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Nearly 70% of Americans use at least one prescription drug, say researchers

Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half take two, Mayo Clinic researchers say. Antibiotics, antidepressants and painkilling opioids are most commonly prescribed, their study found. Twenty percent of patients are on five or more prescription medications, according to the findings, published online in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

20 Jun 2013

Poll: Young adults consider health insurance important

A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found a strong majority of young adults believe health insurance is worth the money.

20 Jun 2013

Surgeon provides guidance to identify ways to manage patients with sleep apnea

Although as many as 25 percent of patients undergoing surgery suffer from sleep apnea, few hospitals have policies to help manage the risks of this condition during surgery, and there is little evidence to help guide anesthesiologists and surgeons caring for these patients.

20 Jun 2013

UT candidate wins AHA fellowship to support research in cardiovascular, stroke discoveries

University of Texas at San Antonio biomedical engineering Ph.D. candidate Anand Srinivasan has been awarded a $25,000, one-year doctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association (AHA).

20 Jun 2013

First Edition: June 20, 2013

Today's headlines include a variety of reports about the health law's implementation as well as related developments from Capitol Hill.

20 Jun 2013

Viewpoints: Urgency has slipped away for 'grand bargain'; The need to scrutinize drug competition; Restore funding to 'Meals on Wheels'

It may seem paradoxical that Congress was willing to tackle a grand bargain when the deficit problem looked big and insoluble - but quickly lost interest as soon as the problem became more manageable. … But the reason isn't really mysterious. A grand bargain would have required both sides to swallow unpalatable compromises. It would have required Democrats to agree to cuts in future spending on Medicare and Social Security. Likewise, it would have required Republicans to accept increases in tax revenue (Doyle McManus, 6/19).

20 Jun 2013

State highlights: Ark. AG asks state Supreme Court to uphold J&J fine; N.Y. abortion measure to get separate vote

Arkansas' attorney general filed a brief Tuesday backed by his counterparts in 35 other states asking the Arkansas Supreme Court to uphold a $1.2 billion fine levied against Johnson & Johnson and a subsidiary over the marketing of the antipsychotics drug Risperdal (6/18).

20 Jun 2013

Senate Finance Committee examines health care prices; Steven Brill testifies

The journalist, who examined the issue of the high cost of health care in a much-quoted March 2013 Time magazine article, appeared during a Capitol Hill hearing.

20 Jun 2013

D4D Technologies, Henry Schein announce launch of E4D NEVO Scanner and Design Center

D4D Technologies, LLC, the award-winning developer of digital technologies for dentistry, and Henry Schein, Inc., announced today the all new E4D NEVO Scanner and Design Center, enhancing the ease-of-use in digital dental restorations for the benefit of the patient and the practitioner.

20 Jun 2013

Report: Improper prescription drug use drives up cost of care

Doctors and hospitals could save the U.S. $213 billion annually if they used prescription drugs more wisely, according to IMS health.

20 Jun 2013

Study reveals surprising patterns of racial disparities for successful drug treatment

A University of Iowa study reveals significant disparities between minority and white clients in success rates for completing substance abuse treatment programs. Moreover, these disparities vary widely from state to state.

20 Jun 2013

'Get Covered America' campaign launched by nonprofit group

In an effort to sign up people for the new health coverage that will become available this fall, Enroll America is one of a number of organizations launching aggressive health law outreach campaigns.

20 Jun 2013

Medicaid chief signals that state enrollments may start slowly

But Cindy Mann says that she is confident states will be ready by October to cover the new enrollees who will gain access to the safety net program.

20 Jun 2013

Texas Senate approves abortion restrictions, prompting access fears

Texas lawmakers on Tuesday approved three pieces of legislation that tighten the state's abortion restrictions, prompting worries that abortion clinics could close because of the changes.

20 Jun 2013

Patients press forward with health apps

Fox News reports how one specific app is helping give patients more access to their doctors while Kaiser Health News looks at how the increase in available apps also raises questions about what works and doesn't.

20 Jun 2013

House passes abortion ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy

House lawmakers Tuesday passed a nationwide ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy -- one of the most far-reaching federal bills on abortion in years. The bill, which faces long odds in the Senate and even longer odds to get the president's signature, is unlikely to ever become law.

20 Jun 2013

GAO: Smooth and timely launch of health exchanges unsure

The report by the Government Accountability Office noted that the federal government has missed several deadlines, and there is a risk it won't be ready to open the online marketplaces Oct. 1. But the report also noted some positive signs.

20 Jun 2013

Study: One in four stroke survivors suffer from symptoms of PTSD

One in four people who survive a stroke or transient ischemic attack suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder within the first year post-event, and one in nine experience chronic PTSD more than a year later.

20 Jun 2013

AMA: Obesity is a disease

Going against a recommendation by one of its committees to label it only a "major public health problem," the American Medical Association has recognized obesity as a disease.

20 Jun 2013

LDL cholesterol blood levels: an interview with Dr. Harvey Kaufman

What is LDL cholesterol? What blood level of LDL cholesterol is considered optimal and why are high levels of LDL cholesterol a key marker of death risk from heart disease? Dr. Harvey Kaufman, senior medical director of Quest Diagnostics gives us some answers.

From Quest Diagnostics 19 Jun 2013