Pulmonary and critical care ·
CHEST backs starting varenicline in the hospital; retatrutide cuts sleep apnea events; FDA weighs new tobacco product review rule
THE SHORT READ
The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) issued a guideline recommending that hospitalized adults who smoke start varenicline during their stay and receive at least 15 minutes of counseling. Retatrutide reduced sleep apnea events in an obesity trial, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it will consider replacing its premarket review framework for tobacco products, and the American Lung Association pressed for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination.
THE DETAILS
- Guidelines Sept 29, 2026The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) released a guideline on tobacco treatment in the inpatient setting, published in its journal CHEST, with six evidence-based recommendations. It recommends initiating varenicline during hospitalization to promote cessation after discharge, inpatient counseling of 15 or more minutes over brief advice, and referral to postdischarge counseling. Lead author Dr. Hasmeena Kathuria said the approach is likely to improve cessation outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions. The college said smoking rates are especially high among hospitalized populations.Source: CHEST
- Research Sept 29, 2026In the TRIUMPH-1 trial, published Sept. 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine, the apnea-hypopnea index among 243 participants with obstructive sleep apnea fell by 22.9, 34.3 and 31.7 events per hour with retatrutide 4 mg, 9 mg and 12 mg, versus 9.9 with placebo, under a hybrid-treatment estimand. The double-blind trial randomized 2,339 adults with obesity without diabetes at 131 sites in 11 countries for 80 weeks, with sleep apnea and knee osteoarthritis subpopulations, HCPLive reported. Body weight fell 25.0% with 12 mg, versus 3.9% with placebo, under the treatment-regimen estimand.
- FDA Sept 28, 2026FDA to evaluate replacing its premarket review framework for tobacco products through new rulemakingThe Food and Drug Administration said it intends to evaluate changes to its Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) framework, including new rulemaking to replace the current framework. The agency cited its experience implementing the 2021 rule, the widespread development of an illicit and unregulated market and the pace of new product introductions. It said it will continue to process applications, conduct premarket reviews and issue decisions on new tobacco products.Source: FDA
- Public health Oct 1, 2026The American Lung Association launched a campaign urging older adults and people with pre-existing conditions to talk with clinicians about RSV vaccination. As of Feb. 22, 2026, 43% of adults 75 and older and 33% of adults 50 to 74 with a high-risk condition reported ever receiving an RSV vaccine, the group said. It lists asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease and congestive heart failure among conditions that raise the risk of complications, and said RSV contributed to as many as 25,000 deaths in the 2025-26 season.Source: American Lung Association
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