• Georgia: According to a new study published in Science Translational Medicine, detecting autoantibodies in nasal cavities could help determine the severity of a person's COVID-19 case. For the study, researchers from Emory University tracked 125 COVID-19 patients over two years and found that over 70% of people with mild or moderate COVID-19 had autoantibodies. Although autoantibodies are usually associated with worse health, it appears that the opposite was true with nasal autoantibodies for COVID. According to Eliver Ghosn, his lab created a new assay to test for nasal autoantibodies, and he hopes it can eventually be used as a predictive diagnostic test soon after patients test positive for COVID-19. Going forward, Ghosn said he wants to conduct larger trials on nasal autoantibodies in COVID-19 patients and see how autoantibodies affect other respiratory illnesses, including the flu. (Goldman, Axios, 11/13)
• Georgia: According to new data from CDC, the prevalence of adult diabetes cases, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, in the United States has continued to increase over the last 20 years. To determine the prevalence of diabetes among U.S. adults ages 20 and older, researchers analyzed data from 1999-2000 and August 2021-August 2023. Between 1999-2000, the age-adjusted prevalence of total diabetes was 9.7%. By 2021-2023, this figure had increased to 14.3%. During that same time, the total prevalence of diabetes was 15.8%, with undiagnosed cases making up 4.5%. Prevalence increased with age and weight and was more common in men (18%) than women (13.7%). Diabetes prevalence was also lower among adults who had higher education levels. (Twenter, Becker's Clinical Leadership, 11/7)
• Maryland: FDA has added a new warning label for all GLP-1 drugs, including semaglutide and tirzepatide, about the risk of pulmonary aspiration during general anesthesia or deep sedation. GLP-1 drugs, which are used for weight loss and diabetes, delay gastric emptying, which can increase the risk of aspiration and regurgitation when a patient is under anesthesia. "There have been rare postmarketing reports of pulmonary aspiration in patients receiving GLP-1 receptor agonists undergoing elective surgeries or procedures requiring general anesthesia or deep sedation who had residual gastric contents despite reported adherence to preoperative fasting recommendations," the updated label says. Patients who are taking GLP-1 drugs should tell their healthcare providers of any planned surgeries or procedures. According to MedPage Today, anesthesiologists have been divided on whether patients should stop taking GLP-1 medications before surgery, with research finding contradictory results. Recently, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, along with several other medical societies, reversed their 2023 guidance that recommended a one-week and one-day hold of injectable and oral GLP-1 drugs, respectively, before elective surgery. Now, the new guidance states that most patients can continue their medication until the day of surgery but should follow a liquid diet for 24 hours before the procedure depending on their circumstances. (Monaco, MedPage Today, 11/8)

The latest generation of weight management medications have sparked new questions about chronic obesity treatment. We answer five questions we’re hearing in conversations with healthcare leaders to help you understand how the medications differ from past iterations and their potential impacts.