Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 31 August 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. Higher vitamin B12 levels in both parents are associated with lower risk of birth defects
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-05243
Editorial: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-03045
Summary for Patients: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-05243-PS
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
A prospective cohort study quantifying the associations of parental vitamin B12 and red blood cell (RBC) folate with birth defects found that higher parental vitamin B12 before conception and higher maternal RBC folate concentrations after conception were associated with lower birth defect risk. The findings suggest that the nutritional status of both parents around the time of conception may play a role in preventing birth defects. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from the Children's Hospital of Fudan University and colleagues used the Shanghai Preconception Cohort to study 3,032 couples who provided blood samples within 4 months before conception and 17,765 women who were tested at 4 months’ gestation or earlier. The researchers measured vitamin B12 and folate levels and examined their relationship with birth defects identified among live births, stillbirths, and pregnancies ending because of fetal abnormalities. They found that higher preconception maternal and paternal vitamin B12 levels were associated with lower predicted prevalence of birth defects, and that mothers with adequate RBC folate levels in early pregnancy also had lower predicted prevalence of birth defects. According to the authors, these findings support the potential importance of both paternal and maternal nutrition during the periconceptional period and early pregnancy.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. For media inquiries or interview requests regarding the study, please contact the author team through Guoying Huang, MD, PhD, at gyhuang@shmu.edu.cn or Weili Yan, PhD, at yanwl@fudan.edu.cn.
----------------------------
2. New ACP Paper Addresses Ethical Use of AI in Medical Practice
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-01792
A new ethics paper from the American College of Physicians (ACP) says that while the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical practice can improve health care efficiency and quality, the use of AI must be grounded in clinical integrity and professionalism. The paper outlines three guideposts for the ethical use of AI in medical practice: Rationality, Self-Governance, and Competence. Full text is published in Annals of Internal Medicine .
AI is being rapidly adopted in health care, yet there has not been consensus on guidance around issues such as privacy, disclosure, and fairness. As AI becomes more integrated into patient care, physicians and patients need practical ethical guidance to help ensure these technologies are used responsibly, equitably, and in ways that support high-quality, patient-centered care.
In this paper, ACP outlines key principles for the responsible use of AI in health care, emphasizing that these tools should support the patient-physician relationship, augment clinical decision-making and medical education, and be used in ways that preserve physician judgment and promote equitable patient care. The paper also highlights the importance of ensuring AI is implemented responsibly across health care settings.
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into health care, ACP encourages physicians to leverage its potential to improve patient outcomes while ensuring its use remains grounded in ethical principles and professional responsibility. ACP says thoughtful AI implementation can help advance patient care, strengthen clinical decision-making, and preserve the central role of the patient-physician relationship.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact someone at ACP, please email Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org.
3. Updated review shows GLP-1 RAs produce significant weight loss in adults without diabetes, with newer treatments showing greater results
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-05519
Summary for Patients: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-05519-PS
An updated systematic review evaluating the efficacy and safety of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and coagonists among adults with overweight or obesity without diabetes found that among currently available treatments, tirzepatide produced the greatest weight loss, while newer experimental drugs showed even larger effects. Consistent with the prior review, the findings showed that GLP-1 RAs demonstrate substantial weight loss in adults without diabetes, and gastrointestinal adverse effects remained the most common across all therapies. The review is published in Annals of Internal Medicine .
Researchers from Jewish General Hospital and McGill University conducted an update to their prior systematic review of the safety and efficacy of GLP-1 RAs for weight loss among adults without diabetes to account for the introduction of novel agents and the expanding evidence base of these therapies. They analyzed the findings from 38 randomized controlled trials (14 of which were newly identified) comprising 25,816 adults and measured outcomes including change in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and blood pressure. Across the studies, participants taking GLP-1 RAs lost significantly more weight than those receiving placebo, with some emerging treatments associated with weight loss exceeding 20% of body weight. While gastrointestinal side effects were frequently reported, serious adverse events and deaths were rare, and no new safety concerns were identified. The authors concluded that GLP-1–based therapies offer effective weight-loss options for people without diabetes, with a growing range of injectable and oral treatments becoming available.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Mark J. Eisenberg, MD, MPH, please email Pascal Fischer at Pascal.Fischer@ladydavis.ca.
Also in this issue:
De-escalation of Breast Cancer Screening Supported by Population Data and Tumor Biology
H. Gilbert Welch, MD, MPH; Karsten Juhl Jørgensen, MD, DMedSci; and Lesly A. Dossett, MD, MPH
Ideas and Opinions
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-00777
Annals of Internal Medicine
News article
People
Periconception Parental Red Blood Cell Folate, Vitamin B12, and Birth Defects in Offspring: A Prospective Cohort Study
1-Sep-2026