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The reading room includes articles and videos of potential interest to consumers and medical professionals. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the NC Medical Board, its members and staff. Note: Some links may require subscriptions.

Low bone density, poor bone health linked to higher dementia risk

Medical News Today
March 23, 2023
Over 55 million people globally have dementia. By 2050, this figure is expected to increase to 139 million people. Studies have suggested a link between bone mineral density and dementia. While it remains unknown whether the two are causally linked, bone mineral density is an important predictor of fracture, which can lead to loss of independence among those with dementia. Knowing more about the extent to which bone loss exists before dementia onset could aid the development of preventive strategies that optimize the health and care of dementia patients.

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Deaths, blindness inked to recalled eye drops contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria

People: Health News
March 22, 2023
An antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in multiple recalled eye drops have caused the death of three individuals.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided an update on their investigation on Tuesday after multiple eye drops distributed by EzriCare and Delsam Pharma and manufactured under Global Pharma Healthcare were recalled in February due to their contamination of the rare Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.

According to their findings, 68 individuals in 16 states who used the contaminated eye drops were infected with bacteria. Along with the death of three individuals, eight individuals have gone blind, and four additional individuals have needed the surgical removal of an eyeball.

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This Deadly Fungal Infection Is Spreading Fast — Here’s What To Know

CNN Health
March 21, 2023
A deadly fungal infection called Candida auris — known also as C. auris — is spreading at an “alarming” rate, the CDC warns.

According to a new report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the infection, which was originally limited to New York and Chicago, has spread to more than half of U.S. states in recent years. It’s often drug-resistant, and carriers don’t always show symptoms, meaning it transmits rapidly through healthcare facilities.

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Even Small Changes in Fitness Tied to Lower Mortality Risk

Medscape
March 20, 2023
Even relatively small changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are associated with “considerable” impact on clinical symptoms and mortality risk among individuals with and without cardiovascular disease, new observational data in United States veterans suggest.

“We had a few surprises,” Peter Kokkinos, PhD, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, and the VA Medical Center, Washington, DC, told theheart.org | Medscape Cardiology. “First, the mortality risk was greatly attenuated in those who were moderate- and high-fit at baseline, despite a decline in fitness over time. In fact, in those with no CVD, the risk was not significantly elevated even when CRF declined by at least one MET [metabolic equivalent of task] for the moderate-fit and two or more METs for the high-fit group.”

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