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Study provides evidence for antidepressant effects of ketamine

Better known as an anesthetic or as an illicit hallucinogenic drug, ketamine has also long been noted for alleviating depression. But ketamine has not been tested in a large clinical trial, and all evidence of its antidepressant effects has come from anecdotes and small studies of fewer than 100 patients.

3 May 2017

ACP praises court’s decision to block Anthem-Cigna health insurance merger

The American College of Physicians today praised this morning's decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upholding a lower court ruling halting the proposed $54 billion insurance merger between Anthem and Cigna.

29 Apr 2017

ARDS survivors who return to work end up losing their jobs, study finds

Forty-four percent of people who held jobs before contracting a condition called acute respiratory distress syndrome were jobless one year after they were discharged from the hospital, costing them an average of about $27,000 in earnings.

29 Apr 2017

Study examines economic impact of surviving acute respiratory distress syndrome

According to a new multicenter study, nearly half of previously employed adult survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome were jobless one year after hospital discharge, and are estimated to have lost an average of $27,000 in earnings.

28 Apr 2017

AMA urges congress to maintain fair healthcare insurance for all

The chief executive of the American Medical Association (AMA) writes to Congress urging them to vote against the proposed amendments to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). It is his belief that the MacArthur Amendment does not protect the provision of affordable healthcare to all Americans, the primary goal of the ACA.

28 Apr 2017

Study finds significant decrease in cardiovascular diseases among individuals with diabetes

The incidence of cardiovascular diseases in Sweden has decreased sharply since the late 1990s. These are the findings of a study from Sahlgrenska Academy which included almost three million adult Swedes. In relative terms, the biggest winners are persons with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

25 Apr 2017

Spousal cancer diagnosis can lead to decline in household income

Caring for a husband or wife with cancer significantly diminishes family income, according to researchers from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business, who tracked changes in employment and income among working-age couples in Canada.

24 Apr 2017

Statins may provide favorable outcomes to patients with HBV- or HCV-related cirrhosis

Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) can lead to cirrhosis as well as liver cancer. A Hepatology study from Taiwan has found that statins may provide benefits to patients with HBV- or HCV-related cirrhosis.

24 Apr 2017

Healthcare for mental illness is on the decline in US, say experts

More Americans than ever before are suffering from serious psychological distress (SPD), according to researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center.

18 Apr 2017

Novo Nordisk introduces new web-based portal that helps patients track their hemophilia treatment

Novo Nordisk today announced the availability of HemaGo™ XChange, a web-based portal that allows people with hemophilia to connect their circle of care to their treatment and bleed information, promoting collaboration and discussion regarding the management of their bleeding disorder.

From Novo Nordisk 13 Apr 2017

Opportunities and risks of direct-to-consumer genetic health risk tests

Accurate genetic testing stands to transform modern medicine by offering effective, personalized treatment.

13 Apr 2017

Study finds occurrences of large personal data breaches in hospitals

Lying in a hospital bed, the last thing you should have to worry about is a personal data breach. Yet recent research co-authored by a Michigan State University business scholar found nearly 1,800 occurrences of large data breaches in patient information over a seven-year period.

6 Apr 2017

Many patients struggle to understand complex health insurance plans, survey finds

A new survey by experts at the Health Disparities Institute of UConn Health shows that many patients across Connecticut are struggling to understand their complex, jargon-filled private health insurance plans and even to use their plan benefits correctly.

6 Apr 2017

4Sight Health publishes article on Trumpian Healthcare Reform: A "Silver Linings" Legislative Playbook

The American Healthcare Act (AHCA) is dead for now. The legislative failure creates a unique opportunity for President Trump to direct a centrist coalition to deliver meaningful and successful healthcare reform.

3 Apr 2017

Firstcare Health Plans wins TDC award for third consecutive year

In late 2016, FirstCare Health Plans received word from the Texas Diabetes Council (TDC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) that it was being honored for performing above the Texas average for Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) performance measures for blood glucose control (A1c), blood pressure and cholesterol treatments related to diabetes care in 2015 for our Abilene and Waco service areas.

31 Mar 2017

Data protection in medical research: Computer scientists crack anonymity of genetic information

DNA profiles can reveal a number of details about individuals, and even about their family members. There are laws in place that regulate the trade of gene data, which has become much simpler and cheaper to analyze today.

27 Mar 2017

Americans with lower socioeconomic status have highest smoking rates

After decades of declining US smoking rates overall, most remaining smokers have low income, no college education, no health insurance or a disability, according to research from the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz.

24 Mar 2017

Loss of partner to suicide may increase risk for mental and physical disorders

People who lose a partner to suicide are at increased risk for a number of mental and physical disorders, including cancer, depression, herniated discs and mood disorders than those in the general population, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

22 Mar 2017

Medicare's prescription drug benefit program reduced elderly mortality by 2.2%, study shows

A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois expert in health care economics provides the first evidence that the increase in drug utilization attributable to Medicare Part D saved lives.

9 Mar 2017

Workers without paid sick leave less likely to receive preventive health care screenings, study finds

More than 20 million Americans have gained health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act and do not have to pay for 15 preventive screenings recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

1 Mar 2017