Jharkhand plans to launch DNB Courses in Govt Medical Colleges

Jamshedpur: Bringing good news to the postgraduate medical aspirants, Diplomate of National Board (DNB) courses are likely to be started in the government medical colleges of Jharkhand.

For this, a proposal will soon be sent to the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), the authority that conducts the DNB courses, Live Hindustan has reported.

Apart from this, the daily has also reported that a meeting will be held at MGM Medical College.

MBBS graduates are eligible to pursue the DNB courses, which are run by the NBEMS. These three-year postgraduate medical courses are considered to be equivalent to the postgraduate courses of Doctor in Medicine (MD) and Master of Surgery (MS).

Also Read: NEET PG- TN Health Begins Counselling for DNB Courses, check schedule

As per the latest media report by Live Hindustan, the preparations are being made to run a DNB course in those departments of the five medical colleges in Jharkhand where PG studies are not conducted. Out of the five medical colleges, PG courses are not conducted in the medical colleges of Hazaribagh, Dumka, and Palamu. 

PG courses in only two subjects are being run at the medical college located in Dhanbad. Until now, PG studies are not being conducted in five departments of MGM Medical College of Jamshedpur. These departments include Biochemistry, Forensic Medicine, PSM, Psychiatry and Blood Bank. However, Diploma courses are going on in some departments.

Regarding this, a meeting will also be held between the heads of various departments in MGM Medical College, and the responsibility for this has been given to the State’s Director of Medical Education, Dr. SK Singh. 

Dr. Singh said that with the efforts of the Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department, we are moving forward for this work. Before this, a meeting has already been held in Ranchi. 

All medical colleges will have to apply to the National Board of Examinations. After this, a committee will be set up and inspections will be done at the medical colleges. Only after this approval will be given for DNB studies. To increase the chances of approval after application, training will be given to the Principal Superintendent of all medical colleges and the Chairman and Coordinators of the concerned departments. Further, NBEMS will also organize a workshop and provide information related to the application.

However, the possibility of running DNB courses is not limited only to the medical colleges as they can also be taught in Sadar Hospitals, which will be of special benefit to the people of rural areas across the State. However, for this, many criteria will have to be met. 

Also Read: NBE temporarily suspends DNB courses in Himachal Pradesh

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Medical Council Seeks Doctors’ Names after Pregnant Woman’s Death at Pune Hospital

Pune: Following the death of a pregnant woman, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) sent an official letter on Saturday to the superintendent of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, requesting detailed information about the doctors who were involved in treating the woman, who passed away after childbirth.

Also Read:Denied Admission over Rs 10 lakh demand, Pregnant woman dies

The move follows preliminary findings by a five-member inquiry committee, which indicated that the hospital should have admitted the patient and initiated treatment. Though the hospital pointed out that there can be no case of medical negligence considering that the deceased was not their patient, the committee pointed out that refusing her admission is not something to overlook, reports the Times of India. Hence, under “the Maharashtra Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1949, or the Bombay Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1949, action can be taken against the hospital if the patient’s relatives file an FIR. The health department cannot take any suo motu action.”

Medical Dialogues recently reported that a seven-month pregnant woman carrying twins died after allegedly being denied admission at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune due to non-payment of an advance of Rs 10 lakh. In response to the incident, the state health department has formed a five-member panel to investigate the matter.

The committee, constituted by the state health department, visited all three hospitals where the woman was taken by her family before and after delivery. After reviewing the circumstances surrounding her death, the committee concluded that Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital failed to fulfill its responsibility by not admitting the patient when she sought care.

According to the Daily, MMC administrator Dr Rughwani Vinki Mohanlal said, “We have issued a letter to the superintendent of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital seeking information on all the doctors who attended to the patient or have been involved in this case in any way. Once we get the names, we will issue a notice to all of them seeking an explanation on the entire incident. The doctors would be sought an explanation on whether the ethics of code and conduct were followed or not, and if there was any medical negligence. Once we receive a response from the hospital, we will conduct the inquiry.”

Headed by the deputy director of health services, the committee has submitted its initial report to the state government. A comprehensive and final report is expected to follow after further investigation. In response to the mounting scrutiny, the hospital released a public statement on Saturday announcing a significant policy change. It declared that no advance payment will be required for patients seeking emergency services, including those arriving at the emergency room, delivery ward, or pediatric care unit. The hospital’s board of trustees passed a resolution to this effect in a meeting held recently, signaling a shift aimed at addressing public concerns and ensuring timely care.

Also Read:3 doctors get 5 years imprisonment for pregnant woman’s death

The health hub’s statement mentioned, “When the hospital was started in 2001, no deposit was taken from any patients. As the number of complex patients increased, the deposit system was started in case an expensive treatment was required. Yesterday’s (Friday’s) disturbing incident made us review this issue. The trustees and the management have decided that no patient coming to the emergency, maternity, or pediatric departments would be asked for any advance or deposit at the time of admission. Its implementation started on Saturday.”

Commenting on the issue, Dr Dhanajay Kelkar, the medical director of the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, said he has no idea about the MMC letter to the facility. He said, “It is wrong to link the hospital with the unfortunate incident and the death. However, we are investigating if the hospital showed any insensitivity towards the patient. Even though I personally called the woman’s relatives and told them to pay as much as they could, they left without informing anyone.”

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JIPMER Extends Deadline for PhD Concept Proposal Submissions

Puducherry- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) has extended the last date for submission of concept proposals for PhD admission in JIPMER.

As per the official circular issued in this regard, JIPMER has extended the last date for submission of PhD concept proposals up to 15 April 2025 following the request made by several faculty members.

Also Read: JIPMER Shares 14 UGC Anti-Ragging Awareness Videos to Strengthen Zero-Tolerance Policy

Hence, the approved PhD guides who are willing to take students are requested to submit their concept proposals for PhD as in the attached pro forma to the Office of the Dean (Research) on or before 15 April 2025, 04:00 pm. Additionally, a soft copy of the same should be e-mailed.

In order to enhance the research environment in JIPMER and to increase the intake of PhD candidates. Faculty members are encouraged to submit more number of concept proposals for consideration.

Meanwhile, the PhD Guides whose concept proposals have already been approved by the scrutiny committee may kindly intimate to the undersigned through the e-mail whether they would like to include the same proposals for this year also.

Moreover, through a circular, JIPMER has also issued the guidelines for becoming PhD guides. As per the PhD revised guidelines 2020, the following guidelines to be adhered.

The teachers holding a PhD degree or postgraduate qualifications and having more than three years of teaching experience /postdoctoral research with at least five original research publications (excluding case reports, review articles, editorial comment, letter to editor) in the field of health sciences research in reputed peer reviewed indexed journals as first author or corresponding author and working at least as an associate professor in this institute shall be eligible for recognition to be a guide for PhD work. Of the original research publications, at least three publications should be work carried out by the prospective guide in the last three years.

All recently approved PhD guides, existing guides, and faculty who have applied or intend to apply for guideship are hereby encouraged to submit concept proposals for taking up PhD scholars for the academic year 2025-2026.

To view the circular, click the link below
https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/jipmer-notice-1-281835.pdf

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IVIG Alone Is as Effective as IVIG Plus Aspirin in Kawasaki Disease: JAMA

Researchers have discovered in a new study that high-dose aspirin does not significantly enhance coronary artery outcomes in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) when it is added to routine IVIG therapy. The study found IVIG alone to be noninferior to the combination of IVIG and high-dose aspirin for the prevention of coronary artery lesions (CALs) in affected children. These data contradict the long-standing tradition of incorporating high-dose aspirin in initial treatment and indicate that IVIG alone is enough for acute-phase therapy in KD. The study was conducted by Ho-Chang and colleagues published in JAMA Network Open.

Kawasaki disease is a self-limited inflammatory disease that mainly occurs in children less than 5 years old and is the major cause of acquired cardiovascular disease in children. Standard therapy has traditionally incorporated IVIG with high-dose aspirin in an effort to minimize the risk of coronary artery lesions. Researchers performed a prospective, multicenter, evaluator-blinded, noninferiority trial to compare the outcomes of IVIG alone with IVIG plus high-dose aspirin in children with KD.

The trial was performed in five large medical centers in Taiwan. 134 children less than 6 years of age, diagnosed by the American Heart Association criteria of KD, were recruited from September 2016 to August 2018. Participants were equally divided into two treatment arms: one received IVIG alone (2 g/kg), and the other received IVIG (2 g/kg) with high-dose aspirin (80–100 mg/kg per day) until fever had remitted for a period of at least 48 hours.

Follow-up assessment was conducted at 6 weeks and 6 months after treatment. The researchers assessed the progression of coronary artery lesions as the main outcome measure using the noninferiority margin of 10%. More sophisticated statistical analysis, such as the chi-square tests and repeated measures analysis, were employed for strong data interpretation.

Key Findings

• The last sample consisted of 134 patients, with a mean age of 1.8 years (SD 1.3 years), and 82 (61.2%) were male. The two treatment groups were comparable regarding age, weight, height, and sex distribution.

In the IVIG plus aspirin group (69 patients):

• CALs were present in 9 children (13.0%) at baseline.

• CALs decreased to 2 children (2.9%) at 6 weeks.

• CALs decreased further to 1 child (1.4%) at 6 months.

In IVIG-only cohort (65 children):

• CALs were noted in 7 children (10.8%) at diagnosis.

• CALs decreased to 1 child (1.5%) at 6 weeks.

• CALs increased marginally to 2 children (3.1%) at 6 months.

• There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of coronary artery lesions between the two cohorts at any of the time points. The 6-week difference in occurrence of CAL in the groups was only 0.7 percentage points (95% CI, –4.5 to 5.8; p=0.65), safely within the noninferiority margin set a priori at 10%.

• Furthermore, no clinically relevant differences in prophylactic or treatment effects were seen, supporting the conclusion that high-dose aspirin was not providing added clinical benefit here.

The study authors concluded that IVIG monotherapy is similar in effect to IVIG plus high-dose aspirin for prevention of coronary artery lesions in pediatric Kawasaki disease. The research emphasizes that the addition of high-dose aspirin is not associated with clinically significant benefit within initial therapy.

Reference:

Kuo H, Lin M, Kao C, et al. Intravenous Immunoglobulin Alone for Coronary Artery Lesion Treatment of Kawasaki Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(4):e253063. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.3063

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Routine use of cerebral emboli prevention devices during TAVI fails to reduce stroke incidence: NEJM

A new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that stroke was not prevented by routinely using devices to avoid cerebral emboli during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

TAVI is an emerging therapy option for low-risk surgical patients and the preferred technique for aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) who are at high risk for surgical AVR. Because of periprocedural embolization, stroke rates in TAVI are between 1.2 and 6.7%, and they usually happen in the first few days following the surgery.

Disabling stroke during TAVI is still a fatal consequence that has a high rate of morbidity and death. After TAVI, silent stroke has been seen on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI), in addition to symptomatic strokes. The combination between transcatheter valves and the apparatus required for installation is a possible nidus for embolizing debris leading to stroke. However, the etiology of stroke during TAVI is probably multifaceted. So, Rajesh Kharbanda and colleagues wanted to evaluate the function of cerebral embolic protection (CEP) devices, which may lower the risk of stroke by preventing embolization in the cerebral circulation.

This randomized, controlled experiment was carried out at 33 UK institutions. TAVI with a CEP device (CEP group) or TAVI without a CEP device (control group) were administered to 7,635 aortic stenosis patients in a 1:1 random assignment. Stroke within 72 hours of TAVI or prior to hospital discharge (if discharged earlier) was the main outcome.

The CEP group consisted of 3,815 people, whereas the control group had 3820. Nearly, 81 out of 3,795 individuals (2.1%) in the CEP group and 82 out of 3,799 participants (2.2%) in the control group experienced a primary-outcome incident (difference, −0.02 percentage points; 95% CI, –0.68 to 0.63; P=0.94). 53 individuals (1.4%) in the control group and 47 individuals (1.2%) in the CEP group suffered a disabling stroke.

In the CEP group, 29 people (0.8%) died, whereas in the control group, 26 persons (0.7%) died. The 2 groups’ overall rates of access-site problems seemed to be comparable (8.1% in the CEP group and 7.7% in the control group). 13 of the 3,803 individuals (0.3%) in the control group experienced 13 significant adverse events, whereas 22 of the 3798 participants (0.6%) experienced 24 serious adverse events. Overall, routine use of CEP did not reduce the risk of stroke within 72 hours among subjects having TAVI.

Source:

Kharbanda, R. K., Kennedy, J., Jamal, Z., Dodd, M., Evans, R., Bal, K. K., Perkins, A. D., Blackman, D. J., Hildick-Smith, D., Banning, A. P., Baumbach, A., Ludman, P., Palmer, S., Stables, R. H., Henderson, R., Appleby, C., Cotton, J., Curzen, N., Ozkor, M., … BHF PROTECT-TAVI Investigators. (2025). Routine cerebral embolic protection during transcatheter aortic-valve implantation. The New England Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2415120

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Long-Acting GLP-1RAs Lower Cardiovascular, Kidney Risks and Mortality in Type 2 Diabetes, Meta-Analysis Finds

UK: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials have highlighted the significant benefits of long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), both injectable and oral, in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The findings were published online in Diabetes Care.

Analyzing data from 71,351 patients, Matthew M.Y. Lee, School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K., and colleagues found that these medications reduced major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and hospitalization for heart failure by 14%, lowered kidney-related complications by 17%, and decreased all-cause mortality by 12%. Importantly, these improvements were achieved without an increased risk of severe hypoglycemia, retinopathy, or pancreatic disorders, reinforcing the potential of GLP-1RAs as a valuable therapeutic option for individuals with T2D at risk of cardiovascular and renal complications.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists are known to reduce MACE in type 2 diabetes, but the extent of benefits across both subcutaneous and oral formulations remains uncertain. A meta-analysis incorporating data from the Semaglutide Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial (SOUL) and the Evaluate Renal Function with Semaglutide Once Weekly (FLOW) trial was conducted to evaluate cardiovascular and kidney-related outcomes. Long-acting GLP-1RAs, defined by their ability to provide 24-hour pharmacological activity, were assessed through a systematic review of PubMed up to 7 February 2025. Randomized placebo-controlled trials with at least 500 participants were included.

A random-effects model estimated hazard ratios for MACE, its components, all-cause mortality, hospitalization for heart failure, and kidney outcomes, including kidney failure, significant eGFR decline, and kidney-related death. Additionally, worsening kidney function and safety outcomes were analyzed to determine the risks and benefits of long-acting GLP-1RAs in T2D management.

Key Findings:

  • Analysis of 10 trials involving 71,351 participants showed that long-acting GLP-1RAs reduced the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by 14% (HR 0.86).
  • Hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) decreased by 14% (HR 0.86).
  • The composite kidney outcome, including kidney failure, significant eGFR decline, or kidney-related death, was reduced by 17% (HR 0.83).
  • All-cause mortality declined by 12% (HR 0.88).
  • There was a consistent 14% reduction across all MACE components.
  • There were no significant differences between subcutaneous and oral GLP-1RA administration routes.
  • There was no increased risk of severe hypoglycemia, retinopathy, or pancreatic events.

While long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), including both injectable and oral formulations, have shown significant reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events, hospitalization for heart failure, kidney complications, and all-cause mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes, researchers highlight certain limitations. They noted that “trial-level meta-analyses restrict detailed subgroup analyses and may introduce ecological bias, potentially affecting the precision of findings across diverse patient populations.”

Despite these limitations, they concluded that “the overall evidence supports the cardiovascular and renal benefits of long-acting GLP-1RAs, reinforcing their role as an effective therapeutic option in T2D management.”

Reference:

Matthew M.Y. Lee, Naveed Sattar, Rodica Pop-Busui, John Deanfield, Scott S. Emerson, Silvio E. Inzucchi, Johannes F.E. Mann, Nikolaus Marx, Sharon L. Mulvagh, Neil R. Poulter, Sunil V. Badve, Richard E. Pratley, Vlado Perkovic, John B. Buse, Darren K. McGuire, SOUL Trial Investigators; Cardiovascular and Kidney Outcomes and Mortality With Long-Acting Injectable and Oral Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Trials. Diabetes Care 2025; dc250241. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc25-0241

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Topical Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Promising in Managing Diabetic Macular Edema: Systematic Review Finds

Malta: A recent systematic review has evaluated the potential role of topical corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in treating diabetic macular edema (DME) not associated with intraocular surgery. The findings, published in Diabetes Technology and Obesity Medicine, suggest that these topical agents may be an effective and safe therapeutic option for reducing central macular thickness (CMT) in select patients with DME.

“Although earlier case reports, series, and nonrandomized studies had indicated the potential role of topical anti-inflammatory therapy in DME, this review provides additional evidence reinforcing its possible clinical utility,” the researchers wrote.

Diabetic macular edema remains a significant cause of vision loss in individuals with diabetes, often requiring invasive interventions such as intravitreal injections. However, the possibility of using less invasive treatments like topical eye drops is gaining attention due to their ease of administration and reduced systemic risk.

Against the above background, James Vassallo, Ophthalmology Department, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta, and colleagues aimed to evaluate whether the latest high-quality evidence justifies the use of topical anti-inflammatory agents in managing diabetic macular edema.

For this purpose, the researchers conducted a systematic review restricted to randomized controlled trials published from 2015 onwards. They searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) on October 11, 2024. The review included patients with diabetic macular edema who received topical corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The primary outcome evaluated was the impact of these treatments on central macular thickness.

Key Findings:

  • Seven of the eight included studies partially or fully supported the effectiveness of topical anti-inflammatory therapy in reducing macular thickness in diabetic macular edema.
  • Significant heterogeneity was observed across the studies, which prevented a meta-analysis from being conducted.
  • The overall quality of evidence from the included trials was considered moderate.

In the comprehensive review, the authors evaluated the current best evidence on using topical corticosteroids and NSAIDs for diabetic macular edema, highlighting their potential as a safe and effective strategy to reduce central macular thickness. While the findings support the possible role of topical anti-inflammatory agents in DME management, the authors emphasize the need for further large-scale, high-quality studies to determine optimal drug formulations, regimens, and patient selection criteria. They acknowledged limitations such as study heterogeneity, absence of a meta-analysis, and lack of PROSPERO registration due to a single reviewer.

The authors call for future research using advanced formulations with improved ocular penetration, along with investigations into adherence issues. If validated, topical therapy could be meaningfully integrated into existing treatment algorithms for DME.

Reference:

Vassallo J, Galea M. (2025) Efficacy of topical corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of diabetic macular edema not in the context of intra-ocular surgery: a systematic review, Diabetes Technology and Obesity Medicine 1:1, 18–30, DOI: 10.1089/dtom.2024.0005.

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Increasing vitamin E intake may lower risk of developing peripheral artery disease, finds study

A new study published in the journal of PLOS One showed that a decreased risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) was linked to higher dietary vitamin E intake.

Peripheral arterial disease is caused by atherosclerosis and is a common condition affecting more than 200 million people globally. PAD affects approximately 8.5 million persons in the US, with equal prevalence among men and women over 40.

Vitamin E, an antioxidant that dissolves in fat, has been identified as a major role in lowering lipid peroxidation in experimental circumstances. Vitamin E has been linked to atherosclerosis and thrombotic complications. Its anti-atherosclerotic activity is attributed to a variety of biological functions, including antioxidants that scavenge free radicals and non-antioxidants that control signal transduction, cellular proliferation, and gene expression.

There is ongoing discussion on the connection between peripheral artery disease (PAD) development and dietary vitamin E intake. Thus, this study by Qiang Liu and colleagues wanted to demonstrate the connection between dietary vitamin E consumption and PAD.

The data from 6,588 individuals in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed retrospectively using a cross-sectional approach between 1999 and 2004. This study gathered information on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, body mass index, total cholesterol, HbA1c, age, race, sex, marital status, physical activity, education, and income. 

When all pertinent variables were taken into consideration, a negative relationship between dietary vitamin E consumption and the risk of PAD was found. The prevalence of PAD was 5.9% overall, with 50.4% of females and 49.6% of men affected. Peripheral arterial disease was less common in people in the 3rd quartile of dietary vitamin E consumption than in people in the 1st quartile. The subgroup analysis revealed similar patterns of relationship (all interaction P values were >0.05).

Overall, this study supports a negative relationship between dietary vitamin E intake and the prevalence of PAD in US people over 40. Therefore, to reduce their risk of developing PAD, those with inadequate dietary vitamin E consumption should think about increasing their vitamin E intake. 

Source:

Liu, Q., Wu, X., Wang, Y., Wang, X., Zhao, F., & Shi, J. (2025). Association of dietary vitamin E intake with peripheral arterial disease: A retrospective cross-sectional study. PloS One, 20(3), e0320356. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320356

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Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Excessive screen time among adolescents negatively impacts multiple aspects of sleep, which in turn increases the risk of depressive symptoms-particularly among girls. That is the conclusion of a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Sebastian Hökby of Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and colleagues.

Recently, the Swedish Public Health Agency published recommendations that adolescents use no more than two-to-three hours of daily leisure screen time, partly to promote better sleep. Previous studies have suggested associations between screen time, sleep disruptions, and depression in teens. However, sleep problems and depression often coincide, and the direction of these associations has been unclear.

In the new study, researchers tracked 4,810 Swedish students aged 12-16, collecting data on sleep quality and quantity, depressive symptoms, and screen usage at three timepoints over the course of a year.

The researchers found that increased screen time led to deteriorated sleep within three months, impacting both the duration and quality of sleep. Screen time was also found to postpone sleep times towards later hours – disrupting multiple aspects of the human sleep-wake cycle at once. Among boys, screen time had a direct adverse effect on depression after twelve months, while among girls the depressive effect was mediated through sleep disturbances. Sleep could explain about half (38%-57%) of the association between screen time and depression in girls. Boys who spent more time on screens also experienced sleep disruptions, but these were not strongly associated to later depression.

The authors summarize: “In this study, we found that adolescents who reported longer screen times also developed poorer sleep habits over time. In turn, this led to increased depression levels, especially among girls.”

They add: “Our results do suggest that less screen time seems healthier, in line with previous World Health Organization statements…if screen times were somehow reduced, for example through public health policies, our results imply that the high burden of depressive states among young Swedish women, and maybe young men, would likely decrease.”

Reference:

Sebastian Hökby, Jesper AlvarssonJoakim Westerlund, Vladimir Carli, Gergö Hadlaczky, Adolescents’ screen time displaces multiple sleep pathways and elevates depressive symptoms over twelve months, PLOS Global Public Health, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004262.

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Sotrovimab May Help Prevent Long-COVID in High-Risk Patients: Study

Researchers from the UK and US have found in a new study that early treatment with the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab not only helps high-risk COVID-19 patients during the acute phase but may also reduce the chances of developing long-COVID symptoms. The study, published in the journal Infection, highlights the potential long-term benefits of this treatment.

A study was done to assess the impact of early sotrovimab treatment versus no treatment on the risk of developing post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC; long COVID) in patients (age ≥ 12 years) with COVID-19 at high risk for progression to severe disease. Retrospective cohort study using the US National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) data. Phase 1 identified and assessed multiple definitions of PASC; Phase 2 evaluated the effectiveness of sotrovimab for reducing the risk of PASC, utilizing definitions from Phase 1. Average treatment effect in the treated (ATT)-weighted Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to compare time to event for PASC between high-risk patients who received sotrovimab treatment between May 26, 2021 and April 5, 2022, and high-risk patients with COVID-19 diagnosed between May 26, 2021 and March 26, 2022 who did not receive any treatment for COVID-19 during the acute phase or any pre-exposure prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2. Results: A total of 9,504 sotrovimab-treated and 619,668 untreated patients were included in the main analysis. Most baseline characteristics were balanced between the two cohorts after ATT weighting. The doubly robust ATT-weighted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was 0.92 (0.89–0.96) (p < 0.001), indicating that sotrovimab use was associated with a significantly lower risk of PASC. Results remained consistent in sensitivity analyses. In patients at high risk for severe COVID-19, the benefits of early sotrovimab treatment may extend beyond the acute phase of COVID-19 and contribute to the prevention of PASC symptoms.

Reference:

Drysdale, M., Chang, R., Guo, T. et al. Impact of treatment of COVID-19 with sotrovimab on post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC): an analysis of National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) data. Infection (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-025-02505-z

Keywords:

Sotrovimab, May, Help, Prevent, Long, COVID, High-Risk Patients, Study, Drysdale, M., Chang, R., Guo, T, Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, Sotrovimab

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