University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 27, 2024 -- Several community-wide social and environmental factors are associated with the onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older dementia-free individuals, according to a study published online Nov. 20 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society . Mary Ganguli, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and colleagues examined associations between community-wide social determinants of health and MCI. The analysis included data from 2,830 dementia-free individuals (aged 65 years and older). The researchers found that unadjusted models revealed higher odds of MCI with higher Area Deprivation Index scores (odds ratio [OR], 1.01), higher fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ; OR, 1.16), higher homicide rates (OR, 1.007), lesser greenspace (OR, 0.99), and Southern state schooling (OR, 2.06). When adjusting for age, race, sex, and educational level, the Area Deprivation Index remained a significant risk factor. However, for PM 2.5 and Southern state schooling, there were significant interactions with race; Black participants were more strongly affected than White participants. "In this cohort, several community-wide social/environmental factors were associated with MCI," the authors write. "While clinicians should continue to encourage older adults to modify their individual risk factors, policy changes are needed to mitigate social determinants of health in the community." Abstract/Full Text Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

THURSDAY, Aug. 29, 2024 -- People with self-identified xylazine wounds are more likely to engage in subcutaneous injection and face several barriers to seeking medical wound treatment, according to a study published online Aug. 21 in Drug and Alcohol Dependence . Raagini Jawa, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and colleagues sought to understand drug use and wound care practices and treatment experiences of people who use drugs (PWUD). The analysis included 171 survey responses from PWUD. The researchers found that 87 percent had a xylazine wound in the past 90 days. There were no significant demographic differences between those with and without xylazine wounds. Among respondents primarily injecting (155 people), subcutaneous injection was nearly 10 times more likely among those with xylazine wounds (148 people). Of people with xylazine wounds, wound self-treatment practices were heterogeneous. Among those with xylazine wounds, when seeking medical care, 74 percent experienced health care stigma and 58 percent had inadequate pain and withdrawal management. "Programs serving people exposed to xylazine should work to support safer injection practices, including alternatives to injecting and improving access to high-quality, effective wound care," the authors write. "Further study is warranted to understand the causes, promoters, and prevention of xylazine-related wounds." Abstract/Full Text Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

LUND, Sweden, Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Immunovia (Nasdaq Stockholm: IMMNOV), the pancreatic cancer diagnostics company, today announces enhanced performance for its next-generation test for detecting stage 1 and 2 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) in high-risk individuals, which are potentially curable with surgery and modern treatments. On 22 April 2024, Immunovia announced positive results from the initial model-development study for its next-generation pancreatic cancer detection test. Subsequent efforts to increase test performance have now enhanced test accuracy, substantially improving the sensitivity of the next-generation test to 85% with a specificity of 98% in detecting stage 1 and 2 PDAC. A sensitivity of 85% means the new test is capable of detecting pancreatic cancer in approximately 6 out of every 7 people with early-stage disease. Specificity of 98% means this new test should return a false positive result just once for every 50 people tested who do not have pancreatic cancer. Test performance was refined by leveraging additional samples with more complete and detailed clinical information and through more sophisticated statistical modeling. Test performance was independently confirmed by ACOMED, a statistical analysis firm with deep expertise in diagnostic studies. In this study, Immunovia's next-generation test outperformed the sensitivity of CA19-9, a commonly used pancreatic cancer biomarker, by 20 percentage points (85% vs 65%, respectively, p<0.001). In 294 patients aged 65 years and older, the next-generation test achieved 91% sensitivity and 98% specificity. Results in this group are particularly important since the average age of PDAC diagnosis is near 70 years. "Results from this study serve as a promising step that a simple blood test may detect pancreatic cancer early in at-risk patients who have limited early detection options," said Randall Brand, MD, gastroenterologist, professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and director of the UPMC GI Malignancy Early Detection, Diagnosis and Prevention Program. Dr. Brand was an advisor on the study. "We have now completed research and development efforts for our next-generation test and are thrilled with the accuracy of the test," said Jeff Borcherding, CEO of Immunovia. "This is a critical milestone for the company. Our next-generation test shows tremendous promise for improving pancreatic cancer surveillance with a highly accurate, convenient and affordable test. We are very optimistic about the clinical impact of the test when we launch in the U.S. in 2025." The model development study included 624 patient samples from 13 different clinical sites. 129 samples were from patients with stage 1 or 2 PDAC and 495 control samples came predominantly from people at high-risk for hereditary and/or familial pancreatic cancer, and also included people with pancreatic cysts, diabetics, and healthy individuals. The Company will submit these results shortly for peer-reviewed publication as well as for presentation at medical conferences. A large, independent clinical validation study will be conducted in the fourth quarter of 2024 to confirm the accuracy of the Immunovia test in a larger set of patient samples. Immunovia remains on track to launch the new test in the United States in 2025. For more information, please contact: Jeff Borcherding CEO and President [email protected] Karin Almqvist Liwendahl Chief Financial Officer [email protected] +46 709 11 56 08 Immunovia in brief Immunovia AB is a diagnostic company whose mission is to increase survival rates for patients with pancreatic cancer through early detection. Immunovia is focused on the development and commercialization of simple blood-based testing to detect proteins and antibodies that indicate a high-risk individual has developed pancreatic cancer. Immunovia collaborates and engages with healthcare providers, leading experts and patient advocacy groups to make its test available to individuals at increased risk for pancreatic cancer. USA is the world's largest market for detection of pancreatic cancer. The company estimates that in the USA, 1.8 million individuals are at high-risk for pancreatic cancer and could benefit from annual surveillance testing. Immunovia's shares (IMMNOV) are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. For more information, please visit  This information was brought to you by Cision The following files are available for download: