Trending News Today: Certain Interventions Can Reduce Excessive Steroid Use in IBD

A new study shows that excessive steroid use is a common problem among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) but certain interventions can reduce overuse, MD Magazine reported. According to the article, the study found that among 2385 patients, 28% received steroids in the preceding 12 months and 14.8% had steroid excess or dependency. However, steroid use was significantly lower at intervention centers that participated in a quality improvement program and other factors such as maintenance with anti-tumor necrosis factor agents and treatment in a center with a multidisciplinary team, which were also linked with lower steroid use, the article reported.

A recent study found that the stage of cancer when lymphoma is diagnosed can be a key factor in whether patients later develop a secondary primary cancer, The American Journal of Managed Care reported. According to the article, the study examined records from 26,308 patients over 18 years of age who were diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). During the 5 years after diagnosis, the patients with early-stage DLBCL had a higher risk of secondary primary malignancy (SPM) than those with advanced disease at diagnosis, but patients with advanced disease had a higher risk of SPM during the period 10 to 15 years after diagnosis, the article reported.

Stroke rates among US adults over 65 years of age have decreased over the past 30 years, Reuters reported. According to the article, the researchers analyzed data through December 2017 from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort study, which included approximately 16,000 black and white residents from 4 US states. Overall, between 1987 and 2017, approximately 1340 strokes occurred among the participants, and 77% occurred in individuals who were 65 years and older, with stroke rates in this group declining by 32% each decade, the article reported.