Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 30 March 2026
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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.
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1. Switching from dulaglutide to tirzepatide boosts patient-reported well-being for people with type 2 diabetes
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-03219
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
An analysis of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) from the SURPASS-SWITCH trial found that adults with type 2 diabetes who switched from dulaglutide to tirzepatide not only saw stronger improvements in blood sugar and weight but also reported feeling emotionally better. The findings suggest that that greater clinical effects of type 2 diabetes drugs may be associated with a greater quality of life (QoL) for patients. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine .
Researchers from Eli Lilly and Company aimed to report PROs from SURPASS-SWITCH measuring health- and weight-related QoL, including a novel measure of the emotional effect of diabetes treatment. In this 40‑week randomized study, adults with type 2 diabetes who weren’t achieving good blood sugar control on dulaglutide were assigned either to continue increasing their dulaglutide dose or to switch to tirzepatide. Researchers used several patient‑reported outcome measures to assess weight-related self‑perception, ability to perform daily activities, and emotional responses to treatment. Both groups improved, but those who switched to tirzepatide reported greater gains across nearly all measures. These patients felt more positive, more in control of their condition, and less fearful or frustrated. The findings suggest that tirzepatide may offer broader benefits beyond glucose control, helping patients feel better physically and emotionally in their day‑to‑day lives.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Kristina S. Boye, PhD please email Niki Biro at niki_biro@lilly.com.
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2. Commonly prescribed antidepressant shows promise for easing long COVID fatigue in new clinical trial
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-03959
A randomized clinical trial found that the antidepressant fluvoxamine significantly reduces long COVID–related fatigue, one of the condition’s most persistent and debilitating symptoms, while the diabetes drug metformin showed no benefit. Patients taking fluvoxamine reported steadily improving fatigue and quality-of-life scores over 60 to 90 days, with fewer side effects than those on placebo. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine .
Researchers from the Brazilian Biomedical Research Institute and colleagues assessed the efficacy of fluvoxamine and metformin for long COVID fatigue among 399 people at 22 outpatient sites in Brazil between October 2023 and February 2025. Eligible participants had been experiencing fatigue for at least 90 days after infection and were assigned to fluvoxamine, metformin, or a placebo for 60 days. Researchers measured changes using a standard fatigue severity scale. Fluvoxamine produced a meaningful reduction in fatigue by day 60, with continued improvement at day 90, and also boosted overall quality-of-life scores. Metformin did not show any significant effect. While all treatments were generally safe, fluvoxamine had fewer reported adverse events. The authors conclude that fluvoxamine may offer a viable treatment option for long COVID fatigue, though longer-term effects remain unknown. However, an important limitation of the study was the absence of assessment for a history of depression. Thus, whether the treatment effect was due to a direct effect on long COVID or to an effect on baseline depression is uncertain.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Jamie I. Forrest, PhD, MPH please email james.forrest@ubc.ca.
3. Half of Medicaid beneficiaries could lose coverage if Medicaid work requirements in the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ are extended nationally
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-04811
A cross-sectional study suggests that if Congress were to impose Medicaid work requirements across the country, roughly half of adult enrollees could be at risk of losing coverage despite having higher rates of physical, cognitive, and daily‑living impairments. Researchers found that many of these adults report poor overall health, even though their impairments may not qualify them for formal disability exemptions. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine .
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1) implemented Medicaid work requirements for beneficiaries in some states, but congressional policymakers are considering extending work requirements nationally to all Medicaid enrollees. Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research analyzed data from the 2022–2023 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to understand the health and functional status of adults aged 19 to 64 who did not meet typical exemption criteria and worked less than 20 hours a week who could lose Medicaid if federal work requirements were implemented. They found that about 8.3 million people, or 50.4% of this group, would be at risk of disenrollment. These adults had higher levels of physical, neuropsychological, and independent‑living impairments, and were more likely to report poor physical and mental health compared with those meeting work requirements. The authors conclude that many enrollees vulnerable to losing coverage have health challenges significant enough to limit their ability to meet work-hour rules, even if they do not qualify as formally disabled. The findings underscore the importance of revising exemption criteria to account for functional impairment and medical vulnerability.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Rishi K. Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil please email rwadhera@bidmc.harvard.edu.
Annals of Internal Medicine
News article
People
Patient-Reported Outcomes in People With Type 2 Diabetes Escalating Dulaglutide or Switching From Dulaglutide to Tirzepatide
31-Mar-2026