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UPI
5 days ago
- Health
- UPI
Eight times more young adults now take HIV prevention meds
More young Americans are taking antiretroviral meds to protect them from HIV infection than a decade ago. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Eight times more young Americans are taking antiretroviral meds to protect them from HIV infection than a decade ago, a new study says. About 208 of every 100,000 U.S. young adults were using pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, to prevent becoming infected with HIV in 2023, researchers reported recently in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. That's up from 26 of 100,000 who filled a prescription for PrEP pills in 2016, researchers found in their analysis of data for 18- to 25-year-olds. "This is a patient population we often neglect in health care, because we don't think about them belonging to pediatric care or adult care, and their stage of cognitive development means they underestimate their STI [sexually transmitted infection] risk in general - yet they're one of the highest risk groups for a new diagnosis of HIV," said lead researcher Dr. Nina Hill, a general internist and pediatrician at the University of Michigan Medical School. "We're encouraged to see more prescribing over time, but the question remains: are we getting it to the highest-risk patients?" Hill added in a news release. For the study, researchers analyzed records on more than 1.4 million PrEP prescriptions dispensed to nearly 240,000 young adults between 2016 and 2023. The first PrEP medication, Truvada, was introduced in 2012 and became available as a generic drug in 2020, researchers said in background notes. A second oral option, Descovy, became available in 2019. The drugs reduce the chances of acquiring HIV through sex by 99%, when taken consistently as prescribed, researchers said. Nearly 9 of 10 (87%) of the prescriptions went to men, but Hill noted that some women also are at risk for HIV and could be eligible for PrEP. Unfortunately, results also showed that the length of time a person remained on PrEP declined by more than two weeks. This might indicate inconsistent use of PrEP, or show that young adults have trouble keeping up with the appointments and tests needed to continue the medication, researchers said. Nurse practitioners accounted for 39% of the prescriptions, while family doctors handed out 22% of the scrips, results show. Internists and physician assistants accounted for 14% and 11%, respectively. PrEP has been recommended since 2019 by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for teens and adults with an increased risk of acquiring HIV, researchers said. Under the Affordable Care Act, most insurance programs are required to make PrEP and HIV screening available to patients at no cost. However, the ACA's preventive care provisions are now under review at the U.S. Supreme Court, and a ruling is expected soon. More information The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has more on pre-exposure prophylaxis. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Feeling extra tired? This virus could be the culprit, study suggests
People who have had COVID-19 are more likely to develop chronic fatigue syndrome, officially known as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). That's according to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine earlier this month, which found that 4.5% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, developed chronic fatigue. In comparison, only 0.6% of study participants who did not have COVID developed the second condition. Always Feeling Tired? Experts Share 4 Common Causes Of Daytime Fatigue The researchers determined that cases of ME/CFS were 15 times higher than pre-pandemic levels. "As a researcher dedicated to understanding how viral infections lead to chronic illness, I suspected from the beginning of the pandemic that SARS-CoV2 could trigger ME/CFS, so these results are not surprising," said lead study author Suzanne D. Vernon, PhD, from the Bateman Horne Center in Salt Lake City. Read On The Fox News App Trump's Daylight Saving Time Plan And Sleep: What You Must Know The study was part of the National Institute of Health's RECOVER (Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery) program, which aims to better understand, prevent and treat long COVID, according to an NIH press release. The study included 11,785 participants. At least six months after they were infected with COVID, researchers assessed whether they had developed chronic fatigue. They then compared those results to 1,439 people who did not have COVID. "There are no specific tests or biomarkers, so ME/CFS is diagnosed when someone has a constellation of specific symptoms," Vernon told Fox News Digital. "This study asked participants questions to determine what symptoms they were experiencing, which can be viewed as a limitation but is currently the approach used to diagnose ME/CFS." Dr. Kenneth J. Perry, a physician based in South Carolina, wasn't surprised by the incidence of chronic fatigue after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. "It's well-known that chronic fatigue syndrome can occur in the setting of viral infections," Perry, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. "Given the fact that SARS-CoV-2 was a novel virus at the time of the pandemic, the incidence and prevalence of such post-infection syndromes was difficult to predict." The study does have some limitations when attempting to compare between different viruses, the doctor noted. "Patients were required to self-report their symptoms," he said. "This makes the ability to compare symptoms across viruses difficult, as the spotlight on COVID will increase the possibility of selection bias." Deep Sleep Can Keep Two Big Health Problems At Bay, New Studies Suggest It's difficult to specifically determine how chronic fatigue happens in the setting of a viral infection, according to Perry. "More studies would have to be done to determine the actual underlying pathophysiology of the disease," he said. "Given that lack of complete understanding, it is difficult to determine how to adequately prevent the syndrome." ME/CFS is a "complex, serious and chronic condition that often occurs following an infection," the NIH wrote. The condition is marked by "new-onset fatigue" that lasts for at least six months and impairs the person's ability to engage in ordinary activities. Another symptom is "post-exertional malaise," in which the person feels extreme fatigue after physical or mental activity, the study stated. People with ME/CFS may also experience "unrefreshing sleep," as well as cognitive impairment or dizziness when standing. Many of these symptoms are also associated with long COVID, the researchers wrote. "Chronic fatigue syndrome can be very problematic for patients," Perry told Fox News Digital. "There are both physical and psychological components of the syndrome." Perry reiterated that patients can experience direct fatigue and a decreased ability to do normal activities — and this can also lead to anxiety and depression due to these changes. "It is very difficult to adequately understand the difference between chronic fatigue syndrome and … underlying psychiatric/psychological health changes," he said. "This makes it a very difficult disease to explain for patients." Those experiencing symptoms of chronic fatigue should contact their primary care doctor, Perry advised. "Having a relationship with a physician who knows your baseline activity level is going to ensure an appropriate evaluation and intervention if there are any changes," he said. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "For example, a triathlete who can no longer even stay awake through the entirety of a workday would absolutely be concerning to a physician who knows that patient well. This relationship would also allow for appropriate medications and therapies to be initiated earlier in the process." This research underscores an "urgent call to action," Vernon said — "especially to healthcare providers." "The dramatic increase in ME/CFS cases post-COVID-19 means that providers will encounter this condition far more frequently," she predicted. For more Health articles, visit The researcher called for early recognition and proper management of ME/CFS, which she said can be "life-changing" for patients. "We hope this study helps everyone understand that ME/CFS is a real and diagnosable condition that demands attention, especially in the wake of a global pandemic."Original article source: Feeling extra tired? This virus could be the culprit, study suggests
