Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 7 September 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. Borderline low hemoglobin levels, usually considered normal, are linked to a higher risk of death
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-00057
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
A prospective cohort study found that adults whose hemoglobin levels were 1 to 3 g/dL above the World Health Organization’s (WHO) current anemia thresholds had lower mortality compared with those whose hemoglobin levels were both below and above this range. While the findings do not warrant updated anemia thresholds, they do suggest that further investigation of borderline anemia is warranted. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine .
Researchers from the University of Glasgow evaluated the association between hemoglobin concentration and long-term mortality among 502,188 adults enrolled in the UK Biobank. Hemoglobin concentrations were compared with the WHO's sex-specific anemia thresholds, and investigators examined deaths from any cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer over a median follow-up of 13.6 years. They found a U-shaped relationship between hemoglobin levels and mortality, with the lowest risk occurring at hemoglobin concentrations 1 to 3 g/dL above current WHO anemia thresholds. The authors conclude that the findings may help clinicians better interpret borderline hemoglobin levels and identify individuals at increased risk.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Pierpaolo Pellicori, MD, please email Elizabeth McMeekin at Elizabeth.McMeekin@glasgow.ac.uk and Ali Howard at Ali.Howard@glasgow.ac.uk.
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2. Review finds limited evidence on interventions to improve follow-up care after hospitalization for alcohol use disorder
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-01312
A systematic review of studies evaluating the effectiveness of hospital-based interventions to improve outpatient follow-up for alcohol use disorder (AUD) found wide heterogeneity among interventions to promote posthospitalization care, with few interventions showing effectiveness. Given the importance of outpatient follow-up after discharge, the findings warrant further research testing various components of these interventions. The review is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz and Yale University reviewed 17 studies involving more than 12,000 patients and 21 total interventions for improving outpatient follow-up for AUD after hospital discharge. Most interventions included several components such as behavioral counseling, care coordination, medication management, and social support services. While 8 of the 21 interventions showed effectiveness at improving outpatient follow-up, results varied widely and many studies had methodological limitations. The authors note that there is currently limited high-quality evidence on how best to support patients after hospitalization for AUD and call for larger, more rigorous clinical trials to identify effective strategies.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Eden Y. Bernstein, MD, MPH, please email David Kelly at david.kelly@cuanschutz.edu.
Also in this issue:
Bereaved Caregivers: Who Is Caring for Them?
Greta J. Khanna, PhD, MA; Sue E. Morris, PsyD; Richard E. Leiter, MD, MA; and Miryam Yusufov, PhD
Ideas and Opinions
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-01396
Risk, Accountability, and the Clinician’s Role in the Artificial Intelligence Era
Andrew S. Parsons, MD, MPH; and Adam Rodman, MD, MPH
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-02478
A Tale of Two Duties: EMR Documentation and the Imperative to Do No Harm in post-Dobbs America
Gabrielle Sudilovsky, BA; Charlotte Harrington, MD; Julie Chor, MD; Ursula Francis, JD, PhD, MSc; and Baddr Shakhsheer, MD, HEC-C
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-01844
Tuberculosis
Timesh Pillay, MBBS, PhD; Onn Min Kon, MBBS, MD; and Ajit Lalvani, MBBS, DM
In the Clinic
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-03002
Annals of Internal Medicine
News article
People
Association Between Blood Hemoglobin Concentration and Mortality by Age and Sex: A Prospective Cohort Study
8-Sep-2026