The last days were quite busy for our fellow colleagues of the Among Doctors network! Many shared selected opinion papers and blogs, systematic reviews, and new evidence regarding a wide range of conditions. Let’s have a look at the top picks of these news:
- Association of Proton Pump Inhibitors With Risk of Dementia
The avoidance of PPI medication may prevent the development of dementia. This finding is supported by recent pharmacoepidemiological analyses on primary data and is in line with mouse models in which the use of PPIs increased the levels of β-amyloid in the brains of mice. - Efficacy and Safety of Corticosteroids for Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Short-term treatment with corticosteroids is safe and may reduce the risk of ARDS, shortening the length of the disease in patients with community-acquired pneumonia. - Zika Outbreak Signals the Urgent Need for Strong Primary Health Care Systems
Despite the wide-ranging functions of primary health care -immunizations, family planning, diagnostics, antenatal care, maternity services, rehabilitation, counseling, and referrals- it is often underfunded and deprioritized, forcing people to use whatever cash they have for low-quality private services. The volatile Zika outbreak should remind health advocates and policymakers alike that investments in strong comprehensive primary health care systems is the very best precaution for such emergencies.
- Danger in chlamydia stigma
One in five sexually active young people do not get tested for chlamydia after a request from their GP, according to research, as experts call for more efforts to reduce the stigma around sexually transmitted infections. - Membership of social groups after retirement ‘boosts health and wellbeing’
New research published by BMJ Open suggests that membership of social groups such as book clubs or church groups after retirement is linked with improved health and wellbeing. - Comparative Benefits and Harms of Antidepressants, Psychological, Complementary, and Exercise Treatments for Major Depression
Given their similar efficacy, CBT and antidepressants are both viable choices for initial treatment of major depression disorder. - Systematic Review of the Mediterranean Diet for Long-term Weight Loss
The Mediterranean diet results in similar weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor level reduction as comparator diets in overweight or obese individuals trying to lose weight. - Metformin versus Placebo in Obese Pregnant Women without Diabetes Mellitus
Among women without diabetes who had a BMI of more than 35, the antenatal administration of metformin reduced maternal weight gain but not neonatal birth weight.
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