Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of Oct. 6, 2025–Oct. 10, 2025.
Study shows few older men are aware of increased osteoporosis risk
The New York Times (10/4, Span) reported that “about one in five men over age 50 will suffer an osteoporotic fracture in his remaining years, and among older adults, about a quarter of hip fractures occur in men.” A study of 3,000 veterans ages 65 to 85 in JAMA Internal Medicine found that “only 2% of those assigned to the control group had undergone bone-density screening.” However, “establishing a bone health service—overseen by a nurse who entered orders, sent frequent appointment reminders and explained results—led to dramatic changes in the intervention group, who had at least one risk factor for the condition. Forty-nine percent of them said yes to a scan. Half of those tested had osteoporosis or a forerunner condition, osteopenia.” Researchers observed that “after 18 months, bone density had increased modestly for those in the intervention group, who were more likely to stick to their drug regimens than” patients with osteoporosis “of either sex in real-world conditions.”
CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccination after first consulting a clinician
The Washington Post (10/6, Ovalle) reports the CDC on Monday “announced it had officially recommended updated coronavirus vaccines, creating a new system to get a shot that’s slightly more complicated than in previous years.” The agency “approved a federal vaccine advisory panel’s recommendation last month urging people to first consult a clinician before getting the coronavirus shot. The move marked a shift from previous CDC policy that made vaccines widely available to nearly all Americans without question or cost.” Specifically, the CDC vaccine panel “recommended the shots to people regardless of age or health conditions under the concept of ‘shared clinical decision-making,’ meaning people should first consult a medical professional.”
CNN (10/6, Goodman, Dillinger) reports that prior to “the finalized recommendation this year, access to COVID-19 shots has differed from state to state as pharmacies and providers navigated new federal vaccine policies.” The signoff also comes “later than usual for the fall respiratory virus season. With the recommendation, the government can finally distribute COVID-19 vaccines through its Vaccines for Children program, which provides free inoculations to about half of U.S. children.”
Editor’s Note: Learn how the AMA is working to promote public understanding and confidence in the use of vaccines to avoid the resurgence of vaccine-preventable illnesses and deaths.
Short bursts of purposeful activity may be the best way to get in the habit of exercising, research suggests
NBC News (10/7, Sullivan) reports that research suggests “short bursts of purposeful activity—such as walking around the block or lifting small weights—may be the best way to get in the habit of exercising.” Investigators “found that in adults younger than 65, these small acts of physical activity significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness.” Meanwhile, “for older adults—those 65 and older—exercise snacks significantly improved muscular endurance.” Individuals “were also extremely likely to adhere to these small bouts of exercise—about 91% of adults and 83% of older adults routinely engaged in them.” The findings were published in BMJ Sports Medicine.
You may also be interested in: Healthy aging starts at a much earlier age than you may expect.
Study identifies five distinct sleep-biopsychosocial profiles tied to health, lifestyle, cognition
NBC News (10/8, Leake) reports a study found that “five distinct sleep patterns are tied to your health, lifestyle and cognition and even how different regions of your brain connect to one another.” These “sleep-biopsychosocial profiles” include “biological, psychological and socioenvironmental factors—such as having a safe, comfortable place to sleep—that contribute to your sleep hygiene.” The researchers identified two general and three specific sleep profiles: poor sleep and mental health; sleep resilience and mental health; sleep aids and sociability; sleep duration and cognition; and sleep disturbances, cognition, and mental health. Overall, “the new research adds to strong evidence that sleep is essential for brain and body health.” The study was published in PLOS Biology.
States prepare for fall surge in bird flu cases
NBC News (10/9, Bush) reports that bird flu is “spreading again, now that wild water fowl—geese, ducks and cranes—have begun their seasonal migrations.” This marks the “fourth fall in which bird flu infections have risen, a sign the virus is becoming endemic in wild birds and could be a continual threat to poultry.” Bird flu cases have been spiking earlier than expected in poultry. Over four “million poultry birds have been culled in the last month, in states including Minnesota and Iowa, after members of their flock tested positive for...H5N1.” Some state officials “are bracing for a challenging autumn, which is when cases have typically spiked in past years.” Overall, “as fall progresses, officials, wildlife experts and virologists are in a watch-and-wait mode.”
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