Antibiotic resistance awareness
Antibiotic resistance is an evolving issue within the healthcare industry, with The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimating that more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections arise in the U.S. each year. Antimicrobial resistance occurs when certain types of bacteria mutate, so that antibiotic medicines are not able to stop their growth. Antibiotic resistance results in bacterial infections being extremely difficult to treat, leading to serious health issues for hospitals’ patient populations and the community.
In July 2024, the CDC published “Antimicrobial Resistance Threats in the United States (2021-2022)”, highlighting new data showing that six bacterial antimicrobial-resistant hospital-onset infections increased by a combined 20% during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-infection period. Antimicrobial resistance peaked in 2021 and remained above pre-pandemic levels through 2022.
The CDC has called for increased healthcare professional and community awareness of Antibiotic Resistance. The (CDC’s) Be Antibiotics Aware partner toolkit includes messages, social media content, and other resources related to antibiotic safety for healthcare professionals. Additionally, the CDC’s MyHealthfinder resources also guide individuals on using medicines safely and preventing infections when getting medical care.
Proper antibiotic use protocol for healthcare professionals, according to the CDC, includes implementing systems to alert hospitals when patients have drug-resistant infections, reviewing and perfecting infection control practices, and ensuring that hospital staff have access to prompt and accurate lab testing for antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Average hip, knee replacement patient may be getting younger
We often think of the typical joint replacement patient being a senior (aged 65 and older). However, knee and hip replacement is becoming increasingly common among younger adults with chronic joint pain, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Today, the average age of joint replacement surgery patients is 57 years old, according to the U.S. News & World Report and Dr. Richard Berger, Rush University Medical Center orthopedic surgeon. Younger age groups are typically less apprehensive with these types of procedures because they are looking to avoid life-long, debilitating knee and hip pain.
Nearly 28% of hip replacement procedures are now being performed on men and women younger than 55, according to research from the American Academy of Orthopedics’ annual meeting in 2023 and U.S. News and World Report. By 2030, people younger than 65 are expected to account for 52% of hip replacements and as many as 62% of total knee replacements.
Smart watch tracking and healthcare data
Many people track fitness and health metrics using a wearable smartwatch device. These types of devices have recently become an integral part of people’s health and fitness routines. Some wearable devices on the market can now detect health changes such as irregular heart rhythms, oxygen levels, blood glucose, sleep tracking, and more.
More than a quarter of the U.S. population wore a smartwatch (or other type of wearable, connected device) for health and fitness tracking in 2023, according to Insider Intelligence/eMarketer and CNN. By 2026, it is projected that more than 100 million Americans will be using a smartwatch or wearable device for fitness and health tracking.
CNN interviewed Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University to understand more about the efficacy of smartwatches in tracking health data. According to Dr. Wen, smartwatches track fitness data such as steps per day, and they can encourage people to increase exercise time and walk more. According to CNN and Dr. Wen, a study published in March 2024 found that for individuals taking 9,000-10,000 steps per day, the risk of cardiovascular disease was lowered by 21%, and the chance of premature death decreased by 39%. So, wearables do promote healthier routines for many individuals.
However, Dr. Wen cautioned that smartwatches are not approved to diagnose heart attacks or other life-threatening conditions. If an individual has chest pain or any other symptoms of a heart attack or other heart condition, she advises that it is best to seek immediate medical care, instead of relying on wearable devices. Smartwatches can help encourage healthy behavior, according to Dr. Wen, but it is important that this new technology does not replace medical-grade monitoring equipment for necessary health tracking.
Sugar substitute erythritol may raise cardiovascular risk
New Cleveland Clinic research shows that consuming foods with erythritol, a popular artificial sweetener, increases risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. The findings, from a new intervention study in healthy volunteers, show erythritol made platelets (a type of blood cell) more active, which can raise the risk of blood clots. Sugar (glucose) did not have this effect.
Published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, the research adds to increasing evidence that erythritol may not be as safe as currently classified by food regulatory agencies and should be reevaluated as an ingredient. The study was conducted by a team of Cleveland Clinic researchers as part of a series of investigations on the physiological effects of common sugar substitutes.
The current research builds on the team’s previous study, published last year in Nature Medicine, which revealed that cardiac patients with high erythritol levels were twice as likely to experience a major cardiac event in the following three years compared to those with low levels. The study also discovered that adding erythritol to patients’ blood or platelets increased clot formation. These findings were confirmed by pre-clinical studies.