One in six Medicare beneficiaries had a telehealth visit from 2021 to 2023, according to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
“Telehealth has become much more common post-[COVID-19] pandemic for a variety of different medical conditions,” Terrence Liu, MD, MS, an assistant professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine, told Healio. “We found it interesting that there were a substantial number of telehealth visits for nonmental health conditions, in particular for common chronic conditions like high BP and diabetes.”
The analysis comes as several

The FDA accepted a supplemental new drug application to expand the indication for Ryzumvi to include the treatment of presbyopia, according to press releases from Opus Genetics and Viatris.
“Phentolamine is designed to improve near vision by modulating the iris to support a smaller pupil in a controlled, functional range,” George Magrath, MD, MBA, MS, CEO of Opus Genetics, told Healio. “This extends the depth of focus while aiming to preserve a natural visual experience. ... Opus is advancing it specifically for presbyopia with a formulation and development program tailored

DENVER — Maternal respiratory syncytial virus vaccination appeared to be safe and effective for mothers with HIV and their infants, according to data presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.
The study “did not identify any contraindications or safety concerns specific to pregnant people living with HIV,” Emily Wasserman, MD, director of clinical development at Pfizer, which developed the vaccine, told Healio.
“In this study, RSVpreF was safe and well-tolerated, elicited robust maternal antibody responses and resulted in transfer of RSV neutralizing antibodies to

The first patient has been treated in a first-in-human clinical trial investigating the safety and efficacy of the CXLens system, a quantitative corneal cross-linking, or qCXL, technology for noninvasive refractive vision correction.
“This milestone represents the beginning of a new era in vision correction,” Thomas Dunlap, CEO of TECLens, told Healio. “For decades, refractive procedures have relied on removing or reshaping tissue through surgery. With qCXL, we are taking a fundamentally different approach — strengthening the cornea to reshape it, without cutting or compromising its

A Veterans Health Administration program in Michigan helped participants avoid more than 20,000 miles of travel and nearly $9,000 in travel-related costs.
The Close to Me program allowed veterans to receive infusions at community-based outpatient clinics, rather than major medical centers where they are typically given. Additionally, the program gave patients with multiple myeloma the chance to self-administer bortezomib (Velcade, Takeda) at home.
“One patient mentioned he was paying probably $100 to $200 every month to get IV iron at his local facility outside the VA, but because we’re able to

Primary care providers have a major role in dementia care, but resources can help at every stage of the process, according to Anna H Chodos, MD, MPH.
Healio spoke with Chodos, a professor in the division of geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco and executive director of Dementia Care Aware, to learn more about new trends in 2026, upcoming research and resources for PCPs looking to make a difference.
Healio: Are there any trends you anticipate that PCPs need to know about brain health and dementia care?
Chodos: The trend is that brain health is a thing. It’s something we’re

One of the biggest challenges for clinicians trying to help patients make sustainable lifestyle changes is time.
Behavior change is not easy; it requires education, coaching and identifying environmental, household or workplace obstacles to making healthier choices. That’s hard for any clinician to accomplish in a routine, 15-minute patient encounter once or twice a year.
Shared medical appointments (SMAs), or group medical visits (GMVs), are an innovative, reimbursable delivery model that provide clinicians with more time to educate more patients about healthier lifestyle behaviors.

A plant-based ingredient, often used in skin care products, may offer numerous benefits to the skin, including collagen, antioxidant and barrier support, according to a review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.
Astragalus membranaceus, used in Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years, is a plant root that evidence suggests may offer a wide range of therapeutic properties, including anti-aging. In modern cosmetics, it is valued for its bioactive compounds, particularly astragalosides, polysaccharides and flavonoids, which have been studied for their effects on inflammation,

The FDA has approved an oral liquid therapy for the treatment of central diabetes insipidus in people of all ages, according to a press release.
Desmopressin acetate (Desmoda, Eton Pharmaceuticals) is the first FDA-approved oral liquid solution of desmopressin for the management of central diabetes insipidus, a condition where a patient has inadequate production of vasopressin from the hypothalamus or posterior pituitary.
Desmopressin therapy is standard of care for the treatment of central diabetes insipidus, according to the press release. The company said that the oral solution allows for

Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese mind-body practice, reduced blood pressure to a similar extent compared with routine brisk walking over 1 year in people with slightly elevated BP, researchers reported.
Baduanjin may be a safe nonpharmacological method to improve hypertension control and was effective across all relevant subgroups, according to the results of a multicenter, open-label, masked-outcome randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“Given its simplicity, safety and ease at which one can maintain long-term adherence, baduanjin can be