Sharon Smith

The major randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that established the benefits of statins in preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) generally did not enroll persons older than 75 years. Once a patient who has been taking a statin for primary prevention reaches that age, are there additional benefits to continuing it, or conversely, are there harms associated with discontinuing? In 2020, a systematic review of international guidelines  on cardiovascular disease prevention found “little specific guidance for physicians who are considering statin discontinuation in older adults in the context of declining health status and short life expectancy.” A 2024 systematic review identified 35 observational studies and a single RCT comparing statin discontinuation to continuation. The observational studies showed that statin discontinuation in all age groups was associated with statistically significant increases in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.92), cardiovascula...

More than 68,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK each year, a charity says, warning myths may be putting men off getting checked. Press Association source https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/one-man-diagnosed-prostate-cancer-every-8-minutes-2026a1000tal?src=rss

A pediatric study from Argentina suggests that AKI during DKA can leave lasting renal damage, reinforcing the need for closer kidney monitoring. Medscape News Europe source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/early-kidney-injury-tied-later-dkd-children-2026a1000t3i?src=rss

A nurse-led digital intervention improves sodium knowledge in patients with chronic kidney disease but faces major adherence barriers, a study reports. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/nurse-led-digital-sodium-restriction-intervention-improves-2026a1000t3c?src=rss

Revision urethroplasty following failed first surgery shows long-term success. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/comparable-outcomes-between-repeat-and-primary-urethroplasty-2026a1000t36?src=rss

Brazil’s medical council has introduced new safety rules for extensive cosmetic procedures using surgical duration and cumulative risk to guide preoperative planning. Medscape News Global source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/brazil-sets-new-6-hour-threshold-cosmetic-surgery-2026a1000sx6?src=rss

Most family physicians face heavy administrative burden, but improved electronic health records and staff support may help to ease some of the load. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/most-family-physicians-struggle-after-hours-admin-work-2026a1000swb?src=rss

A systematic review finds that most studies on same-day discharge after bariatric surgery use inconsistent patient selection and discharge definitions, preventing reliable evidence synthesis. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/bariatric-same-day-discharge-criteria-lack-consensus-2026a1000sw9?src=rss

Researchers are learning which situations encourage neural synchrony — that increasingly elusive feeling of being ‘in flow’ with others — and how we can benefit. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/how-two-brains-can-quickly-be-same-wavelength-2026a1000spl?src=rss

In colon capsule endoscopy, chronic opioid use is linked to incomplete examinations and inadequate bowel preparation, whereas diabetes is tied to poorer bowel preparation. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/colon-capsule-endoscopy-why-it-fails-2026a1000spd?src=rss

Children with complex chronic conditions have a higher likelihood of receiving antibiotic prescriptions than their healthy peers. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/kids-complex-conditions-face-higher-antibiotic-exposure-2026a1000sp2?src=rss

Perceived competence — not other factors — best distinguishes weight-loss success with GLP-1 treatment. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/screening-confidence-tailors-glp-1-care-2026a1000sk9?src=rss

Gastrointestinal hypomotility is the most lethal adverse event linked to clozapine use. GLP-1s slow the gut too. Clinicians are combining the two, with little safety data to guide them. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/combination-glp-1s-and-clozapine-safe-2026a1000sk0?src=rss

Burn specialists report serious injuries after children heat gel-filled toys, prompting authorities to warn families against microwaving them or using them improperly. Medscape News Europe source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/squishy-toy-warning-after-children-suffer-serious-burns-2026a1000ryw?src=rss

In patients with T1D, certain CGM metrics can provide information on the risk for severe hypoglycemia independent of A1c and add predictive value for diabetic ketoacidosis. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/cgm-metrics-can-improve-prognosis-insights-beyond-a1c-t1d-2026a1000ryt?src=rss

Guidelines call for strict limits on invasive tests for pancreatic cyst surveillance, and a new study supports the strategy’s safety. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/pancreatic-cysts-sparing-use-invasive-tests-seems-safe-2026a1000ryr?src=rss

UKHSA data show a 50% drop in newborn ICU admissions since the RSV maternal vaccine programme took full effect, though officials say low uptake still leaves many babies exposed. Medscape News UK source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/rsv-maternal-vaccine-halves-baby-intensive-care-admissions-2026a1000ryc?src=rss

Hospitals are more likely to divert ambulances when nearby hospitals are already diverting, independent of their own patient load, a study finds. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/peer-hospitals-may-affect-ambulance-diversion-2026a1000rti?src=rss

The history of lobotomy shows the risks for limited evidence and oversight, while modern approaches emphasize targeted treatment, informed consent, and rigorous evaluation. Medscape News Global source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/freemans-lobotomy-deep-brain-stimulation-what-changed-2026a1000rt1?src=rss

Symptoms associated with wheat sensitivity may involve more than gluten, making careful testing important before dietary restriction and limiting reliance on self-diagnosis. Medscape News Global source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/wheat-sensitivity-gluten-only-trigger-2026a1000rnd?src=rss

US and Europe healthcare providers describe inconsistent approaches to nonsegmental vitiligo severity, with quality of life, repigmentation, and progression influencing treatment decisions. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/vitiligo-severity-assessments-vary-among-hcps-2026a1000rmz?src=rss

US radiologists vary substantially in their reading of low-dose CT lung cancer screens, highlighting a need for measures to help standardize interpretation. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/wide-variation-seen-lung-screening-false-positive-rates-2026a1000rms?src=rss

Evidence points to a neuroimmune pathway through which psychological stress may amplify skin inflammation, raising questions about future approaches to eczema care. Medscape News Europe source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/stress-and-eczema-brain-skin-axis-real-2026a1000rgy?src=rss

Standard cognitive screening thresholds may exclude many patients with biomarker-confirmed atypical Alzheimer’s disease despite early-stage functional impairment, new data show. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/anti-amyloid-criteria-may-exclude-many-atypical-alzheimers-2026a1000rbp?src=rss

The anatomical pattern of inflammatory back pain at disease onset may reveal which patients face a heightened risk for joint complications years later. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/diffuse-initial-axial-pain-linked-higher-risk-peripheral-2026a1000ra9?src=rss

Dupilumab significantly improves sinus opacification and disease burden in patients with allergic fungal rhinosinusitis. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/dupilumab-improves-sinus-symptoms-and-quality-life-allergic-2026a1000r5c?src=rss

Adding irinotecan to standard chemoradiotherapy for MRI-defined, locally advanced rectal cancer did not improve disease-free survival or pathologic complete response rates but increased toxicity, including diarrhea and neutropenia. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/irinotecan-fails-boost-rectal-cancer-outcomes-2026a1000qdn?src=rss

Our approach to preventing egg and peanut allergies has changed over the past 2 decades. At the turn of the century, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) made an expert consensus recommendation that high-risk infants avoid eggs until age 2 years and peanuts until age 3 years. Unfortunately, the ensuing decade saw a substantial increase in self-reported peanut allergy prevalence, rising from 0.4% of US children in 1997 to 1.4% in 2008 . Subsequent randomized trials found that introducing peanuts by age 6 months reduces the risk of developing a peanut allergy by age 5 years, leading to a reversal of the earlier recommendation. In Australia, infant feeding guidelines were revised on a similar timetable as in the United States, with a 2016 guideline recommending that all infants be introduced to peanuts and eggs in the first year of life, regardless of allergy risk factors. A cross-sectional study found that the percentage of Australian infants who consumed eggs by age 6 months incre...

Pharmacists are calling for more medication reviews to curb the £480 million of medicines wasted by the NHS in England each year. Press Association source https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/wasted-medicines-could-fill-75-swimming-pools-2026a1000r0l?src=rss

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty performed in an ambulatory setting appears safe and feasible in selected patients with obesity, with only a few patients requiring unplanned hospitalization. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/weight-loss-procedure-feasible-outpatient-setting-2026a1000qyc?src=rss

Sleep disorders are more common in people with medication overuse headache than in those without the condition, with MOH treatment improving sleep, a study shows. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/sleep-disorders-common-medication-overuse-headache-2026a1000qy5?src=rss

Experts review four pediatric eye emergencies and the warning signs requiring urgent referrals to help prevent permanent vision loss and identify life-threatening disease. Medscape News Europe source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/pediatric-eye-emergencies-4-red-flags-not-miss-2026a1000qrw?src=rss

HLA-DRB1*01:03 may serve as a genetic marker for severe outcomes across IBD phenotypes and help identify patients at higher risks for surgery and treatment failure. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/genetic-marker-linked-severe-outcomes-across-ibd-subtypes-2026a1000qrt?src=rss

Women with overweight or obesity BMI trajectories during childhood are less likely to give birth in adulthood than those with average BMI trajectories. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/higher-childhood-bmi-linked-fewer-births-adulthood-2026a1000qrq?src=rss

Housing assistance was associated with lower mortality among older adults with NSCLC, but the survival advantage was not explained by differences in guideline-concordant treatment. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/housing-assistance-tied-better-nsclc-survival-2026a1000q7b?src=rss

At ICO 2026, specialists said bariatric surgery will remain important in severe obesity, even as GLP-1 drugs expand treatment options before and after surgery. Medscape News Global source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/glp-1-drugs-may-reshape-not-replace-bariatric-surgery-2026a1000qm1?src=rss

From Tudor courts to crowded English cities, this fatal summer illness baffled physicians then and still resists modern explanations. Medscape News Europe source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/what-caused-deadly-english-sweating-sickness-2026a1000qlw?src=rss

Medscape News Europe source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/can-heart-be-protected-during-cancer-therapy-2026a1000qll?src=rss

A study finds significant racial and ethnic differences in patch test allergen positivity. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/patch-test-allergen-profiles-differ-across-racial-and-ethnic-2026a1000qlj?src=rss

A virtual pre-op bariatric education seminar for patients with obesity can reduce travel-related greenhouse gas emissions while expanding accessibility and maintaining high patient satisfaction. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/virtual-bariatric-education-can-reduce-carbon-footprint-2026a1000qfc?src=rss

A physiotherapist-led breathing retraining program significantly reduced rib cage contribution to breathing and respiratory rate in children and adolescents with dysfunctional breathing, study shows. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/retraining-shows-lasting-benefits-children-dysfunctional-2026a1000qb5?src=rss

The ROMEO score accurately identifies adults in the emergency department with syncope or presyncope who are at a low risk for clinically significant echocardiographic findings, a study finds. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/romeo-score-predicts-utility-transthoracic-echocardiography-2026a1000q8y?src=rss

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have higher risks for actinic keratosis and squamous cell carcinoma in situ, in a patient registry analysis. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/precursor-keratinocyte-lesions-increased-systemic-lupus-2026a1000q8q?src=rss