Weekly News

Chipping away at the ‘epidemic of loneliness,’ one new friendship at a time
“On a typical morning, Jason Silverman lounges at home in his bed for hours, with the TV on and the volume turned up. Sometimes, this daily regimen can get lonely. So he looks forward to the days his friend, Melissa Mills, picks him up and takes him to a gym in Framingham, Massachusetts, where they exercise together. Silverman, 38, has Down syndrome. Talking is difficult for him, but he communicates by smiling, sighing and leading Mills by the arm. She’s become familiar with his routine: Usually they hit the treadmill first, then bike a bit before a lunch break and finally, a swim in the pool.”

Association of secondhand smoke exposure and health-related lifestyle behaviors among male university employees in Japan
“Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure causes various health problems associated with an unhealthy lifestyle. However, the lifestyles of individuals exposed to SHS have not been characterized extensively.”

4 Lessons for Approaching Conversations About Weight Loss
“It’s important to acknowledge the effort, not the number on the scale. Weight loss does not make someone a better person, so focus on their accomplishments and hard work. If you’re not close to the person, it’s best to keep your comments brief and positive.”

The Impact of Virtual Reality (VR) Gaming and Casual/Social Gaming on the Quality of Life, Depression, and Dialysis Tolerance in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Narrative Review
“This comprehensive narrative review aims to investigate the impact of virtual reality (VR) and social gaming on the quality of life, depression, and dialysis tolerance in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), a growing global health concern affecting the quality of life and increasing mortality rates. Through a combination of exercise and video games, exergaming, and digital game therapy (DGT), sedentary risks can be mitigated and therapy adherence enhanced. Despite potential side effects such as exhaustion and nausea, research indicates that virtual therapeutic games improve motivation and dialysis tolerance, and even reduce brain activity in pain-associated regions during procedures.”

Stress test abnormalities reveal more than just cardiovascular risks
“The treadmill exercise test with electrocardiogram (ECG), also known as an exercise stress test, is one of the most familiar tests in medicine. While exercise testing typically is focused on diagnosing coronary artery disease, a recent study finds that exercise test abnormalities, such as low functional aerobic capacity, predicted non-cardiovascular causes of death such as cancer in addition to cardiovascular-related deaths.”

G20 leaders stress on achieving universal health coverage, enhancing pandemic preparedness
“The G20 leaders committed to improve access to medical countermeasures and facilitate more supplies and production capacities in developing countries to prepare better for future health emergencies.”

Strengthening Bonds and Reducing Conflicts: The Power of Couples Working Out Together
“The threads of physical and emotional well-being are tightly intertwined in the intricate fabric of romantic relationships. As couples navigate the complexities of daily life, various factors come into play, including disagreements and hormonal imbalances.”

What are preventable cancers and how are they prevented?
“Health experts have estimated that 184,000 people in the UK will be diagnosed with preventable cancers this year and that it will cost the country just over £78bn.”

NIH funds cross-campus effort to train experts in AI and Nutrition
“Cornell has received a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a program that combines precision nutrition with advanced data science and analytical methods, equipping students to address complex health challenges like nutrition disparities and diet-related chronic diseases.”

High Levels of Particulate Air Pollution Associated With Increased Breast Cancer Incidence
“Researchers at the National Institutes of Health found that living in an area with high levels of particulate air pollution was associated with an increased incidence of breast cancer. The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is one of the largest studies to date looking at the relationship between outdoor air pollution, specifically fine particulate matter, and breast cancer incidence.”

Is coconut oil healthy? Mouse study finds it may alter metabolism and cause obesity
“Though many consider coconut oil healthy, a new study suggests otherwise. The study finds that coconut oil disrupted mice’s ability to use leptin and insulin, two critical hormones, with insulin resistance being a primary characteristic of type 2 diabetes. Nutritionists recommend unsaturated or polyunsaturated oils instead of saturated oils like coconut oil.”

The #1 Commonly Missed Early Sign of Lung Cancer, According to Oncologists
“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. after skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). The disease is to blame for about 1 in 5 cancer deaths, and the ACS estimates more than 127,000 people will die from it this year.”

Outcomes of Lung Cancer Screening Using LDCT Imaging for Over 1 Million Individuals
“In 2013, low-dose CT (LDCT) imaging was recommended for lung cancer screening (LCS), making approximately 8 million Americans eligible.”

Breakthrough Targeted Therapy Approach for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Helps Patients With a Genetic Mutation Live Longer
“The immunotherapy drug, durvalumab, has been the standard of care for patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) to improve survival, when prescribed after chemotherapy and radiation therapy. But patients with an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation have not seen the same survival benefit.”

Mirati Presents Two-Year Follow-Up Data from KRYSTAL-1 Study Demonstrating Durable Response and Long-Term Overall Survival at 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer
“SAN DIEGO, Sept. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Mirati Therapeutics, Inc.®  (NASDAQ: MRTX), a commercial stage research and development,  biotechnology company, today presented two-year follow-up data from a pooled analysis of the Phase 1/1b Cohort and Phase 2 Cohort A for the KRYSTAL-1 study evaluating adagrasib (KRAZATI®) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring a KRAS^G12C mutation.”

Gilead’s Phase 2 EVOKE-02 Study of Trodelvy® (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) in Combination With KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Demonstrates Promising Clinical Activity in First-Line Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
“– Results Show Encouraging Activity of Trodelvy in Combination with KEYTRUDA in 1L Metastatic NSCLC Across all PD-L1 Subgroups and Histologies Studied –“

Promising Results in TROPION-Lung04 Trial for Advanced Lung Cancer
“Initial results from the TROPION-Lung04 Phase Ib trial showed that datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) in combination with Imfinzi (durvalumab), an anti-PD-L1 therapy, with or without carboplatin demonstrated encouraging responses and no new safety signals in patients with previously untreated advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without actionable genomic alterations.”

AI more accurately identifies patients with advanced lung cancer that respond to immunotherapy and helps doctors select treatments
“Newswise — Treatment planning for lung cancer can often be complex due to variations in assessing immune biomarkers. In a new study, Yale Cancer Center researchers at Yale School of Medicine used artificial intelligence (AI) tools and digital pathology to improve the accuracy of this process.”

Lung Cancer Screening: Making it Meaningful for Nonsmoking Asian Women
“”If you build it, they will come,” is the hallmark line from the 1989 baseball movie “Field of Dreams.” Unfortunately, that hasn’t necessarily proven true in low-dose CT lung cancer screening (LCS). Hitting a home run with widespread programming has been a challenge in the U.S., and despite health insurance coverage for lung cancer screening in the United States since 2015, “fewer than 10% of eligible persons” participate in LCS, noted international researchers.”

NHS England invites more than one million people for lung cancer checks
“More than one million people (1,052,083) have been invited for a lung cancer check, as part of the biggest programme to improve early lung cancer diagnosis in health service history.”

Rybrevant Betters Outcomes in Certain Lung Cancer Populations
“Rybrevant (amivantamab-vmjw) improved progression-free survival when given with or without lazertinib to patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR exon 19 (ex19del) or L8588R substitution non-small cell lung cancer that has previously progressed on Tagrisso (Osimertinib), according to findings from the phase 3 MARIPOSA-2 study announced in a press release by Janssen.”

CDC Publishes 2 Reports on Hepatitis Incidence Rates and Progress Towards 2025 Goals
“The federal agency’s reports shows decreases in both hepatitis A and B, but hepatitis C saw a significant increase during 2021. However, the investigators note the pandemic may have impacted statistics and progress towards goals.”

People Infected With Hepatitis C May Need the Hepatitis B Shot
“MONDAY, Sept. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Patients with hepatitis C should consider being vaccinated again for hepatitis B, because their immune response to the initial shot may be inadequate, a new study suggests.”

DAA Treatment Improves Liver Function, Increases Risk of Anemia in Patients With HCV, Study Finds
“The liver function of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) improved while prevalence of anemia increased and fasting blood glucose level, hemoglobin A1C index, and renal function decreased after 12 weeks of treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAA), according to findings from a recent study.”

Hepatitis C and Human Pegivirus Coinfection in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C from the Brazilian Amazon Region: Prevalence, Genotypes and Clinical Data
“Coinfection of HPgV-1 with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is common due to shared modes of transmission, with a prevalence of HPgV-1 viremia of approximately 20% among individuals with chronic HCV infection. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of HPgV-1 RNA and circulating genotypes in patients with hepatitis C from a health service located in the city of Belém, in the state of Pará, Northern Brazil.”

U of A team revamps Alberta’s prenatal hepatitis C screening program
“A University of Alberta team has revamped Alberta’s prenatal hepatitis C screening program based on their research, uncovering more new cases of the bloodborne viral infection and streamlining the path to care for mothers and babies. The researchers tested a new one-step blood screening tool, introduced a universal screening program and improved followup to ensure pregnant patients are connected with specialists, resulting in 59 per cent more cases of hepatitis C being identified for treatment.”

US Hepatitis C Elimination Plan
“To the Editor A recent Viewpoint1 identified American Indian and Alaska Native persons and non-Hispanic Black persons as groups disproportionately affected by hepatitis C virus. We consider this a problematic classification.

When considering that American Indian and Alaska Native persons and non-Hispanic Black persons are also represented in the other named groups disproportionately affected by hepatitis C virus, it would be more appropriate to identify the behavioral and/or structural qualifiers for hepatitis C risk, rather than those that are racially and ethnically based. Using racial and ethnic identifiers as an explanation for differences in disease prevalence reifies racial essentialism in medicine, despite behavioral and structural qualifiers (eg, lack of insurance) that appear to be more effective in explaining disparities in diseases.”

Southern Indian Health Council Addresses Syndemic in Rural California
“Federal leaders recently visited the Southern Indian Health Council (SIHC) in Alpine, CA, to observe its efforts to help end the HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and STI syndemic in Indian Country. SIHC is one of seven grantees in the Ending the HIV and HCV epidemics in Indian Country (ETHIC) Program, which is funded by the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative, Minority HIV/AIDS Fund. The cooperative agreements include testing, treatment, prevention, and education services.”

Opinion: The Chemotherapy Shortage Is Hard to Wrap Your Head Around
“As an RN in a surgical oncology unit, I have cared for many patients receiving chemotherapy.”

When the Cancer Awakens
“My current treatment was successful in making sure it did not change or grow. I linked it to when a toddler has completely demolished the living room with toys and energy. Then it’s time for his nap. You clean up the mess, then settle in with a good cup of tea. That time with a cup of tea is like enjoying cancer’s stability. Except sooner or later, the toddler awakens. And recently, so did my cancer.”

Northwestern Medicine Launches a Hispanic Program for Patients With Lung and Thoracic Diseases
“The Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute Hispanic Program was recently launched to offer personalized care for lung and thoracic patients in their native language, making life-saving care more accessible for the Hispanic community and people who prefer to speak Spanish by removing cultural and linguistic barriers.”

Mom, 35, diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer shares the subtle warning signs she ignored for years
“A mother from California’s has revealed her cancer symptoms were blamed on anxiety and doctors said she should ‘see a therapist’.”

TTF Fields Improve Survival in Lung Cancer
“Adding Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) to standard systemic therapy tended to improve survival in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had progression on or after platinum-based therapy, according to findings from the LUNAR trial that were recently published in The Lancet Oncology.”

Lung cancer biomarker campaign, launched with AstraZeneca, boosts its reach and adds pharma supporters
“The groups are called the MET Crusaders, the EGFR Resistors, the KRAS Kickers and the ROS1ders — and members are non small cell lung cancer patients who share the same biomarkers. The groups, though, are also avid cancer biomarker testing advocates and supporters of LUNGevity’s “No One Missed” campaign to encourage comprehensive testing in lung cancer.”

Roche announces positive phase 3 results for Alecensa in early-stage lung cancer
“The phase 3 ALINA study has been evaluating the targeted drug as an adjuvant therapy in patients with completely resected stage 1B to 3A ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).”

National Comprehensive Cancer Network awards grants for small cell lung cancer research
“The funding — provided through support from AstraZeneca — is intended to support projects focused on reducing gaps in care for people with limited-stage or extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.”

Early Molecular Genotyping Testing Results Confer OS Benefit in Advanced NSCLC
“Patients with metastatic nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and available molecular genotyping results experienced a significant improvement in overall survival (OS) following first-line therapy compared with those with unavailable testing, according to findings from a real-world cohort study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology Precision Oncology.”

New research could help improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy for people with brain tumors
“A study led by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center sheds new light on why tumors that have spread to the brain from other parts of the body respond to immunotherapy while glioblastoma, an aggressive cancer that originates in the brain, does not.”

Mind-Body Therapies for Anxiety, Depression a Critical Part of Comprehensive Cancer Care
“Mind-body therapies have been shown — and are recommended in guidelines — to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with cancer who may be at any part of the care continuum, an expert said.”

$3.6M to fund study on long-term physical activity to reduce Alzheimer’s risk
“HERSHEY, Pa. — Penn State College of Medicine researchers are exploring a new way to keep people physically active long term, and in doing so, they said they hope to prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. With a $3.6 million, two‑phase grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the team will study whether training people to set and monitor their progress toward short-term, everyday physical activity goals encourages them to stay physically active long term.”

Hula hooping is a full-body, low-impact workout. Try it with these 7 exercises
“Hula hooping isn’t just a nostalgic childhood activity, it’s also an effective full-body workout that’s easy on the joints. Here are the benefits of hula hooping and exercises to try.”

Active children are more resilient
““Get some exercise!” It’s one suggestion adults frequently hear when they complain about stress in their lives. Exercise helps relieve stress. But does this also apply to children? Does exercise help them manage the pressures to achieve at school? A research team led by Dr. Manuel Hanke and Dr. Sebastian Ludyga from the Department of Sport, Exercise and Health recently examined the effect of physical activity on children’s stress levels. Their findings appear in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.”

The best exercises for abs at home, according to an expert personal trainer
“When you’re looking for the best exercises for abs to do at home, it’s easy to resort to the familiar rhythms of crunches and sit-ups . We’ve clenched our jaws, counted our reps, and put our trust in the process, but unfortunately, you won’t be seeing too many results from these staple Phys Ed exercises.”

How to Stop “Nexting”
“Go on, admit it! You refresh your social media feed like you’re expecting either a winning lottery number or an IRS audit notice. You binge-watch like you’re training for the Stream-a-lympics. Congratulations, you’ve been caught in the tantalizing trap of “nexting”!”

Michigan researchers receive $26 million NIH grant to study environmental impacts on child health
“Backed by a $26 million federal grant, researchers at three Michigan universities, a leading health care system, and a state agency will continue a long-term study of how exposure to environmental factors during pregnancy and early childhood can impact health for a lifetime.”

How a mere 12% of Americans eat half the nation’s beef, creating significant health and environmental impacts
“A new study has found that 12% of Americans are responsible for eating half of all beef consumed on a given day, a finding that may help consumer groups and government agencies craft educational messaging around the negative health and environmental impacts of beef consumption.”

Hepatitis C Screening in Post–Baby Boomer Generation Americans: One Size Does Not Fit All
“For HCV elimination, passive “universal” screening in routine health care settings is insufficient, although the efficiency of screening may be improved with alanine aminotransferase prescreening. Importantly, for individuals with limited access to health care, proactive outreach programs for HCV screening are still needed.”

HCV-Infected Liver Transplant Patients Benefit from DAA Use, Study Finds
“Sustained virological response (SVR) was associated with improvements in hepatic function, liver fibrosis, and post-liver transplantation survival in a retrospective cohort study of HCV-infected liver transplant recipients who received direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment after liver transplantation.”

Implementing Better Standard Instruments for Detecting Cirrhosis in Hepatitis C Patients
“An increasing number of hepatitis C diagnoses in the younger population could partly be due to the rising opioid epidemic and intravenous drug use. Using hepatic venous portal gradient (HVPG) and liver stiffness tests, this study investigates better early diagnostic markers in identifying cirrhosis-related complications compared to percutaneous liver biopsy in hepatitis C patients.”

6 Drug Classes and Vaccine Candidates for Hepatitis C
“Hepatitis C virus (HCV) pharmacotherapeutic management is prominently led by the direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drug class, a staple of viral mitigation in patients for the last decade now. However, advances in treatment diversity and potential prevention are still pursued—despite DAAs’ significant efficacy.”

Vosevi Is Effective for Retreatment of Hepatitis C
“Most people with hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be successfully treated with Vosevi (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir) after a previous treatment failure, according to study findings published in the Journal of Hepatology. Adding ribavirin to the regimen made little difference in efficacy but led to more adverse events.”

Diet of ultra-processed foods linked to higher depression risk long term
“The more that a person’s daily calories come from ultra-processed foods, the more likely they are to experience depression long-term, a new study suggests. The association between these foods and depression persisted regardless of sex, body mass index, age, marital status, social living situation, or level of physical activity.”

Produce Prescription Programs Yield Positive Health Benefits for Participants, Study Finds
“Around the country, non-profits and local governments are testing the idea of food as medicine through “produce prescription programs”—with promising results, according to researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.”

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Expands Access to HIV PrEP, but Inequities Remain a Challenge
“On August 22, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention recommendations in JAMA. Cases of HIV in the United States declined by nearly 10 percent between 2017 and 2021, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), partially because of expanded access to antiviral medication called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) — but gross inequities remain an issue.”

FDA warns against using certain eye drops over microbial contamination
“(CNN) — The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning against buying or using certain eye drops from Dr. Berne’s and LightEyez due to microbial contamination.”

COVID EG.5 Variant Symptoms Experts Say You Need To Watch For
“The symptoms of Eris are similar to previous strains of the virus, but Eris may be able to more easily elude antibodies that people have developed from previous infection or vaccines.”

Bayer and Kroger Team to Help Improve Access to Health and Nutrition in Rural America
“WHIPPANY, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Bayer, one of the country’s largest life-sciences companies, announced today its campaign to remind rural America to “Take Care, Now” and help alleviate care deserts in rural America, areas significantly impacted by both food insecurity and limited access to healthcare. Today, 90 percent of counties with the highest food insecurity rates are rural and rural communities represent nearly two-thirds of primary care health professional shortage areas in the country.”

Popular AI Tools Can Hurt Your Mental Health, New Study Finds
“However, treading lightly is essential with generative AI tools. According to recent research from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, popular AI tools have been providing users with harmful content surrounding eating disorders around 41% of the time. This has the potential to encourage or exacerbate eating disorder symptoms.”

What is silent walking? The latest viral workout trend has some intriguing benefits
“We’ve all heard the advice that going for a run will clear your head or that spending time outdoors can give you a fresh perspective on a problem, but a recent viral TikTok trend is marrying the two in an unexpectedly helpful way. It’s called silent walking, and it combines the health benefits of nature, exercise and meditation to center and calm its many participants.”

4 Ways to Help Patients With Metastatic Lung Cancer Find Meaning in Their Experiences
“Oncology nurses can help patients with metastatic lung cancer find meaning in their experiences and potentially help them cope more effectively with their diagnosis.”

Addressing Racial Disparities in Lung Cancer Evaluation Timeliness Using an Innovative RODP
“Rapid outpatient diagnostic programs (RODP) accelerate lung cancer evaluation, but their effect on racial disparities in evaluation timeliness is unclear.”

Minneapolis nonprofit promotes ‘simple and easy test’ to fight lung cancer
“A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation wants to promote early detection through a screening campaign.”

Immunotherapy Drug Imfinzi Given Before and After Lung Cancer Surgery May Boost Outcomes, Study Suggests
“Some lung cancer patients may have improved outcomes after getting an immunotherapy drug before and after surgery, according to a promising new study.”

Rural Patient Populations at Higher Risk of Lung Cancer Mortality
“Although the incidence of lung cancer mortality has decreased in the United States Since 1999, men, Non-Hispanic Black individuals, rural populations, and individuals in Southern States have been subject to disproportionate disparities in disease-related outcomes, according to findings from a population-based CDC database analysis presented at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting.”

Chemoimmunotherapy Safe, Effective for Untreated Lung Cancer Brain Metastases
“Chemoimmunotherapy for untreated lung cancer brain metastases delayed progression and use of whole-brain radiation, a prospective phase II study showed.”

Blood test helps predict risk for lung cancer mortality
“Researchers have developed a method to predict which individuals are at higher risk for lung cancer-related mortality.”

Optimizing tobacco cessation treatment with lung cancer screening
“Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the United States, and 80% of lung cancer deaths are linked to one risk factor: smoking. While lung cancer screenings are a critical part of prevention and treatment for the disease and 15 million Americans qualify for yearly screenings, over half those eligible for screenings are still actively smoking. Without standard smoking cessation measures in place, the benefits of the screenings have not been fully realized.”

Sherwood Discusses Treatment Options for Unresectable Stage III Lung Adenocarcinoma
“During a Targeted Oncology™ Case-Based Roundtable™ event, Garrett B. Sherwood, MD, discussed biopsy and treatment approaches for a patient diagnosed with T2aN2M0, stage IIIA adenocarcinoma.”

Expert Panel to Review Lumakras for KRAS G12C-Mutant Lung Cancer
“A panel of experts will vote on whether Lumakras (sotorasib) should be approved for the treatment of adults with previously treated locally advanced or metastatic (spread to other parts of the body) KRAS G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer, according to an announcement from Amgen, the manufacturer of the drug.”

Tarlatamab Shows Antitumor Activity, Safety in Small Cell Lung Cancer
“The DeLLphi-300 trial of a bispecific T-cell engager showed favorable outcomes in patients with previously treated small cell lung cancer.”

NCCN Announces Funding for Small Cell Lung Cancer Research Projects
“The National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program selects projects focused on reducing gaps in patient care for people with limited-stage (LS) and extensive stage (ES) small cell lung cancer.”

Dayton VA turns to local medical firm’s technology to fight lung cancer
“22 VA hub locations turn to Miamisburg-bred technology for early detection of lung cancer”

Developing a High-Risk Cancer Prevention and Wellness Program to Meet Community Needs
“The program’s initiative aims to identify those at increased risk for cancer through assessment and testing and then formulate a personalized evidence-based cancer surveillance or screening plan.”

Hepatitis C Virus: Insights Into Its History, Treatment, Challenges, and Future Directions
“Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a global public health concern with significant impacts. It primarily spreads through blood-to-blood contact, such as sharing needles among drug users. Given the wide prevalence of risk factors, HCV continues to pose a major threat. Hence, it is crucial to understand its characteristics, structure, and genotypes to prevent, treat, and potentially eradicate it.”

U.S Pharmaceutical Company To Stop Supplying Russia With Popular Hepatitis Drug
“Russian health-care watchdog Roszdravnadzor told the daily Kommersant on August 22 that U.S pharmaceutical company MSD (Merck Corporation) will stop supplying Russia with the popular Zepatier hepatitis C medicine after its planned deliveries end in late 2024. After Russian launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, MSD stopped supplying Russia with Raltegravir, a medicine to decrease the chances that HIV-infected people will develop AIDS.”

ACOG guideline addresses hepatitis in pregnancy
“In a clinical practice guideline issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and published online Aug. 17 in Obstetrics & Gynecology, recommendations are presented for hepatitis B and C virus screening in pregnancy, for management of patients with infection, and for vaccination.”

Only 1 in 5 U.S. Adults With Opioid Use Disorder Received Medications to Treat it in 2021
“In 2021, an estimated 2.5 million people aged 18 years or older in the U.S. had opioid use disorder in the past year, yet only 1 in 5 of them (22%) received medications to treat it, according to a new study. Some groups were substantially less likely to receive medication for opioid use disorder, including Black adults, women, those who were unemployed, and those in nonmetropolitan areas.”

Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Report Low Life Satisfaction
“More than half of patients with hepatitis C in a recent study expressed a low level of life satisfaction, especially among younger participants with a low self-assessment of their health. Results of the study, which included 220 patients with hepatitis C from 7 centers in Poland, suggests 62.7% of surveyed patients reported a low level of life satisfaction, with just 8.7% reporting a high level of life satisfaction.”

New CDC Viral Hepatitis Reports on US Surveillance in 2021 and on Progress Toward Reaching National Elimination Goals
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published the Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report— United States, 2021 and the 2023 Viral Hepatitis National Progress Report. These reports contain hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C surveillance and mortality data that inform the Nation’s viral hepatitis response and monitor progress towards achieving established national viral hepatitis elimination goals of reducing viral hepatitis infections and related mortality and disparities.
Rates of acute hepatitis C have doubled from 2014 to 2021 and continue to climb, with an estimated 69,800 acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in 2021; injection drug use was the most commonly reported risk factor. More than half of acute hepatitis C cases progress to chronic infection, and over 107,000 newly reported chronic cases were reported in 2021, with the highest rates among adults aged 30-59 years.”

Striving for a Healthier Future: Combating HIV and Hepatitis C Coinfection
“Hepatitis C is a significant public health concern affecting an estimated 71 million people worldwide. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that approximately 2.4 million individuals are living with chronic hepatitis C. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 21% of people with HIV in the U.S. also have hepatitis C.”

Iran providing free treatment for Hepatitis C
“TEHRAN- Saeid Karimi, the deputy minister of health, has said that free treatment for hepatitis C is provided for patients in the country. “We hope to eliminate hepatitis C from the country with insurance coverage and other efficient measures,” IRNA quoted Karimi as saying.”