Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 6 July 2026
Follow @Annalsofim on X , Facebook , Instagram , Bluesky , and LinkedIn
Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine . The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent.
----------------------------
1. Modest sleep loss linked to weight gain in adults with high cardiometabolic risk
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-01660
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
A pooled analysis of two randomized trials found that decreasing sleep by just 1.5 hours each night was associated with increases in body weight, waist circumference, and sedentary time in adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk. The findings suggest that strategies to promote adequate sleep duration should be incorporated into weight management and cardiometabolic disease prevention programs. The results are published in Annals of Internal Medicine .
Researchers from Columbia University Irving Medical Center pooled data from two randomized crossover trials including 95 adults aged 20 years and older with cardiometabolic risk factors who typically slept at least seven hours per night. Participants completed two sleep conditions: six weeks of usual sleep and six weeks of sleep reduced by 1.5 hours per night. The researchers measured changes in weight, waist circumference, body composition, activity levels, and energy balance biomarkers. During the sleep-restriction period, participants gained a small amount of weight, had slightly larger waist measurements, and spent more time sedentary compared with when they had their usual sleep. The findings indicate that prolonged modest reduction in sleep duration may contribute to gradual weight gain in adults at elevated risk for cardiometabolic disease, highlighting the importance of discussing sleep duration at health care visits.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD please email Helen Garey at hbg3@cumc.columbia.edu.
----------------------------
2. Telemedicine may reduce interhospital transfers without increasing mortality risk
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-05342
A systematic review found that telemedicine is often associated with fewer hospital-to-hospital transfers in both adult and pediatric populations, with no adverse effect on mortality. The findings suggest that telemedicine could reduce potentially avoidable interhospital transfers and aid in patient transfer decision making. The review is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from McGill University and University of Toronto reviewed 33 studies involving 609,188 patients to determine if incorporating telemedicine into decisions about interhospital transfer is associated with a reduction in transfers among pediatric and adult patients. Because the studies varied widely in design and patient groups, the researchers summarized the findings qualitatively rather than quantitatively. Overall, most studies showed that telemedicine was associated with lower interhospital transfer rates across patient populations and medical and surgical situations, with no adverse association with mortality outcomes observed. The authors note that the certainty of evidence was rated as very low, and substantial heterogeneity was seen across study characteristics. More research is needed to investigate a causal link between telemedicine and interhospital transfers as well as the operational burden and cost-effectiveness of using telemedicine during patient transfer decision making.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author David D’Arienzo, MDCM, please email david.darienzo@mcgill.ca.
3. Benzodiazepine use fell before the pandemic then stalled among older adults
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-05594
A national analysis of prescription data found that benzodiazepine use among older U.S. adults declined in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic but has since leveled off. While overall use remains lower than a decade ago, rates have risen among adults age 75 and older and those in long-term care settings, highlighting areas where safety concerns may persist. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine .
Researchers from Rutgers University and Columbia University Irving Medical Center used the IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription Claims database to examine national trends in benzodiazepine prescribing among adults age 65 and older from January 2015 to December 2024.They found overall prescribing decreased from 14.1 to 11.5 prescriptions per 100 people over the study period, with steady declines before 2020 followed by a plateau. Long-term use also gradually declined, but prescribing in long-term care settings increased after 2020. The authors conclude that earlier progress in reducing benzodiazepine use was not fully sustained during the pandemic, and continued efforts may be needed to support safer treatment for older adults.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Mark Olfson, MD, MPH, please email Stephanie Berger at sb2247@cumc.columbia.edu.
4. Study supports patient-centered prescription opioid tapering methods
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-04784
Editorial: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-02208
A randomized controlled trial found that about half of patients on long-term prescription opioids were able to successfully taper their doses using a patient-centered tapering approach. Adding behavioral interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and self-management programs did not improve tapering success at one year. The findings can inform approaches for opioid tapering in populations without moderate or severe opioid use disorder. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine and colleagues randomly assigned 562 adults with chronic pain receiving a morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) of 10 or higher across 11 U.S. sites from 2018 to 2023 to receive one of three opioid tapering strategies: patient-centered opioid tapering (taper only), tapering combined with CBT (taper plus pain-CBT), and tapering combined with a chronic pain self-management program (taper plus CPSMP). The primary outcome was taper success, which was defined as either cutting opioid use by at least half within 12 months without worsening pain or reducing pain without increasing opioid use. The 12-month taper success rates were 50.9% for the taper only group, 48.6% for the taper plus pain-CBT group, and 44.5% for the taper plus CPSMP group, indicating that added behavioral interventions did not improve taper outcomes compared with tapering alone. However, participants receiving CBT experienced somewhat fewer adverse effects, including withdrawal symptoms, suggesting it may help make tapering more tolerable even if it does not increase the likelihood of success.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Beth D. Darnall, PhD please email Nina Bai at nina.bai@stanford.edu.
5. Carvedilol associated with lower risk of cirrhosis complications than other beta-blockers
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-04010
A retrospective cohort study of U.S. adults with cirrhosis found that treatment with the beta-blocker carvedilol was associated with meaningful lower rates of major decompensation events, such as fluid buildup, bleeding, or infection, within six months compared with those taking nadolol or propranolol. The findings underpin recent guidelines recommending carvedilol as the preferred nonselective beta blocker for patients with cirrhosis.
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital used U.S. insurance claims data from 26,128 adults with cirrhosis between 2013 to 2025 to compare the effectiveness of three commonly prescribed nonselective beta-blockers, carvedilol, nadolol, and propranolol, in preventing complications of cirrhosis. They found that those taking carvedilol experienced a 17% to 20% lower risk for major hepatic decompensation, 16% to 26% lower risk for hospitalization for ascites, and 20% to 34% lower risk for hospitalization for variceal hemorrhage compared with those taking nadolol and propranolol. The findings suggest carvedilol may offer meaningful clinical benefits over nadolol and propranolol for patients with cirrhosis engaged in routine care.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Kueiyu Joshua Lin, MD, ScD, MPH please email jklin@bwh.harvard.edu.
Also in this issue:
When the Physician Becomes a Candidate
David Oxman, MD
Ideas and Opinions
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-02388
Annals of Internal Medicine
News article
People
Prolonged Short Sleep and Its Effect on Body Weight and Composition: A Pooled Analysis of Randomized Trials
7-Jul-2026