The World Health Organization recommends that an extra COVID-19 vaccine dose be given to immunocompromised people because they are at greater risk for breakthrough infections. The additional dose should be suggested "as part of an extended primary series since these individuals are less likely to respond adequately to vaccination following a standard primary vaccine series and are at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease," according to the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization.

A study in Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine found that parturient women who had symptoms of COVID-19 had an increased risk for neonatal adverse outcomes and for any adverse outcome, compared with those who were positive for COVID-19 but asymptomatic and those who were negative for COVID-19. The findings, based on data involving 172 COVID-19-positive and 2,299 COVID-19-negative parturient women, "support the importance of vaccinating all pregnant women at all stages of pregnancy," one of the researchers said.

Researchers found having infectious mononucleosis during childhood, especially during adolescence, may increase a person's risk of multiple sclerosis, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. "Our findings lend further weight to the notion that Epstein-Barr virus plays a role in pathogenesis, where the pattern of exposure and acute manifestation of the infection are relevant, rather than being a bystander phenomenon due to MS disease activity or susceptibility to MS resulting in a greater likelihood of IM," researchers said.

Hospitals have been testing and implementing 5G technology to enhance aspects of care that use an Internet connection. Wider rollout of the technology likely will take several years, and expansion will rely on increased network coverage and the creation of novel products.

GE Healthcare will implement the country's first automated statewide hospital bed management tool at every hospital in Oregon starting next year. The tool, which offers hospital occupancy data in real time, is currently being used in 60 hospitals in the state and has saved $3 million in labor costs and 45,000 hours of labor by eliminating the need for manual data entry.

Executives from hospitals in New York, Connecticut, Washington state, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California and Massachusetts discuss how their systems use predictive analytics to streamline hospital operations and inform care teams. "Culture, executive support, workflow and education are all key aspects that should come before implementing a predictive tool at any organization," says Scott LaRosa, executive director of enterprise analytics and IT at Southcoast Health.

The FDA released new recommendations on decreasing dietary sodium intake from processed, packaged and prepared foods. The new guidelines, aimed at reducing disease and health care costs, suggest lowering average daily sodium intake from 3,400 mg to 3,000 mg over the next 2.5 years.

The US Preventive Services Task Force released draft guidance noting that the risks of low-dose daily aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke among adults ages 60 and older outweigh the benefits, given the risk of internal bleeding associated with regular aspirin use. All adults, regardless of age, should consult with their doctor about whether to stop or start taking aspirin, task force member Dr. John Wong said.

A study involving more than 15,000 rheumatoid arthritis patients at two large medical centers showed that those with high baseline inflammation could be at higher risk for heart failure. The study, published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research, observed higher inflammation risk in early RA only in the patients who had preserved ejection fraction.

Share your research with colleagues from around the world -- in person or virtually -- during ACC.22, taking place April 2-4, 2022. The deadline to submit abstracts and case submissions has been extended to Monday, Oct. 18, at 1 p.m. ET. Submit abstracts across 10 learning pathways and the spotlight on special topics abstract categories featuring cardio-oncology, cardio-obstetrics, COVID-19, global cardiovascular health, innovation, digital health and technology, sports and exercise, and training and lifelong learning; complex clinical cases from Fellows in Training, CV Team members and physicians; and interventional challenging cases. Accepted abstracts will be published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Submit your science today!

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) last week issued a draft recommendation statement on aspirin use for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The new recommendations are designed to update earlier guidance from 2016, based on new evidence. Specifically, the USPSTF recommends that people ages 40 to 59 at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, individuals without a history of cardiovascular disease, and those not already taking aspirin decide with their clinician whether to start taking aspirin. The Task Force's draft recommendation statement, draft evidence review and draft modeling report have been posted for public comment through Nov. 8 on the USPSTF website. Read more.