Risk of congenital malformations lower with buprenorphine than methadone

MedPage Today (1/22, Robertson ) reports, “The risk of congenital malformations appears to be lower with buprenorphine than with methadone when taken during the first trimester of pregnancy for opioid use disorder (OUD), according to an analysis of Medicaid data.” In the study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, “in the buprenorphine group, risk of congenital malformations was 50.9 out of 1,000 pregnancies compared with 60.6 per 1,000 in the methadone group.”

Related Links:

MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Blood Test Could Be Used To Screen For Alzheimer’s Even Before Symptoms, Study Suggests

CNN (1/22, Howard ) reports, “Testing a person’s blood for a type of protein called phosphorylated tau, or p-tau, could be used to screen for Alzheimer’s disease with ‘high accuracy,’ even before symptoms begin to show, a new study suggests.” The research “involved testing blood for a key biomarker of Alzheimer’s called p-tau217, which increases at the same time as other damaging proteins — beta amyloid and tau — build up in the brains of people with the disease.” The “simple blood test was found to be up to 96% accurate in identifying elevated levels of beta amyloid and up to 97% accurate in identifying tau.” The findings were published in JAMA Neurology.

The Hill (1/22, Sforza ) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “New blood test that screens for Alzheimer’s may be a step closer to reality, study suggests,” Jacqueline Howard, CNN, January 22, 2024

Older Adults With Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia Had Fewer Adverse Events With Clozapine Than Young Adults, Study Finds

HCP Live (1/22, Derman) reports, “In a new study, older adults with treatment-resistant schizophrenia reported significantly fewer adverse events of clozapine than young adults.” Investigators “obtained data from a retrospective cohort study in a large psychiatric institute in the Netherlands, including 284 participants diagnosed with treatment-resistant schizophrenia who started taking clozapine between 2011 and 2020,” and “compared the number and type of adverse events, as well as the number of treatment discontinuations and the time until discontinuation due to adverse events, of older adults versus younger adults.” The findings were published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Young Adults at Greater Risk of Adverse Events with Clozapine than Older Adults,” Chelsie Derman, HCP Live, January 22, 2024

Osteoporosis Could Put Older Adults At Increased Risk Of Depression, Study Suggests

HCP Live (1/20, Derman) reported, “In addition to the increased risk of fracture, a new study suggests osteoporosis could put older adults at an increased risk of depression.” Investigators found that “individuals with osteoporosis had a 73% greater risk of experiencing depression symptoms than individuals without osteoporosis.” The findings were published in Public Health.

Related Links:

— “Osteoporosis Could Signal Increased Risk of Depression in Older Adults,” Chelsie Derman, HCP Live, January 20, 2024

People Coming Off Antidepressants Often Struggle With Emotional And Social Turmoil, Study Indicates

HealthDay (1/19, Thompson ) reported, “People coming off antidepressants often struggle with emotional and social turmoil, especially if they quit their meds cold turkey, a new study” indicated. The study, in which investigators “conducted interviews with 20 people who had attempted within the past year to withdraw from SSRI…antidepressants,” found that “challenges reported by patients quitting antidepressants included feeling overwhelmed by their emotions, finding social situations less enjoyable, and feeling detached and less empathetic towards others.”

The findings were published in Health Expectations.

Related Links:

— “Quick Withdrawal From Antidepressants Can Take Emotional, Cognitive Toll,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, January 19, 2024

In utero opioid exposure tied to greater risk for hospitalizations, ED visits for immune-related conditions

MedPage Today (1/18, Firth ) reports a study found that “opioid use during pregnancy for pain or opioid use disorder was associated with an increased risk for hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits for immune-related conditions in exposed offspring.” Among “more than 400,000 kids born in Western Australia, those with perinatal opioid exposure had an increased risk of perinatal infection…and eczema and dermatitis…compared with non-exposed children,” the research found. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Administration finalizes rule requiring insurers to set time targets for prior authorization process

Reuters (1/17, Roy) reports the administration “on Wednesday finalized a rule requiring health insurers to set time targets for the prior authorization process for patients seeking approval for medical services under government-backed insurance plans.” CMS “said the rule will begin primarily in 2026.” The new “rule applies to health insurance companies providing government backed-insurance plans such as Medicare” and Medicaid.

The Hill (1/17, Weixel ) reports that under the final rule, “health insurers participating in Medicare Advantage, Medicaid or the ObamaCare exchanges will need to respond to expedited prior authorization requests within 72 hours, and standard requests within seven calendar days.” The new “rule requires all impacted payers to include a specific reason for denying a prior authorization request.” Payers “will also be required to publicly report prior authorization metrics.”

Modern Healthcare (1/17, Bennett, Subscription Publication) reports “the regulation will take effect 60 days after it formally appears in the Federal Register.” In a press release, AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, said, “The American Medical Association applauds Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator [Chiquita] Brooks-LaSure for heeding patients and the physician community in a final rule that makes important reforms in government-regulated health plans’ prior authorization programs for medical services.”

Related Links:

— “US govt sets rule meant to speed up insurance approvals,” Reuters, January 17, 2024

Daily Multivitamin May Slow Memory Loss Among Individuals 60 And Older, Research Finds

The Washington Post (1/18, Cimons) reports, “A daily multivitamin may slow memory loss among those 60 and older by about two years, according to a study” that “is the third in a series of studies assessing the cognitive effects of a daily multivitamin on older adults.”

Moreover, “a systematic review, or meta-analysis, of the three studies accompanying the most recent paper said their cumulative results were similar: The group taking a multivitamin was two years younger in memory function compared with the group taking a placebo.” The findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The New York Times (1/18, Callahan, Smith) and NBC News (1/18, Sullivan) also cover the story.

Related Links:

— “More evidence suggests a multivitamin may help slow memory loss,” Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, January 18, 2024

US Adults Reported The Greatest Anxiety About Inflation, A Recession, And Gun Violence Over The Past Year, Poll Finds

Psychiatric News (1/18) reports, “Over the past year, U.S. adults reported the greatest anxiety about inflation, a recession, and gun violence, according to analysis of monthly data collected from APA’s Healthy Minds Poll in 2023.” Data from “the December poll” indicated that “many adults (38%) reported being anxious about their mental health, which has been a consistent finding over the past year.”

Meanwhile, “forty-four percent of adults said they expect to experience the same level of stress at the start of 2024 as they did at the start of 2023, while a quarter of respondents expect to experience more stress.”

Related Links:

— “Healthy Minds Poll Provides Insight Into Americans’ Anxieties Over Past Year,” Psychiatric News, January 18, 2024

FDA extends shelf-life of naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for OTC use to four years

HCPlive (1/17, Pine ) reports the FDA “has extended the shelf-life of 4 mg naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray (Narcan) for nonprescription, over-the-counter (OTC) use from 3 years to 4 years.”

The new “approval only applies to nasal spray products produced” after Wednesday. According to HCPlive, “the shelf-life of products produced and distributed prior to the announcement have not been affected; therefore prescribers, patients, and caregivers should continue to adhere to the expiration date printed on the product’s packaging and labeling.”

Related Links:

— “FDA Extends Shelf-Life for Naloxone Nasal Spray,” Lana Pine, HCP Live, January17 , 2024