Frequent dietary salt intake may increase the risk for glaucoma in patients on antihypertensive therapy, according to a study.
The analysis was conducted within the participants of the incidence phase of the Thessaloniki Eye Study (TES), a population-based study of chronic eye diseases conducted in Northern Greece. The study authors examined the association between dietary salt intake and the prevalence of any open-angle glaucoma (OAG), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) in the overall study population and in the subset of patients undergoing

Although oncologists take the lead in cancer management with immunotherapies, rheumatologist input is essential to managing the ensuing immune-related adverse events, which pose challenges to coordinated patient care.
“The most fascinating thing about immune-related AEs in cancer treatment is that you have a better prognosis if you have an immune-related AE,” Alexa Meara, MD, associate professor of internal medicine at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, said in her presentation at the 2022 Association of Women in Rheumatology National Conference. “You survive longer.”

Between 2008 and 2015, overall average Medicare expenditures were 11% more for in-center hemodialysis than home-based peritoneal dialysis.
“National policy reforms are focusing on promoting the use of PD. These are in part due to the expectation that peritoneal dialysis is less costly than in-center hemodialysis,” Kevin F. Erikson, MD, MS, associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told Healio. “We examined Medicare expenditures in similar patients starting these two dialysis modalities in order to see if peritoneal dialysis is actually less costly for

A validated genome-wide polygenic risk score predicted clinically meaningful absolute risk for sudden arrhythmic death in a cohort of patients with CAD without severe left ventricular dysfunction, researchers reported.
The data, from participants of the ongoing prospective PRE-DETERMINE cohort, show the polygenic risk score could potentially improve risk stratification for patients with CAD who do not meet the current guideline indications for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator but experience the most sudden deaths, Roopinder K. Sandhu, MD, MPH, a cardiac electrophysiologist and

According to published results, several racial and ethnic disparities in utilization rates and postoperative outcomes exist among patients who undergo total joint arthroplasty.
In August 2021, researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus databases to examine inequalities in TJA care between Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian-Alaska Native, Pacific Islander and white patients. The researchers identified 63 studies which analyzed TJA utilization, complications, mortality, length of stay (LOS), discharge disposition, readmission and

In recent years, more and more eye care practices are becoming part of private equity groups, and as a result, more optometrists are growing familiar with this business model.
Private equity groups present the opportunity to become an equity holder in the organization by participating in stock purchases, but this is balanced by giving up control of operations to the management group.
Over the past few years, I have worked as an optometrist in various eye care settings, including a LASIK group, an ophthalmology practice and a private equity office, all of which helped my professional

The CDC on Monday recommended Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in adolescents aged 12 to 17 years.
CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, signed a decision memo saying the vaccine can be used as third option for primary COVID-19 vaccination in this age group. The FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the vaccine on Friday.
The two-dose, protein-based vaccine differs from the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna messenger RNA vaccines, which are available for children as young as age 6 months.
Experts have said that the availability of a non-mRNA vaccine could help reduce

Anthony S. Fauci, MD, announced Monday that he will step down as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in December after 38 years in the position.
Fauci, who has advised seven U.S. presidents in his post atop the NIAID, said he will also step down as President Joe Biden’s chief medical advisor, a position he has held since Biden’s inauguration last year.
In a statement, the 81-year-old physician and scientist said he will leave these positions in December “to pursue the next chapter of my career.”
“While I am moving on from my current

Blinkcns Inc. and the Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization at the Medical University of South Carolina have announced a licensing agreement to advance blink reflex technology and software EyeStat.
“We are delighted to have established this new licensing agreement, which represents significant clinical potential for our technology,” Jeff Riley, executive chairman of Blinkcns, said in a company release. “The foundation of this relationship is strong and helps to build internal and external confidence in our corporate mission.”
According to the release, the

Deep brain stimulation to the superolateral branch of the medial forebrain bundle was an efficacious therapy for those with treatment-resistant depression, researchers reported in Molecular Psychiatry.
Christopher R. Conner, MD, PhD, a neurosurgery fellow at the University of Toronto, and colleagues used PET scans to identify brain metabolic changes 12 months post-deep brain stimulation (DBS) implantation in 10 patients with treatment-resistant depression.
“This PET study shows that we’re altering how the brain is functioning long term and we are starting to change the way brain