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Lighting intervention can positively impact sleep, behavior for Alzheimer's patients

A tailored lighting intervention in nursing homes can positively impact sleep, mood and behavior for patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to preliminary findings from a new study.

5 Jun 2018

Verma unveils state Medicaid scorecard but refuses to judge efforts

The Trump administration Monday released a Medicaid "scorecard" intended to show how the nation's largest health program is performing. But the nation's top Medicaid official didn't want to draw any conclusions.

5 Jun 2018

Study: Shifting to bilevel PAP can save 56% of patients from therapy termination

A new study reveals that shifting patients who are struggling with adherence to positive airway pressure therapy to a more advanced bilevel device in the first 90 days of treatment is an effective tool for achieving adherence in well more than half of such cases.

5 Jun 2018

A hospital ER charges an ‘after-hours’ fee. Who has to pay it?

This week, I responded to readers who were unhappy with their health plan's decision not to pay an emergency department surcharge for after-hours care and concerned about difficulties getting Medicare to cover claims unrelated to a workers' compensation injury.

5 Jun 2018

Plant-based dietary pattern lowers cholesterol and improves blood pressure

A new meta-analysis published in the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases finds that a diet that includes plant protein, fiber, nuts, and plant sterols lowers cholesterol, improves blood pressure, and improves other markers for cardiovascular disease risk.

5 Jun 2018

Suspension of California’s aid-in-dying law leaves sick patients in limbo

Dozens of terminally ill patients in California who counted on using the state's medical aid-in-dying law may be in limbo for a month after a court ruling that suspended the 2016 measure.

5 Jun 2018

Redaction of substance abuse data could result in long-term implications

Due to a change in federal regulation, from 2013-2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services redacted any health care encounter that included a diagnosis or procedure code related to substance abuse from the Medicare and Medicaid identifiable files.

5 Jun 2018

Exercise can help overcome genetic effects of obesity in older age

If you're up there in age and feel like you can coast as a couch potato, you may want to reconsider. A new study suggests, for the first time in women over age 70, that working up a sweat can reduce the influence one's genes have on obesity.

5 Jun 2018

New technology enables round the clock observation of dementia patients in their own homes

Innovative new technology will enable people with dementia to receive round the clock observation and live independently in their own homes, a new study in the Journal PL0S One reports.

5 Jun 2018

Light exposure during sleep acutely impacts measures of insulin resistance

According to preliminary results from a new study, nighttime light exposure during sleep may affect metabolic function. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that light exposure at night during sleep adversely impacts metabolic outcomes.

5 Jun 2018

Medicaid expansion linked to improvements in health outcomes

The first peer-reviewed comprehensive analysis of the effects of Medicaid expansion paints a picture of significant improvements in various health outcomes consistent with the original goals of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

5 Jun 2018

Traumatic childhood experiences of parents could negatively impact their own children's health

Trauma experienced by a parent during childhood has long-reaching consequences - maybe even to the point of negatively impacting their own children's health, a new Drexel University study found.

5 Jun 2018

Health care simmers on back burner in California heartland’s hot house races

About a dozen mostly retired locals took over a corner of a busy intersection on a recent Saturday afternoon in this San Joaquin Valley city, toting signs that read "Dump Denham 2018."

4 Jun 2018

New algorithm may be the key to optimizing alertness with caffeine

According to a recent study, a newly developed algorithm may be the key to optimizing alertness with caffeine.

4 Jun 2018

Sleep problems associated with decreased work productivity

Preliminary results from a new study suggest that several sleep-related symptoms are associated with decreased work productivity.

4 Jun 2018

Study explores health impact of air pollution from traffic

What would happen if all petrol and diesel-powered vehicles were removed from a smaller European city? Up to 4% of all premature deaths could be prevented, according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden.

4 Jun 2018

Short and long sleep durations associated with increased excess heart age

Preliminary results from a new study show that excess heart age appeared to be lowest among adults who reported sleeping seven hours per 24-hour period.

4 Jun 2018

Sleep paralysis, hallucinations found to be widespread in student athletes

Pilot data from a recent study suggest that sleep paralysis and dream-like hallucinations as you are falling asleep or waking up are widespread in student athletes and are independently associated with symptoms of depression.

4 Jun 2018

Short sleep linked to increased odds of hospital readmission for acute coronary syndrome patients

Pilot data from a recent study suggest that patients with short sleep have over two times the odds of readmission than those with sufficient sleep duration during the month following acute coronary syndrome evaluation.

4 Jun 2018

Limited health literacy blocks heart disease prevention and treatment

Limited healthy literacy is a major barrier blocking many people from achieving good cardiovascular health or benefiting from effective treatment for heart attacks, heart failure, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases, according to a scientific statement published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

4 Jun 2018