News &amp; Updates

Individuals who adhere to the alternative Mediterranean index (aMED), dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH), and healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI) patterns appear to have a reduced risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), reports a UK study.

Healthy eating patterns protect against CKD

First-line nivolumab-ipilimumab therapy extends survival in unresected HCC

Treatment with nivolumab plus ipilimumab in the frontline setting provides clinically meaningful overall survival (OS) benefit compared with lenvatinib or sorafenib to patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were naive to systemic therapy, according to data from the phase III CheckMate 9DW study presented at ASCO GI 2025.

First-line nivolumab-ipilimumab therapy extends survival in unresected HCC

25 Feb 2025

Demographic-based LVH thresholds improves HCM diagnosis

An individual’s age, sex, and body size can affect the normal heart maximum wall thickness (MWT), and using a fixed left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) threshold of ≥15 mm tends to skew the diagnosis of LVH in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and people with comorbidities, reveals a study.

Demographic-based LVH thresholds improves HCM diagnosis

Is it safe to administer RSV vax with flu or COVID-19 vaccines in adults?

A two-part phase III study in adults aged ≥50 years supports the co-administration of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, mRNA-1345, with the seasonal standard-dose quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine, SIIV4, or the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273.214.

Is it safe to administer RSV vax with flu or COVID-19 vaccines in adults?

25 Feb 2025

Purified oat protein may induce immune activation in coeliac disease

Intake of gluten-free oats appears to trigger acute dose-dependent immune and symptom responses, although they rarely lead to prolonged symptoms or intestinal damage, according to a study.

Purified oat protein may induce immune activation in coeliac disease

Antenatal corticosteroid reduces neonatal morbidities in late preterm twins

Antenatal corticosteroid betamethasone administration significantly reduces the risk of neonatal respiratory morbidity in women with twin pregnancies at risk of late preterm delivery, according to the ACTWIN* trial presented at SMFM 2025.

Antenatal corticosteroid reduces neonatal morbidities in late preterm twins

CKD management in primary care: Why use SGLT2i?

Primary care physicians, as patients’ first point of contact, play an important role in early detection and timely management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors’ (SGLT2i) positive data in CKD trials have established their role as first-line therapy recommended by international and Hong Kong guidelines. At an industry-sponsored symposium organized by the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians, experts reviewed empagliflozin’s benefits in broad populations of CKD patients, and discussed how its early initiation may slow CKD progression and delay dialysis. Case reports were presented to illustrate real-world benefits of empagliflozin among patients managed in primary care in Hong Kong.

CKD management in primary care: Why use SGLT2i?

$Older adults with autoimmune diseases at increased fracture risk when using PPIs, steroids$

Older adults with autoimmune diseases at increased fracture risk when using PPIs, steroids

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are linked to heightened risk of fractures among older adults with autoimmune rheumatic and gastrointestinal diseases, especially when PPIs are used in conjunction with glucocorticoids, according to a study.

Older adults with autoimmune diseases at increased fracture risk when using PPIs, steroids

Metabolic health also factors in obesity-related cancer risk in postmenopausal women

24 Feb 2025 by

New research suggests that metabolic health, not just weight, plays a significant role in the development of obesity-related cancers in postmenopausal women.

Metabolic health also factors in obesity-related cancer risk in postmenopausal women

Plant-based meat may lower cholesterol, weight in adults

Replacing meat with plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) results in a reduction in total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, and body weight in adults without cardiovascular diseases, a study has shown.

Plant-based meat may lower cholesterol, weight in adults