Sefaxersen reduces proteinuria, hematuria in IgA nephropathy

DENVER — Sefaxersen, a novel messenger RNA-targeted therapy was linked to greater reduction in proteinuria and more likely resolution of baseline hematuria vs. placebo for patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy, according to study data.
At ASN Kidney Week, Jonathan Barratt, PhD, FRCP, presented 9-month interim data from the phase 3 IMAgINATION trial evaluating sefaxersen (Genentech).
“Sefaxersen allows effective blockade of the alternative complement pathway with a once-per-month subcutaneous injection that delivers impressive effects on reducing proteinuria and hematuria in

Guideline recommends prostate cancer screening for all men

Men should undergo regular prostate cancer screening regardless of whether they are at average risk or high risk for the disease, according to a guideline update issued by American Cancer Society.
The guidance endorses PSA testing every 2 years beginning at age 50 years for men at average risk, a classification that typically applies to non-Black men with no family history of the disease.
Black men — who are at greater risk than white men to develop and die of prostate cancer — and men with a strong family history of the disease are urged to undergo PSA-based screening annually beginning at age

Levothyroxine led to better quality of life than combo treatment

PHILADELPHIA — Levothyroxine alone confers better quality of life than combination levothyroxine/liothyronine therapy or desiccated thyroid extract for people with primary hypothyroidism, according to a presenter.
Anoopa Mathew, MD, MPH, an endocrinology fellow in the division of metabolism, endocrinology and diabetes, department of internal medicine at University of Michigan, said it is crucial to assess quality of life for adults using different thyroid hormone regimens, particularly for those who are reporting symptoms despite normal laboratory results. During a poster presentation at the

ACG report outlines solutions for GI workforce challenges

The maldistribution of physicians, growing demand for anesthesia support and challenges related to integration of advanced practice providers are critical issues facing the field of gastroenterology, according to a report from ACG.
The organization’s Workforce of the Future Task Force, convened by past ACG President Amy S. Oxentenko, MD, MACP, MACG, AGAF, outlined strategies to address these challenges and strengthen the gastroenterology workforce.
Oxentenko, vice dean of practice and chief patient experience officer for all Mayo Clinic sites, emphasized that the three areas covered by the

Q&A: What Reddit can tell us about why people decide against suicide — and choose to live

A Reddit poster by the name of u/firegate2233 may not have known their thread posted in the fall of 2020 would lead to thousands of responses and probably did not expect the post would be turned into a professional study.
In just 24 hours, u/firegate2233’s question on the popular online social media platform — “Formerly suicidal redditors, what’s something that kept you alive a little while longer and helped you to get through the dark times in your lives?” — had more than 15,000 responses. Some were long answers. Some were just one word. Multiple people replied with the clinical psychologist

Weight loss with retatrutide signals ‘new days’ in osteoarthritis

ORLANDO — Weekly injections of the GLP-1 receptor agonist retatrutide improved knee osteoarthritis pain in addition to inducing weight loss, according to data presented at ACR Convergence.
“It is no news to this audience that osteoarthritis is a major problem for patients and health systems,” Philip G. Conaghan, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FRCP, professor of musculoskeletal medicine at the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom, told attendees.
Weight loss has become a key component of OA management, according to Conaghan.
“The more weight you lose, the better benefit you get,”