geoffrey modest medical blogs

  A recent observational study found that a substantial number of patients who had long COVID (also called post COVID condition, PCC) had prolonged disability that was activity-limiting: see   covid postcovid disability prevalence  JAMA2024 , or doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.51151   Details : --Data from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) included 29,522 respondents (NHIS response rate 47%) in this survey which was nationally representative of a civilian noninstitutionalized population residing in the US     -- this survey included a new question to ascertain the degree to which these long-term symptoms reduced their ability to carry out day-to-day activities, as compared to a time prior to COVID     -- all estimates below were based on self-report, which was weighted to be nationally representative -- the researchers included individuals who had symptoms lasting 3 months or longer as the definition of long COVID (PCC), ...

  in the current enlightened approach to reassessing race-based normative values, the MESA Lung Study found that race/ethnicity-neutral spirometry values were appropriately predictive of long-term clinical chronic lower respiratory disease (see  spirometry no diff outcomes by race AmJRespCritCare2021  in dropbox, or  DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202107-1612OC ) Details: -- standardized spirometry done by the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Lung Study, a population-based, prospective cohort study of 3,344 White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults from 2004-2006 -- participants were from six US communities with a minimum of two racial/ethnic groups recruited at each site --  chronic lower respiratory disease ( CLRD)  was a physician-based diagnosis, and included the categories of COPD, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma -- baseline demographics:      -- mean age 65, self-reported race/ethnicity was 36% White/25% Black/23% Hispanic/...