Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA) is the most prevalent form of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), accounting for 60% to 70% of all cases. In this special instructional series from Blood (ASH), five patient case studies and commentaries are examined, backed by visual illustrations and new/existing drug treatment tables for wAIHA, wAIHA secondary to CLL, and R/R wAIHA.

This “Clinical Trials & Observations” report from Blood Advances (ASH)  explores the implications of the recently approved anemia treatment luspatercept, which can now be prescribed in the second-line setting after erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have failed or for patients who are not eligible because of high serum erythropoietin (sEPO) levels. A downloadable visual abstract helps paint the picture as well.

In this “Clinical Trials & Observations” report/visual abstract from the pages of Blood Advances (ASH), the authors focus on two key points: 1) In patients with R/R AML, venetoclax combination therapy resulted in responses in 31% of patients and a median OS of 6.1 months, and 2) NPM1 mutations predicted higher response rates; adverse cytogenetics and mutations in TP53, KRAS/NRAS, and SF3B1 predicted worse OS.

Anaphylaxis to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines is currently estimated to occur in 2.5 to 11.1 cases per million doses, largely in individuals with a history of allergy. In this JAMA “Research Letter”, the authors investigated acute allergic reaction incidence with more than 60,000 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine administrations at Mass General Brigham (MGB).

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are cornerstones of cardiovascular disease therapy. In this article (registration required) from the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, the author provides insight and commentary on whether ACE inhibitors are better than ARBs. The conclusion is there is more to the story and the evidence than you may think.

From MedPage Today comes this inspirational story about Christopher Veal, a medical student at UVM’s Larner College of Medicine who is calling on medical school leaders to change their culture and adjust their programs to screen for suicidal ideation and mental health early on in student life. Veal decided to speak up after a friend and fellow med student took his own life, as Veal once attempted.