Staying #Up2Date 🚨

1. Trip hazard

In this retrospective cohort study of 2.5 million older adults, those who experienced serious falls were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia within 1 year compared to those with other traumatic injuries (11% vs. 6%). After adjusting for various sociodemographic and clinical factors, the risk of dementia diagnosis was 21% higher in the falls group. These findings suggest that falls may be an early marker of cognitive decline or undiagnosed dementia. 

2. Missed beat

The GUARD-AF trial assessed whether screening for afib using a 14-day patch monitor reduced stroke risk in 12K patients aged ≥70. Screening improved AF detection (5.0% vs. 3.3%) and led to more frequent anticoagulation prescriptions (4.2% vs. 2.8%), but the incidence of stroke and hospitalized bleeds was similar between the screened and unscreened groups. 

3. Guideline watch

The ACG recently released updated guidelines on H. pylori infections. Here’s the tea:

• All who test positive should be treated (H. pylori is associated with gastric cancer).

• A 14-day course of a bismuth salt, metronidazole or tinidazole, tetracycline, and a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) is recommended for a first infection.

• A 10-day course is no longer considered adequate, and substitution of doxycycline for tetracycline weakens the regimen. 

• Test of cure 1 month after tx with a breath test, fecal antigen test, or tissue-based test.

Colon Craze

Why decreasing the age of colon cancer screening has sparked the interest of young people

What happened: A new US study has found that younger people are getting colonoscopies after the age for screening was lowered. 

Why it’s interesting: In 2021, the US lowered the screening age to 45. Since then, rates among people aged 45-49 increased to about 1.5% in just a year and a half, according to a new study. One doctor said these results are promising, since it helps spread awareness against colon cancer. About 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year.

Another reason for the spike in procedures can be linked to the different noninvasive colon cancer screening methods like Cologuard, which is a stool test with a 92% accuracy rate. If this test shows a positive result, a doctor will perform a follow up colonoscopy.

But: Researchers noted that there were disparities in the people who received the screening. They found that people who live in richer areas had a greater screening rate. This is because it can cost an upwards of $2,000 to take the test, and those who live in low socioeconomic ranges are less likely to afford it.

Bottom line: While it’s great that more people are getting peace of mind about their health, everyone should be able to have access to cancer screening, regardless of their income.

Hot Off The Press

1: 🧫 US biologists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun just won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering microRNA — a game-changer in how genes are controlled. This discovery — described as a complete shock to the scientific community — is already being explored in clinical trials and could pave the way for innovative gene therapies in the near future.

2: 🗑️ A team of researchers took an unconventional approach to tracking the spread of mpox — by analyzing DNA from nearly 21,000 used condoms in 16 countries. The study confirmed that mpox is sexually transmitted and often found alongside other STIs. The findings give public health officials a new tool for monitoring outbreaks, especially in areas with limited resources. It’s not exactly dinner conversation, but definitely a fresh take on disease surveillance!

3:📱Some states in the US are suing TikTok, claiming the app is harming youth mental health by designing the platform to be addictive to kids. The social media app doesn’t allow children under 13 to sign up but several states claim that children can easily bypass this restriction.

4:💦 President Joe Biden has set a 10 year deadline for US cities like Michigan to replace lead pipes. Biden said it was “shameful” that more than 9 million lead pipes are still in use which can cause a range of disorders including brain damage. The Environmental Protection Agency has carved out $2.6 billion to improve drinking water infrastructure.

Notable Numbers 🔢

1 in 8: the number of American adults who’ve used weight loss drugs. The US adult obesity rate has fallen by roughly 2 percentage points between 2020 and 2023 — a potential public health breakthrough comparable to the decline in cigarette smoking. The drop might be linked to the use of weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, though no direct evidence confirms this.

$72M: how much the US Department of Health & Human Services is providing to vaccine manufacturers like CSL Seqirus, Sanofi, and GSK to prepare bird flu vaccines for rapid distribution, if needed — though the risk to the public still remains low.

25th: Hollywood star Keanu Reeves’s placement in the Toyota GR Cup in Indianapolis, where he made his professional auto racing debut on Saturday. He spun out a little more than halfway through the race, but don’t worry, this national treasure was completely uninjured and is ready for his next race.

Postcall Picks

😭 Laugh: at the appreciation day classic served by hospitals.

💸 Save: on seasonal fall decor with Wayfair! Get 25% selected items.

📺 Watch: live footage of Hurricane Milton provided by CNN.

👂🏻Listen: to the newest episode of This Podcast Will Kill You! Their newest peisodes tackles Alpha-Gal Syndrome!

Relax

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