Physician's Weekly

Lacrimal sac massage was found to be noninferior to lacrimal duct probing for treating congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) among infants younger than 12 months, according to findings from a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Ophthalmology. The study found similar 3‑month resolution rates between the two approaches, with no serious complications.

Two global phase 3 randomized clinical trials found that upadacitinib, an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, met primary and key secondary efficacy end points in adults and adolescents with severe alopecia areata (AA), with safety findings consistent with the drug’s established profile. Researchers published their findings in JAMA Dermatology.

Tranexamic acid (TXA) reduced major bleeding in patients undergoing urologic surgery without a clear increase in thrombotic complications, according to an analysis of the international randomized POISE-3 trial published in European Urology. The findings provide some of the strongest evidence to date supporting perioperative TXA use in urologic procedures, particularly among patients with elevated bleeding risk.

Despite recent advances, many patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) continue to experience persistent proteinuria and progressive kidney-function decline. A new systematic review and network meta-analysis published in BMC Nephrology suggests that targeting the B-cell activating factor/proliferation-inducing ligand (BAFF/APRIL) pathway may be an effective strategy to reduce proteinuria while maintaining a favorable short-term safety profile.

Modern medicine has long relied on laboratory testing as an objective cornerstone of diagnosis. Reference intervals provide clinicians with standardized benchmarks that support disease detection, therapy monitoring, and communication across healthcare systems. Yet, as valuable as these tools are, they are often misunderstood by both physicians and patients. A laboratory value that falls within a population‑derived reference range should not be interpreted as synonymous with optimal health.

A genetic analysis of tumor evolution identified two distinct patterns of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after surgical resection with curative intent: polyclonal seeding and monoclonal seeding, each influenced by the molecular features in the original tumor, according to study findings published in Gut. The research team used their findings to develop a machine-learning-based multi-omics tool that predicts post-surgery risk for HCC recurrence with 86% accuracy.

Among injured patients with hemorrhagic shock, the use of whole blood for prehospital transfusion did not result in lower 30-day mortality than the use of blood components, according to findings from the Type O Whole Blood and Assessment of Age During Prehospital Resuscitation (TOWAR) Trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

iStock.com/Andrzej Rostek Antipsychotic initiation in youth was associated with a rapid, substantial, and sustained increase in the risk of pharmacologically treated type 2 diabetes (T2D) over 5 years in a Dutch cohort of patients aged 19 years and younger, according to a study online in JAMA Network Open.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use remains significantly lower among women compared to men. Researchers in Viruses offered strategies to address clinical, social, relational, and structural barriers to HIV prevention.

The risk of developing dementia was 74% greater for women and 69% greater for men when their spouse had dementia, according to a study of nearly 1 million married people in JAMA Network Open. “These findings suggest dementia risk may extend to spouses, supporting a household-level approach to dementia risk assessment and family support,” wrote corresponding author Chi-Shin Wu, MD, PhD, of the National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan Town, Taiwan, and coauthors.