Doc Wire News

Huntington’s disease (HD) involves disruption in brain cholesterol homeostasis, with several HD animal models showing reduced brain cholesterol biosynthesis and levels. Providing exogenous cholesterol has been effective for improving phenotypes, but the existing methods used to deliver cholesterol are invasive and cannot be transferred easily to clinical practice.

Bile acid diarrhea (BAD) is an under-recognized cause of chronic watery diarrhea. When I see patients with the fellows in the general gastrointestinal (GI) clinic, it’s also one of the more satisfying diagnoses to make, because the right treatment can change a life. The classic clues for BAD – like prior cholecystectomy or ileal resection – are helpful but often lacking. Sometimes we diagnose BAD through treatment. But which treatment?

istock.com/SDI Productions I-STRONG, a novel intervention program for adolescent patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), offers an effective approach to chronic pain management based on a pilot study published in Blood Advances.1 I-STRONG, which stands for Integrative Strong Body and Mind Training, is a virtual platform co-led by psychology and physical therapy experts that combines cognitive behavioral therapy and neuromuscular exercise training to reduce chronic pain, limit muscle...

iStock.com/Jacob Wackerhausen A new meta-analysis of implementation leadership in evidence-based practice (EBP) suggests healthcare organizations may have significant opportunities to strengthen leadership capabilities that support the adoption of research-backed care. The review, published in Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, revealed that leadership related to EBP implementation generally ranked at moderate levels across healthcare settings.

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals just announced the results of the phase 3 LUCIDITY clinical trial, which evaluated avexitide, a first-in-class glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor antagonist, in patients with post-bariatric hypoglycemia (PBH). PBH is a chronic metabolic condition that affects about 8% of people in the US following sleeve gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, the two most common types of bariatric surgery.

In patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET), the condition may feature calreticulin mutations that ET therapies can target. INCA033989, a novel monoclonal antibody in development for ET, operates in this manner, and a first-in-human phase 1 study evaluating this agent has yielded encouraging results.

Previous epidemiologic studies have shown that increased levels of trace metals, such as manganese, in the blood are associated with a higher risk for development of oral cancer.

For the 1.33 million people living with HIV in China, the role of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in improving outcomes and extending survival is well known. Although ART is free under China’s National Free Antiretroviral Treatment program, patients in stable condition who are receiving first-line therapy must visit a clinic every 3 months to obtain refills. These hospital visits are costly for patients because they result in lost workdays and long wait times.

Rite Aid Pharmacies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2025, shut its stores, and had its prescription files transferred to other pharmacies.1 Patients would now have to pick up their medication at a designated new pharmacy. While these patients could choose a different pharmacy, the designated pharmacy remained the “default” one.

A comparison of two doses of canagliflozin does not show different renal and cardiovascular outcomes, according to a study by Elias John Elenjickal, MD, and colleagues. The results, published in Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, suggest that increasing the dose above the standard may not be needed to get the desired effect.