Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Geriatrics for May 2020. 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.
9.5 Percent Uninsured in U.S. From January Through June 2019
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A total of 9.5 percent of persons were uninsured from January through June 2019, according to a report published online May 28 by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Links Found Between Leaders of Medical Associations, Industry
THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There are extensive financial relationships between leaders of U.S. professional medical associations and industry, according to a study published online May 27 in The BMJ.
Palliative Care Linked to Fewer Readmissions for Heart Failure
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients admitted with heart failure, palliative care is associated with fewer readmissions and less mechanical ventilation, according to a study published online May 27 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Only One in Four U.S. Hospitals With ICUs Have Tele-ICU Services
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In 2018, half of U.S. hospitals had the capacity to conduct telehealth-based outpatient visits, while only one in four had tele-intensive care unit (tele-ICU) capabilities, according to a research letter published online April 30 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Early Informed Lung Cancer Patients Have Greater Survival Rates
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Lung cancer patients who are given the opportunity to be informed of their diagnosis have a longer median survival time, according to a study published in the May issue of Psycho-Oncology.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payments may be required)
New Medicare Benefit Would Limit Insulin Copays to $35 a Month
TUESDAY, May 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Reacting to skyrocketing prices for insulin, the Trump Administration announced on Tuesday a new benefit that would limit Medicare recipients’ copays for insulin to a maximum of $35 a month and save them about $446 a year if they have prescription plans that offer the benefit.
AP News Article
Age, Sex, History of Diabetes Predict Intubation in COVID-19
FRIDAY, May 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Older age, male sex, and history of diabetes are factors predictive of intubation among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, while age and body mass index are associated with time to extubation, according to a study published online May 19 in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Global Practice Guidelines Issued by International Society of Hypertension
WEDNESDAY, May 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In International Society of Hypertension practice guidelines, published in the June issues of Hypertension and the Journal of Hypertension, recommendations are presented for the management of hypertension in adults aged 18 years and older.
Burnout Comparable Between Millennial, Gen X Residents, Fellows
TUESDAY, May 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Millennial and Generation X medical residents and fellows experience similar rates of burnout and have similar levels of empathy, according to a study published online May 5 in Academic Psychiatry.
Higher Burden of Cardiovascular Risk Tied to Cognitive Decline
TUESDAY, May 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Higher cardiovascular risk burden is associated with cognitive decline and neurodegeneration, according to a study published in the May 26 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Spending on Primary Care Continues to Lag in the U.S.
TUESDAY, May 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Spending on inpatient services, specialty care, and prescriptions together accounted for about two-thirds of the increase in total U.S. health care spending from 2002 to 2016, according to a research letter published online May 18 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
CMS: Use ‘Extreme Caution’ in Reopening Nursing Homes
TUESDAY, May 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — State governors should use “extreme caution” in deciding when to allow visits to nursing homes to resume, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Monday.
AP News Article
More Information: CMS
28 Million-Plus Surgeries Could Be Canceled Due to COVID-19
TUESDAY, May 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Worldwide, more than 28 million elective surgeries could be canceled or postponed during the 12 weeks of peak disruption due to COVID-19, according to a study published online May 12 in the British Journal of Surgery.
Corticosteroids for IBD May Up Risk for Severe COVID-19
TUESDAY, May 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and COVID-19, risk factors for severe disease include increasing age, comorbidities, and systemic corticosteroids, according to a study published online May 18 in Gastroenterology.
Osteoporotic Fracture Risk Lower for DOAC Than Warfarin in A-Fib
MONDAY, May 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the risk for osteoporotic fracture appears to be lower with direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) use compared with warfarin use, according to a study published online May 19 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Guidance Issued for Osteoporosis Management During COVID-19
FRIDAY, May 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In a joint guidance document issued by the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, Endocrine Society, European Calcified Tissue Society, and National Osteoporosis Foundation, recommendations are presented for the management of osteoporosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Co-Occurring Visual Impairment, Dementia Heighten Disability Risk
MONDAY, May 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Older adults with both dementia and self-reported visual impairment (VI) may be at higher risk for disability than adults with only one of these conditions, according to a study published online May 14 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Convalescent Plasma Appears Promising for Severe COVID-19
MONDAY, May 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Administration of convalescent plasma seems safe and results in improvement in clinical status for patients with severe or life-threatening COVID-19, according to a study not yet peer reviewed and posted on medRxiv.org.
Most Physicians Have Seen False-Negative COVID-19 Test Results
MONDAY, May 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Most physicians believe they have seen false-negative results for a COVID-19 diagnostic test, according to the results of a recent survey.
Abnormalities Detected on Brain MRI of COVID-19 Patients in ICU
THURSDAY, May 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Among patients with COVID-19 pneumonia in the intensive care unit (ICU) with neurological symptoms, 44 percent of those undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have acute findings, according to a study published online May 8 in Radiology.
Poll: One in Seven Older Adults Report Food Insecurity
THURSDAY, May 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — One in seven adults ages 50 to 80 years say they experienced household food insecurity in the past year (before the COVID-19 pandemic), according to a report published online May 11 based on the results of the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.
Improvements Seen in Some Cognitive Domains With Aerobic Exercise
THURSDAY, May 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A six-month aerobic exercise intervention is associated with improvements in cognitive domains and cerebrovascular regulation among middle-aged and older adults, according to a study published online May 13 in Neurology.
Burden of Osteoarthritis Increasing in Most Countries
WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The burden of osteoarthritis (OA) is increasing in most countries, according to a study published online May 12 in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
Risk Score May Predict Critical Illness at COVID-19 Admission
TUESDAY, May 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A risk score based on 10 factors can predict the risk for developing critical illness at COVID-19 admission, according to a study published online May 12 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
USPSTF Urges Behavioral Counseling for Those With CVD Risk
TUESDAY, May 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends behavioral counseling to promote a healthy lifestyle for adults at risk for cardiovascular disease. These recommendations form the basis of a draft recommendation statement published online May 12 by the USPSTF.
Draft Evidence Review
Draft Recommendation Statement
Comment on Recommendation Statement
Crude Link ID’d for Vitamin D Levels, COVID-19 Cases, Death
TUESDAY, May 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There is a crude correlation between vitamin D levels and the number of COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 mortality, according to a study published online May 6 in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.
Long-Term Flavonoid Intake Tied to Lower Alzheimer Risk
TUESDAY, May 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Higher long-term dietary intake of flavonoids is associated with lower risks for Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) in U.S. adults, according to a study published online April 22 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
SARS-CoV-2 Spreads Rapidly Through Skilled Nursing Facilities
MONDAY, May 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Rapid and widespread transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can occur in skilled nursing facilities, according to a study published online April 24 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Health Care Workers at Risk From Mental Burden of COVID-19
WEDNESDAY, May 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Health care workers and younger people have an increased risk for a psychological impact from COVID-19, according to a study published online April 14 in Psychology, Health & Medicine.
ACE Inhibitors, ARBs Not Linked to In-Hospital COVID-19 Death
WEDNESDAY, May 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Age and underlying cardiovascular disease are associated with in-hospital mortality in COVID-19, according to a study published online May 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Michigan Nursing Homes More Prepared for Pandemics Than in 2007
TUESDAY, May 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Michigan nursing homes (NHs) are better prepared for pandemics now than they were in 2007, according to a study published online April 15 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
L-Thyroxine Does Not Improve Subclinical Hypothyroidism in ≥65s
TUESDAY, May 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) — L-thyroxine does not improve hypothyroid symptoms or tiredness among older adults with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and high symptom burden, according to a study published online May 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
ACE Inhibitors, ARBs Not Linked to Risk for COVID-19
TUESDAY, May 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) and other classes of antihypertensive medications seem not to be associated with COVID-19, according to two studies published online May 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Testing, Prescribing Increase After Change to TSH Reference Range
MONDAY, May 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A minor planned decrease in the upper limit of the reference range for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) resulted in an increase in levothyroxine prescriptions and more TSH measurements, according to a study published in the May 4 issue of CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Guidelines Issued for Managing Eosinophilic Esophagitis
MONDAY, May 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Recommendations are presented for the management of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in clinical practice guidelines published in the May issue of Gastroenterology.
Guidelines (subscription or payment may be required)
Technical Review (subscription or payment may be required)
RV Strain on Echocardiogram May ID High-Risk COVID-19 Patients
FRIDAY, May 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Right ventricular longitudinal strain (RVLS) is a predictor of mortality in patients with COVID-19, according to a study published online April 28 in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.
Lower Lean Body Mass With Aging May Up Diabetes Incidence in Men
FRIDAY, May 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Changes in total lean body mass with aging are associated with the development of diabetes among men and women, according to a study published online April 30 in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
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