(Press-News.org) Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 30 June 2025
Follow @Annalsofim on X, Facebook, Instagram, threads, and Linkedin
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. Striking increase in obesity observed among youth between 2011 and 2023
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-00389
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
A brief research report evaluated obesity among U.S. children and adolescents from 2011 to August 2023 and compared changes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that the overall prevalence for obesity increased for all groups from January 2011 to August 2023. The increase was most pronounced among Black youth. While the pandemic presented obesity risk factors including the loss of safe spaces for physical activity, increased food insecurity, and heightened stress linked to family economic hardship, the authors found no overall increase in obesity after accounting for secular trends. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA studied serial cross-sectional data from the 2011 to August 2023 survey cycles of the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). The participants studied were 17,507 children (ages 2 to 11 years) and adolescents (ages 12 to 19 years). The researchers calculated the unadjusted prevalence of obesity and severe obesity overall, as well as by age and self-reported race and ethnicity. They also estimated changes during the COVID-19 pandemic (August 2021 to August 2023) relative to the prepandemic period (January 2011 to March 2020). The researchers found the overall prevalence of obesity increased from 20.3% in January 2011 to March 2020 to 22.0% in August 2021 to August 2023. By the end of the study period (August 2021-August 2023), the prevalence of obesity was highest among Black (from 22.4% to 35.8%), Mexican American (from 26.4% to 28.1%), and Other Hispanic (from 24.0% to 25.9%) youth. Currently, more than in 1 in 3 Black youth, more than 1 in 4 Hispanic youth, nearly 1 in 5 White youth, and 1 in 10 Asian youth meet the criteria for obesity.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Rishi K. Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, please email Katherine Brace at Katie.Brace@bilh.org.
----------------------------
2. Risk for microscopic colitis in older adults not associated with medications like statins and NSAIDs
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-00268
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
A series of six target trial emulations were conducted to examine the potential causal effects of previously implicated medications on risk for microscopic colitis (MC) in older adults. The study found no evidence of a causal relationship between most previously suspected medications and the risk of MC. The results differ from numerous prior studies showing a consistent association between certain pharmacological treatments and MC. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, and colleagues studied data from Swedish adults aged 65 or older between 2006 and 2017 with no history of inflammatory bowel disease or MC. They linked this cohort of older adults in Sweden to the ESPRESSO study, which contains data on gastrointestinal (GI)-related biopsies from all 28 pathology departments in Sweden from January 1965 until April 2017. They used these observational data to emulate six target trials of six suspected medications and MC risk among older adults: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and selective serotonin receptor inhibitors (SSRIs). For NSAIDS, statins, and PPIs, they compared initiation of the medications versus no initiation. For ACE-I and ARB, they compared the initiation of each medication to the initiation of a calcium-channel blocker (CCB). For SSRIs, they compared the initiation of an SSRI with initiation of Mirtazapine. The primary outcome was histologic diagnosis of MC derived from the ESPRESSO cohort. The researchers found that the 12- and 24- months cumulative incidences of MC were less than 0.5% under all treatment strategies, with risk differences close to null for all treatment strategies except SSRIs. For SSRI vs mirtazapine initiation, the estimated 12- and 24-month risk differences were .04 and .06 percentage points. The researchers suggest that the apparent increased risk of MC with SSRI use as reported in previous studies could be due to surveillance bias. They suggest that clinicians should carefully balance the intended benefits of these medication classes against the very low likelihood of a causal relationship with MC.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Hamed Khalili, MD, MPH, please email Tori Roberts at vroberts1@mgb.org.
----------------------------
3. Catheter ablation reduces risk for stroke, mortality, and heart failure, demonstrating advantage over surgical ablation
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-00253
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
A systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the effect of ablation on stroke, death and hospitalization for heart failure (HF). The review found that catheter ablation reduces stroke risk at 30 days as well as mortality and heart failure hospitalization. Surgical ablation had an uncertain benefit, except for stroke. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and colleagues studied data from 63 randomized controlled trials of catheter or surgical ablation versus no ablation with a total of 11,161 participants. The primary end point was the rate of ischemic strokes that occurred more than 30 days after randomization or initiation of treatment. Secondary outcomes included rates of ischemic stroke at or before 30 days, total all-cause mortality, and total HF hospitalizations. Of the 63 trials included, 39 compared catheter ablation versus control therapy. The analysis found that catheter ablation reduced the relative risk of ischemic stroke after 30 days. However, the rates of ischemic stroke at or before 30 days were higher with catheter ablation. Versus medical therapy. Catheter ablation also reduced all-cause mortality after 30 days, total risk of ischemic stroke, total mortality, and HF hospitalization. Surgical ablation reduced the risks for ischemic stroke and stroke from any cause but had uncertain benefits for other outcomes. The results suggest that catheter ablation provides durable benefits, especially in patients with HF.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Brian F. Gage, MD, MSc please email Julia Sandvoss at jsandvoss@wustl.edu.
----------------------------
4. ACP issues recommendations for optimizing risk adjustment, encouraging adoption of standardized methods and the interoperability of health care data
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-00280
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
In a new policy paper published in Annals of Internal Medicine, the American College of Physicians (ACP) says optimizing risk adjustment would improve health equity. ACP offers recommendations for improving this component of health care financing and reimbursement through proactive measures that promote a more equitable and effective modern health care system.
To enhance the fairness and effectiveness of health care financing systems, in the paper, ACP recommends that health care programs and sectors use standardized methods of risk adjustment, so all health care entities understand how it works and how decisions are made. This would prevent discrepancies in how patient needs are evaluated and funded and would encourage unbiased use of resources. ACP encourages the interoperability of health care data and investment in health information technology to adopt common data standards, which would promote accurate risk adjustment and prevent the siloing of health data. Health care entities should collaborate to enact policy changes that prevent patient data used in adjusting risk from being reset annually.
Additionally, physicians, patient advocacy groups, and public and private payers should participate in routine evaluations and feedback that integrates valid and reliable metrics into risk adjustment models. ACP also calls for a strategic effort to limit opportunities to “game” the system by aligning economic incentives with the goal of high-quality, patient-focused care.
In a key recommendation, ACP advocates for research to develop validated methods for measuring the cost of caring for patients who experience health care disparities and inequities and maintains that it is essential that all risk adjustment approaches do not reinforce or perpetuate stereotypes. Patients experiencing health care disparities and non-medical drivers of health often face higher barriers to accessing care, which can lead to worsened health conditions and increased health care needs over time. This recommendation aims to foster a more holistic understanding of health.
Finally, advanced analytics and machine learning have the potential to revolutionize risk adjustment by providing access to more accurate data and predictive analytics. They should be used to improve upon risk adjustment models and methodologies. Prospective and current risk adjustment models have strengths that can be leveraged through hybrid models, enabling a more comprehensive view of health over time and better capturing patient complexities.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To speak with someone at ACP, please contact Jacquelyn Blaser at jblaser@acponline.org.
----------------------------
Also new this issue:
Licensing Internationally Trained Physicians: Advisory Commission Leaders Share Initial Progress
Humayun J. Chaudhry, DO, MS; John R. Combes, MD; Eric S. Holmboe, MD; Katie L. Templeton, JD; George M. Abraham, MD, MPH
Ideas and Opinions
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-00936
Does Anyone Remember the German Measles?
Bruce Farber, MD
Ideas and Opinions
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-01726
GRADE Certainty Ratings: Thresholds Rather Than Categories of Contextualization
Monica Hultcrantz, et al.
Research and Reporting Methods
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-00548
END
Striking increase in obesity observed among youth between 2011 and 2023
2025-06-30
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
No evidence that medications trigger microscopic colitis in older adults
2025-06-30
Study from Mass General Brigham and Karolinska Institutet researchers suggests that patients with the condition do not need to stop taking important medications
Microscopic colitis (MC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that severely reduces quality of life. MC is responsible for over 30% of all chronic diarrhea cases in people over 65 years of age, and its prevalence is rising worldwide. Although little is known about what causes MC, previous studies have suggested that a range of common medications could trigger ...
NYUAD researchers find link between brain growth and mental health disorders
2025-06-30
Abu Dhabi, UAE, June 30, 2025: A team of researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi has uncovered a key mechanism that helps shape how our brains are wired, and what can happen when that process is disrupted.
In a new study published in Cell Reports, the RNA-MIND Lab at NYU Abu Dhabi, led by Professor of Biology Dan Ohtan Wang, with Research Associate Belal Shohayeb, reveals how a small molecular mark on messenger RNA, called m6A methylation, regulates the production of essential proteins inside growing neurons. This process plays a critical role in the development of axons, the long extensions that neurons use to connect and communicate with each other.
The study ...
Aging-related inflammation is not universal across human populations, new study finds
2025-06-30
June 30, 2025 -- Inflammation, long considered a hallmark of aging, may not be a universal human experience, according to a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The research suggests that "inflammaging"—chronic, low-grade inflammation associated with aging—appears to be a byproduct of industrialized lifestyles and varies significantly across global populations. The findings are published in Nature Aging.
Researchers analyzed data from four populations: two industrialized ...
University of Oregon to create national children’s mental health center with $11 million federal grant
2025-06-30
With a new $11 million federal grant, the University of Oregon will create a national center for children’s mental health, putting the university at the forefront of national prevention efforts to improve the mental health and well-being of adolescents.
The center will be housed in the UO’s Prevention Science Institute. It will be funded over the next five years by the National Institute of Mental Health.
“This center will build on the strong work the UO’s Prevention Science Institute has done over decades in the area of school-based mental health prevention, bringing ...
Rare achievement: UTA undergrad publishes research
2025-06-30
Caroline King didn’t expect to get involved in research when she arrived at The University of Texas at Arlington. But after joining the Honors College and taking a job with the Center for Rural Health and Nursing, she found herself diving into a literature review on midwifery in rural Texas.
Two and a half years later, King is a published author in the Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care. While publication is a milestone for any academic, it’s a rare achievement for an undergraduate.
“It’s ...
Fact or fiction? The ADHD info dilemma
2025-06-30
TikTok is one of the fastest-growing and most popular social media platforms in the world – especially among college-age individuals. In the United States alone, there are over 136 million TikTok users aged 18 and older, with approximately 45 million falling within the college-age demographic. And college students aren’t just using the platform to watch viral videos. They’re also turning to it as a source of information, with around 40% of Americans using TikTok as a search engine.
While the ...
Genetic ancestry linked to risk of severe dengue
2025-06-30
PITTSBURGH, June 30, 2025—For the first time, the extreme variability in dengue fever has been linked to a biological mechanism, potentially opening doors to new treatments and vaccines for the most common mosquito-borne disease worldwide. The study was published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC and Instituto Aggeu Magalhães in Brazil.
Cases of dengue fever, commonly known as “breakbone fever” for the excruciating joint pain that is the hallmark of the disease, have ...
Genomes reveal the Norwegian lemming as one of the youngest mammal species
2025-06-30
Using whole genome sequencing and cutting-edge analyses researchers at Stockholm University have uncovered the surprising evolutionary history of the Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus), revealing it to be one of the most recently evolved mammal species. The results published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), reveal that the Norwegian lemming is a distinct species that split from its closest relative, the Western Siberian lemming, approximately 35,000 years ago — just before the peak of the last Ice Age.
“The ...
Early birds get the burn: Monash study finds early bedtimes associated with more physical activity
2025-06-30
Going to bed earlier than usual may help to optimise physical activity the following day, Monash University-led research has found.
Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study examined whether sleep duration and sleep timing were associated with the duration of moderate-to-vigorous and overall physical activity the following day.
In the primary study, almost 20,000 participants wore a validated biometric device (WHOOP) for one year, resulting in almost six million nights of data. Objective sleep and physical activity metrics were derived from the wrist-worn device.
The study examined how both typical ...
Groundbreaking analysis provides day-by-day insight into prehistoric plankton’s capacity for change
2025-06-30
27 June 2025
UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 20:00 UK TIME (15:00 U.S. EASTERN TIME) ON MONDAY JUNE 30, 2025
Groundbreaking analysis provides day-by-day insight into prehistoric plankton’s capacity for change
Scientists at the University of Southampton have developed a new way of analysing fossils allowing them to see how creatures from millions of years ago were shaped by their environment on a day-to-day basis for the first time.
The research published today [30 June] in Proceedings of the National Academy ...