28th July: World Hepatitis Day

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On this year’s World Hepatitis Day, WHO calls for a rapid action to raise awareness of the disease, and increase access to testing and treatment services. Globally, 400 million people are affected by a viral hepatitis infection -a number that represents more than 10 times that of people infected with HIV. According to WHO, it is estimated that approximately 95% of people with chronic hepatitis are unaware of their infection, and less that 1% have access to treatment.

Moreover, WHO has recently published guidelines for the screening and treatment of people with hepatitis C infection, providing recommendations on the preferred regimens, and encouraging the employment of direct-acting antiviral combinations when appropriate.

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New recommendations on antiretroviral drugs for HIV infection

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The International Antiviral Society – USA Panel published their updated recommendations on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for the treatment and prevention of HIV infection. With more than 37 million people living with an HIV infection in the world, and 20 million not receiving an antiretroviral therapy, the new guidelines reiterate that all individuals diagnosed with the infection should initiate treatment as soon as possible, regardless of the CD4 cell count.

Moreover, the guidelines reflect on the substantial advances of the ARVs since the last recommendations were released in 2014, recommending initial regimens of two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) plus an integrase strand transfer inhibitor (InSTI) for most patients. Further points on preexposure and postexposure prophylaxis are discussed, as well as the pharmacoeconomics of the treatment, especially considering the introduction of less-expensive generic formulations.

In the accompanying editorial on JAMA, Kenneth Mayer and Douglas Krakower consider the guidelines a reflection of a successful 35-year research effort and argue that, “Historians may wonder whether the pace of discovery in the early days of the epidemic could have been accelerated, but no one can doubt the signal accomplishments of biobehavioral research and community engagement in forging a common strategy to deal with this global pandemic, one that continues to pose new challenges.”

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Picks of the Week: T2DM guidance, levothyroxine intake, generics and more!

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As physicians, we use the Internet on a daily basis to obtain current health and medical information, and access journal articles and synthesis of evidence-based information. We regularly curate information: we process and appraise vast amounts of content; we select what is relevant and meaningful for our profession, based on our background, interests and knowledge gaps.

But why should this effort go unnoticed? Wouldn’t it be great to share what we personally find interesting, exciting and meaningful -whether it is an important piece of news, an updated scientific guidance or a hot debate? And wouldn’t be fantastic to browse the news that our trusted colleagues have selected for us?

Now, the Among Doctors network enables us to share news updates right from the front page. So let the crowd-sourcing of appraised information begin! In this blog, we will be picking the week’s top updates from those that fellow colleagues have shared on Among Doctors. Without further ado, here are the latest news:

  • Update NICE guidance on the management of type 2 diabetes in adults.
    Since the publication of the 2009 guideline, availability of new evidence and several key developments have prompted an update in the following areas: managing blood glucose levels, antiplatelet therapy and erectile dysfunction.
  • Effects of Evening vs Morning Levothyroxine Intake: A Randomized Double-blind Crossover
    Levothyroxine taken at bedtime significantly improved thyroid hormone levels. Quality-of-life variables and plasma lipid levels showed no significant changes with bedtime vs morning intake. Clinicians should consider prescribing levothyroxine intake at bedtime.
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