Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Internal Medicine for January 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.
FDA Approves First Generic Version of Advair for Asthma, COPD
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The first generic form of the Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) inhaler has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
AHA: Nearly Half of U.S. Adults Have Cardiovascular Disease
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is 48.0 percent in adults in the United States based on 2013 to 2016 data, according to a report published online Jan. 31 in Circulation.
E-Cigarettes More Effective for Smoking Cessation
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Electronic cigarettes are more effective for smoking cessation than nicotine replacement therapy, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Methotrexate Well Tolerated, Effective for Psoriasis in Chinese
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Methotrexate is well tolerated and effective for psoriasis in a Chinese population and is more effective for those without psoriatic arthritis, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in JAMA Dermatology.
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Small Increase in HbA1c Seen With Switch to Human Insulin in T2DM
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Switching from analogue to human insulin is associated with a small increase in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, according to a study published in the Jan. 29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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More High-Value Care Associated With Receipt of Primary Care
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Receipt of primary care is associated with significantly more high-value care, slightly more low-value care, and a better health care experience, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Symptom Combos Suggesting Laryngeal Cancer Identified
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — New symptom combinations that may indicate early symptoms of laryngeal cancer have been identified, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in the British Journal of General Practice.
Meta-Analysis: Small Weight Increase Seen for Breakfast Eaters
THURSDAY, Jan. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Eating breakfast may not be a good strategy for weight loss, according to research published online Jan. 30 in The BMJ.
Aerobic Exercise Tied to Better Cognition at All Ages
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Aerobic exercise contributes to brain health in individuals as young as 20 years, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in Neurology.
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FDA Receives an ‘F’ in Tobacco Prevention Report Card
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration was given an “F” in a new American Lung Association report card evaluating tobacco prevention programs.
CNN Article
State of Tobacco Control
No Asthma Benefit Seen With n3PUFA in Overweight Teens
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Omega-3 fatty acid (n3PUFA) supplements do not appear to improve asthma control in teens and young adults who are overweight or obese, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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Avoiding Full-Blown Diabetes Cuts Cardiovascular Risk
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Midlife increases in fasting glucose (FG) with conversion to diabetes are associated with higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, according to research published online Jan. 7 in Diabetes Care.
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Large Insulin Price Hike to Be Investigated by U.S. Congress
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The soaring cost of insulin will be investigated as the U.S. Congress holds hearings into the high cost of prescription drugs, a lawmaker says.
Few Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Meeting HbA1c Goals
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Only one in five children and adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the United States achieve American Diabetes Association (ADA) goals for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), according to a study published online Jan. 18 in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics.
Older Adults With Comorbidities Identified as Frequent ED Users
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — More than 5 percent of seniors visit emergency departments more than six times in one year, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Depressive Symptoms Higher During Internal Medicine Internship
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For internal medicine interns, depressive symptoms increase during internship, with poor faculty feedback and inpatient learning experience associated with increased depressive symptoms, according to a study recently published in Academic Medicine.
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NOACs Recommended as First-Line Prevention of Stroke in A-Fib
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with atrial fibrillation, novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are recommended over warfarin to prevent stroke and weight loss is recommended for overweight and obese individuals, according to updated guidelines published online Jan. 28 in Circulation.
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Intensive BP Treatment Does Not Reduce Dementia Risk
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Treating systolic blood pressure (BP) to a goal of less than 120 mm Hg rather than 140 mm Hg does not result in a significant reduction in the risk for probable dementia, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Public Health Interventions Could Cut Global Burden of Hepatitis C
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Public health interventions can go a long way toward meeting World Health Organization hepatitis C virus (HCV) targets, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in The Lancet.
MEESSI-Acute Heart Failure Risk Score Validated
TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The Multiple Estimation of risk based on the Emergency department Spanish Score In patients with Acute Heart Failure (MEESSI-AHF) can accurately predict 30-day mortality in patients with AHF, according to a study published online Jan. 29 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Washington State Declares Health Emergency as Measles Spreads
MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A statewide public health emergency was declared in Washington after a measles outbreak near Portland, Oregon, reached 31 cases on Friday. The outbreak in the Pacific Northwest is in what has been called an antivaccination “hot spot” in the United States, the Associated Press reported.
Financial Stress, Coronary Heart Disease Linked in African-Americans
MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Financial stress may be associated with coronary heart disease among African-Americans, according to a study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Evidence Lacking for Benefit of Surgery for Vertebral Fractures
MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Surgical procedures do not appear to provide significant benefit for patients with vertebral fractures (VF), according to a second American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Task Force report published in the January issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
Gender Gap Seen in Accessing Alcohol Treatment With Cirrhosis
MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Women with alcohol-associated cirrhosis (AC) are less likely to receive alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment than men with the disease even though such treatment is associated with improved outcomes at one year, according to a study published online Jan. 22 in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
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Bone Health in Older Adults Not Improved by High-Dose Vitamin D
MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There is little benefit for older adults taking high-dose vitamin D supplements to improve their bone strength and reduce the risk for falls, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Machine Learning Methods Can Detect UTI in Dementia Patients
MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Algorithms that combine Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and in-home sensory devices with machine learning techniques can be used to monitor the health and well-being of people with dementia, according to a study published online Jan. 15 in PLOS ONE.
Virtual Video Visits Liked by Patients, Providers
FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Virtual video visits can effectively replace office visits for selected patients across medical specialties without sacrificing quality of care or patient-physician communication, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Managed Care.
Assessment Tools Aid Risk Planning at Nursing Homes
FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Better use of risk assessment tools, like the Changes in Health and End-stage disease Signs and Symptoms (CHESS) score, can help nursing homes identify which new residents are at risk for hospitalization or death within the first 90 days after admission, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.
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Report IDs Areas Lacking Good Practice in Health Tech Assessment
FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In a report published in the January issue of Value in Health, an ISPOR–The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research working group indicates the lack of good practices in three areas of health technology assessment (HTA).
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Home-Based Program Achieves Hypertension Control
FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A new home-based care delivery program can provide efficient and effective blood pressure (BP) control in individuals with hypertension, according to a study recently published in Clinical Cardiology.
2003 to 2015 Saw Increase in Outpatient Benzodiazepine Use
FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Outpatient benzodiazepine use increased from 2003 to 2015, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in JAMA Network Open.
Measles Outbreak Prompts Public Emergency in Washington State
THURSDAY, Jan. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — An ongoing measles outbreak has led to a public health emergency being declared in Clark County, Washington.
Fried Chicken, Fish Linked to All-Cause, Cardiovascular Death
THURSDAY, Jan. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Among postmenopausal women, fried food consumption, especially fried chicken and fish/shellfish, is associated with an increased risk for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in The BMJ.
Flu-Like Illness Tied to Increased Relative Mortality in ESRD
THURSDAY, Jan. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Community activity for influenza-like illness (ILI) is associated with seasonal variation in all-cause mortality among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), according to a study published online Jan. 24 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Gun Injury Hospitalization Cost Over $911 Million 2010 to 2015
THURSDAY, Jan. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The average annual cost of inpatient hospitalizations for firearm injury exceeded $911 million from 2010 to 2015, with 9.5 percent of that amount due to readmissions, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in PLOS ONE.
Short Duration Between Dinner, Bed Has No Effect on HbA1c
THURSDAY, Jan. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Ensuring a short duration between dinner and bedtime has no effect on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in middle-aged and older Japanese adults, according to a study published online Jan. 22 in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.
Smoking Tied to Peripheral Artery Disease in African-Americans
THURSDAY, Jan. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Cigarette smoking is associated with measures of subclinical peripheral artery disease (PAD) in African-Americans, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
BP >120/80 mm Hg Linked to Lower Gray Matter Volume
THURSDAY, Jan. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In young adults, lower gray matter volume (GMV) is seen in individuals with blood pressure (BP) >120/80 mm Hg, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in Neurology.
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Body Size, Physical Activity Could Impact Odds of Reaching 90
THURSDAY, Jan. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Height, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity are associated with longevity, with correlations differing by sex, according to research published online Jan. 21 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Insulin Price More Than Doubled in the United States
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Some Americans with type 1 diabetes have cut back on their insulin usage as the cost of the drug nearly doubled over a five-year period.
Doctors Should Encourage Exercise in Patients With Diabetes, CV Disease
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Physicians need to take an active role in prescribing specific exercise training in patients with both type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, according to a position paper published online Jan. 14 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Marketing of Opioids Linked to Increased OD Mortality
2013 to 2024 Saw Decrease in Benzodiazepine Prescribing 
Pediatricians Report Immigrant Families Avoiding Care for Their Children 
Psychiatrists Only Agree 55 Percent of the Time on Diagnoses 
Napping Opportunity May Improve Clinical Performance of Anesthesia Residents 
Socioeconomic Status Linked to Mortality After Acute Hip Fracture Surgery 
People Using Illicitly Sourced Fentanyl Face Worse Outcomes Than Medically Sourced Users 
Data Reveal No Hypersensitivity Due to Axillary Brachial Plexus Block Alone 
Tranexamic Acid Yields Lower Incidence of Red-Cell Transfusion in Noncardiac Surgery 
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