Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . ” data-action=subscribe> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH, received bipartisan support from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee on Wednesday on her nomination for CDC director. Senators voted 13-10 in favor of advancing Schwartz’s nomination to the full senate, with all Republican members voting yes, along with Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine. Senators voted 13-10 in favor of advancing Schwartz’s nomination for CDC director to the full senate. The committee voted 12-11 along party lines to advance the nomination of Sean G. Kaufman, MPH, to serve as assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS. Both candidates will now be considered by the full senate for confirmation. Republicans control the Senate, and nominees only need a simple majority to be confirmed. [Editor’s note: This is a developing news story. Please check back soon for more details.] Sources/Disclosures Source: Nominations, S. 5038, S. 5046, S. 2511, S. 3010, S. 3589, S. 4097, S. 4689, S. 3333, S. 4965, and S. 3097. Senate HELP Committee. July 30, 2026. Ask a clinical question and tap into Healio AI’s knowledge base. PubMed, enrolling/recruiting trials, guidelines Clinical Guidance, Healio CME, FDA news Healio’s exclusive daily news coverage of clinical data Learn more Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . ” data-action=subscribe> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Source link

Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . “ data-action=”subscribe”> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Key takeaways: The U.S. Department of Justice charged 455 defendants for $6.5 billion in alleged false CMS claims. However, experts urged for distinction between fraud and mistakes driven by regulatory complexity. On June 23, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had charged 455 defendants, including 90 physicians and other licensed health care professionals, with more than $6.5 billion in health care fraud and prescription opioid diversion. The 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown included all 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units, international law enforcement partners and seizures totaling more than $182 million in assets, according to the DOJ. Attorney Mark J. Silberman, JD, vice chair of the health care practice group at Benesch law firm, compared the fraud enforcement action to photos of seized contraband taken by law enforcement after drug busts. Mark J. Silberman, JD “This is the health care fraud equivalent, with the exception that it’s like they took a year and a half’s worth of cases and piled them up on one table,” Silberman told Healio. “As someone who represents lots of providers, institutions, businesses and systems in these types of cases, the government has every right to audit and make sure that they’re getting the benefit of their bargain,” he added. “But missing in these efforts is an independent assessment distinguishing between an effort to defraud the government and an honest mistake that results from an unnecessary, complex regulatory structure.” Federal investigations into potential CMS fraud continue. In July, CMS and HHS deferred over $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota pending receipt of further documentation. Compared with last year’s Medicare and Medicaid fraud investigation — which involved 324 defendants and $14.6 billion in losses — the 2026 operation was larger in scale but smaller in dollar value. Although only 90 defendants were doctors or other medical professionals, CMS took action to suspend or revoke billing privileges for nearly 2,500 clinicians. “They’re not going to be allowed to see patients with government insurance, and in many respects, they’re basically put out of business,” Allan Gibofsky, MD, JD, MACR, FACP, FCLM, professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, told Healio. Fraud or ‘honest mistake’? Silberman noted that while large-scale Medicare and Medicaid fraud enforcement actions are not unique to the Trump administration, this year’s results are “not unexpected, if you consider the pressure the current administration has been giving on increasing health care fraud enforcement.” Among the fraudulent actions alleged: $38 million in adult day-care overbilling for services that were never provided in New York, a $49 million crisis stabilization services scam targeting the homeless in Virginia and $44 million in fraudulent behavioral-health claims in Arizona. These cases make up a fraction of the alleged $6.5 billion in fraud identified in the investigation. “While the $6.5 billion figure certainly includes allegations of actual fraud — people making up services or services that weren’t provided — a portion of this is framed as fraud that are actually cases that involve some hyper-technical regulatory violation or documentation errors,” Silberman said. Investigative methodology is evolving, too, as AI and data analytic tools are increasingly being used to identify suspicious billing activity. “The government is not concerned about an honest mistake, but a pattern of honest mistakes will be looked at as the possibility of a non-honest mistake,” Gibofsky said. “That’s where the average practitioner begins to get into murky and deeper waters.” Small errors can snowball into larger problems over time. “You don’t make 1,000 mistakes in health care,” Silberman said. “You make one mistake, which gets repeated 1,000 times, because if you set up your documentation wrong or misunderstand one of the complex rules and regulations, then it gets repeated every single time you see a patient.” Protecting practices, patients Clinicians can take steps to safeguard their legal use of Medicare and Medicaid programs. An honest mistake is more likely to be viewed as honest if clinicians maintain solid documentation verification and data integrity, according to Peter Justen, founder and CEO of AmeriTrust Solutions, a company that helps streamline Medicaid intake processes and catch improper payments. Peter Justen “The strongest fraud prevention strategy is to reduce opportunities for bad information to enter the system, and if I were a clinician, that’s where I would start,” Justen said. “Prevention is always less expensive than recovery.” Clinicians should ensure patients are receiving appropriate care at their practices, as well as outside vendors and institutions to which they are referred. “When referring a patient for durable goods, services or specialized care, [ensure] the suppliers are bonafide and not a storefront, which may entrap the patient in a kickback or rebate scheme, denying the patient the services that the practitioners seek to provide,” Gibofsky said. He identified several areas of concern for the average practitioner. “Know who you’re referring to, don’t provide more services than you say you are, don’t allow your billing company — many people use third-party companies — to up-code, particularly if you are reimbursing them on a portion of recovery,” Gibofsky said. While AI scribes have been helpful in reducing burnout among clinicians, they do carry risks when unmonitored. “[Clinicians] have to be certain — particularly if they’re using electronic scribes — that the information they’re entering into the medical record is accurate and complete,” Gibofsky said. “Artificial intelligence has been known to hallucinate and make things up, and once you put something into the record, it’s very difficult to get out.” Gibofsky emphasized that physicians become responsible for everything in the medical record after they have signed off on it. Silberman also advised clinicians

English La EPOC afecta a millones de adultos, pero muchas personas no saben mucho sobre esta enfermedad hasta que ellos o un ser querido recibe ese diagnóstico. Aquí encontrarás respuestas de preguntas frecuentes sobre la EPOC, quién tiene riesgo y qué es útil realmente. ¿Qué es la EPOC y qué síntomas se manifiestan primero? La EPOC, o enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica, es un trastorno pulmonar frecuente que hace más estrechas las vías respiratorias y dificulta la respiración con el tiempo. Incluye a la bronquitis crónica y al enfisema, trastornos que cambian la estructura de los pulmones. Los síntomas comunes incluyen una tos que produce mucosidad (frecuentemente peor en las mañanas), dificultad para respirar cuando se sube usando las escaleras o cuando se camina cuesta arriba y sibilancia, dijo Suman Paul, M.D., especialista de EPOC y consultor de medicina respiratoria. Los síntomas tienden a empeorar con el tiempo y las personas podrían tener crisis, denominadas agravamientos, cuando los síntomas empeoran drástica y repentinamente. Las primeras señales pueden pasar desapercibidas fácilmente. “Muchos síntomas tempranos de la EPOC pueden ser muy sutiles; por lo que los pacientes podrían no notarlos”, dijo Blen Tesfu, M.D., médica y activista de la salud de la mujer. Las personas podrían notar una tos leve, más mucosidad en las mañanas o falta de aliento durante actividades cotidianas. ¿Cuáles son las cuatro etapas de la EPOC? Los profesionales clínicos clasifican la EPOC en función de una prueba respiratoria que mide cuánto aire puedes exhalar en un segundo (volumen espiratorio forzado en un segundo o VEF1). Según las pautas de COPD Global Initiative for Lung Disease (GOLD): Etapa 1 (leve): El VEF1 es 80% o más de lo que se espera para tu edad y tamaño Etapa 2 (moderada): El VEF1 es entre el 50 y 79% Etapa 3 (grave): El VEF1 es entre el 30 y 49% Etapa 4 (muy grave): El FEV1 está por debajo del 30% o del 50% con insuficiencia respiratoria crónica ¿Cuáles son los factores de riesgo de la EPOC? Fumar es el principal factor de riesgo de la EPOC, presente en aproximadamente 8 de cada 10 casos. Estar expuesto a tabaquismo pasivo a largo plazo también eleva el riesgo, según Tesfu. A pesar de eso, factores biológicos y hormonales hacen que mujeres no fumadoras reciban diagnósticos de EPOC. De hecho, más de 8 de cada 10 no fumadores que tienen EPOC son mujeres. Otros factores de riesgo conocidos de la EPOC son, entre otros: Exposición en el lugar de trabajo a polvo, humo y químicos, incluyendo polvo de sílice y concreto Contaminación del aire en exteriores y mala calidad del aire en interiores Quema de madera o biocombustible para cocinar Antecedentes de asma no controlada o de tuberculosis con lesiones pulmonares Algunos riesgos empiezan durante la niñez. Según Paul, los pulmones empiezan a desarrollarse en el vientre y siguen desarrollándose hasta aproximadamente los 25 años. Cualquier lesión de los pulmones debido a infecciones virales recurrentes, asma infantil, tabaquismo materno durante el embarazo, peso bajo al nacimiento o nacimientos prematuros puede hacer que tus pulmones no funcionen normalmente y podrían hacerte más propensa a que desarrolles EPOC en la adultez. Una evaluación sistemática determinó que estas exposiciones en las primeras etapas de la vida incrementan de manera importante las posibilidades de desarrollar EPOC en etapas posteriores, con infecciones graves, tales como la bronquitis y la neumonía que duplican el riesgo y el asma que incrementa el riesgo de 3 a 10 veces más. ¿Qué papel juega la genética en el riesgo de EPOC? Los genes pueden afectar el riesgo de EPOC de varias formas. El ejemplo más conocido es un trastorno hereditario infrecuente denominado deficiencia de alfa-1 antitripsina. “Personas con deficiencia de alfa-1 antitripsina tienen un mayor riesgo de desarrollar enfermedades pulmonares obstructivas crónicas a edades tempranas independientemente de si fumaron o no”, dijo Tesfu. Aparte de ese gen específico, investigaciones han identificado más de 80 tipos de genes comunes asociados a EPOC. Muchos de ellos afectan el desarrollo pulmonar durante la niñez, lo cual explica por qué algunos fumadores desarrollan EPOC mientras que otros no. ¿Cuáles son los peligros de la pérdida de la función pulmonar? A medida que la EPOC empeora, respirar se vuelve más difícil y el cuerpo debe esforzarse más para mantener el paso. “Cuando la función pulmonar, específicamente el VEF1 disminuye, se vuelve difícil para el paciente inhalar y exhalar aire a través de las estrechas vías respiratorias”, dijo Paul. “Esto incrementa el esfuerzo respiratorio”. Una menor función pulmonar se asocia a más hospitalizaciones, problemas cardíacos y muertes prematuras, incluso cuando la pérdida de su función es leve, según un estudio internacional importante. La neumonía se vuelve una amenaza más importante porque las vías respiratorias lesionadas atrapan la mucosidad, se inflaman y pierden algunas de sus defensas naturales. Y ciertas bacterias pueden empezar a asentarse en los pulmones y causar infecciones que son difíciles de tratar, dijo Paul. ¿Como puedes aliviar los síntomas de la EPOC? La rehabilitación pulmonar, que comúnmente dura de 8 a 12 semanas, es uno de los tratamientos más efectivos para la EPOC. “La rehabilitación pulmonar es un programa médico supervisado e individualizado que combina asistencia personalizada educativa, de comportamiento y de entrenamiento de ejercicios para personas con enfermedades pulmonares crónicas tales como la EPOC o fibrosis pulmonar”, dijo Noah Greenspan, DPT, fundador de Pulmonary Wellness Foundation. “Su meta es reducir los síntomas, incrementar la resistencia física, mejorar la calidad de vida y reducir las hospitalizaciones”. Estudios demuestran que la rehabilitación pulmonar incrementa la distancia que puede caminarse, alivia la dificultad para respirar y mejora el bienestar general en comparación con la atención normal. También reduce las probabilidades de tener que regresar al hospital después de una crisis. Greenspan dijo que muchas personas que viven con EPOC quedan atrapadas en lo que denominó el “ciclo de disnea” en el cual las personas evitan las actividades físicas debido a la dificultad para respirar, lo cual, a su vez, debilita los músculos más y dificulta la respiración

English Tener más edad es un privilegio, pero envejecer no es fácil necesariamente. A mayor edad, más elevado es el riesgo de ciertas enfermedades. Este es el caso para muchos tipos de cáncer, incluyendo para algunos tipos de leucemia. La “leucemia” es un término que incluye los cánceres de sangre y de los tejidos que producen la sangre. Más específicamente, las leucemias afectan a las células sanguíneas y a la médula ósea (el tejido suave y graso dentro de tus huesos). Algunos tipos de leucemia son más frecuentes en los niños, pero cualquier persona puede desarrollar ese trastorno. Si bien la leucemia es el 10º cáncer más frecuente en Estados Unidos, todavía se considera algo infrecuente en comparación con otros cánceres, contribuyendo con el 3% de todos los casos de cáncer. Al igual que la mayoría de cánceres, detectar la leucemia en etapas tempranas puede implicar mejores desenlaces clínicos. Aquí encontrarás lo que debes saber sobre los factores de riesgo, síntomas, tipos, tratamientos de la leucemia y más. ¿Qué es la leucemia? La leucemia es un trastorno que hace que el cuerpo produzca demasiados leucocitos perjudiciales para la salud. Los leucocitos son parte del sistema inmunitario del cuerpo y son críticos para la protección contra infecciones y enfermedades. Usualmente se propagan y se dividen en forma ordenada, pero con los cambios producidos por la leucemia, los leucocitos anormales, que ahora son células leucémicas, tienen un comportamiento anormal y no mueren cuando deberían hacerlo. Las células leucémicas son usualmente leucocitos inmaduros, lo cual significa que todavía están en desarrollo. A medida que se multiplican, empiezan a superar el número de las células saludables y a desplazarlas. Los leucocitos se forman en la médula ósea, por lo cual la leucemia también afecta a tejidos suaves que producen sangre. Si bien la leucemia empieza en la médula ósea, puede propagarse a otros lugares, incluyendo al sistema linfático, al bazo y a otros tejidos. ¿Qué causa la leucemia? El cáncer usualmente es producto de mutaciones (modificaciones) genéticas que hacen que las células se multipliquen sin control. En el caso de la leucemia, el ADN de los leucocitos cambia, causando un desarrollo anormal. Sin embargo, la causa exacta de la leucemia se desconoce. Desencadenantes ambientales o la genética podrían hacer que algunas personas sean más propensas a desarrollar leucemia. Tipos de leucemia Hay varios tipos de leucemia que se clasifican en función del tipo de células sanguíneas que afectan y de la velocidad con la que se desarrollan. La leucemia linfocítica o mielógena se refiere al cáncer de los leucocitos linfocíticos o mielógenos, respectivamente. El otro método para clasificar a la leucemia toma en cuenta si progresa rápida (aguda) o lentamente (crónica). La combinación de estos factores definen a los cuatro tipos más frecuentes de leucemia: La leucemia linfocítica aguda (LLA), cáncer de desarrollo rápido de los leucocitos linfocíticos La leucemia mielógena aguda (LMA), cáncer de desarrollo rápido de los leucocitos mielógenos La leucemia linfocítica crónica (LLC), cáncer de desarrollo lento de los leucocitos linfocíticos La leucemia mielógena crónica (LMC), cáncer de desarrollo lento de los leucocitos mielógenos De estos, la LLC es la más frecuente en adultos y la LLA es la más frecuente en niños. Factores de riesgo de la leucemia Cualquier persona puede desarrollar leucemia, pero los factores de riesgo de ese trastorno son, entre otros: Fumar Exposición a ciertos químicos Antecedentes de quimioterapia Exposición a radiación Trastornos congénitos, tales como el síndrome de Down Ciertos trastornos sanguíneos Antecedentes de leucemia Etnicidad o raza Edad Síntomas de la leucemia Los síntomas de la leucemia tienden a manifestarse más rápido en casos agudos o de desarrollo rápido. Las leucemias crónicas o de desarrollo lento podrían no manifestar síntomas durante años. Los síntomas podrían variar dependiendo del tipo, pero los síntomas frecuentes de la leucemia son, entre otros: Anemia Sangrar fácilmente Moretones Infecciones Fatiga Sudores nocturnos Disminución de peso sin causa aparente Tener estos síntomas no significa necesariamente que tengas leucemia, pero si sientes que algo está mal, es importante que te examinen. ¿Cómo se diagnostica la leucemia? iStock.com/Md Saiful Islam Khan Los síntomas generales de la leucemia pueden dificultar su detección. Para algunas personas, toma algún tiempo para que les diagnostiquen. Para otras, ese trastorno se identifica accidentalmente. Por ejemplo, los síntomas de leucemias agudas se manifiestan repentinamente, lo cual podría provocar una consulta con un profesional clínico pronto. Por otro lado, los síntomas de leucemias crónicas se manifiestan más lentamente, por lo cual podrían no detectarse por meses o incluso años. Las pruebas de la leucemia incluyen análisis de sangre y de la médula ósea. Si tienes leucemia, los análisis de sangre mostrarán niveles anormales de células sanguíneas o plaquetas. Las pruebas de la médula ósea implican tomar una muestra de tu médula ósea de tu hueso ilíaco para ver si hay células leucémicas, y si es así, qué tipo de células son. ¿Cómo se trata la leucemia? Los planes terapéuticos de la leucemia varían de persona a persona dependiendo de algunos factores, tales como la edad, el tipo de leucemia y si causa síntomas. Tratamientos comunes para la leucemia incluyen: Para algunas personas que tienen remisión, podría requerirse un tratamiento continuo para evitar que el cáncer reaparezca. Tasa de supervivencia de la leucemia No hay una cura universal para la leucemia, pero muchas personas tienen remisiones completas, lo cual también se denomina que no hay evidencia de ese trastorno, es decir, decir que no hay señales de leucemia en tu cuerpo. La mayoría de leucemias pediátricas pueden curarse, con una tasa de supervivencia a 5 años de aproximadamente el 90% para las LLA infantiles. Para los adultos que tienen LLC, la tasa de supervivencia depende de lo que los profesionales clínicos denominan el puntaje pronóstico de una persona. De manera general, cuanto menor sea ese puntaje, mayor será la probabilidad de supervivencia de una persona. La LLC tiene una tasa de supervivencia a 5 años de aproximadamente el 90% y esas tasas han aumentado en años recientes. Este recurso educativo

Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . “ data-action=”subscribe”> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Key takeaways: Cyclosporiasis and cryptosporidiosis share many similarities. An ID expert called one of them the “lesser of two evils.” As the cyclosporiasis outbreak in the U.S. continues to grow, we were reminded of another, similar sounding intestinal pathogen that frequently causes outbreaks of diarrhea in the summer. It is called cryptosporidiosis — often shortened to crypto. Just like cyclosporiasis, crypto is caused by a microscopic parasite that leaves its sufferer with brutal bouts of diarrhea. Data derived from CDC. “It can be very confusing for sure,” Thomas A. Moore, MD, FACP, FIDSA, said of the two illnesses with similar names, culprits and symptoms. But as comparable as the two may be, Moore also noted that there are distinct differences, starting with the respective parasites: Cyclospora and Cryptosporidium. “The parasites look almost identical,” Moore, a clinical professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, told Healio. However, “Cyclospora is larger than Cryptosporidium. Cyclospora typically just inhabits the intestines while Cryptosporidium invades the intestinal lining.” How are they transmitted? Another difference is the time it takes for each to be infectious. According to a study of Peruvian children published in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal in 2002, Cryptosporidium is much more easily transmitted from person to person because it is infectious as soon as it is excreted, whereas Cyclospora requires a period of time to become infectious, which means people are far more likely to get it from food or water than another person. Indeed, cyclosporiasis is usually transmitted when a person eats food or drinks water contaminated with human feces containing Cyclospora, according to the CDC. In the current outbreak, federal health officials traced cases to iceberg lettuce sourced from a central Mexico facility where the lettuce was sprayed with tainted water. People usually get crypto through swallowing fecal-contaminated water, often from recreational venues such as swimming pools, water parks and splash pads where another swimmer with infectious diarrhea has been in the water. “You are not supposed to put your kids who have diarrhea in swimming pools. They have some anal leakage. There’s probably no way to politely say that. It does happen, and it happens every summer,” Moore said. Which is more common? The current cyclosporiasis outbreak includes 1,947 lab-confirmed cases in nine states with 98 hospitalizations and zero deaths, according to the CDC, but thousands more cases are suspected. (The CDC said it has confirmed more than 6,700 cases of cyclosporiasis overall in the U.S. since May 1.) There were approximately 2,800 cyclosporiasis cases reported annually in the U.S. between 2016 and 2023, per CDC surveillance data. Cryptosporidiosis is much more common, with an estimated 823,000 cases occurring in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC. However, only a small percentage are confirmed — around 12,600 in 2022, for example — because most people are not tested or diagnosed. Moore noted that there was an outbreak of crypto that infected 400,000 people in the Milwaukee metro area in 1993, ultimately leading to improved water treatment and monitoring. “I’ll say this about outbreaks,” Moore said, “they are never good, but we do learn from them.” How are they treated? The CDC recommends trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, a combination antibiotic used to treat and prevent bacterial infections, as the preferred medication for cyclosporiasis. The agency notes that most healthy people will recover without medical intervention. According to the CDC, crypto treatment largely focuses on hydration and symptom management. Although the antiprotozoal medication nitazoxanide is routinely prescribed for healthy individuals with crypto, its effectiveness in treating immunocompromised patients remains unclear, the CDC says. Moore said there are “significantly less” treatment options for crypto and that cyclosporiasis is “curable with oral antibiotics that are readily available and cheap.” Which one is worse? Both cyclosporiasis and cryptosporidiosis cause prolonged bouts of watery diarrhea and gastrointestinal distress, but cyclosporiasis is uniquely known for relapse, whereas crypto often features more prominent vomiting and dehydration, the CDC reports. Moore called cyclosporiasis “the lesser of two evils” due to available treatments. For more information: Thomas A. Moore, MD, FACP, FIDSA, can be reached at infectiousdisease@healio.com. Published by: Sources/Disclosures Source: Healio Interviews References: Bern C, et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2001;doi:10.3201/eid0806.010331. Clinical care of crypto. https://www.cdc.gov/cryptosporidium/hcp/clinical-care/index.html. Published June 25, 2025. Accessed July 29, 2026. Cryptosporidiosis NNDSS summary report for 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-water-data/documentation/cryptosporidiosis-nndss-summary-report-for-2022.html. Published Sept. 11, 2025. Accessed July 26, 2026. CDC. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1994;43(31):561-3. CDC. NNDSS Annual Summary Data 2016-2023 Results. https://wonder.cdc.gov/controller/saved/D130/D513F661. Accessed July 29, 2026. Surveillance of cyclosporiasis. https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html. Updated July 28, 2026. Accessed July 29, 2026. Treating crypto. https://www.cdc.gov/cryptosporidium/treatment/index.html. Published June 4, 2025. Accessed July 29, 2026. Widodo WT, et al. Open Vet J. 2025;doi:10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i10.3. Wikipedia. 1993 Milwaukee cryptosporidiosis outbreak. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Milwaukee_cryptosporidiosis_outbreak. Accessed July 29, 2026. Disclosures: Moore reports no relevant financial disclosures. Ask a clinical question and tap into Healio AI’s knowledge base. PubMed, enrolling/recruiting trials, guidelines Clinical Guidance, Healio CME, FDA news Healio’s exclusive daily news coverage of clinical data Learn more Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . “ data-action=”subscribe”> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Source link

English Todos hemos experimentado la sensación incómoda de ir urgentemente al baño. ¡Y todos hemos reído tanto que hemos tenido filtraciones pequeñas de orina, y con algo de suerte, esas carcajadas valieron la pena! Pero, ¿qué pasaría si descubres que tienes ganas repentinas y urgentes de orinar incluso cuando tu vejiga no está llena? ¿O si las ganas de orinar no paran? Esa es la realidad para 2 de cada 5 mujeres que viven con vejiga hiperactiva (VHA). La VHA ocurre a menudo a personas de más de 65 años, pero muchas mujeres la experimentan antes, entre los 40 y 60 años. Tener VHA puede afectar tu sueño, tu horario cotidiano, tus planes sociales y de viajes, y tu vida sexual. Las buenas noticias son que hay cambios de estilo de vida y tratamientos que pueden ser útiles. El primer paso es hablar con tu profesional clínico. El proceso de diagnóstico implica usualmente que tu profesional clínico evalúe tus síntomas y antecedentes médicos, y a veces un análisis de orina. Sugerimos que te prepares para la consulta manteniendo un diario de la vejiga que será útil para que tu profesional clínico conozca bien los síntomas que estás experimentando. Puedes usar el diario para monitorear lo que bebes, cuándo lo haces y con qué frecuencia tienes ganas de orinar. Cuando te estés preparando para una consulta con tu profesional clínico, revisa la siguiente lista de preguntas para que puedas recibir todas las respuestas que necesitas para tener alivio durante tu consulta. Incluso puedes descargar la guía, imprimirla y llevarla contigo o ingresar la información usando tu teléfono. Recurso descargable: Preguntas que puedes hacer sobre vejigas hiperactivas >> Antes de tu consulta Considera como VHA te afecta, para que puedas hablar de estos factores con tu profesional clínico: ¿Cuántas veces al día orinas normalmente? ☐ 7 o menos veces al día ☐ 8 o más veces al día ¿Cuántas veces te levantas en la noche para orinar? ☐ 0 a 1 vez en la noche ☐ 2 o más veces en la noche ¿Sientes ganas de orinar que son difíciles de controlar frecuentemente? ☐ siempre ☐ frecuentemente ☐ ocasionalmente ☐ infrecuentemente ☐ nunca ¿Tiene filtraciones de orina frecuentemente porque no puedes controlar la urgencia? ☐ siempre ☐ frecuentemente ☐ ocasionalmente ☐ infrecuentemente ☐ nunca ¿Afecta la VHA tu vida cotidiana, es decir, afecta tu trabajo, tus pasatiempos, tu tiempo con familiares y amigos, o tus tareas cotidianas? ☐siempre ☐ frecuentemente ☐ ocasionalmente ☐ infrecuentemente ☐ nunca ¿Cambias planes de viaje por tu VHA? ☐ siempre ☐ frecuentemente ☐ ocasionalmente ☐ infrecuentemente ☐ nunca ¿Afecta la VHA tu vida sexual? ☐ siempre ☐ frecuentemente ☐ ocasionalmente ☐ infrecuentemente ☐ nunca ¿Ha afectado la VHA tu salud mental? ☐ siempre ☐ frecuentemente ☐ ocasionalmente ☐ infrecuentemente ☐ nunca En tu consulta Preguntas para tu profesional clínico sobre VHA ¿Qué factores, tales como la menopausia, la dieta o medicamentos, pueden contribuir con mi VHA? ¿Necesito pruebas de diagnóstico específicas, tales como un análisis de orina, ecografías o una prueba de volumen residual posmiccional (VRP)? ¿Qué opciones terapéuticas hay para controlar mis síntomas de VHA? ¿Debo tener consultas con un especialista? Si es así, ¿con qué tipo de especialista debo tener consultas? ¿Hay cambios de mi estilo de vida que sean útiles para prevenir o aliviar los síntomas? Preguntas que deberías considerar cuando escojas un tratamiento ¿Cuánto tiempo pasará hasta que el tratamiento alivie mis síntomas? ¿Son los tratamientos diarios, semanales o tienen otra frecuencia? ¿Son los tratamientos orales, tópicos o mediante inyecciones? ¿Son útiles los dispositivos de neuroestimulación y, si es así, debería considerar uno? ¿Qué efectos colaterales puedo esperar del tratamiento? ¿Recomienda un tratamiento específico más que otro? ¿Necesito tratamiento por el resto de mi vida? ¿Hay riesgos o complicaciones con ciertos tratamientos? ¿Qué pasa si el tratamiento no funciona? ¿Cuáles son los siguientes pasos que debería tomar? Este recurso educativo se preparó con el apoyo de Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. From Your Site Articles Related Articles Around the Web Source link

Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . “ data-action=”subscribe”> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Key takeaways: Patient-authored portal messages have increased substantially since 2020. Office visits also have risen during that time. Patient portal messaging is not replacing in-person care. It is adding to it. An evaluation of 2,000 hospitals and 40,000 clinics showed patient-authored messages have increased more than 150% since the start of 2020. Office visits increased 17% during the same time. Data derived from Long JJ, et al. JAMA. 2026;doi:10.1001/jama.2026.8690. Michal A. Mankowski, PhD  “Physicians and health care systems have to be ready for the increasing volume of patient messaging,” Michal A. Mankowski, PhD, assistant professor of surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told Healio. “It’s not something we can ignore. It has to be incorporated in workflows. It’s a burden.” ‘Quite a bit of work’ Healio has previously reported how increases in patient messaging have added to clinician workloads. “Messages can feel deceptively simple,” Jane J. Long, MD, general surgery resident at Mayo Clinic, told Healio. “From a patient perspective, it’s very convenient to be able to message instead of calling or scheduling a visit. It might seem like this is an easy way to get a quick response, but from our perspective, a simple question can be more work than people realize. “We have to review their chart. What medications are they on? Oftentimes, we have to coordinate with the rest of the team or talk to the attending. It might seem like a minute or two to write that message, but there’s quite a bit of work that goes into it.” Patient-initiated messages to oncologists increased 34% between 2019 and 2022, according to data published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Mankowski and colleagues wanted to determine how increases in messaging across health care impacted other communication modalities. They conducted a cross-sectional analysis of electronic health record data from 2,067 hospitals and 47,100 clinics to investigate. National trends in patient portal messaging, office visits, and telehealth and telephone encounters served as the primary endpoint. No plateau The number of active patients increased approximately 50% from the first quarter of 2020 (94.3 million) to the final quarter of 2025 (140.5 million). During that time, researchers identified 1.34 billion patient-authored messages, 3.25 billion clinician/staff-authored messages, 1.77 billion office visits, 1.59 billion telephone interactions and 146 million telehealth encounters. Annual patient-authored messages increased 153% between 2020 (0.99 per patient) and 2025 (2.5 per patient), and clinician/staff-authored messages rose 24% (4.59 to 5.7 per patient), with a peak of 6.86 per patient in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among patients who sent at least one message, intensity increased 146% during the study period — from 2.2 to 5.4 messages per sender per year. “We didn’t see any plateau yet,” Mankowski said. The increase in messaging coincided with a slight decline in telephone encounters (2.33 to 2.2), but an increase in office visits (2.37 to 2.77). “Patient portal messages are an extra modality, not a replacement of other modalities,” Mankowski said. “What we’re finding is it’s just another means to ask more questions and continue to receive care in addition to office visits,” Long added. “There is a concern that there is just going to be more and more.” Of 139.4 million active patients in the first quarter of 2025, researchers identified 41.8 million message senders. Messaging varied significantly based on age and rurality (P < .001). Women had a significantly higher likelihood of being senders (33% vs. 26.1%; P < .001), as did those living in the lowest quartile of social vulnerability index quartile vs. those in the highest (36.7% vs. 25.2%; P < .001). As of 2025, telehealth visits made up just 0.19 visits per patient annually. “We were surprised with the telehealth,” Mankowski said. “We were expecting it to keep growing and it’s stayed at the same level for years.” Researchers acknowledged study limitations, including patient network changes potentially impacting trends. ‘I expect them to grow’ Mankowski expects messaging trends to continue upward in the future. “Most of messages are uncompensated and free to send by patients,” he said. “Unless there is a push to charge patients for those messages, I expect them to grow.” Long noted health care systems should investigate which communication modalities their patients use most often to optimize their workflows. This research also could include how communication changes based on specialty. “My hope is that we’re going to be able to better understand who is best served by each modality,” Long said. “Who is getting the best care from messaging? Who might need a phone call more? Who may need more frequent office visits? I can only hope that in the future, communication modality is tailored to patient preference and needs, because I don’t see anything going away. Having options is convenient. It’s nice to be able to reach your teams in so many different ways. “Health care systems are going to need to adapt and figure out what workflow is best for how their teams are set up and how they work. How can they better support clinicians and staff?” For more information: Jane J. Long, MD, can be reached at jane.long@nyulangone.org. Michal A. Mankowski, PhD, can be reached at michal.mankowski@nyulangone.org. Published by: Ask a clinical question and tap into Healio AI’s knowledge base. PubMed, enrolling/recruiting trials, guidelines Clinical Guidance, Healio CME, FDA news Healio’s exclusive daily news coverage of clinical data Learn more Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on

Once considered a rare condition, cases of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are becoming more common. More than 470,000 people in the United States are living with EoE, a chronic inflammatory condition of the esophagus that causes symptoms that can disrupt daily life. A proactive approach to care can help you stay ahead of EoE, letting you live your life without being defined by your illness. Understanding EoE EoE affects your esophagus, the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach. It happens when your immune system floods this tube with white blood cells in response to certain allergens, an abnormal reaction known as type 2 inflammation. Over time, white blood cells called eosinophils build up in the lining of your esophagus, causing swelling that can lead to EoE symptoms. For adults, the most common symptom of EoE is trouble swallowing, also known as dysphagia. Other symptoms of EoE may include: Chest pain Food getting stuck in the throat after swallowing (impaction) Food coming back up after swallowing (regurgitation) Heartburn Stomach pain These symptoms may be constant or come and go, but EoE is a lifelong chronic disease — and that means treating it is a lifelong commitment. Taking steps to proactively manage your EoE, even when you’re not having symptoms, can help you control the condition better. Why endoscopy matters If you have EoE, your doctor probably used an endoscope to diagnose it. This long, skinny tube with tools like a light and camera is used to look at the lining of your esophagus. It can also collect tissue samples that contain clues about your condition. The name of the procedure where your doctor uses an endoscope is called an endoscopy. Getting an endoscopy on a regular basis — even when you feel fine — is important for staying on top of EoE. “In order to assess EoE, three areas need to be measured: symptoms, endoscopy (how the esophagus looks) and histology (what’s on the biopsy),” said Evan Dellon, M.D., director of the Center for Esophageal Diseases and Swallowing at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. “The reason for this is that symptoms are not always a reliable indicator of how active EoE is.” A patient may feel well, but their esophagus can still show signs of EoE activity. Or a patient may have a lot of symptoms even when the esophagus and biopsies look pretty good. Dellon suggests that people with EoE get an endoscopy after any change in treatment, whether starting something new or tweaking their current approach. “We also recommend performing endoscopy even after things are controlled to make sure treatments are still working, but the time frame for this is individualized based on a patient’s specific disease characteristics,” Dellon said. Know the signs of EoE In addition to getting an endoscopy, you can stay on top of your EoE by knowing how to tell if your treatment isn’t working. “Typically if a treatment is working well, symptoms should ultimately be improved … with the endoscopy and biopsies improving as well,” Dellon said. “If [symptoms were previously improved], but now symptoms — for example food sticking or trouble swallowing — return, then that’s a sign that the treatment may not be working.” Flexibility is key when it comes to EoE Nothing stays the same in life, and this often includes your EoE treatment needs. The treatment that has always worked well for you may stop working, or new treatments may become available. Or you may decide you want to try a different treatment option and see what happens. Life changes can also dictate a shift in how you manage your EoE. These may include: Economic or insurance changes Going to college Moving Pregnancy An unpredictable schedule “For example, someone who is in college may not want or be able to do diet elimination and opt for a medication for EoE,” Dellon said. “However, after graduation and when things are more stable with a job, that same person may want to try to be off medications and try diet elimination as a treatment.” Knowing that EoE — or life — may throw you a curveball can help you cope if the need for treatment changes arises. Navigating EoE treatment with clear communication As you travel through life with EoE, it’s important to be clear with your care team about what matters to you. Communicating your treatment priorities can help your clinicians and you put together a plan that meets your needs. “One tenet of the way we currently approach treatment in EoE is with shared decision-making,” Dellon said. There are several safe and effective options for treating EoE, and which one is best for you mostly depends on your preferences and priorities. Determining which treatment is best for you requires good communication between you and your clinician. “Healthcare providers need to give enough information about treatment options so there can be a discussion and a patient can come to a decision.” It’s also important to understand that treating your EoE may involve tradeoffs. For example, Dellon said patients may need to choose between using a medication that is inexpensive but also less effective and one that costs more but may work better. Read: How Shared Decision-Making Can Lead to Better Healthcare >> Staying the course Though EoE is a lifelong chronic condition, it can be managed — as long as you keep treating it. “Though there’s no cure right now, we have multiple safe and effective treatments,” Dellon said. “But they do have to be taken long-term because we know that EoE will almost universally flare up again when treatments are stopped.” This educational resource was created with support from Sanofi and Regeneron. From Your Site Articles Related Articles Around the Web Source link

If your social media feed has anything to say about it, berberine can do just about everything: stabilize blood sugar, lower cholesterol, help with weight loss, improve heart and gut health, lower your risk of Alzheimer’s and more. Some creators have even dubbed it “nature’s Ozempic,” which is quite the resume for a bitter yellow powder that comes from plant roots. Berberine has actually been around for a long time. It’s a natural compound found in the bark and roots of plants like barberry, goldenseal and goldthread, and it’s been a staple of traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. The supplement aisle is just now catching up. The buzz is loud, so we dug into the research to find out what berberine can actually do and what women in midlife should know before trying it. What do people take berberine for? Most people use berberine to help with metabolic health, for reasons like keeping blood sugar and insulin levels steady, lowering cholesterol, managing weight and helping with digestion. Some research shows the supplement may be beneficial for cardiovascular and liver health as well. For women in midlife, berberine is especially interesting because many of the potential benefits may help with metabolic changes that tend to show up during perimenopause and menopause, like increased insulin resistance, higher cholesterol and stubborn weight gain that are all common as estrogen levels drop. What forms does berberine come in? You can buy berberine as capsules, tablets, extract powders or liquid, with capsules and tablets being the most popular. In most research studies, the dose has been 900 mg to 1,500 mg per day, usually divided into two or three doses and taken for one to three months. What does science say about berberine? Several reviews of high-quality studies show that berberine does have some real benefits. It can help lower fasting blood sugar, insulin levels and A1c (which is basically your average blood sugar over a few months) in people with metabolic disorders. Research also shows that the supplement may help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels while giving a small boost to “good” HDL cholesterol. As for weight loss? Some study participants saw a drop in BMI or waist size, especially if they had metabolic syndrome — but it was usually pretty modest. The bottom line is that, while the effects are real, they aren’t magic. Berberine isn’t a substitute for medications your doctor prescribes or for foundational habits like eating well and staying active. It’s also important to keep in mind that the research is still evolving. A lot of the studies so far have been small or didn’t last very long, so researchers are still figuring out exactly how effective it is for everyone in the long run. What midlife women should know about berberine Researchers haven’t done a ton of studies on the effects of berberine in women going through perimenopause or menopause, but what’s out there is encouraging. One review looking at perimenopausal and postmenopausal women found that berberine may help lower LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin resistance, and it might also help improve mood. Research on women with polymetabolic endocrine ovary syndrome (PMOS), formerly called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is a condition that involves insulin resistance, has shown similar benefits. In studies of menopausal women at risk for high cholesterol, berberine combined with other supplements improved cholesterol and menopausal symptoms over 12 weeks. Benefits tend to be gradual, and you’ll get the most out of berberine if you combine it with other healthy habits, like nutritious eating, exercise and getting good sleep. Read: Should You Take Menopause Dietary Supplements? >> What are the side effects of berberine? The most common side effects reported in studies are digestion-related, including constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas and belly discomfort, though they’re usually mild and tied to how much you’re taking. Nausea and vomiting can happen too, but less often. If you’re already dealing with gut changes from menopause, you may want to weigh whether you think the additional gut distress from berberine is worth it. There’s also a chance that berberine could drop your blood sugar too low, especially if you’re already on medications that lower blood sugar. If you notice that berberine is making you shaky, sweaty or dizzy, talk to your clinician about adjusting your dose. Is berberine safe? The research indicates that berberine is safe at standard doses (around 900 mg–1,500 mg per day) for most adults for one to three months, and some studies have followed people for up to two years without finding any major problems. And serious side effects in clinical trials have been rare. But, like all dietary supplements, berberine products are not approved or regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they’re sold. That means the product claims aren’t verified by the FDA, and the quality and contents can vary from brand to brand. To get the best quality supplement possible, look for products with third-party verification from organizations like the United States Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention or ConsumerLab.com to help make sure you’re getting what’s on the label. Who shouldn’t try berberine? Everyone should consult their clinician before beginning any supplement, but there are some people who should definitely steer clear. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive, berberine isn’t recommended because there isn’t enough safety data. The same goes for children and older adults. Berberine can also interact with certain medications, including blood thinners and drugs processed by specific liver enzymes, so if you’re on prescription medications for diabetes, heart conditions or other health issues, check with your clinician first. Talk to your clinician before trying berberine If berberine sounds like it could be a good fit, start by talking to your clinician. They can help you figure out the right dose, flag any interactions with medications you’re already taking and make sure berberine is a safe choice for you. From Your Site Articles Related Articles Around the Web Source link

Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . “ data-action=”subscribe”> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Key takeaways: SimpleScreen CRC detects signals linked to CRC from cell-free DNA in a blood sample. The test detected CRC with 81.1% sensitivity and advanced precancerous lesions with 13.7% sensitivity. The FDA has approved a second blood-based colorectal cancer screening option for adults aged 45 years and older at average risk for the disease. SimpleScreen CRC (Freenome) is a noninvasive test that assesses cell-free DNA in a blood sample to detect signals associated with CRC. A positive result suggests CRC or advanced precancerous lesions and should be followed by colonoscopy, according to a manufacturer press release. An estimated 60 million people eligible for screening in the U.S. are overdue, despite CRC being the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths. “The fact is that 90% of colorectal cancer deaths are preventable, yet the disease will still claim more than 55,000 lives in the U.S. this year alone,” Anjee Davis, MPAA, CEO of Fight Colorectal Cancer, said in the release. “Colorectal cancer is increasingly affecting younger adults, and a screening test that fits into a routine visit, accompanied by prompt follow-up in response to an abnormal result, can play an important role in driving earlier treatment and prevention.” The FDA based its decision on results from the multicenter PREEMPT CRC study, which enrolled more than 48,000 adults aged 45 to 85 years at average risk for CRC, asymptomatic and scheduled for a screening colonoscopy. Results showed SimpleScreen CRC had a 90.4% specificity for advanced colorectal neoplasia and sensitivities of 81.1% for CRC, 13.7% for advanced precancerous lesions and 30.7% for lesions with high-grade dysplasia. Earlier this year, CMS adopted performance-based standards to qualify biomarker-based CRC tests for Medicare coverage, which SimpleScreen CRC now meets with this approval. Abbott will exclusively commercialize the test in the U.S. this fall and use its established CRC infrastructure, which includes the Nexus platform, to encourage screening and test adoption in the health care system. SimpleScreen CRC also is expected to be incorporated into American Cancer Society guidelines, according to the release. That guidance was recently updated to recommend blood-based CRC screening options for patients who decline or do not complete more sensitive screening options like stool-based tests or colonoscopy. “The most effective screening test is the one a person will actually complete,” Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH, professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and colead principal investigator on the PREEMPT CRC study, said in the release. “Many people who should be screened for colorectal cancer simply aren’t. A blood-based test provides another way to reach unscreened patients, and bringing more people into the screening fold leads to earlier detection and better outcomes.” Published by: Ask a clinical question and tap into Healio AI’s knowledge base. PubMed, enrolling/recruiting trials, guidelines Clinical Guidance, Healio CME, FDA news Healio’s exclusive daily news coverage of clinical data Learn more Add topic to email alerts Receive an email when new articles are posted on Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . “ data-action=”subscribe”> Subscribe We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio Source link