Although heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, and older adults are more likely to have heart and vascular disease than young people, randomized clinical trials testing medications to lower cholesterol have historically underenrolled both groups. Randomized clinical trials generate the best evidence regarding the benefits or harms of given drug, and…
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The initiative of Covid-19 and Sustainable Transitions was inspired by a blog by the leadership of the Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production Knowledge-Action Network and began in late-March in the form of an interactive online Open Forum, which has now developed into a diverse community of over 100 people including scientists, economists, and educators.…
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DALLAS, May 22, 2020 — It’s inappropriate to consider blanket do-not-resuscitate orders for COVID-19 patients because adequate data is not yet available on U.S. survival rates for in-hospital resuscitation of COVID-19 patients and data from China may not relate to U.S. patients, according to a new article published today in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes,…
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An elevated pre-pregnancy hemoglobin A1c–which measures average blood glucose concentration–is associated with a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes even in women without known diabetes, according to a new study published this week in PLOS Medicine by Joel Ray of ICES and the University of Toronto, Canada, and colleagues. Diabetes mellitus and obesity are both…
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Scientists have identified metabolites in the blood that accurately predict whether a woman will develop type 2 diabetes after experiencing a transient form of illness during pregnancy. This discovery could lead to a test that would help doctors identify patients at greatest risk and help them potentially avert the disease through interventions including diet and…
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In complex operations, is there a correlation between the volume of service provided per hospital and the quality of the treatment outcome? This question is addressed in eight commissions on minimum volumes that the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has issued to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). The IQWiG report is…
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The first COVID-19 vaccine to reach phase 1 clinical trial has been found to be safe, well-tolerated, and able to generate an immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in humans, according to new research published in The Lancet. The open-label trial in 108 healthy adults demonstrates promising results after 28 days–the final results will be evaluated in…
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A large observational study suggests that treatment with the antimalarial drug chloroquine or its analogue hydroxychloroquine (taken with or without the antibiotics azithromycin or clarithromycin) offers no benefit for patients with COVID-19. The study analysed data from nearly 15,000 patients with COVID-19 receiving a combination of any of the four drug regimens and 81,000 controls.…
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NHS patients will benefit from easier access to clinical research opportunities, following a £7 million government investment to launch five new regional Patient Recruitment Centres (PRCs) across England. The five new centres are distributed across the country to provide opportunities for patients in regions across England who may not previously have been able to take…
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Boston, MA — A research team led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital has evaluated real-world evidence related to outcomes for COVID-19 patients who were treated with hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine analogues (with or without a macrolide). Investigators found no evidence that either drug regimen reduced the death rate among patients. Patients treated with hydroxychloroquine…
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