Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Neurology for July 2019. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
U-Shaped Association Found for Hemoglobin Level, Dementia Risk
WEDNESDAY, July 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There is a U-shaped association for hemoglobin levels with risk for dementia, including Alzheimer disease, according to a study published online July 31 in Neurology.
Burnout Symptoms May Up Racial Bias Among Resident Physicians
WEDNESDAY, July 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Symptoms of burnout seem to be associated with greater explicit and implicit racial bias among resident physicians, according to a study published online July 26 in JAMA Network Open.
$70 Million Settlement Reached in Generic Drug Delay Case
TUESDAY, July 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Three drug companies will pay a total of nearly $70 million to California to settle charges of delaying the sale of generic drugs to keep brand-name drug prices high, the state’s attorney general said Monday.
AP News Article
Hearing Loss Takes Mental, Social, Physical Toll on Older People
TUESDAY, July 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Older people with hearing loss are more likely to experience outdoor activity limitations, psychological distress, and memory loss, according to a study recently published online in Geriatrics & Gerontology International.
National Norms Developed for Assessing Medical School Empathy
TUESDAY, July 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — National norms have been developed for assessing empathy among men and women at different levels of medical school education, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
N.C. Man Dies of Brain-Eating Amoeba After Visiting Water Park
MONDAY, July 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The rare brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri has been confirmed as the cause of death of a North Carolina man.
CBS News Article
More Information: CDC
Experts Warn of Mosquito-Borne Brain Infection in Florida
MONDAY, July 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There is an increased risk for a mosquito-borne virus that causes brain infection and swelling, Florida health officials warn.
CNN Article
More Information: CDC
Lifesaving Drug for Infants Costs $2.1 Million a Dose
MONDAY, July 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Its extremely high price tag means that a lifesaving medication to treat young children with spinal muscular atrophy is simply too expensive for most families.
NBC News Article
Authors Say Lower BP Targets May Cut Recurrent Stroke Risk
MONDAY, July 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Intensive blood pressure (BP) lowering nonsignificantly reduces the risk for recurrence among patients with a history of stroke compared with a standard BP-lowering regimen, according to a study published online July 29 in JAMA Neurology.
Consumer Products Tied to Three-Fourths of Youth Brain Injuries
MONDAY, July 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Nearly three-quarters of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in children and teens are attributable to consumer products that are regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, according to a study published online July 29 in the journal Brain Injury.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy May Increase Cardiovascular Risk
FRIDAY, July 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For aging men with low testosterone levels, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) may increase the risk of cardiovascular events, especially in the first two years of use, according to a study published in the September issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
Review Examines Methods for Diagnosis of Elevated ICP in Critically Ill
THURSDAY, July 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Physical examination signs are not sufficiently sensitive for detecting elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in critically ill adults, according to a review published online July 24 in The BMJ.
Adiposity in Early Old Age Tied to MRI Signs of Brain Aging Later
WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Adiposity in early old age is associated with reduced gray matter later in life, according to a study published online July 24 in Neurology.
FDA Warns CBD Product Maker About False Claims
WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A warning letter has been issued to Massachusetts-based Curaleaf Inc. for illegally selling unapproved cannabidiol (CBD) products online with unproven claims that the products treat cancer, Alzheimer disease, opioid withdrawal, pain, and other health problems, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.
CDC: Mortality Rates Continue to Decrease for Hispanic Adults
WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Age-adjusted death rates decreased for Hispanic adults from 2000 through 2017, while for non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black adults, the rates have remained stable since 2011-2012, according to a July data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
Metformin May Lower Dementia Risk in Black Patients With T2DM
WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Metformin use is associated with a substantially lower risk for dementia among younger African-American patients with diabetes compared with sulfonylurea initiation, according to a study published in the July/August issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Senate Bill Would Reduce Drug Costs for Seniors
TUESDAY, July 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A bill to reduce prescription drug costs for millions of Medicare recipients and lower federal and state health costs has been introduced by two U.S. senators.
AP News Article
Initiating Stroke Tx 15 Minutes Earlier Can Improve Outcomes
TUESDAY, July 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Shorter time to endovascular-reperfusion therapy is associated with improved outcomes among patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion, according to a study published in the July 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Stimulant Treatment Has Strong Protective Effect in ADHD
TUESDAY, July 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), stimulants have strong protective effects on functional outcomes, according to a study published online July 23 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Smoking Has Long-Term Impact on Peripheral Artery Disease Risk
MONDAY, July 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Both duration and intensity of smoking have a long-term impact on the risk for three major atherosclerotic diseases: peripheral artery disease (PAD), coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke, according to a study published in the July 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Pediatricians Can Play Role in Ensuring School Readiness
MONDAY, July 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Social-emotional and behavioral skills are important for school readiness, and preschoolers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have increased odds of impaired school readiness, according to a technical report and study published online July 22 in Pediatrics.
Abstract/Full Text – Technical Report
Abstract/Full Text – Study (subscription or payment may be required)
EPA Will Not Ban Pesticide Linked to Brain Harm in Children
FRIDAY, July 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Even though the pesticide chlorpyrifos has been linked to brain harm in children, it will not be banned in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday.
The New York Times Article
FRAX Score Underestimates Risk for Fracture in Multiple Sclerosis
FRIDAY, July 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a risk factor for major fractures independent of the Fracture Risk Assessment tool (FRAX) score, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
Recommendations Developed for Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine
FRIDAY, July 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In the July 19 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, recommendations are presented for use of the Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine.
About One in 20 Patients Exposed to Preventable Harm
THURSDAY, July 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The pooled prevalence of preventable patient harm is 6 percent across a range of medical settings globally, according to a review published online July 17 in The BMJ.
Systolic, Diastolic HTN Contribute to Adverse CV Events
THURSDAY, July 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Both systolic and diastolic hypertension contribute independently to the risk for adverse cardiovascular events, according to a study published in the July 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
People Living With HIV Have Higher Risk for Cardiovascular Disease
THURSDAY, July 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — People living with HIV (PLWH) have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, according to a study published online July 2 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Extremely Low LDL Cholesterol May Up Stroke Risk
WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Cholesterol levels that are too low may increase the risk for hemorrhagic stroke, according to a study published online July 2 in Neurology.
Early EEG Helps Predict Cardiac Arrest Outcomes in Comatose
WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Early electroencephalography (EEG) reliably predicts the outcome of comatose patients after cardiac arrest, according to a study recently published in the Annals of Neurology.
Flexible Family Visitation Policy Does Not Cut Delirium in ICU
TUESDAY, July 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Compared with standard restricted visiting hours, a flexible family visitation policy does not significantly reduce the incidence of delirium among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), according to a study published in the July 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
HIV-Infected Cells Persist in CSF in Individuals on Long-Term ART
TUESDAY, July 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — About half of HIV-positive individuals on long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) have HIV-infected cells in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), according to a study published online July 15 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
CVD Risk Up in Later Life for Young Adults With High LDL or Hypertension
TUESDAY, July 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Young adult exposures to elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) are associated with increased risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in later life, according to a study published in the July 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
MS Relapse Risk Not Increased in Postoperative Period
TUESDAY, July 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to a surgical procedure requiring anesthesia does not seem to increase the risk for postoperative multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse, according to a study published online June 25 in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal.
Obesity Linked to Increased Risk for Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis
MONDAY, July 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Obesity seems to be associated with increased odds of pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published online July 15 in JAMA Neurology.
Standing Frame Program Can Up Motor Function in Progressive MS
FRIDAY, July 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with severe progressive multiple sclerosis, a standing frame program can increase motor function, according to a study published in the August issue of The Lancet Neurology.
Prenatal Opioid Exposure Harms Long-Term Child Development
FRIDAY, July 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Prenatal opioid exposure (POE) is negatively associated with neurocognitive and physical development in offspring from the age of 6 months into school age, according to a study published online July 12 in JAMA Network Open.
Serious Misdiagnosis-Related Harms Mostly Due to ‘Big Three’
FRIDAY, July 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Vascular events, infections, and cancers account for about three-quarters of serious misdiagnosis-related harms, according to a study published online July 11 in Diagnosis.
Erectile Dysfunction Presents Large Global Health Burden
FRIDAY, July 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a large global burden and is associated with increased risks for cardiovascular disease, dementia, and early death, according to a review published online July 2 in BJU International.
Capping Work Hours in Residency Does Not Impact Outcomes Later
THURSDAY, July 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Exposure of U.S. physicians to work-hour reforms during residency training is not associated with post-training differences in patient mortality, readmissions, or costs of care, according to a study published online July 11 in The BMJ.
Medicare Drug Rebate Plan Withdrawn by Trump Administration
THURSDAY, July 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A plan to let Medicare patients receive rebates that drug companies currently pay to insurers and middlemen has been withdrawn by the Trump administration.
AP News Article
Negative Cognitive Bias May Be Key to Depression in Active IBD
THURSDAY, July 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Biases in emotional processing may contribute to depression in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who have active disease, according to a study published online July 2 in Neurogastroenterology & Motility.
Rimegepant Shows Promise for Relief From Migraine Attacks
THURSDAY, July 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Compared with placebo, rimegepant, an orally administered, small-molecule, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist, can increase the percentage of patients free of pain and free from their most bothersome symptom during a migraine attack, according to a study published in the July 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Health Care Professionals Exhibit Gender Bias
THURSDAY, July 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Survey results show that health care professionals have implicit and explicit gender bias, according to a study published online July 5 in JAMA Network Open.
Galcanezumab Can Cut Frequency of Cluster Headache Attacks
WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Galcanezumab can reduce the frequency of episodic cluster headache attacks, according to a study published in the July 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Mentally Stimulating Activities Lower Risk for Cognitive Decline
WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Among community-dwelling older persons, engaging in a higher number of mentally stimulating activities, particularly in late life, is associated with a lower risk for developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a study published online July 10 in Neurology.
CDC Updates Data on Cases Meeting Criterion for Acute Flaccid Myelitis
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Clinical and laboratory data have been updated for cases that met the clinical criterion for acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in the United States during 2018, according to a Vital Signs report published in the July 9 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
EHR System-Generated In-Basket Messages Linked to Burnout
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Receipt of more than the average number of electronic health record (EHR) system-generated in-basket messages is associated with an increased probability of physician burnout, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of Health Affairs.
Rule Requiring Drug Prices in TV Ads Blocked by Judge
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A Trump administration rule to force pharmaceutical companies to disclose the list prices of their drugs in television ads was blocked Monday by a federal judge.
The New York Times Article
Androgen Deprivation Therapy May Up Risk of Alzheimer Disease
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Among elderly patients with prostate cancer, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) exposure is associated with subsequent diagnosis of Alzheimer disease or dementia, according to a study published online July 3 in JAMA Network Open.
Adults With Cerebral Palsy at Higher Risk for Osteoporosis
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Cerebral palsy (CP) is associated with an increased risk for osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, according to a study published in the August issue of Bone.
In-Hospital Maternal Mortality Down in Pregnancies With Lupus
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In-hospital maternal mortality decreased from 1998 to 2015 in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and non-SLE pregnancies, with a greater decline for SLE pregnancies, according to a study published online July 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Sexual Activity May Cut Disability in Men With Early Parkinson Disease
MONDAY, July 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For male patients with Parkinson disease, sexual activity is associated with lower motor and nonmotor disability, according to a study published online July 3 in the European Journal of Neurology.
Neuropsychiatric Morbidity Up With Synthetic Cannabinoid Use in Teens
MONDAY, July 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Synthetic cannabinoid (SC) exposure is associated with increased odds of neuropsychiatric morbidity versus cannabis exposure among adolescents presenting to the emergency department, according to a study published online July 8 in Pediatrics.
Early Nerve Transfer Enables Hand Function After Spinal Cord Injury
MONDAY, July 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Early nerve transfer surgery results in improvements in upper-limb function after spinal cord injury, according to a study published online July 4 in The Lancet.
IL-6 Level May Predict Symptom Duration in Concussed Athletes
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For concussed athletes, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) are significantly elevated at six hours after concussion, and IL-6 levels are associated with symptom duration, according to a study published online July 3 in Neurology.
Neurofilament Light Chain Levels Predict Stroke Risk in Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels can predict incident stroke among middle-aged and older adults with diabetes mellitus, according to a study published in the July issue of Stroke.
Predictors of Recovery After Brain Injury Identified
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Higher intelligence and younger age are predictors of greater cognitive recovery two to five years following mild-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a study published online June 17 in the Journal of Neurotrauma.
Adverse Outcomes Up for Pregnant Women With Migraine
TUESDAY, July 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Pregnant women with migraine and their offspring have increased risks of several adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, according to a study recently published in Headache.
Guidance Issued for Management of Fontan Circulation
TUESDAY, July 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A scientific statement with recommendations for follow-up care in patients with Fontan circulation surviving into adulthood was published online July 1 in Circulation.
In Utero Opioid Exposure Tied to Poor Outcomes Throughout Childhood
TUESDAY, July 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In utero exposure to opioids is associated with higher risks for short- and long-term adverse outcomes, including preterm birth and neurodevelopmental and physical health disorders in children, according to a study published online June 28 in JAMA Network Open.
Self-Management Strategies Offer Limited Benefit in Epilepsy
TUESDAY, July 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Limited evidence suggests that self-management strategies modestly improve some outcomes among persons with epilepsy, according to a review published online July 2 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Considerable Number of Patients Receive Surprise Hospital Charges
TUESDAY, July 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Eighteen percent of all emergency department visits and 16 percent of in-network hospital stays have at least one out-of-network charge, according to a report published June 20 by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Leisure-Time Physical Activity Linked to Lower SAH Risk
MONDAY, July 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is associated with reduced risk of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), according to a study published online June 25 in Scientific Reports.
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