Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of Nov. 17, 2025–Nov. 21, 2025.
Major deviations from daily routine linked to increased risk of migraine attack within 24 hours
HealthDay (11/14, Thompson) reported a study suggests that “any major disruption to a person’s daily routine—called a ‘surprisal’ event—is strongly linked to a higher risk of a migraine attack within the next 12 to 24 hours.” For example, “too much food or drink, staying up late, a stressful incident, unexpected good or bad news or a severe mood swing could pose a ‘surprise’ to the body, setting it up for a next-day migraine, researchers said.” Overall, study results showed that “a high surprisal event increased a patient’s risk of migraine by 56% within 12 hours and by 88% within 24 hours, after controlling for other factors and differences between people.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
1 in 4 women in the U.S. don’t receive prenatal care in their first trimester, says March of Dimes report
CNN (11/17, Koda, Howard) says that a report released Monday by the March of Dimes “says that only about 75% of babies last year were born to mothers who started prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy.” The researchers “identified several systemic barriers that are preventing women from starting or maintaining prenatal care. Areas where there is limited or no access to maternity care, known as maternity care deserts, are one major driving force. More than a third of counties in the United States do not have an ob/gyn, a family physician or a certified nurse-midwife. These counties also do not have birthing facilities or centers in hospitals.” Overall, the report “gives the United States a D+ grade.”
You may also be interested in: How the AMA is working to improve maternal health outcomes.
Patients with type 2 diabetes have increased risk for hearing loss
HealthDay (11/18, Gotkine) reports a systematic review and meta-analysis of 17 studies found that “the risk for hearing loss is significantly higher for patients with type 2 diabetes versus controls.” The researchers observed that in patients with T2D, “the prevalence of hearing loss ranged from 40.6 to 71.9%, which was significantly higher than in controls. For the group with diabetes, the mean pure-tone audiometric thresholds were 3.19 dB higher, and they were higher for low frequencies and, more severely, for high frequencies (1.11 and 2.3 dB, respectively). Compared with controls, patients with moderate and severe-to-profound hearing loss had higher mean hemoglobin A1c levels. Among patients with a diagnosis of diabetes for more than 10 years, the prevalence of hearing loss was significantly higher (odds ratio, 2.07).” The review was published in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Long COVID can follow eight different symptom paths, study finds
HealthDay (11/19, Thompson) reports a study found that “long COVID can follow one of eight different symptom paths, as patients suffer for months past their initial infection.” According to researchers, the “eight identified ‘trajectories’ show how long COVID can differ between patients based on its severity and duration, as well as whether their symptoms improve or worsen over time.” The eight profiles include “distinct groupings of patients whose symptoms: remained high at all times; fluctuated, only intermittently meeting the threshold for long COVID; decreased over time; started low and disappeared by 6 months; increased over time; started low but increased after 15 months, driven partly by an increase in post-exertional malaise; remained low, with intermittent bouts that didn’t meet the minimum threshold;” and “were so minimal they never met the threshold for long COVID. These trajectories will help doctors better track the progress of patients with long COVID, researchers said.” The study was published in Nature Communications.
You may also be interested in: Loss of smell post-COVID: How severe is it, and how long can it last?
Occasional or low-intensity smoking raises cardiovascular, mortality risks
HealthDay (11/20, Solomon) reports a study found that “even occasional or low-intensity smoking significantly increases cardiovascular and mortality risks.” The research team observed that “compared with never-smokers, participants with two to five cigarettes per day (CPD) showed substantially elevated cardiovascular risks, including for atrial fibrillation and heart failure and for increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and all-cause mortality. Risk was even higher for smoking 11 to 15 CPD and all-cause mortality. Even steeper risk was seen for the initial 20 pack-years and 20 CPD.” They also noted the “first 10 years after smoking cessation were associated with the most substantial reduction in risk across all outcomes, although the progressive risk reduction continued over extended time periods. Former smokers showed 80% lower relative risk versus current smokers within 20 years of cessation.” The study was published in PLOS Medicine.
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