Health Care News and Research

RSS

Health suffers deep in the troubled heart of Texas

The booming $1.8 trillion Texas economy rivals that of many countries and puts the state at the top of a host of rankings for its fast-growing cities, low unemployment and job growth.

17 Dec 2018

Assisted living’s breakneck growth leaves patient safety behind

They found Bonnie Walker's body floating in a pond behind her assisted living facility in South Carolina. There were puncture wounds on her ear, her temple, her jaw and her cheeks.

17 Dec 2018

High negative pressure controls dispersal of airborne dust in hospitals, renovation sites

Maintaining a high negative pressure in airborne infection isolation rooms of hospitals (over -10 Pa) and in renovation sites (over -5 Pa) effectively limits the dispersion of airborne contaminants and dust, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows.

17 Dec 2018

Study finds misuse of benzodiazepines to be highest among young adults

More than one in eight U.S. adults used benzodiazepines in the past year, up from previous reports. Misuse of the prescription drugs accounted for more than 17 percent of overall use, according to a study published online today in Psychiatric Services in Advance.

17 Dec 2018

Study finds epigenetic differences in the brains of individuals with schizophrenia

A study using a PET scan tracer developed at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital has identified, for the first time, epigenetic differences between the brains of individuals with schizophrenia and those of unaffected study participants.

17 Dec 2018

Eisai enters into agreement with Eurofarma for its anti-obesity agent lorcaserin

Eisai Co., Ltd. has entered into an agreement to grant exclusive development and marketing rights for its anti-obesity agent lorcaserin hydrochloride in Brazil to Eurofarma Laboratorios S.A. Under this agreement, Eisai will supply Eurofarma with lorcaserin. Eisai will receive a one-time contractual payment and is eligible for milestone payments for sales in Brazil.

17 Dec 2018

Early physical therapy associated with reduction in opioid use

Patients who underwent physical therapy soon after being diagnosed with pain in the shoulder, neck, low back or knee were approximately 7 to 16 percent less likely to use opioids in the subsequent months, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Duke University School of Medicine.

14 Dec 2018

Breast cancer protection from pregnancy begins many decades later, study finds

In general, women who have had children have a lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who have never given birth. However, new research has found that moms don't experience this breast cancer protection until many years later and may face elevated risk for more than 20 years after their last pregnancy.

14 Dec 2018

Magnesium may play important role in optimizing vitamin D levels, study shows

A randomized trial by Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center researchers indicates that magnesium optimizes vitamin D status, raising it in people with deficient levels and lowering it in people with high levels.

14 Dec 2018

Community Health Choice helps manage complex and chronic care conditions

Texans often face crucial health-related decisions without training or guidance. How do we decide when to seek emergency care? What are the warning signs of diabetes? Should we go to a clinic or can we reach someone on the phone?

14 Dec 2018

Study provides insight into health risks facing new mothers

African-American women undergo more physical "wear-and-tear" during the first year after giving birth than Latina and white women, a consequence that may have long-lasting health effects, according to a study of a diverse group of more than 2,400 low-income women.

14 Dec 2018

Nurse denied life insurance because she carries naloxone

Bloodwork was supposed to be the last step in Isela’s application for life insurance. But when she arrived at the lab, her appointment had been canceled.

14 Dec 2018

In California, doctors accused of sexual misconduct often get second chances

The doctor instructed his patient to stand in front of him. He cupped her crotch and inserted his fingers into her vagina through her clothes, moving his hand repeatedly to her rectal area. Then he squeezed her breasts, according to a formal accusation filed by the Medical Board of California.

14 Dec 2018

Weakened metabolism of immune T cells may account for serious complications in elderly

The elderly suffer more serious complications from infections and benefit less from vaccination than the general population.

14 Dec 2018

Average outpatient visit in the U.S. costs nearly $500, shows new study

The average outpatient visit in the United States costs nearly $500, according to a new scientific study.

14 Dec 2018

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ Insurance enrollment is lagging — and there are lots of reasons why

With less than a week to go before the deadline in most states, enrollment in health insurance for 2019 under the Affordable Care Act is lagging compared with the pace of previous years. That was expected, given last year's tax law eliminated the tax penalty for not having coverage starting Jan. 1. But analysts say there are other reasons for the downturn as well.

14 Dec 2018