The Connected Clinician: Top Stories of the Week for October 13

This week, the medical world was ripe with news of all kinds, as well as plenty of exciting new data were released for a slew of different conditions.

Along with the declaration of several public health crises, an executive order from the president, and some partnerships between pharmaceutical companies, the week was loaded with approvals from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and as always, MD Magazine was there to cover it all.

While the weather cooled down, things really heated up in the research field. A few treatment milestones were hit in HIV therapy this week, and a new single-tablet therapy proved its efficacy while a study explored the reason why HIV therapies do not work well together. Additionally, Johns Hopkins received a $13.4M grant to study early MS treatments, a study uncovered the high-risk of falls for wheelchair-ridden MS patients, and multiple biomarkers that could aid in diagnosis were identified.

On to the top stories from this week:

Patients with Undetectable HIV Do Not Pose Transmission Risk

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a major moment in HIV therapy, stating that antiretroviral therapy, or ART, has effectively rendered HIV non-transmissible in patients with undetectable viral loads.

The Impact of Cannabis on Public Health

As marijuana prohibition becomes more and more contentious, Doctors for Cannabis Regulation released an editorial detailing its 3-pronged defense for the legalization of the drug and the impact prohibition has had on public health in the United States.

Physical Activity Lowers Odds of Early, Late AMD

A recent meta-study exploring the impact general exercise has on age-related macular degeneration showed a link between more activity and a lower risk of developing the condition. Patients with high levels of activity had a 41% lower risk of developing AMD.

Opioid Growth Factor Identified as MS Biomarker

Opioid growth factor has been found to exist at lower levels in patients with multiple sclerosis compared to patients without the condition, and in mouse models, opioid growth factor levels have been associated with disease progression.

First mRNA Vaccine Holds Great Promise

The first demonstration of a vaccine from mRNA in humans has opened up the possibility of more quickly treating infectious disease outbreaks. These vaccines retain their potency for longer periods of time and in wider ranges of temperature.

IDWeek 2017

MD Magazine 's staff traveled to San Diego, California to provide some coverage on the Infectious Disease Week 2017 meeting, covering topics ranging from prevention to treatment and beyond with health care professionals in infectious diseases and healthcare epidemiology and prevention, including researchers, clinicians, quality and patient safety practitioners, epidemiologists, and public health officials.