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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Comparative Study
Comparison of Community-Level and Patient-Level Social Risk Data in a Network of Community Health Centers.
Responding to the substantial research on the relationship between social risk factors and health, enthusiasm has grown around social risk screening in health care settings, and numerous US health systems are experimenting with social risk screening initiatives. In the absence of standard social risk screening recommendations, some health systems are exploring using publicly available community-level data to identify patients who live in the most vulnerable communities as a way to characterize patient social and economic contexts, identify patients with potential social risks, and/or to target social risk screening efforts. ⋯ Although there is overlap, patient-level and community-level approaches for assessing patient social risks are not equivalent. Using community-level data to guide patient-level activities may mean that some patients who could benefit from targeted interventions or care adjustments would not be identified.
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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.