Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of May 4, 2026–May 8, 2026.
Antibiotic use not linked to increased celiac disease risk
HealthDay (5/1, Thompson) reported a study suggests that “patients with celiac disease had a 24% higher odds of antibiotic use compared to healthy siblings or members of the general public.” However, researchers noted that “the odds of antibiotic use were even higher—50%—among a group of people whose gut lining was normal, when they were compared to the general public.” The results “indicate that earlier studies that linked celiac disease to antibiotics reflect a heightened awareness of the disorder, in which the gut becomes inflamed if a person eats gluten.” Overall, researchers concluded, “We do not see a causal link between celiac disease and antibiotics.” The study was published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Social media is driving exposure, normalization of inhalant use among teenagers
HealthDay (5/4) reports two studies are “raising alarms about inhalants, which are often portrayed online as harmless while putting teens at real risk.” The first study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, “reviewed 30 videos about nitrous oxide—often called ‘laughing gas’—posted in early 2025. Those videos averaged 23 million views. Some showed how to use it, with no age restrictions or health warnings,” while other videos highlighted “how easy and accessible these substances can be for teens.” The second study, to be published in Preventive Medicine, “analyzed data from more than 33,000 teens who took part in a national survey on drug use between 2021 and 2023. Just 2.2% of teens reported using inhalants in the past year, but researchers said that’s more than a half-million U.S. adolescents.” Researchers found that “inhalant use was linked to behavioral problems like fighting and stealing.”
You may also be interested in: What doctors wish patients knew about social media’s health impact.
Older adults who received recombinant subunit zoster vaccine less likely to develop dementia, study finds
MedPage Today (5/5, George) reports, “Older adults in the U.S. were less likely to develop dementia if they received the recombinant subunit zoster (shingles) vaccine (Shingrix), an analysis of 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries showed.” Investigators found that “the incidence of any type of dementia was 10.45 (95% CI 10.29-10.62) per 1,000 person-years for older adults who received the two-dose shingles vaccine and 15.73 (95% CI 15.57-15.89) per 1,000 person-years for contemporary comparators who were unvaccinated.” The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
You may also be interested in: Are you at risk for shingles? Here’s what to know.
Intravenous ketamine rapidly reduces suicide risk, depressive symptoms in patients with a major depressive episode
The American Journal of Managed Care (5/6, Grossi) reports a systematic review and meta-analysis of 26 RCTs found that “intravenous (IV) ketamine rapidly reduced both suicidal and depressive symptoms in patients experiencing a major depressive episode, with benefits appearing within hours of treatment and persisting for weeks in some patients.” The researchers observed that “patients receiving a single ketamine infusion experienced significantly greater reductions in suicidal symptoms compared with control groups at 24 hours, with an SMD of –0.69. Improvements remained significant at 1 month after treatment, with an SMD of –0.70. Repeated ketamine infusions also reduced suicidal symptoms at the end of treatment, with an SMD of –0.72.” When compared with controls, “receiving a single ketamine infusion had significantly lower depressive symptom severity at 4 hours after treatment, with an SMD of –1.74. Significant improvements were also observed at 24 hours (SMD, –1.15), 3 days (SMD, –0.97), and 1 week (SMD, –0.89).” The review was published in JAMA Psychiatry.
You may also be interested in: Can a psychedelic help treat generalized anxiety disorder?
Health officials confident hantavirus outbreak will not turn into an epidemic
The Washington Post (5/7, Craw) reports, “Global health authorities are scrambling to contain a deadly outbreak of hantavirus linked to the polar expedition ship Hondius, tracing some 30 departed passengers from at least a dozen countries—as well as two flights linked to an ill woman—as epidemiologists investigate how the rare strain made its way onto the ship.”
The New York Times (5/7, Mandavilli) reports that among these 30 passengers were six Americans. They are “back on U.S. soil, and three states are monitoring them.” However, “none have shown symptoms so far.”
The AP (5/7, Stobbe) reports “health officials” are “confident the recent outbreak...will not turn into an epidemic.”
The Hill (5/7, Rego) reports that in a statement, acting CDC Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said, “Hantavirus is not spread by people without symptoms, transmission requires close contact, and the risk to the American public is very low.” Meanwhile, in a separate statement, “the CDC said the State Department is ‘leading a coordinated, whole-of-government response including direct contact with passengers, diplomatic coordination, and engagement with domestic and international health authorities.’”
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