The American journal of medicine
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Review
Injecting New Ideas Into Managing Type 2 Diabetes: Evolving Roles of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists.
Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease that often requires therapeutic intensification. Patients with type 2 diabetes frequently experience complications related to hyperglycemia, treatment-induced hypoglycemia, and comorbidities. Management of patients with type 2 diabetes is complicated and must be individualized, though guidelines from both the American Diabetes Association and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists/American College of Endocrinology provide treatment algorithms detailing therapeutic escalation with both oral and injectable therapies according to glycated hemoglobin (A1c) level. ⋯ These incretin-based therapies, available in both daily and weekly formulations, have been shown to significantly reduce A1c levels, body weight, and cardiovascular risk factors. In this 4-part series, 2 expert physicians discuss clinical profiles of GLP-1 receptor agonists, strategies to reduce cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes, barriers to the use of injectable noninsulin therapies, and practical recommendations for noninsulin injectable therapies. These accredited educational programs are available online at https://glp1cme.elsevierresource.com/.
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COVID-19 is associated with increased risk of post-acute cardiovascular outcomes. Population-based evidence for long periods of observation is still limited. ⋯ SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with higher cardiovascular risk, with graded increase across the acute COVID-19 severity, contributing to 7% of incident major adverse cardiovascular events. These findings suggest that long-term monitoring of cardiovascular risk is required in COVID-19 survivors.
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Long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients experience multiple complex symptoms, potentially linked to imbalances in brain neurochemicals. This study aims to measure brain neurochemical levels in long COVID and ME/CFS patients as well as healthy controls to investigate associations with severity measures. ⋯ Our study identified significantly elevated glutamate and N-acetyl-aspartate levels in long COVID and ME/CFS patients compared with healthy controls. No significant differences in brain neurochemicals were observed between the 2 patient cohorts, suggesting a potential overlap in their underlying pathology. These findings suggest that imbalanced neurochemicals contribute to the complex symptoms experienced by long COVID and ME/CFS patients.
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This study aimed to compare flow-mediated dilation values between individuals with long COVID, individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and healthy age-matched controls to assess the potential implications for clinical management and long-term health outcomes. ⋯ The study demonstrates that both long COVID and ME/CFS patients exhibit similarly impaired endothelial function, indicating potential vascular involvement in the pathogenesis of these post-viral illnesses. The significant reduction in flow-mediated dilation values suggests an increased cardiovascular risk in these populations, warranting careful monitoring and the development of targeted interventions to improve endothelial function and mitigate long-term health implications.
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The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of considering social determinants of health in health outcomes. Within this spectrum of determinants, social networks garnered attention as the pandemic highlighted the negative effects of social isolation in the context of social distancing measures. Postpandemic, examining the role social networks play in COVID-19 recovery can help guide patient care and shape future health policies. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social networks and self-rated health change, as well as physical function, in patients recovering from COVID-19 pneumonia. ⋯ This study emphasized the importance of social networks as a social determinant of health among patients recovering from COVID-19 hospitalization. Targeted interventions to enhance social networks may benefit not only COVID-19 patients but also individuals recovering from other acute illnesses.