JAMA: Fixed Low-Dose Triple Combination Antihypertensive Medication vs Usual Care for Blood Pressure Control in Patients With Mild to Moderate Hypertension in Sri Lanka

Among patients with mild to moderate hypertension, treatment with a pill containing low doses of 3 antihypertensive drugs (20mg telmisartan, 2.5mg amlodipine, and 12.5mg chlorthalidone) led to an increased proportion of patients achieving their target BP goal vs usual care. Use of such medication as initial therapy or to replace monotherapy may be an effective way to improve BP control. Read More →

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Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: Use of Intensive Glycemic Management in Older Adults with Diabetes Mellitus

One‐quarter of U.S. older adults (75 years or older) with type 2 diabetes mellitus are tightly controlled (HbA1c < 7%) with glucose‐lowering medications that have a high risk of hypoglycemia (insulin, sulfonylurea, or meglitinide). These results suggest potential overtreatment of a substantial proportion of people and should encourage further efforts to translate guidelines to daily practice. Read More →

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FDA: Westminster Pharmaceuticals, LLC. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Levothyroxine and Liothyronine (Thyroid Tablets, USP) Due to Risk of Adulteration

Westminster Pharmaceuticals voluntarily recalled all lots, within expiry, of Levothyroxine and Liothyronine (Thyroid Tablets, USP) 15 mg, 30 mg, 60 mg, 90 mg, & 120 mg. These products are being recalled as a precaution because they were manufactured using active pharmaceutical ingredients that were sourced prior to the FDA’s Import Alert of Sichuan Friendly Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which as a result of a 2017 inspection were found to have deficiencies with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). Read More →

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CDC/APhA: Opioid Use Disorder Documented at Delivery Hospitalization — United States, 1999–2014

The prevalence of opioid use disorder more than quadrupled during 1999–2014 (from 1.5 per 1,000 delivery hospitalizations to 6.5). There is continued need for national, state, and provider efforts to prevent, monitor, and treat opioid use disorder among reproductive-aged and pregnant women, including better access to data in state prescription drug monitoring programs, increased screening for substance use disorders, use of medication-assisted therapy, and referrals for treating substance use disorders. Read More →

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The Lancet: Semaglutide versus dulaglutide once weekly in patients with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN 7): a randomised, open-label, phase 3b trial

Study showed that at low and high doses, semaglutide (Ozempic) was superior to dulaglutide (Trulicity) in improving glycemic control and reducing bodyweight, enabling a significantly greater number of patients with type 2 diabetes to achieve clinically meaningful glycemic targets and weight loss, with a similar safety profile. Read More →

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Sarah Dohl
BMJ: Cardiovascular outcomes associated with canagliflozin versus other non-gliflozin antidiabetic drugs: population based cohort study

A large population based cohort study, canagliflozin (Invokana) was associated with a 30% to 49% decreased risk of heart failure admission to hospital and with a similar risk of myocardial infarction or stroke as compared with three other non-gliflozin antidiabetic drugs (DPP-4 inhibitor, GLP-1 receptor agonist, sulfonylurea) as used in routine care. Read More →

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Sarah Dohl
Journal of the American Medical Association: Vitamin and Mineral Supplements What Clinicians Need to Know

Dietary supplementation is approximately a $30 billion industry in the United States, with more than 90 000 products on the market. In recent national surveys, 52% of US adults reported use of at least 1 supplement product, and 10% reported use of at least 4 such products.1 Vitamins and minerals are among the most popular supplements and are taken by 48% and 39% of adults, respectively, typically to maintain health and prevent disease.

Despite this enthusiasm, most randomized clinical trials of vitamin and mineral supplements have not demonstrated clear benefits for primary or secondary prevention of chronic diseases not related to nutritional deficiency. Indeed, some trials suggest that micronutrient supplementation in amounts that exceed the recommended dietary allowance (RDA)—eg, high doses of beta carotene, folic acid, vitamin E, or selenium—may have harmful effects, including increased mortality, cancer, and hemorrhagic stroke. Read More →

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Sarah Dohl
University of Michigan's National Poll on Health Aging: Trouble sleeping? Don't assume it's a normal part of aging

Sleep doesn’t come easily for nearly half of older Americans, and more than a third have resorted to some sort of medication to help them doze off at night, according to new results from the National Poll on Healthy Aging.

But most poll respondents said they hadn’t talked to their doctor about their sleep, even though more than a third said their sleep posed a problem. Half believe - incorrectly - that sleep problems just come naturally with age. The poll was conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, and is sponsored by AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M’s academic medical center. Read More →

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Sarah Dohl