Biomarker for Differentiating MS From NMOSD Identified in Study
Researchers published in JAMA Neurology identified high‑level EBNA‑1 peptide antibody titers as a robust biomarker that distinguishes relapsing‑remitting multiple sclerosis from MOGAD and seronegative NMOSD. In a cohort of over 1,300 neuroinflammatory patients, persistent EBNA‑1 positivity in at least two plasma samples yielded diagnostic accuracies of roughly 95% versus MOGAD and 93% versus NMOSD. The pattern held across adult and pediatric populations and both sexes. Limitations include the retrospective case‑control design and an under‑representation of women in the discovery set.
First-Time Medicare Advantage Enrollees Demonstrate Increasing Demographic and Clinical Diversity
The study of over 5 million first‑time Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees from 2012‑2022 shows a marked rise in demographic and socioeconomic diversity, with dual‑eligible beneficiaries climbing from 13% to 23% and Black enrollees from 12.7% to 18.3%. Clinical complexity also increased...
Telemedicine Use Remains Elevated but Access Gaps Persist After COVID-19
A longitudinal study of 46 million outpatient encounters shows telemedicine use has settled at roughly 5‑6% of visits, far above pre‑pandemic levels. Utilization is higher among younger, female, portal‑savvy, and returning patients, while older adults, men, and new patients are less...
Efgartigimod Effective in Treating Juvenile Myasthenia Gravis
A multicenter retrospective study of 17 Chinese patients with juvenile myasthenia gravis found that weekly efgartigimod 10 mg/kg for four weeks produced rapid and substantial clinical improvement. Clinically meaningful improvement was observed in 70.6% of patients by week 1 and 91.7% by...
Why Community Engagement Must Be Matched by Structural Food Policy
Community‑driven programs such as Go for Bold demonstrate measurable weight loss and BMI improvements, but their impact stalls without supportive food‑system policies. Research on national sodium‑reduction laws shows dramatic drops in fractures, heart attacks, strokes and health‑care costs when intake...
Cost-Effectiveness of Implementing a Home Blood Pressure Telemonitoring Program
Kaiser Permanente Southern California evaluated a home blood pressure telemonitoring (HBPT) program over 12 months in 3,067 patients. The intervention lowered systolic blood pressure by 1.42 mm Hg and diastolic by 1.58 mm Hg, while shifting care from in‑person visits to virtual encounters. Enrollment...
Personalizing Atopic Dermatitis Treatment in a Growing Landscape: April Armstrong, MD, MPH
At the Winter Clinical Dermatology meeting, UCLA dermatologist April W. Armstrong outlined how clinicians are personalizing atopic dermatitis treatment amid a surge of targeted options. She highlighted that oral JAK inhibitors are chosen for rapid itch control, while IL‑13 biologics...
Industry Payments to Cardiologists Are Associated With Higher Medicare Spending
A cross‑sectional analysis of 26,805 cardiologists found that industry payments averaging $3,958 are linked to higher Medicare spending, with each $10,000 increase in payments associated with a $14.1 rise in per‑beneficiary costs. The relationship held after adjusting for physician and...
5 FDA Developments From February: Kinase Inhibitors, GLP-1s, and a New Approval Pathway
In February 2026 the FDA approved a suite of targeted therapies, including the HER2‑mutant NSCLC kinase inhibitor zognertinib and the first all‑oral acalabrutinib‑venetoclax combo for CLL/SLL, as well as a BRAF‑targeted encorafenib regimen for metastatic colorectal cancer. A portable tumor‑treating‑fields...
Rapid-Repeat Pregnancy and HIV Vulnerability: Elona Toska, MSc, DPhil
Elona Toska presented a life‑course analysis of HIV risk among adolescent mothers, highlighting heightened biological susceptibility during pregnancy and breastfeeding and the structural drivers of rapid‑repeat pregnancies. While prevention of mother‑to‑child transmission programs have increased ART initiation, adherence drops postpartum,...
Assessing Evidence for MTM Quality Measure Development: A Scoping Review
A scoping review examined literature linking Medicare Part D medication therapy management (MTM) services to health outcomes to inform a potential new quality measure. From 424 screened articles, only 27 met inclusion criteria, and GRADE assessment found high risk of bias,...
Go for Bold: Improving Outcomes One Pound at a Time
Meritus Health launched the Go for Bold campaign in 2020, aiming to shed 1 million lb across Washington County, Maryland by 2030. By December 2024 the initiative recorded more than 160,000 lb lost among 7,700 participants, supported by 55 community partners. The program’s three‑pillared...
From MFN to IRA, Experts Warn of a System Under Pressure in Wide-Ranging Policy Webinar
The March 3, 2026 AJMC/MHE webinar examined the Trump administration’s Great Healthcare Plan, focusing on most‑favored‑nation (MFN) drug pricing, the lapse of ACA marketplace subsidies, and the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) impact on community oncology. Sixteen manufacturers have voluntarily adopted MFN pricing,...
Reshaping Leukemia Treatment and QOL Through Improved PROM Data Integration
A recent Hematology Reports review examined 15 randomized trials that integrated patient‑reported outcome measures (PROMs) into leukemia research. The analysis found that PROMs such as EORTC QLQ‑C30 and EQ‑5D not only captured quality‑of‑life domains but also independently predicted overall survival...
Medicaid Expansion Linked to Lower Breast Cancer Deaths, but Disparities Persist
A recent JAMA Network Open study of over 1.5 million women shows Medicaid expansion under the ACA lowered breast cancer mortality by 4.8% compared with non‑expansion states. Hispanic patients experienced the largest relative gain—a 19% hazard reduction—while Black women saw modest...
Glaucoma Coaching Program Improved Medication Adherence
A randomized trial of the Support, Educate, Empower (SEE) glaucoma coaching program showed a significant rise in medication adherence and a reduction in glaucoma‑related distress compared with mailed education. Six‑month electronic adherence averaged 77.6% in the coached group versus 58.0%...
Autism Research Leaders Launch Independent Committee to Counter RFK’s Panel
Leading autism researchers and advocates have launched the Independent Autism Coordinating Committee (I‑ACC) to provide a science‑centered counterweight to the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) reshaped by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The federal IACC guides roughly $2 billion in annual autism...
Leading HIV Researchers Reflect on Breakthroughs, Challenges at CROI 2026
The 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) highlighted major HIV research breakthroughs while underscoring persistent funding shortfalls. Experts praised advances in antiretroviral therapy, emerging adjunct treatments, and global advocacy, yet warned that reduced U.S. support could limit access...
Unprecedented Wildfire Pollution Linked to Higher Stroke Risks
A retrospective registry analysis of the 2023 Canadian wildfire smoke event found that short‑term spikes in ozone and fine particulate matter (PM₂.5) were linked to a measurable rise in both the incidence and severity of strokes in Camden, New Jersey. Ozone...
Intralesional Cemiplimab Shows Promise as a Nonsurgical Alternative for Early-Stage CSCC
A phase‑1 pilot of low‑dose intralesional cemiplimab in early‑stage cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) demonstrated rapid tumor regression with visual objective response rates of 66.7%–75% and pathologic complete responses of 58.3%–66.7%. Safety was favorable, with no grade ≥ 3 events and minimal...
Surveys Show Differences in Patient, Clinician Perspectives on the Impact of Alopecia Areata
Cross‑sectional surveys of 225 clinicians and 522 patients reveal a stark mismatch in treatment priorities for alopecia areata. Clinicians rank rapid, near‑complete hair regrowth as the top goal, while patients place low‑risk safety profiles above speed. The data also show...
New Clinical Data Highlight Povorcitinib’s Potential to Achieve High-Threshold Lesion Clearance in HS
New post‑hoc analyses of the phase 3 STOP‑HS1 and STOP‑HS2 trials show that oral povorcitinib, a selective JAK1 inhibitor, delivers rapid, high‑threshold lesion clearance in patients with severe hidradenitis suppurativa. In the 75 mg arm, up to 57% of participants achieved complete...
For Patients With mCRPC, Results With Pluvicto in Real-World Settings Keep Pace With Clinical Trials
Real‑world evidence from Duke’s PRECISION platform shows Pluvicto (Lu‑177 vipivotide tetraxetan) delivers a median progression‑free survival of 13.5 months in PSMA‑positive metastatic castration‑resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) after androgen‑receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) therapy, matching the pivotal PSMAfore trial. Patients who received Pluvicto...
Ruxolitinib Cream Shows Strong Efficacy and Reassuring Safety in New Analyses
New integrated safety data from 20 trials confirm that ruxolitinib 1.5% cream delivers a low incidence of serious infections, cardiovascular events, thromboembolic events, and malignancies across atopic dermatitis, vitiligo and other inflammatory skin conditions. A phase 3b trial in adults with...
Rising Pediatric Diabetes Trends in US Medicaid, CHIP Enrollees
New JAMA Network Open analysis shows pediatric diabetes prevalence among Medicaid and CHIP enrollees rose from 2.73 to 3.04 per 1,000 between 2016 and 2021, an 11.4% increase. Type 2 diabetes drove most of the growth, climbing 24.3% with especially sharp...
Early Add-On Therapy Associated With Strong Clinical Response in MG
A multicenter retrospective registry of 153 AChR‑positive generalized myasthenia gravis patients found that initiating add‑on immunotherapy within 24 months of diagnosis (early intensified treatment) produced faster and larger improvements in MG‑ADL, QMG, and quality‑of‑life scores than later escalation. Early patients...
Elevating the Role of Advanced Practice Providers in the Evolving Alzheimer Disease Landscape
Alzheimer disease is set to affect 152 million people by 2050, driving a trillion‑dollar economic burden. New anti‑amyloid monoclonal antibodies demand early, accurate diagnosis, prompting health systems to enlist advanced practice providers (APPs) for screening, treatment coordination, and caregiver support. Panels...
Contributor: Personalized Heart Risk and How AI-Powered Plaque Analysis Is Changing Prevention
AI‑enhanced coronary CT angiography (CCTA) now quantifies total and non‑calcified plaque, delivering risk information that calcium scoring alone misses. Large studies show that incorporating AI‑driven plaque metrics reduces heart attack or cardiac death risk by up to 41% and boosts...
Income Inequality Fuels Worsening Birth Outcomes
A new JAMA Pediatrics study using PRAMS data from 2012‑2022 examined 380,499 births and found that low‑income mothers experienced a widening gap in low‑birth‑weight infants, rising 2.2 percentage points versus a 0.6‑point increase for higher‑income groups. The analysis revealed that...
Medicare Advantage Reckoning Hits 2026 Enrollment: Mark Meiselbach, PhD
New research predicts that nearly 3 million Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees—about 10 % of the market—will be forced out of their plans in 2026 as payment reforms curb historic over‑payments. The exits will hit rural beneficiaries hardest and will deepen the divide...
From Principle to Practice: New Checklist Supports Patient Engagement in Rare Disease Value Research
The Center for Innovation & Value Research launched the Rare Disease Patient Engagement (RDPE) Guidance and Checklist, a practical toolkit to embed patient and caregiver input throughout rare‑disease comparative effectiveness research, value assessment, and economic modeling. The resource bundles best‑practice...
Humana Offers Scholarships for Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine to Boost Physician Workforce
Humana has launched a $3 million endowment to provide full‑tuition scholarships for incoming students at Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine (XOCOM). The fund targets high‑achieving candidates facing financial hardship and requires recipients to practice in Louisiana, focusing on primary care, internal...
In China, Phase 2 Study of Relma-Cel in R/R MCL Finds Durable Responses
A phase‑2 trial of relmacabtagene autoleucel (relma‑cel), a CD19‑directed CAR‑T therapy, enrolled 59 Chinese patients with relapsed/refractory mantle‑cell lymphoma after BTK‑inhibitor failure. The study reported a 71.2% overall response rate and a 59.3% complete response rate, with median time to...
Environmental Factors Affect Community Participation Among Individuals With MS
A mixed‑methods study of 505 people with multiple sclerosis (MS) found that personal factors dominate community‑participation outcomes, but environmental factors still contributed an additional 11 % to satisfaction and GPS‑tracked activity. Financial resources, social support and neighborhood safety were linked to...
Recent Advances Raise Hopes of Better Addressing Richter Transformation
A new review synthesizes recent advances that clarify the biology of Richter transformation (RT), the aggressive lymphoma that develops in 2%‑10% of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients. The analysis confirms that 70%‑80% of RT cases are clonally related to the...
Pregnancy Biomarkers Reveal Long-Term Cardiovascular Risk in Women
A Danish registry‑linked cohort linked pregnancy biobanking with long‑term health records, showing that third‑trimester high‑sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs‑cTnI) and soluble fms‑like tyrosine kinase‑1 (sFlt‑1) independently predict maternal cardiovascular disease (CVD) over a median 12‑year follow‑up. Adding week‑29 sFlt‑1 to...
Analysis Finds Efficiencies, Savings of Using a Single Bispecific for DLBCL and FL
A new analysis quantifies the operational and financial benefits of using Genmab’s epcoritamab, a dual‑indication bispecific antibody, for both relapsed/refractory diffuse large B‑cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL). In a community‑practice model of 100 patients, the study projects 3,110...
Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease Conveys Greater Cirrhosis Risk Than Metabolic Disease
A new VA study of 1.5 million veterans shows alcohol‑associated liver disease (ALD) carries the highest cirrhosis incidence (0.66 per 100 person‑years), outpacing metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic‑and‑alcohol‑associated liver disease (MetALD). MASLD patients with obesity and diabetes face...
Advanced CKD Linked With Cognitive Impairment
A new JAMA Network Open analysis of 5,607 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients found that higher urinary protein‑to‑creatinine ratios (UPCR) and lower estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) independently raise the risk of cognitive deficits, especially in attention, processing speed, and...
Mixed Immune Signature Identified in Chronic Hand Eczema
A phase‑2b trial enrolling 94 adults with chronic hand eczema (CHE) without etiologic pre‑selection uncovered a mixed immune signature spanning type 2, type 3 and type 1 pathways. Dupilumab, an IL‑4Rα antagonist, delivered a 59.8% mean improvement in modified Total Lesion Symptom Score...
5 Things to Know About the Emerging Measles Outbreaks in the US
The United States recorded 2,280 measles cases in 2025, the highest tally since 1991, and early 2026 has already seen 910 additional cases, concentrated in South Carolina, Utah and Florida. Low MMR vaccination coverage—just 64% for a single dose—has been...
FAQ: How Long COVID Is Defined, Diagnosed, and Managed in 2026
Long COVID remains clinically fragmented as the CDC, WHO and the National Academy of Sciences each use slightly different definitions, creating gaps in diagnosis and treatment equity. High‑risk groups—women, older adults, smokers and those with obesity—continue to experience disproportionate symptom...
FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Zongertinib for HER2-Mutant NSCLC
The FDA granted accelerated approval to zongertinib (Hernexeos) for adults with unresectable or metastatic non‑squamous NSCLC that carry activating HER2 TKD mutations, extending its use to treatment‑naive patients. The decision rests on the Beamion LUNG‑1 trial, which reported a 76%...
Machine Learning May Enable Earlier Detection of CKD Risk Factors
A recent study demonstrates that a machine‑learning pipeline combining advanced feature selection with ensemble classifiers markedly improves chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk prediction. Gradient‑boosting models achieved the highest performance, reaching 98% accuracy, 99% recall and an AUC of 0.99, while...
Prospective Study in High-Risk Individuals Supports Primary Prevention Trials in MS
A prospective analysis of 1,903 first‑degree relatives of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients found an incidence of 211 cases per 100,000 per year—about 100‑fold higher than the general population—and a median conversion time of two years, with diagnosis typically at age...
CAB+RPV LA Is Versatile, Preferred in Treatment-Naive Patients
Long‑acting cabotegravir/rilpivirine (CAB+RPV LA) demonstrated strong virologic control and high patient preference in both treatment‑naïve and treatment‑experienced cohorts presented at CROI 2026. In the VOLITION trial, 85% of ART‑naïve adults switched early from DTG/3TC to a q2‑month injectable, achieving 95% overall suppression...
New Insights Into Hypertension and MACE Reduction in HIV: Steven Grinspoon, MD
A recent analysis of the REPRIEVE randomized trial shows that pitavastatin reduces incident hypertension by 17 % and cuts major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by 36 % in adults living with HIV. The findings extend statins’ benefit beyond LDL‑cholesterol lowering, highlighting a...
Sustained HIV Viral Suppression Restores Immune Potential: Victor Appay, PhD
New data presented at CROI 2026 show that people living with HIV who have maintained viral suppression for 25‑30 years on antiretroviral therapy regain robust HIV‑specific CD8⁺ T‑cell function. Using flow cytometry and single‑cell RNA sequencing, researchers found these cells display...
SGLT2s Linked to Lower Cardiorenal, Hepatic Risks in Type 2 Diabetes
A Taiwanese retrospective cohort of 24,259 adults with type 2 diabetes and liver cirrhosis found that initiating sodium‑glucose cotransporter‑2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) markedly reduced the risk of end‑stage kidney disease, acute kidney injury, major adverse cardiovascular events, all‑cause mortality, and hepatic decompensation...
TyG-BMI Can Help Predict In-Hospital Mortality in HFmrEF With Hypertension
A recent study published in Lipids in Health and Disease shows that the triglyceride‑glucose‑body‑mass‑index (TyG‑BMI) markedly improves prediction of in‑hospital mortality among hypertensive patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF). In a cohort of 2,550 admissions, each...