Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of March 16, 2026–March 20, 2026.
Heart groups issue new guideline on management of dyslipidemia
NBC News (3/13, Leake) reported that a guideline from the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and other groups advises physicians “to begin screening and treating people in their 30s, long before the risks of a heart attack and stroke become significantly higher.” The guideline was published in JACC.
MedPage Today (3/13, Lou) reported, “Now, in adults 30-79 years old without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or subclinical atherosclerosis and with LDL cholesterol in the 70-189 mg/dL (1.8-4.9 mmol/L) range, the PREVENT-ASCVD equations are strongly endorsed (class I recommendation) to estimate 10-year ASCVD risk.”
Cardiovascular Business (3/13, Walter) reported, “The new document also points to the benefits of ordering additional tests when appropriate.” For instance, “non-contrast coronary artery calcium (CAC) scans, for example, can help evaluate certain borderline- or intermediate-risk patients for signs of subclinical calcium or plaque buildup.” Meanwhile, “lipoprotein (a) and apolipoprotein B...can also be measured to evaluate a patient’s long-term cardiovascular health.”
Loneliness, social isolation linked to cognitive decline in women entering menopause
HealthDay (3/16, Thompson) reports a study found that “loneliness and social isolation are both linked to the cognitive decline a woman feels as she begins to transition into menopause,” and that “women experiencing both loneliness and social isolation are at greatest risk for brain decline.” According to the study, “moderate to severe loneliness combined with social isolation increased a woman’s risk of cognitive decline by eightfold, while mild loneliness nearly tripled her risk in combination with social isolation.” Researchers speculated that “loneliness might affect brain health by promoting inflammation related to anxiety or depression,” and that “social isolation might reduce the amount of brain stimulation a person receives.” The study was published in Menopause.
Measles cases surge to 997 in South Carolina as outbreak expands
Reuters (3/17, Mahatole) reports, “Measles cases in South Carolina surged to 997 on Tuesday, state health data showed, including one additional infection since Friday.” Authorities “have warned the widening outbreak could last weeks or months amid lagging vaccine uptake.” No less than “ eight people are in quarantine after being exposed to the virus, and none in isolation.” Of the people “infected, 932 were unvaccinated, 20 were partially vaccinated, 26 were fully vaccinated and 19 had unknown vaccination status.”
Patients with T2D may see health gains reversed after quitting GLP-1s, study suggests
USA Today (3/18, Alltucker) reports a study of more than 330,000 Veterans Affairs patients with Type 2 diabetes found that those who quit taking GLP-1 drugs saw “reversed health gains from weight loss and had a higher risk for heart attack, stroke or death.” Researchers observed that “those who steadily took the GLP-1 medications over three years saw an 18% reduction in risk for heart attacks or strokes. Those who quit the medications for six months saw slightly higher risk. Those who halted the weight loss drugs for two years saw their risk rise 22%.” The investigators “cited past research that showed people on GLP-1 medications quit at rates ranging from 36 to 81% within one year of starting the drugs.” The study was published in BMJ Medicine.
CNN (3/18, Goodman) reports that after stopping GLP-1s, “the heart benefits seemed to be reversed more quickly than it took to get them in the first place, said study author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, who is a clinical epidemiologist at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.” Al-Aly said, “It takes a whole lot longer to build or accrue benefit, and then half as much to erase all that benefit.”
U.S. teen obesity is climbing, as motivation to manage weight is fading
HealthDay (3/19, Neff) reports that researchers who “analyzed a decade’s worth of data from more than 85,000 students” found that U.S. “teen obesity is climbing to historic levels, even as motivation to manage weight is fading.” The data indicated that “overall, the obesity rate among high schoolers rose from 13.7% in 2013 to 15.9% in 2023.” The findings were published in the Ochsner Journal.
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