PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for Jan. 27, 2014

2014-01-28
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Angela Collom
acollom@acponline.org
215-351-2653
American College of Physicians
Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for Jan. 27, 2014 1. Pandemic concerns prompt experts to seek better understanding of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)

Health officials have expressed concern that the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) could become a major public health threat, according to an article being published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Since September 2012, 163 infections have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), including 71 deaths. The severity of symptoms, high fatality rate, and ease of transmission resemble the infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) but data on MERS-CoV-infected critically ill patients are limited. Researchers studied 12 patients with confirmed or probable MERS-CoV in three intensive care units at two tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia. They found that all of the critically ill patients had underlying comorbidities, developed acute respiratory failure characterized by severe hypoxemia, had high severity of illness, and had high incidence of extra-pulmonary manifestations, and a high mortality rate. The researchers noted that all of the MERS-CoV patients had underlying chronic comorbidities, which strongly suggests that patients with such comorbidities are susceptible hosts for MERS-CoV. While transmission to health care workers appeared to be low, human-to-human transmission can occur with unprotected exposure. The authors suggest an urgent collaborative study to examine therapeutic options to treat MERS-CoV, as the disease has the potential to become a worldwide public health threat. The authors of an accompanying editorial cite lessons learned from SARS-CoV and agree that scientific transparency and collaboration is needed to effectively protect populations from MERS-CoV.

Note: The URL may be included in coverage. Links go live at 5:00 p.m. on January 27. For an embargoed PDF of the article, please contact Megan Hanks or Angela Collom. The lead author, Dr. Yaseen Arabi, can be contacted directly at yaseenarabi@yahoo.com.



2. Amidst controversy, four new articles help physicians make sense of new cholesterol treatment guidelines

On November 12, 2013, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association issued clinical guidelines on cardiovascular disease risk assessment and cholesterol treatment. The new guidelines quickly became the source of debate among stakeholders and the controversy was widely covered in the news media. Four new articles published in Annals of Internal Medicine seek to help physicians make sense of the new guidelines amidst the controversy. In a synopsis of the recommendations, guideline panel members summarize the key features of the guidelines and how the recommendations will work in practice to reduce the risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death, lost quality of life, and increased health care costs. In an accompanying commentary, authors praise the doctor-patient collaboration recommended in the guidelines but advise health care providers to seek a middle ground when making treatment decisions A second commentary applauds the panel for basing statin treatment on risk factors rather than LDL-C targets because this approach greatly simplifies treatment for clinicians and patients. Finally, an editorial explores why guidelines seem to generate controversy and urges physicians to listen to the evidence, not the noise created by the disagreement over the new recommendations.

Note: The URL may be included in coverage. Links go live at 5:00 p.m. on January 27. For an embargoed PDF, please contact Megan Hanks or Angela Collom. For an interview with an author, please contact Peter Winicov at winicov@wharton.upenn.edu or 215.746.6471.



3. Task Force evidence reviews suggests that one-time screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms could benefit older men

A one-time screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm in men 65 years or older is associated with decreased AAA rupture and AAA-related mortality rates, according to a new review being published in Annals of Internal Medicine. AAA is a weakening in the wall of the infrarenal aorta resulting in localized dilation, or ballooning, of the abdominal aorta. A large proportion of AAAs are asymptomatic until a rupture develops, which is generally acute and often fatal (up to 83 percent of patients die before hospitalization). Risk factors for AAA include advanced age, male sex, smoking, and a family history, with smoking being the most important modifiable risk factor. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) reviewed published evidence to update its previous recommendation on screening for AAA. The reviewers found convincing evidence that screening men aged 65 and older decreased AAA-related mortality rates by approximately 50 percent over 13 to 15 years. Determining the most effective and efficient approaches to population-based AAA screening was an important goal of the review. Critics of the 2005 recommendation for selectively screening men aged 65 to 75 who had ever smoked argued that the guidelines missed opportunities to prevent AAA rupture in women, younger nonsmoking males, and those with a family history. The reviewers maintain that targeting older male smokers is warranted because no single risk factor other than age, sex, or smoking history is as strong a predictor of AAA. A draft recommendation will be posted to http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org on January 27 at 5:00 p.m.

Note: URL may be included in coverage. Links go live at 5:00 p.m. on January 27. For an embargoed PDF, please contact Megan Hanks or Angela Collom. To speak with a member of the Task Force and for a copy of the draft recommendation, please contact Ana Fullmer at newsroom@uspstf.net or 202-350-6668.

INFORMATION:

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Scientists reveal cause of one of the most devastating pandemics in human history

2014-01-28
An international team of scientists has discovered that two of the world's most devastating plagues – the plague of Justinian and the Black Death, each responsible for killing as many ...

Yoga can lower fatigue, inflammation in breast cancer survivors

2014-01-28
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 27-Jan-2014 [ | E-mail ] var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more" Share Contact: Emily Caldwell caldwell.151@osu.edu 614-292-8310 Ohio State University Yoga can lower fatigue, inflammation in breast cancer survivors In study, the more women practiced, the better the results VIDEO: There are few experts who debate ...

Crowdsourced RNA designs outperform computer algorithms, Carnegie Mellon, Stanford researchers say

2014-01-28
PITTSBURGH—An enthusiastic group of non-experts, working through an online interface and receiving ...

Pesticide exposure linked to Alzheimer's disease

2014-01-28
Scientists have known for more than 40 years that the synthetic pesticide DDT is harmful to bird habitats ...

Health care savings: Reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions

2014-01-28
Inappropriate antibiotic ...

Environmental risk factor for Alzheimer's: DDT exposure

2014-01-28
Patients with Alzheimer's disease have significantly higher levels of DDE, the long-lasting metabolite of the pesticide DDT, in their blood than healthy people, a ...

New method rescues DNA from contaminated Neandertal bones

2014-01-28
Retrieval of ancient DNA molecules is usually performed with special precautions to prevent DNA from researchers or the environment to get mixed in with the DNA from the fossil. However, many ancient ...

Temple researchers shed new light on double-lung transplants

2014-01-28
In the largest retrospective study to date ...

Bye-bye 'Bytesize,' 'Reactions' debuts with Chemistry Lifehacks video

2014-01-28
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2014 — After several years and millions of views, the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society, is bidding farewell to its popular ...

New, unusually large virus kills anthrax agent

2014-01-28
From a zebra carcass on the plains of Namibia in Southern Africa, an international team of researchers has discovered a new, unusually large virus (or bacteriophage) that infects the bacterium that causes anthrax. ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Megalodon’s body size and form uncover why certain aquatic vertebrates can achieve gigantism

A longer, sleeker super predator: Megalodon’s true form

Walking, moving more may lower risk of cardiovascular death for women with cancer history

Intracortical neural interfaces: Advancing technologies for freely moving animals

Post-LLM era: New horizons for AI with knowledge, collaboration, and co-evolution

“Sloshing” from celestial collisions solves mystery of how galactic clusters stay hot

Children poisoned by the synthetic opioid, fentanyl, has risen in the U.S. – eight years of national data shows

USC researchers observe mice may have a form of first aid

VUMC to develop AI technology for therapeutic antibody discovery

Unlocking the hidden proteome: The role of coding circular RNA in cancer

Advancing lung cancer treatment: Understanding the differences between LUAD and LUSC

Study reveals widening heart disease disparities in the US

The role of ubiquitination in cancer stem cell regulation

New insights into LSD1: a key regulator in disease pathogenesis

Vanderbilt lung transplant establishes new record

Revolutionizing cancer treatment: targeting EZH2 for a new era of precision medicine

Metasurface technology offers a compact way to generate multiphoton entanglement

Effort seeks to increase cancer-gene testing in primary care

Acoustofluidics-based method facilitates intracellular nanoparticle delivery

Sulfur bacteria team up to break down organic substances in the seabed

Stretching spider silk makes it stronger

Earth's orbital rhythms link timing of giant eruptions and climate change

Ammonia build-up kills liver cells but can be prevented using existing drug

New technical guidelines pave the way for widespread adoption of methane-reducing feed additives in dairy and livestock

Eradivir announces Phase 2 human challenge study of EV25 in healthy adults infected with influenza

New study finds that tooth size in Otaria byronia reflects historical shifts in population abundance

nTIDE March 2025 Jobs Report: Employment rate for people with disabilities holds steady at new plateau, despite February dip

Breakthrough cardiac regeneration research offers hope for the treatment of ischemic heart failure

Fluoride in drinking water is associated with impaired childhood cognition

New composite structure boosts polypropylene’s low-temperature toughness

[Press-News.org] Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for Jan. 27, 2014