JAMA network open
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Bimagrumab vs Optimized Standard of Care for Treatment of Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
The potential benefit of novel skeletal muscle anabolic agents to improve physical function in people with sarcopenia and other muscle wasting diseases is unknown. ⋯ This randomized clinical trial found no significant difference between participants treated with bimagrumab vs placebo among older adults with sarcopenia who had 6 months of adequate nutrition and light exercise, with physical function improving in both groups. Bimagrumab treatment was safe, well-tolerated, increased lean body mass, and decreased fat body mass. The effects of sarcopenia, an increasing cause of disability in older adults, can be reduced with proper diet and exercise.
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Medicaid expansion is associated with increased access to health services, increased quality of medical care delivered, and reduced mortality, but little is known about its association with use of long-term care. ⋯ In this study, ACA-funded Medicaid expansion was associated with an increase in any long-term care use among newly eligible low-income, middle-aged adults, suggesting that the population covered by the Medicaid expansion may have had unmet long-term care needs before expansion.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and quarantine measures have raised concerns regarding their psychological effects on populations. Among the general population, university students appear to be particularly susceptible to experiencing mental health problems. ⋯ The results of this survey study suggest a high prevalence of mental health issues among students who experienced quarantine, underlining the need to reinforce prevention, surveillance, and access to care.
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Comparative Study
Association Between Preoperative Benzodiazepine Use and Postoperative Opioid Use and Health Care Costs.
The association between preoperative benzodiazepine use and long-term postoperative outcomes is not well understood. ⋯ The findings of this study suggest that, among opioid-naive patients, preoperative benzodiazepine use may be associated with an increased risk of developing long-term opioid use and increased opioid dosages postoperatively, and also may be associated with increased health care costs.
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Millions of Americans gained insurance through the state expansion of Medicaid, but several states with large populations of racial/ethnic minorities did not expand their programs. ⋯ This cohort study found that LT wait-listing rates have decreased for Black patients with HCV in states that expanded Medicaid. Conversely, wait-listing rates have increased for Hispanic patients without HCV. Black patients and Hispanic patients may have benefited differently from Medicaid expansion.