Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers not ready for primary care use, expert panel decides
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 18, 2022
An international group of clinicians and researchers have agreed that Alzheimer’s disease blood biomarkers are a significant breakthrough, but are not yet ready for general clinical and primary care...
Medicare spending spikes at time of dementia diagnosis
By
Alicia Lasek (f3)
May 27, 2022
Spending jumps by about $8,400 in the quarter following a dementia diagnosis and then falls, likely related to skilled nursing facility and inpatient treatment, investigators say.
Hypertension, arterial stiffness linked to risk for diabetes
May 16, 2022
The highest risk for diabetes is seen for those with hypertension and arterial stiffness, a new study has found.
Docs struggle with making MCI diagnoses, 2022 Alzheimer’s report finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 23, 2022
Less than half of primary care physicians surveyed report being comfortable diagnosing mild cognitive impairment that’s due to Alzheimer’s disease. Fully 90% told researchers that it is “hard...
New study supports 10-day COVID-19 quarantine
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 15, 2022
Nearly 100% of people who contract COVID-19 after close contact with omicron-infected patients are diagnosed within 10 days, investigators say.
One-size-fits-all blood pressure cuff approach may lead to inaccurate diagnoses
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 02, 2022
Overestimation of blood pressure due to a too-small cuff size misclassified 39% of study participants as hypertensive, investigators report.
Gait speed slows long before dementia diagnosis, 15-year study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 11, 2022
Slowing gait speed may signal the onset of dementia up to nine years before cognitive decline becomes evident, investigators say. It’s also linked to Alzheimer’s-related brain changes.
Nursing home clinicians still overdiagnose UTIs despite antibiotic stewardship efforts: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 14, 2022
As a group, primary care providers and RNs misclassified UTIs about one-third of the time, an investigator tells McKnight’s. Nurses had greater odds of an incorrect assessment.
Strategies compared for ruling out pulmonary embolism
Dec 13, 2021
Diagnostic strategies with pretest probability-dependent D-dimer thresholds have highest efficiency, highest predicted failure rate
Harms of overdiagnosis outweigh benefits of mammography after age 75: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 24, 2021
Overdiagnosis and overtreatment after late-life screenings may harm more older women than are helped — especially those with multiple comorbidities, investigators say.