Sharon Smith

Psoriasis is linked with a higher risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in US outpatients, a recent study found. Reuters Health Information source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/974794?src=rss

The US health regulator has put on hold a trial designed to evaluate switching the prescription-only erectile dysfunction drug Cialis to an over-the-counter treatment, French drugmaker Sanofi said on Monday. Reuters Health Information source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/974787?src=rss

The risk of going hungry in Brazil is higher than ever, as the percentage of people unable to afford food for themselves or their family at some point during the last 12 months rose to a record 36% in 2021, from 30% in 2019, a newly published study showed. Reuters Health Information source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/974743?src=rss

Countries have agreed to an initial US-led push to reform of the rules around disease outbreaks, known as the International Health Regulations, after early opposition from Africa and others was overcome last week. Reuters Health Information source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/974737?src=rss

Reducing recreational screen use by families increased children's physical activity by about 45 minutes per day in a cluster-randomized trial conducted in Denmark. Reuters Health Information source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/974733?src=rss

China's capital is offering elderly residents state-backed insurance for 'medical accidents' linked to COVID-19 shots to ease vaccination hesitancy among those most vulnerable, as Beijing ramps up inoculations during its worst outbreak. Reuters Health Information source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/974748?src=rss

Over the past two years, many of my patients have been drinking more alcohol than in the past, reflecting a troubling national response to COVID-19 pandemic-related stress. Two recently published studies assessed the increased death toll of unhealthy drinking habits. Alcohol-related deaths occur due to direct effects of alcohol on the body, such as alcoholic hepatitis  (severe cases have a 16-30% mortality rate at 28 days and 56% at one year) or via indirect contributions to fatal traffic and nontraffic injuries (e.g., drowning, falls, aspiration, hypothermia, firearm injuries). The first study used death certificate data from the National Center for Health Statistics to compare numbers and rates of alcohol-related deaths among individuals 16 years or older in 2019 and 2020. Both the absolute number and age-adjusted rate of deaths involving alcohol increased by about 25%, greater than the 16-18% increases in all-cause deaths and death rate during this period. The largest increas...