for the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, said this new study represents “yet another piece of evidence suggesting that there simply is no ‘healthy’ amount of alcohol use in humans.
“Even small amounts of alcohol intake can have negative health effects, as demonstrated in this study,” Dr. Brennan said. “There is still a widely held belief among people that drinking in moderation is good for you. It is becoming more and more clear that this is simply not the case. As health authorities grapple with drinking ‘recommendations,’ additional datasets like these will be helpful.”
The study had no specific funding. Dr. Whelton, Dr. Vinceti, Dr. Ascherio, and Dr. Brennan have no relevant disclosures.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
FROM HYPERTENSION
Heat waves plus air pollution tied to doubling of fatal MI
, a study from China suggests.
The researchers estimate that up to 3% of all deaths due to MI could be attributed to the combination of extreme temperatures and high levels of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
“Our findings provide evidence that reducing exposure to both extreme temperatures and fine particulate pollution may be useful to prevent premature deaths from heart attack,” senior author Yuewei Liu, MD, PhD, with Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, said in a statement.
There is “long-standing evidence” of the harmful cardiovascular effects of air pollution, Jonathan Newman, MD, MPH, cardiologist at NYU Langone Heart in New York, who wasn’t involved in the study, said in an interview.
The added value of this study was finding an interaction between extreme hot temperatures and air pollution, “which is worrisome with global warming,” said Dr. Newman, assistant professor, department of medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology at NYU Langone Health.
The study was published online in Circulation.
Intensity and duration matter
The researchers analyzed data on 202,678 adults (mean age, 77.6 years; 52% male) who suffered fatal MI between 2015 and 2020 in Jiangsu province, a region with four distinct seasons and a wide range of temperatures and ambient PM2.5.
They evaluated the association of exposure to extreme temperature events, including both hot and cold spells, and PM2.5 with MI mortality, and their interactive effects.
Among the key findings:
- The risk of fatal MI was 18% higher during 2-day heat waves with heat indexes at or above the 90th percentile (ranging from 82.6° to 97.9° F) and 74% higher during 4-day heat waves with heat indexes at or above the 97.5th percentile (ranging from 94.8° to 109.4° F), compared with control days.
- The risk of fatal MI was 4% higher during 2-day cold snaps with temperatures at or below the 10th percentile (ranging from 33.3° to 40.5° F) and 12% higher during 3-day cold snaps with temperatures at or below the 2.5th percentile (ranging from 27.0° to 37.2° F).
- The risk of fatal MI was twice as high during 4-day heat waves that had PM2.5 above 37.5 mcg/m3. Days with high levels of PM2.5 during cold snaps did not have an equivalent increase in the risk of fatal MI.
- Up to 2.8% of MI deaths during the 5-year study period may be attributable to the combination of extreme temperature exposure and PM2.5 at levels exceeding World Health Organization air quality guidelines (37.5 mcg/m3).
- The risk of fatal MI was generally higher among women than men during heat waves and was higher among adults 80 years old and older than in younger adults during heat waves, cold snaps, or days with high levels of PM2.5.
The finding that adults over age 80 are particularly susceptible to the effects of heat and air pollution and the interaction of the two is “notable and particularly relevant given the aging of the population,” Dr. Newman told this news organization.
Mitigating both extreme temperature events and PM2.5 exposures “may bring health cobenefits in preventing premature deaths from MI,” the researchers write.
“To improve public health, it is important to take fine particulate pollution into consideration when providing extreme temperature warnings to the public,” Dr. Liu adds in the statement.
In an earlier study, Dr. Liu and colleagues showed that exposure to both large and small particulate matter, as well as nitrogen dioxide, was significantly associated with increased odds of death from MI.
This study was funded by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology. The authors and Dr. Newman have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
, a study from China suggests.
The researchers estimate that up to 3% of all deaths due to MI could be attributed to the combination of extreme temperatures and high levels of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
“Our findings provide evidence that reducing exposure to both extreme temperatures and fine particulate pollution may be useful to prevent premature deaths from heart attack,” senior author Yuewei Liu, MD, PhD, with Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, said in a statement.
There is “long-standing evidence” of the harmful cardiovascular effects of air pollution, Jonathan Newman, MD, MPH, cardiologist at NYU Langone Heart in New York, who wasn’t involved in the study, said in an interview.
The added value of this study was finding an interaction between extreme hot temperatures and air pollution, “which is worrisome with global warming,” said Dr. Newman, assistant professor, department of medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology at NYU Langone Health.
The study was published online in Circulation.
Intensity and duration matter
The researchers analyzed data on 202,678 adults (mean age, 77.6 years; 52% male) who suffered fatal MI between 2015 and 2020 in Jiangsu province, a region with four distinct seasons and a wide range of temperatures and ambient PM2.5.
They evaluated the association of exposure to extreme temperature events, including both hot and cold spells, and PM2.5 with MI mortality, and their interactive effects.
Among the key findings:
- The risk of fatal MI was 18% higher during 2-day heat waves with heat indexes at or above the 90th percentile (ranging from 82.6° to 97.9° F) and 74% higher during 4-day heat waves with heat indexes at or above the 97.5th percentile (ranging from 94.8° to 109.4° F), compared with control days.
- The risk of fatal MI was 4% higher during 2-day cold snaps with temperatures at or below the 10th percentile (ranging from 33.3° to 40.5° F) and 12% higher during 3-day cold snaps with temperatures at or below the 2.5th percentile (ranging from 27.0° to 37.2° F).
- The risk of fatal MI was twice as high during 4-day heat waves that had PM2.5 above 37.5 mcg/m3. Days with high levels of PM2.5 during cold snaps did not have an equivalent increase in the risk of fatal MI.
- Up to 2.8% of MI deaths during the 5-year study period may be attributable to the combination of extreme temperature exposure and PM2.5 at levels exceeding World Health Organization air quality guidelines (37.5 mcg/m3).
- The risk of fatal MI was generally higher among women than men during heat waves and was higher among adults 80 years old and older than in younger adults during heat waves, cold snaps, or days with high levels of PM2.5.
The finding that adults over age 80 are particularly susceptible to the effects of heat and air pollution and the interaction of the two is “notable and particularly relevant given the aging of the population,” Dr. Newman told this news organization.
Mitigating both extreme temperature events and PM2.5 exposures “may bring health cobenefits in preventing premature deaths from MI,” the researchers write.
“To improve public health, it is important to take fine particulate pollution into consideration when providing extreme temperature warnings to the public,” Dr. Liu adds in the statement.
In an earlier study, Dr. Liu and colleagues showed that exposure to both large and small particulate matter, as well as nitrogen dioxide, was significantly associated with increased odds of death from MI.
This study was funded by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology. The authors and Dr. Newman have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
, a study from China suggests.
The researchers estimate that up to 3% of all deaths due to MI could be attributed to the combination of extreme temperatures and high levels of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
“Our findings provide evidence that reducing exposure to both extreme temperatures and fine particulate pollution may be useful to prevent premature deaths from heart attack,” senior author Yuewei Liu, MD, PhD, with Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, said in a statement.
There is “long-standing evidence” of the harmful cardiovascular effects of air pollution, Jonathan Newman, MD, MPH, cardiologist at NYU Langone Heart in New York, who wasn’t involved in the study, said in an interview.
The added value of this study was finding an interaction between extreme hot temperatures and air pollution, “which is worrisome with global warming,” said Dr. Newman, assistant professor, department of medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology at NYU Langone Health.
The study was published online in Circulation.
Intensity and duration matter
The researchers analyzed data on 202,678 adults (mean age, 77.6 years; 52% male) who suffered fatal MI between 2015 and 2020 in Jiangsu province, a region with four distinct seasons and a wide range of temperatures and ambient PM2.5.
They evaluated the association of exposure to extreme temperature events, including both hot and cold spells, and PM2.5 with MI mortality, and their interactive effects.
Among the key findings:
- The risk of fatal MI was 18% higher during 2-day heat waves with heat indexes at or above the 90th percentile (ranging from 82.6° to 97.9° F) and 74% higher during 4-day heat waves with heat indexes at or above the 97.5th percentile (ranging from 94.8° to 109.4° F), compared with control days.
- The risk of fatal MI was 4% higher during 2-day cold snaps with temperatures at or below the 10th percentile (ranging from 33.3° to 40.5° F) and 12% higher during 3-day cold snaps with temperatures at or below the 2.5th percentile (ranging from 27.0° to 37.2° F).
- The risk of fatal MI was twice as high during 4-day heat waves that had PM2.5 above 37.5 mcg/m3. Days with high levels of PM2.5 during cold snaps did not have an equivalent increase in the risk of fatal MI.
- Up to 2.8% of MI deaths during the 5-year study period may be attributable to the combination of extreme temperature exposure and PM2.5 at levels exceeding World Health Organization air quality guidelines (37.5 mcg/m3).
- The risk of fatal MI was generally higher among women than men during heat waves and was higher among adults 80 years old and older than in younger adults during heat waves, cold snaps, or days with high levels of PM2.5.
The finding that adults over age 80 are particularly susceptible to the effects of heat and air pollution and the interaction of the two is “notable and particularly relevant given the aging of the population,” Dr. Newman told this news organization.
Mitigating both extreme temperature events and PM2.5 exposures “may bring health cobenefits in preventing premature deaths from MI,” the researchers write.
“To improve public health, it is important to take fine particulate pollution into consideration when providing extreme temperature warnings to the public,” Dr. Liu adds in the statement.
In an earlier study, Dr. Liu and colleagues showed that exposure to both large and small particulate matter, as well as nitrogen dioxide, was significantly associated with increased odds of death from MI.
This study was funded by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology. The authors and Dr. Newman have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
FROM CIRCULATION
Psilocybin shows early promise for anorexia nervosa
The psychedelic psilocybin may have a role in the treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN), an eating disorder that is notoriously difficult and costly to treat.
Stephanie Knatz Peck, PhD, and colleagues with the eating disorders treatment & research center, University of California San Diego, write that the “robust response” in a subset of women after a single dose of psilocybin is “notable,” given that currently available treatments for adult anorexia result in only modest improvements in symptoms and often focus on weight and nutritional rehabilitation without adequately addressing underlying psychopathology.
However, given this was a small, phase 1, open-label feasibility study, these effects are “preliminary and inconclusive,” they caution.
The study was published online in Nature Medicine.
Meaningful experience
The 10 women in the study met DSM-5 criteria for AN or partial remission of AN. They were between age 18 and 40 years with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 19.7 kg/m2.
Following the single 25-mg dose of psilocybin, no clinically significant changes were observed in ECG, vital signs, laboratory values, or suicidality.
All adverse events were mild and mirrored typical psilocybin-associated symptoms such as transient headache, nausea, and fatigue.
Psilocybin was associated with reduced levels of anxiety and preoccupations surrounding food, eating, and body shape at the 1-month follow-up.
Weight concerns decreased significantly at the 1-month (P = .036, Cohen’s d = .78) and 3-month (P = .04, d = .78) follow-up, with a medium to large effect.
Shape concerns significantly decreased at 1-month follow-up (P = .036, d = .78) but were no longer significant at 3-month follow-up (P = .081, d = .62).
Four of the 10 women (40%) had clinically significant reductions in eating disorder scores at 3 months, which qualified for remission from eating-disorder psychopathology.
However, the researchers caution that the effects on eating disorder psychopathology were “highly variable.”
On average, changes in BMI were not significant during the 3 months following psilocybin treatment. However, five women had an increase in BMI at 3 months, ranging from 0.4 to 1.2 kg/m2.
Overall, the psilocybin experience was regarded as meaningful by participants; 80% endorsed the experience as one of the top five most meaningful of life; 90% endorsed feeling more positive about life endeavors; and 70% reported experiencing a shift in personal identity and overall quality of life.
The vast majority of women (90%) felt that one dosing session was not enough.
The fact that the treatment was regarded as beneficial by most women and that there were no dropouts are “promising signs of engagement,” given that dropout rates for currently available AN treatments tend to be high, the researchers note.
They urge caution in interpreting the results considering they were based on a small sample size and did not include a placebo group. They note that larger, adequately powered, randomized controlled trials are needed to draw any conclusions about the role of psilocybin for anorexia nervosa.
Encouraging data
The coauthors of a Nature Medicine News & Views commentary say this “encouraging” phase 1 trial “underscores the necessity for more research into classic psychedelics to address the urgent need for effective treatments” for AN.
Outside experts also weighed in on the study in a statement from the U.K.-based nonprofit Science Media Centre.
Alexandra Pike, DPhil, MSc, with University of York, England, noted that this study is “a first step in showing that psilocybin may be a safe treatment for those with anorexia nervosa, but we cannot conclude from this work that it will be effective in this chronic, complex illness.”
Trevor Steward, MD, with University of Melbourne, noted that psilocybin therapy has provided “glimmers of hope in other mental health disorders, notably by providing evidence that it can improve anxiety, cognitive flexibility, and self-acceptance for some people. These are all features of anorexia nervosa and the rationale for exploring psilocybin therapy as an option in the case of anorexia is strong.”
Dr. Steward also noted that the field is only beginning to “scratch the surface in terms of understanding how psilocybin impacts the brain. Dedicated funding to exploring how it specifically acts to target anorexia nervosa symptoms is crucial to advancing this important avenue of research.
“As there are no approved medications available specifically for anorexia nervosa treatment, psilocybin therapy may prove to be a promising option, though additional research is needed to test this,” Dr. Steward said.
The study used an investigational synthetic formulation of psilocybin (COMP360 psilocybin) developed by COMPASS Pathways, which funded the study. Two coauthors have financial and scientific relationships with COMPASS Pathways. The commentary authors and Dr. Steward report no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
The psychedelic psilocybin may have a role in the treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN), an eating disorder that is notoriously difficult and costly to treat.
Stephanie Knatz Peck, PhD, and colleagues with the eating disorders treatment & research center, University of California San Diego, write that the “robust response” in a subset of women after a single dose of psilocybin is “notable,” given that currently available treatments for adult anorexia result in only modest improvements in symptoms and often focus on weight and nutritional rehabilitation without adequately addressing underlying psychopathology.
However, given this was a small, phase 1, open-label feasibility study, these effects are “preliminary and inconclusive,” they caution.
The study was published online in Nature Medicine.
Meaningful experience
The 10 women in the study met DSM-5 criteria for AN or partial remission of AN. They were between age 18 and 40 years with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 19.7 kg/m2.
Following the single 25-mg dose of psilocybin, no clinically significant changes were observed in ECG, vital signs, laboratory values, or suicidality.
All adverse events were mild and mirrored typical psilocybin-associated symptoms such as transient headache, nausea, and fatigue.
Psilocybin was associated with reduced levels of anxiety and preoccupations surrounding food, eating, and body shape at the 1-month follow-up.
Weight concerns decreased significantly at the 1-month (P = .036, Cohen’s d = .78) and 3-month (P = .04, d = .78) follow-up, with a medium to large effect.
Shape concerns significantly decreased at 1-month follow-up (P = .036, d = .78) but were no longer significant at 3-month follow-up (P = .081, d = .62).
Four of the 10 women (40%) had clinically significant reductions in eating disorder scores at 3 months, which qualified for remission from eating-disorder psychopathology.
However, the researchers caution that the effects on eating disorder psychopathology were “highly variable.”
On average, changes in BMI were not significant during the 3 months following psilocybin treatment. However, five women had an increase in BMI at 3 months, ranging from 0.4 to 1.2 kg/m2.
Overall, the psilocybin experience was regarded as meaningful by participants; 80% endorsed the experience as one of the top five most meaningful of life; 90% endorsed feeling more positive about life endeavors; and 70% reported experiencing a shift in personal identity and overall quality of life.
The vast majority of women (90%) felt that one dosing session was not enough.
The fact that the treatment was regarded as beneficial by most women and that there were no dropouts are “promising signs of engagement,” given that dropout rates for currently available AN treatments tend to be high, the researchers note.
They urge caution in interpreting the results considering they were based on a small sample size and did not include a placebo group. They note that larger, adequately powered, randomized controlled trials are needed to draw any conclusions about the role of psilocybin for anorexia nervosa.
Encouraging data
The coauthors of a Nature Medicine News & Views commentary say this “encouraging” phase 1 trial “underscores the necessity for more research into classic psychedelics to address the urgent need for effective treatments” for AN.
Outside experts also weighed in on the study in a statement from the U.K.-based nonprofit Science Media Centre.
Alexandra Pike, DPhil, MSc, with University of York, England, noted that this study is “a first step in showing that psilocybin may be a safe treatment for those with anorexia nervosa, but we cannot conclude from this work that it will be effective in this chronic, complex illness.”
Trevor Steward, MD, with University of Melbourne, noted that psilocybin therapy has provided “glimmers of hope in other mental health disorders, notably by providing evidence that it can improve anxiety, cognitive flexibility, and self-acceptance for some people. These are all features of anorexia nervosa and the rationale for exploring psilocybin therapy as an option in the case of anorexia is strong.”
Dr. Steward also noted that the field is only beginning to “scratch the surface in terms of understanding how psilocybin impacts the brain. Dedicated funding to exploring how it specifically acts to target anorexia nervosa symptoms is crucial to advancing this important avenue of research.
“As there are no approved medications available specifically for anorexia nervosa treatment, psilocybin therapy may prove to be a promising option, though additional research is needed to test this,” Dr. Steward said.
The study used an investigational synthetic formulation of psilocybin (COMP360 psilocybin) developed by COMPASS Pathways, which funded the study. Two coauthors have financial and scientific relationships with COMPASS Pathways. The commentary authors and Dr. Steward report no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
The psychedelic psilocybin may have a role in the treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN), an eating disorder that is notoriously difficult and costly to treat.
Stephanie Knatz Peck, PhD, and colleagues with the eating disorders treatment & research center, University of California San Diego, write that the “robust response” in a subset of women after a single dose of psilocybin is “notable,” given that currently available treatments for adult anorexia result in only modest improvements in symptoms and often focus on weight and nutritional rehabilitation without adequately addressing underlying psychopathology.
However, given this was a small, phase 1, open-label feasibility study, these effects are “preliminary and inconclusive,” they caution.
The study was published online in Nature Medicine.
Meaningful experience
The 10 women in the study met DSM-5 criteria for AN or partial remission of AN. They were between age 18 and 40 years with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 19.7 kg/m2.
Following the single 25-mg dose of psilocybin, no clinically significant changes were observed in ECG, vital signs, laboratory values, or suicidality.
All adverse events were mild and mirrored typical psilocybin-associated symptoms such as transient headache, nausea, and fatigue.
Psilocybin was associated with reduced levels of anxiety and preoccupations surrounding food, eating, and body shape at the 1-month follow-up.
Weight concerns decreased significantly at the 1-month (P = .036, Cohen’s d = .78) and 3-month (P = .04, d = .78) follow-up, with a medium to large effect.
Shape concerns significantly decreased at 1-month follow-up (P = .036, d = .78) but were no longer significant at 3-month follow-up (P = .081, d = .62).
Four of the 10 women (40%) had clinically significant reductions in eating disorder scores at 3 months, which qualified for remission from eating-disorder psychopathology.
However, the researchers caution that the effects on eating disorder psychopathology were “highly variable.”
On average, changes in BMI were not significant during the 3 months following psilocybin treatment. However, five women had an increase in BMI at 3 months, ranging from 0.4 to 1.2 kg/m2.
Overall, the psilocybin experience was regarded as meaningful by participants; 80% endorsed the experience as one of the top five most meaningful of life; 90% endorsed feeling more positive about life endeavors; and 70% reported experiencing a shift in personal identity and overall quality of life.
The vast majority of women (90%) felt that one dosing session was not enough.
The fact that the treatment was regarded as beneficial by most women and that there were no dropouts are “promising signs of engagement,” given that dropout rates for currently available AN treatments tend to be high, the researchers note.
They urge caution in interpreting the results considering they were based on a small sample size and did not include a placebo group. They note that larger, adequately powered, randomized controlled trials are needed to draw any conclusions about the role of psilocybin for anorexia nervosa.
Encouraging data
The coauthors of a Nature Medicine News & Views commentary say this “encouraging” phase 1 trial “underscores the necessity for more research into classic psychedelics to address the urgent need for effective treatments” for AN.
Outside experts also weighed in on the study in a statement from the U.K.-based nonprofit Science Media Centre.
Alexandra Pike, DPhil, MSc, with University of York, England, noted that this study is “a first step in showing that psilocybin may be a safe treatment for those with anorexia nervosa, but we cannot conclude from this work that it will be effective in this chronic, complex illness.”
Trevor Steward, MD, with University of Melbourne, noted that psilocybin therapy has provided “glimmers of hope in other mental health disorders, notably by providing evidence that it can improve anxiety, cognitive flexibility, and self-acceptance for some people. These are all features of anorexia nervosa and the rationale for exploring psilocybin therapy as an option in the case of anorexia is strong.”
Dr. Steward also noted that the field is only beginning to “scratch the surface in terms of understanding how psilocybin impacts the brain. Dedicated funding to exploring how it specifically acts to target anorexia nervosa symptoms is crucial to advancing this important avenue of research.
“As there are no approved medications available specifically for anorexia nervosa treatment, psilocybin therapy may prove to be a promising option, though additional research is needed to test this,” Dr. Steward said.
The study used an investigational synthetic formulation of psilocybin (COMP360 psilocybin) developed by COMPASS Pathways, which funded the study. Two coauthors have financial and scientific relationships with COMPASS Pathways. The commentary authors and Dr. Steward report no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
FROM NATURE MEDICINE
Class I recall of GE Healthcare TruSignal SpO2 sensors
The Food and Drug Administration has identified this as a class I recall, the most serious type. The company has not received any reports of patient injury or deaths as a result of these issues.*
The recall includes the TruSignal Adult Pediatric Sensor, TruSignal AllFit Sensor, TruSignal Sensitive Skin Sensor, TruSignal Wrap Sensor, TruSignal Ear Sensor, TruSignal Integrated Ear Sensor with GE Connector, TruSignal Integrated Ear Sensor With Datex Connector, TruSignal Integrated Ear Sensor With Datex Connector, and TruSignal Integrated Ear Sensor With Ohmeda Connector.
The sensors were distributed in the United States from Jan. 1, 2021, to March 4, 2023.
According to the recall notice, the malfunctioning sensors “may reduce the amount of energy sent to the heart during defibrillation without any notification to the care provider, which could prevent delivery of lifesaving therapy in a critical situation.
“This issue is most hazardous to hospitalized patients who may need defibrillation for cardiac arrest. Affected sensors may also unintentionally expose patients to electrical currents from other sources or may provide inaccurate measurements of SpO2, which can impact treatment decisions,” the notice warns.
In an urgent device correction letter sent to health care professionals in May, GE HealthCare recommends that health care professionals do the following:
- Use an alternate method for SpO2 monitoring, including TruSignal sensors not impacted or an alternate SpO2 device.
- If alternate methods are not available, use affected TruSignal SpO2 sensors as long as they have not been saturated with fluids.
- If defibrillation is necessary when affected TruSignal SpO2 sensors are being used, remove the affected TruSignal SpO2 sensor, defibrillate per hospital protocol, and reattach the affected TruSignal SpO2 sensor after defibrillation is no longer needed.
- For Adult/Pediatric SpO2 sensors, confirm that material does not cover the emitter or detector before using.
- Discard the sensor and use another sensor if any additional material is present.
- Make sure all potential users are made aware of this safety notification and the recommended actions, and retain this notice.
Customers are also asked to complete and return the acknowledgment form attached to the notice to Recall.39004@ge.com.
For questions or concerns about this recall, contact GE HealthCare Service at 1-800-437-1171 or a local service representative.
Health care professionals can report adverse reactions or quality problems they experience using these devices to the FDA’s MedWatch program.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
*Correction, 8/3/23: An earlier version of this article mischaracterized the reports received by the company.
The Food and Drug Administration has identified this as a class I recall, the most serious type. The company has not received any reports of patient injury or deaths as a result of these issues.*
The recall includes the TruSignal Adult Pediatric Sensor, TruSignal AllFit Sensor, TruSignal Sensitive Skin Sensor, TruSignal Wrap Sensor, TruSignal Ear Sensor, TruSignal Integrated Ear Sensor with GE Connector, TruSignal Integrated Ear Sensor With Datex Connector, TruSignal Integrated Ear Sensor With Datex Connector, and TruSignal Integrated Ear Sensor With Ohmeda Connector.
The sensors were distributed in the United States from Jan. 1, 2021, to March 4, 2023.
According to the recall notice, the malfunctioning sensors “may reduce the amount of energy sent to the heart during defibrillation without any notification to the care provider, which could prevent delivery of lifesaving therapy in a critical situation.
“This issue is most hazardous to hospitalized patients who may need defibrillation for cardiac arrest. Affected sensors may also unintentionally expose patients to electrical currents from other sources or may provide inaccurate measurements of SpO2, which can impact treatment decisions,” the notice warns.
In an urgent device correction letter sent to health care professionals in May, GE HealthCare recommends that health care professionals do the following:
- Use an alternate method for SpO2 monitoring, including TruSignal sensors not impacted or an alternate SpO2 device.
- If alternate methods are not available, use affected TruSignal SpO2 sensors as long as they have not been saturated with fluids.
- If defibrillation is necessary when affected TruSignal SpO2 sensors are being used, remove the affected TruSignal SpO2 sensor, defibrillate per hospital protocol, and reattach the affected TruSignal SpO2 sensor after defibrillation is no longer needed.
- For Adult/Pediatric SpO2 sensors, confirm that material does not cover the emitter or detector before using.
- Discard the sensor and use another sensor if any additional material is present.
- Make sure all potential users are made aware of this safety notification and the recommended actions, and retain this notice.
Customers are also asked to complete and return the acknowledgment form attached to the notice to Recall.39004@ge.com.
For questions or concerns about this recall, contact GE HealthCare Service at 1-800-437-1171 or a local service representative.
Health care professionals can report adverse reactions or quality problems they experience using these devices to the FDA’s MedWatch program.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
*Correction, 8/3/23: An earlier version of this article mischaracterized the reports received by the company.
The Food and Drug Administration has identified this as a class I recall, the most serious type. The company has not received any reports of patient injury or deaths as a result of these issues.*
The recall includes the TruSignal Adult Pediatric Sensor, TruSignal AllFit Sensor, TruSignal Sensitive Skin Sensor, TruSignal Wrap Sensor, TruSignal Ear Sensor, TruSignal Integrated Ear Sensor with GE Connector, TruSignal Integrated Ear Sensor With Datex Connector, TruSignal Integrated Ear Sensor With Datex Connector, and TruSignal Integrated Ear Sensor With Ohmeda Connector.
The sensors were distributed in the United States from Jan. 1, 2021, to March 4, 2023.
According to the recall notice, the malfunctioning sensors “may reduce the amount of energy sent to the heart during defibrillation without any notification to the care provider, which could prevent delivery of lifesaving therapy in a critical situation.
“This issue is most hazardous to hospitalized patients who may need defibrillation for cardiac arrest. Affected sensors may also unintentionally expose patients to electrical currents from other sources or may provide inaccurate measurements of SpO2, which can impact treatment decisions,” the notice warns.
In an urgent device correction letter sent to health care professionals in May, GE HealthCare recommends that health care professionals do the following:
- Use an alternate method for SpO2 monitoring, including TruSignal sensors not impacted or an alternate SpO2 device.
- If alternate methods are not available, use affected TruSignal SpO2 sensors as long as they have not been saturated with fluids.
- If defibrillation is necessary when affected TruSignal SpO2 sensors are being used, remove the affected TruSignal SpO2 sensor, defibrillate per hospital protocol, and reattach the affected TruSignal SpO2 sensor after defibrillation is no longer needed.
- For Adult/Pediatric SpO2 sensors, confirm that material does not cover the emitter or detector before using.
- Discard the sensor and use another sensor if any additional material is present.
- Make sure all potential users are made aware of this safety notification and the recommended actions, and retain this notice.
Customers are also asked to complete and return the acknowledgment form attached to the notice to Recall.39004@ge.com.
For questions or concerns about this recall, contact GE HealthCare Service at 1-800-437-1171 or a local service representative.
Health care professionals can report adverse reactions or quality problems they experience using these devices to the FDA’s MedWatch program.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
*Correction, 8/3/23: An earlier version of this article mischaracterized the reports received by the company.