Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of July 28, 2025–Aug. 1, 2025.
Deliberately walking faster has significant health benefits among frail older adults, study finds
The Washington Post (7/27, Amenabar) reports a study published in PLOS One found “that frail older adults who deliberately walked faster saw a meaningful improvement in the distance they could travel when instructed to walk for six minutes straight.” Researchers observed that “when the older adults in the study walked 14 additional steps per minute, compared with their casual pace, they were more likely to benefit from the regular exercise.” The results suggest that “regardless of your age, the intensity of your workout can lead to greater improvements in physical function, said Daniel Rubin, the lead author of the analysis and an associate professor of anesthesia and critical care at the University of Chicago.”
Urinary tract infections may be associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction or stroke
Neurology Advisor (7/28, Nye) reports a study found that “urinary tract infections (UTIs) may be a trigger for myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke, with an increased risk for both within the first 7 days of infection.” For the study, patients with MI or stroke “between 2010 and 2020 were evaluated for general practitioner suspected or confirmed UTI before or after MI or stroke event.” According to researchers, “the MI cohort collectively had 3900 confirmed UTI events, of which 120 MIs occurred during the peak risk period. Overall risk for MI was higher in the 7 days after UTI and at 15 to 28 days after UTI.” Meanwhile, the stroke cohort “had 4600 confirmed UTI events, of which 10 occurred prior to UTI and 200 in the peak risk period. Risk for stroke was higher in the 7 days after UTI and at 29 to 90 days after UTI.” The study was published in BMJ Open.
You may also be interested in: What doctors wish patients knew about UTI prevention.
Dementia diagnosis takes an average of 3.5 years after onset of symptoms, analysis finds
HealthDay (7/29, Mundell) reports a meta-analysis found “that, overall, it takes an average of three-and-a-half years after symptoms first appear for a patient to be properly diagnosed with dementia. That lag stretched to just over four years when the person was younger and experiencing early-onset dementia, the researchers said.” They noted that “younger age, as well having a form of illness known as frontotemporal dementia, were each linked to a longer time to diagnosis.” A study included in the analysis “also found that Black patients faced longer wait times to a dementia diagnosis.” The analysis was published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
At least 41 cases of rare flu complication reported in pediatric patients during past two respiratory virus seasons
MedPage Today (7/30, Fiore) reports a study found that the “past two respiratory virus seasons tallied at least 41 pediatric cases of influenza-associated acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE), a rare but severe neurologic condition.” Furthermore, “most of these (76%) occurred in previously healthy children with no significant medical history.” Researchers noted that “mortality was high, at 27%, with 11 deaths. Patients died a median of 3 days from symptom onset, primarily from cerebral herniation (91%). All but one of the deaths occurred in unvaccinated children, and of the 38 cases with vaccination history, only six had received their seasonal flu shots, suggesting an opportunity for better prevention of these severe cases, the researchers said.” The study was published in JAMA.
NBC News (7/30, Edwards) adds that “reasons for the increase in ANE cases are not known. But the report comes after the U.S. has experienced one of the deadliest flu seasons for kids on record.” Study authors “emphasized the importance of annual flu shots for kids.” During the 2023-2024 season, just 55% of children “got the vaccine—the lowest rate in more than a decade.”
You may also be interested in: Medical experts back vaccination against respiratory viruses.
Action Plan good first step in realizing great promise of AI for health care, says AMA CEO
In an OpEd published in The Hill (7/31), AMA CEO Dr. John Whyte writes the AMA welcomes the federal government’s new AI Action Plan as a promising start. “However, to ensure AI in health care reaches its full potential, strong physician representation must be present at every stage.” Physician involvement at “every stage of the AI lifecycle means doctors are full partners at design, development, governance, rulemaking, post-market surveillance and clinical integration. Physician experts are uniquely qualified to judge whether an AI tool is valid, fits within the standard of care and supports the patient-physician relationship.”
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