Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of Aug. 11, 2025–Aug. 15, 2025.
Analysis links digital technology use to reduced risk of cognitive impairment in older adults
The New York Times (8/9, Span) reported an analysis of 57 studies published in Nature Human Behaviour suggests that the use of everyday digital technology has been associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults. Researchers observed that people over 50 “who used computers, smartphones, the internet or a mix did better on cognitive tests, with lower rates of cognitive impairment or dementia diagnoses, than those who avoided technology or used it less often.” Almost 90% of the studies analyzed “found that technology had a protective cognitive effect.” When researchers “accounted for health, education, socioeconomic status and other demographic variables, they still found significantly higher cognitive ability among older digital technology users.” Furthermore, digital technology “may also protect brain health by fostering social connections, known to help stave off cognitive decline.”
GLP-1 RAs may increase risk of new-onset diabetic retinopathy in patients with T2D, study finds
MedPage Today (8/11, Bankhead) reports a study found that the “risk of new-onset diabetic retinopathy (DR) increased slightly, but significantly, in patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists for diabetes, despite a lower risk of vision-threatening complications.” Researchers observed that “a propensity-matched comparison showed a 7% higher incidence of new DR among users of GLP-1 agonists. The risk of ischemic optic neuropathy did not differ significantly between users and non-users. Moreover, in a subgroup of patients with existing DR, use of the drugs was not associated with an increased risk of progression to proliferative retinopathy or diabetic macular edema (DME).” Overall, “The findings suggest that patients with type 2 diabetes treated with GLP-1 agonists require regular screening and monitoring for ophthalmic complications, regardless of baseline DR status.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
“Clear” vapes may have more pronounced hemodynamic effects than flavored vapes
MedPage Today (8/12, Lou) reports a study suggests that “e-cigarettes marketed as ‘clear’ may get around flavor bans, but they appear to have a greater health impact than other types of vapes.” Researchers observed that “among participants in the Cardiovascular Injury due to Tobacco Products 2.0 study, smokers of ‘clear’ e-cigarettes had modestly but significantly greater increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) compared with non-users and peers using menthol and other flavored vapes.” They found that “compared with non-users, the ‘clear’ vapers had acute increases approaching 10 mm Hg in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and MAP, and increases of 10 beats per minute in heart rate.” Researchers concluded, “The potential that ‘clear’ e-cigarettes induced more pronounced hemodynamic effects necessitates further study of the health impact of these products and synthetic cooling agents.” The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
You may also be interested in: What doctors wish patients knew about e-cigarettes.
Health system adoption of AI outpacing governance structure
Healthcare Finance News (8/13, Lagasse) says a new report found that 88% of “health systems are using artificial intelligence internally, but just 18% have a mature governance structure and fully formed AI strategy.” Analysts at the Healthcare Financial Management Association and market research company Eliciting Insights noted that “governance is lacking despite the fact that 71% of survey respondents have identified and deployed pilot or full AI solutions in finance, revenue cycle management or clinical functional areas.” According to the report, “nearly 80% of health systems say an existing vendor, or a firm partnered with an existing vendor, would have a significant advantage over a new vendor looking to pilot AI. And 70% of health systems say they would be more comfortable sharing data to power AI models with existing vendor partners.”
Fierce Healthcare (8/13, Muoio) adds that “governance groups that are in place were often characterized as responsible for determining AI data policy at the health system, vetting vendors with AI capabilities and identifying AI vendors for internal initiatives, according to the survey. At the same time, more than a third of health systems with current investments in AI report having no formal data policy for AI use in place.”
You may also be interested in: Use of AI in medicine is rising. Are you ready?
AMA president criticizes NIH director’s effort to defend pivot from mRNA vaccines
In a letter to the editor of the Washington Post (8/14), AMA president Bobby Mukkamala, MD, writes, “Regarding National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya’s Aug. 13 op-ed, ‘Why NIH is pivoting from mRNA vaccines’: It is disappointing that, in the evolving explanation for why the Department of Health and Human Services is terminating certain mRNA vaccine research, Bhattacharya attempted to separate the government’s role in public health from its role in establishing pro-science public consensus.” He highlights the damage that vaccine misinformation can cause. Mukkamala concludes, “It is frustrating that in explaining why HHS shelved this vital research, Bhattacharya also praised mRNA technology and its promise in treating cancer and other complex diseases. This contributes to the erosion of public trust— something he claims to lament—and rings hollow when the administration is gutting research infrastructure.”
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