A recent randomized controlled trial compared high dose intravenous nitroglycerin to low dose for treating sympathetic crashing acute pulmonary edema (SCAPE) and found that high dose nitroglycerin resulted in significantly improved outcomes, with 65% of patients experiencing symptom resolution at 6 hours compared to 12% in the low dose group. The study, although small and single-center, suggests that higher doses of nitroglycerin may be more effective in managing SCAPE, potentially prompting a change in practice while awaiting larger studies.
A randomized controlled trial called the D-Health Trial investigated the effects of monthly vitamin D supplementation on major cardiovascular events in older adults. The trial involved 21,315 participants aged 60-84 years and found that vitamin D supplementation might reduce the incidence of major cardiovascular events, particularly among those taking cardiovascular drugs at baseline. However, the absolute risk difference was small, and further evaluation is needed to determine the role of vitamin D supplementation in preventing or treating cardiovascular disease.
Naltrexone can be safely administered to patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and compensated cirrhosis to help them achieve abstinence and decrease craving, according to the first randomized controlled trial. After 3 months, 64% of patients who received naltrexone were abstinent from alcohol, compared with 22% of patients who received placebo. Naltrexone was found to be safe for patients with compensated cirrhosis. The study showed that patients who consumed fewer than 17 drinks per month at baseline were more likely to achieve abstinence.
Ultra-processed foods, which make up nearly 60% of what the typical adult eats and nearly 70% of what kids eat, have been linked to health concerns ranging from increased risk of obesity, hypertension, breast and colorectal cancer to dying prematurely from all causes. A randomized controlled trial found that people on an ultra-processed diet ate about 500 calories per day more than when they were on an unprocessed diet and gained weight and body fat. Researchers are still not completely sure what it is about this category of food that appears to make us sick, but they are exploring the highly processed nature of these foods as a possible cause.
