Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
MedPage Today: Blood Test For Early Pancreatic Cancer Shows Promise
A blood test for early-stage pancreatic cancer performed well in preliminary studies involving samples from patients with known diagnostic status. In a blinded retrospective study, the test achieved 98% specificity and 73% sensitivity across all stages of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The test demonstrated 100% accuracy for distinguishing PDAC from non-cancer pancreatic conditions. Combining the test with assessment of the CA 19-9 cancer biomarker increased the sensitivity to 85% with a specificity of 96%. (Bankhead, 2/12)
MedPage Today: Blood Test Detects Alzheimer's Pathology In Other Clinical Syndromes
A blood test identified clinically relevant Alzheimer's disease pathology in several clinical syndromes, a clinicopathological study showed. Plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) detected Alzheimer's pathology across neurodegenerative syndromes with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.95, reported Lawren VandeVrede, MD, PhD, of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), and co-authors in JAMA Neurology. (George, 2/10)
ScienceDaily: Stronger, Safer, Smarter: Pioneering Zinc-Based Dissolvable Implants For Bone Repair
New research could transform how broken bones are treated, with the development of a special zinc-based dissolvable material that could replace the metal plates and screws typically used to hold fractured bones together. (Monash University, 2/12)
CIDRAP: Nearly 15% Of Long-COVID Patients Have Cardiovascular Symptoms, Most Often Chest Pain
A meta-analysis of 37 studies involving 3 million people suggests that those with long COVID are much more likely to experience chest pain, heart palpitations, and high blood pressure than their uninfected counterparts. (Van Beusekom, 2/11)
CIDRAP: VA Study Highlights Role Of Stewardship In Post-Discharge Antibiotic Prescribing
A study of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals found that collaboration between antimicrobial stewardship physicians and pharmacists and use of local antibiotic prescribing guidelines were associated with less antibiotic use at discharge, researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. (Dall, 2/12)
