A WHO report states that more than 6,000 people become infected with viral hepatitis each day worldwide, and greater progress is needed to combat the disease. Report authors found that viral hepatitis deaths rose from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022, and while new cases saw a decline during that period, the organization's goals of reducing new infections by 90% and deaths by 65% in the next six years still may not be met. Hepatitis is the second leading cause of death by communicable disease, excluding SARS-CoV-2.

New long-term symptoms were seen in 43.3% of people who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, compared with 22.1% of those who did not contract the infection, investigators reported in JAMA Internal Medicine. The survey study was conducted among Red Cross blood donors, with serologic tests confirming previous infection, and long-term symptoms were categorized as gastrointestinal, neurologic, respiratory or cardiac, mental health and other.

Twenty-four New York City residents were diagnosed with leptospirosis in 2023, and six cases have already been reported this year, suggesting that the disease incidence is rising, according to city health department officials. Excessive rain and unseasonably warm temperatures may be increasing the risks for leptospirosis, which is caused by contact with water, soil or food contaminated with infected rat urine.

The first three months of this year have seen 323 active drug shortages in the US, a record high, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Utah Drug Information Service reported. The previous high was set 10 years ago, when 320 drugs were affected. ASHP's Dr. Paul Abramowitz said some of the most concerning shortages are in "generic sterile injectable medications, including cancer chemotherapy drugs and emergency medications stored in hospital crash carts and procedural areas."

Recent research from Harvard University suggests that hospital-acquired adverse events may be higher overall at facilities with private equity ownership than at those without investor participation. Higher central line-associated bloodstream infections and patient falls were among the trends seen at private equity hospitals, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A study in England found that remote monitoring of recent heart attack patients contributed to significantly lower hospital readmissions. Half of the cohort used telemedicine to share vital signs and carry out remote consultations, and the other half followed usual care pathways. The telemedicine group was 76% less likely to be readmitted in a six-month period, researchers reported in JACC and at the ACC.24 conference.

An analysis of 100 non-federal acute care hospital websites from November 2023 to January 2024 found that 96% of the sites shared user information with third parties. The study published in JAMA Network Open showed 71% of hospital websites had a privacy policy, but only 56% of these websites disclosed the third-party companies receiving the user data.

Heart disease risks caused by increased lipoprotein(a) levels are about equal regardless of individuals' race, sex and health risk category, investigators reported in JACC. People with higher Lp(a) levels tended to experience more atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events over a 20-year period than those with levels below the 3.6 mg/dL median.

Researchers found no scientific evidence that COVID-19 vaccines based on messenger RNA caused fatal cardiac arrest in adolescents and young adults. The study published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report contributes to findings that show individuals do not die of cardiac arrest "from getting their mRNA COVID vaccines," said Ofer Levy, director of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children's Hospital.

Learning to correctly measure blood pressure is key to the diagnosis and management of hypertension. Failure to adhere to the correct techniques can lead to measurement errors of more than 30 mmHg. Understand the best practices for blood pressure measurement for hypertension patients with a new infographic, "Mismeasurement of Blood Pressure in the Office: Finding the Common Mistakes." Access the infographic, patient case quizzes and more free education in ACC's online course, Overcoming Challenges in Hypertension Management.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology advances have emerged as catalysts for changing how we diagnose, treat and manage patients. The ACC recently launched an AI Resource Center, offering clinicians a collection of curated AI resources to help them understand and apply AI in the digital transformation of care delivery. The AI Resource Center includes the fundamentals of AI, webinars and education, as well as information on the latest AI regulations and policies. Learn more.