In adults with HIV and low-to-moderate CV risk, pitavastatin reduced MACE over a median 5.1 y.

SOURCE CITATION: Grinspoon SK, Fitch KV, Zanni MV, et al; REPRIEVE Investigators. Pitavastatin to prevent cardiovascular disease in HIV infection. N Engl J Med. 2023;389:687-699. 37486775.

Portable Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy Combined with Chemometrics to Diagnose Fibromyalgia and Other Rheumatologic Syndromes Using Rapid Volumetric Absorptive Microsampling.

The diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia (FM) have relied heavily on subjective reports of experienced symptoms coupled with examination-based evidence of diffuse tenderness due to the lack of reliable biomarkers. Rheumatic disorders that are common causes of chronic pain such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, osteoarthritis, and chronic low back pain are frequently found to be comorbid with FM. As a result, this can make the diagnosis of FM more challenging. We aim to develop a reliable classification algorithm using unique spectral profiles of portable FT-MIR that can be used as a real-time point-of-care device for the screening of FM. A novel volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) technique ensured sample volume accuracies and minimized the variation introduced due to hematocrit-based bias. Blood samples from 337 subjects with different disorders (179 FM, 158 non-FM) collected with VAMS were analyzed. A semi-permeable membrane filtration approach was used to extract the blood samples, and spectral data were collected using a portable FT-MIR spectrometer. The OPLS-DA algorithm enabled the classification of the spectra into their corresponding classes with 84% accuracy, 83% sensitivity, and 85% specificity. The OPLS-DA regression plot indicated that spectral regions associated with amide bands and amino acids were responsible for discrimination patterns and can be potentially used as spectral biomarkers to differentiate FM and other rheumatic diseases.

Pneumonia in the elderly hospitalized in the Department of Veteran Affairs Health Care System.

Pneumonia is a major cause of hospital admissions and deaths worldwide. Our aim was to examine the trends in admissions for pneumonia in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We examined data for the fiscal years 2002 through 2007 on patients aged 65 years and older hospitalized with pneumonia by using VA administrative databases. The numbers of hospital admissions for pneumonia were relatively stable during this period. However, length of hospital stay and 30- and 90-day mortality decreased during this period. The proportion of patients admitted to the intensive care unit remained relatively constant, but fewer received mechanical ventilation; there was substantial increase in noninvasive ventilation. In the VA, pneumonia-related admissions are being managed more effectively even as the overall number of admissions remains stable.