(Press-News.org) Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 9 December 2024
@Annalsofim
Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent.
----------------------------
1. Considering social and genetic factors in addition to clinical factors improves prediction of heart disease risk
Study suggests opportunity to improve risk prediction calculators for CHD by incorporating social and lifestyle factors
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-24-00716
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
A cohort study evaluated how polygenic risk scores (PRS) and polysocial scores (PSS), which include social determinants of health (SDOH) and lifestyle-psychological factors, correlate to risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by developing a CHD prediction model incorporating these elements. The results highlight the value of including these factors in clinical risk calculators for CHD. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Development of CHD can result from genetic factors, environmental risks and lifestyle-psychological variables; however, these factors are not yet included in clinical risk calculators for CHD. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic studied data from 388,224 UK biobank participants aged 40 to 70 years recruited between 2006 and 2010 to develop and evaluate a prediction model that incorporated PRS and PSS to improve CHD risk prediction. Participants who were known to have CHD or were taking statins were excluded from the study. The researchers gathered data about their demographic, genetic, SDOH, lifestyle-psychological and other health factors by examining the results of participant questionnaires, physical assessments and biochemical assays. The researchers examined the correlation between various SDOH and lifestyle-psychological factors, including occupation, sleep and physical activity, and risk of CHD, and then developed a PSS for CHD. The researchers also tested whether a PSS changes the effect of a PRS when evaluating risk of CHD. They investigated the performance of a PSS for CHD when added to clinical risk calculators and PRS. They also explored whether those who identified as non-White were at higher risk for CHD than those identified as White.
The researchers found that a PSS for CHD was associated with CHD, and jointly modeling this score with PRS for CHD can improve the performance of clinical risk calculators. The SDOH and lifestyle-psychological factors that had the highest variable of importance in CHD risk prediction were related to physical activity, sleep, education and psychological health. Additionally, factors like snoring, financial difficulties and slow walking pace were associated with an increased risk of CHD. Patients identifying as non-White had a higher PSS for CHD than those who identified as white. The researchers also found that PSS and PRS for CHD had no correlation and their effects on CHD were independent of each other. The findings suggest that the integration of PRS, SDOH, and lifestyle-psychological factors in CHD risk equations can improve risk prediction of CHD and could also inform targeted CHD interventions across diverse populations.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with corresponding author Iftikhar J. Kullo, MD, please email kullo.iftikhar@mayo.edu.
----------------------------
2. Experts debate management of patient with gastroesophageal reflux symptoms
This ‘Beyond the Guidelines’ feature is based on a discussion held at the General Medicine Grand Rounds conference held on 10 May 2024
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-24-02808
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
In a new Annals “Beyond the Guidelines” feature, two physicians, a primary care practitioner and a gastroenterologist, discuss the management of a patient with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms. GERD is a common medical condition presenting with heartburn, regurgitation, cough, hoarseness and/or wheezing. The optimal management of GERD depends on the frequency and severity of conditions and does not always require diagnostic studies before treatment is initiated. In 2021, the American College of Gastroenterology published updated recommendations for diagnosis and management of GERD which include histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) or proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy.
The discussants reviewed the case of a 68-year-old adult female patient who reported a burning sensation in the chest and throat at night over the past few weeks. Her most recent physical exam shows normal vital signs, body mass index of 19.3 kg/m2 and soft, nontender abdomen without evidence of mass or organomegaly. The patient’s weight has been stable and does not have any other associated gastrointestinal symptoms or cough. She has a family history of gastrointestinal cancer and had a normal upper endoscopy 12 years ago for evaluation of nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms.
The first discussant, Timothy S. Anderson, MD, MAS, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, and a Physician Health Services Investigator at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He noted that in patients with standard GERD who do not have alarm symptoms or chest pains, diagnostic testing is not needed, and an 8-week course of empirical anti-reflux therapy should be initiated. He mentioned that systematic reviews indicate the PPIs deliver more benefits in relieving symptoms and maintaining symptom relief than H2RAs and noted that lifestyle management is an important factor of GERD management. Because the patient does not have any alarm symptoms, Dr. Anderson recommends forgoing diagnostic testing and beginning an 8-week PPI treatment along with lifestyle modifications like reducing alcohol intake, avoiding late night snacks and elevating the head of her bed. If her symptoms have little to no improvement after 8-weeks of consistent PPI treatment and lifestyle changes, he would refer her for an upper endoscopy to better inform her diagnosis and treatment plan.
The second discussant, Vikram V. Rangan, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a member of the Division of Gastroenterology in the Department of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts. He agrees with Dr. Anderson that there is an immediate upper endoscopy is not needed given the lack of alarm symptoms, however, he notes that throat burning is atypical for GERD and recommends an upper endoscopy to be performed at the time of the patient’s upcoming routine screening colonoscopy. In the meantime, he would initiate an 8-week course of PPI treatment for presumed GERD. If symptoms do not improve, he recommends objective reflux testing, specifically wireless pH testing while PPI therapy is withdrawn, assuming upper endoscopy did not show findings diagnostic of GERD. If testing were suggestive of GERD, he would optimize her PPI dosage and consider adding night-time H2RA and/or alginate therapy after meals if there was an inadequate response.
All “Beyond the Guidelines” features are based on selected clinical conferences at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and include multimedia components published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with one of the discussants, please contact Kendra McKinnon at Kmckinn1@bidmc.harvard.edu.
----------------------------
Also new in this issue:
Management of Hyperglycemia in Hospitalized Patients
Roma Gianchandani, MD; Margaret Wei, MD; and Andrew Demidowich, MD
In the Clinic
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-24-02754
END
Considering social and genetic factors in addition to clinical factors improves prediction of heart disease risk
2024-12-09
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Biomarker-guided antibiotic duration for hospitalized patients with suspected sepsis
2024-12-09
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/About The Study: In hospitalized adults, daily procalcitonin -guided protocol reduced antibiotic duration safely compared with standard care, but daily C-reactive protein -guided protocol does not. All-cause mortality for C-reactive protein was inconclusive.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Paul Dark, MD, PhD, email adaptsepsistrial@warwick.ac.uk.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jama.2024.26458)
Editor’s ...
American Meteorological Society announces Alan Sealls as 2025 President-Elect
2024-12-09
Members of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) have elected Alan Sealls to the position of AMS president-elect for 2025. Sealls is an AMS Fellow and Certified Broadcast Meteorologist who retired this year from a 37-year broadcast career, which included serving as chief meteorologist at WPMI-TV in Mobile, Alabama. He will be inducted as president-elect on Sunday, 12 January, 2025, during the 105th AMS Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.
At the meeting, the AMS—the professional society for weather, water, and climate sciences ...
Dogs use two-word button combos to communicate
2024-12-09
A new study from UC San Diego’s Comparative Cognition Lab shows that dogs trained to use soundboards to “talk” are capable of making two-word button combinations that go beyond random behavior or simple imitation of their owners. Published in the journal Scientific Reports from Springer Nature, the study analyzed data from 152 dogs over 21 months, capturing more than 260,000 button presses – 195,000 of which were made by the dogs themselves.
“This is the first scientific study to analyze how dogs actually use soundboards,” said lead researcher Federico Rossano, associate professor of cognitive science at UC San Diego and director ...
Researchers use a powerful imaging technique to illuminate the colorful plumage of birds
2024-12-09
Animals showcase a remarkable diversity of colors and patterns, from the shimmery appearance of a peacock’s tail to the distinctive rosettes on a jaguar’s fur. Quantifying animal color has been a longtime goal of evolutionary biologists, who aim to understand how color evolved over time—and the physical and genetic mechanisms involved. Ultimately, studying animal color is important because it can reveal how evolutionary forces, such as natural and sexual selection, favor certain traits over others. However, fully capturing animal color is challenging because researchers must choose between high spatial resolution (as in traditional ...
Jabuticaba peel improves nutritional characteristics of bread
2024-12-09
Researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo state, Brazil, have developed a sourdough bread formulation enriched with jabuticaba peel that could be an alternative for people with diabetes and others who need to control blood sugar. An article describing their research and test results is published in the journal Foods.
As noted in the article, the high carbohydrate content of bread can sharply raise blood sugar levels, risking hyperglycemia. Given the high demand for healthier bread, which is widely consumed, artisanal bakers seek to diversify their products with formulations that add nutritional value while involving fermentation ...
Department of Energy announces $36 million for student traineeships
2024-12-09
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced 29 projects totaling $36 million to 42 institutions in 16 states for traineeships for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The funding, through the DOE Office of Science’s RENEW initiative, will support hands-on research experience, professional development activities to build or reinforce STEM identity, and mentorship to support personal and professional growth of trainees.
“The RENEW program provides new entry points to science for ...
Employee visits to adult or gambling sites doubles risk of infection by malware
2024-12-09
AUSTIN, TX, Dec 9, 2024 – Malware (malicious software) is a worldwide threat to network security for organizations. Individual users within those networks may inadvertently download or interact with malware like viruses and ransomware by browsing unsafe websites, downloading software, or clicking on phishing links in emails.
Cybersecurity researchers from the University of Trento and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the global cybersecurity firm Trend Micro wondered what behaviors bring the greatest risk of malware infection: working at night, browsing adult content, gambling, having a lot of software installed or just visiting strange places?
The ...
Biodiversity at risk in most rainforests
2024-12-09
New research has revealed less than a quarter of the remaining tropical rainforests around the globe can safeguard thousands of threatened species from extinction.
The research, co-authored by The University of Queensland’s Professor James Watson, evaluated the global availability of structurally intact, minimally disturbed tropical rainforests for more than 16,000 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
“Using remote sensing and forest integrity indicators, we analysed the quality of the rainforests across the ranges of the forest-dependent vertebrates,” Professor Watson said.
“Overall, up to 90 per cent of ...
Climate change impacting freshwater fish species, study finds
2024-12-09
Freshwater fish populations that dwell nearer the poles are outperforming their equatorial counterparts, researchers have found.
Large-bodied migratory species such as Atlantic salmon are thriving as warming temperatures opens up new habitats at the poleward edge of their ranges.
The study, published today in PNAS, was based on a dataset of over 10,000 time series and included over 600 species of fishes.
Climate change has emerged as a key threat to biodiversity, leading to broad-scale shifts in distributions of marine and terrestrial species as they attempt to track thermally suitable habitat. Despite ...
UVM research team unveils breakthrough mechanism in brain blood flow regulation
2024-12-09
Burlington, Vt.— A team of UVM scientists led by Mark Nelson, Ph.D., from the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, has uncovered a novel mechanism that reshapes our understanding of how blood flow is regulated in the brain. The study, published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), introduces Electro-Calcium (E-Ca) Coupling, a process that integrates electrical and calcium signaling in brain capillaries to ensure precise blood flow delivery to active neurons.
In the human body, blood is delivered into the brain from surface arteries ...