Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Lifestyle-related blood lipid profile better predicts type 2 diabetes risk

Using lipidomics, a technique that measures the composition of blood lipids at a molecular level, and machine learning, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have identified a blood lipid profile that improves the possibility to assess, several years in advance, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

17 Dec 2019

High cardiometabolic disease costs in the U.S. could be linked to suboptimal diet

Approximately $50 billion dollars of the annual healthcare cost of cardiometabolic disease in the US population could be associated with poor diet, according to a research article published this week in the open access journal PLOS Medicine.

From PLOS ONE 17 Dec 2019

Despite quick fixes, Kaiser Permanente mental health care still lags

After years of state sanctions and fines, Kaiser Permanente claims it has gone a long way toward improving its mental health care.

17 Dec 2019

Surprising swings in momentum for legislation on surprise medical bills

After months of hearings and negotiations, millions of dollars in attack ads, full-court press lobbying efforts and countless rounds of negotiations, Congress appeared to be moving toward a solution to the nation's surprise medical bill problem. Sort of.

17 Dec 2019

Analysis shows link between high psychological safety and adoption of infection prevention practices

Hospitals reporting high levels of psychological safety are more likely to have comprehensive infection prevention and control programs, according to the results of a survey appearing in the American Journal of Infection Control, the journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, published by Elsevier.

16 Dec 2019

Older teens may have similar opioid overdose risk factors as adults

Older teens may have similar risk factors for prescription opioid overdose as adults, a new study suggests.

16 Dec 2019

Many hospitals fail to provide information and guidance on patient portals

Most hospitals in the United States, but not all, have secure online websites called patient portals that give patients access to their personal health information.

16 Dec 2019

Tackling antibiotic resistance head-on with CRISPR

With modern advances in genetic engineering occurring almost every day, the latest discovery concerns antibiotic resistance. Using the powerful gene editor CRISPR, scientists reported the development of a gene-drive system that is 100 times as efficient as other current systems at inactivating a specific bacterial gene responsible for making the bacterium antibiotic-resistant and which is present as multiple copies within the same bacterial cell.

16 Dec 2019

Minority stress adds an extra layer to fear of childbirth

In order to help people with fear of childbirth, there must be trust between the patient and the healthcare staff. But for many lesbian and bisexual women and transgender people, this trust never develops. These are the results of a study in the journal Midwifery from researchers at Linköping University.

16 Dec 2019

Study suggests link between bacteria in the upper airway and asthma severity

A new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests there is a link between bacteria that live in the upper airway and the severity of asthma symptoms among children with mild to moderate asthma.

16 Dec 2019

Promising greater safety, a tiny widget creates chaos for tube feeders

Rachel Glenn loves to puree food and put it in her 4-year-old's feeding tube. The Arkansas mom said her thick concoctions of fruit, vegetables, meat and grains provide the concentrated nutrition he needs.

16 Dec 2019

What would happen if the ACA went away?

Any day now, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans could rule the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional.

16 Dec 2019

Universal health coverage a strategic priority

Universal Health Coverage Day is celebrated every year to remind ourselves of the need to ensure that anyone, anywhere can make use of the health services they need at any time required, at an affordable rate. Health coverage includes not only emergency and treatment services but also promotive health, preventive health, rehabilitation and palliative care.

15 Dec 2019

The evidence for BRCA1/2 or any genetic testing in breast cancer patients

A new statement by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), published in the journal Genetics in Medicine, discusses the place of germline genetic testing in breast cancer patients.

15 Dec 2019

Study shows non-TB lung infections rising; more in women and older people

Each year, more and more people are getting mycobacterial lung infections, and the total number living with such diseases is going up, according to a new study published in the journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Those at greatest risk are people above the age of 65 years and the elderly.

15 Dec 2019

Boys born small at higher risk of infertility

A new study published in the journal Human Reproduction on December 13, 2019, shows that baby boys who don’t grow as well as expected in the womb may grow up to be infertile as adults. The study showed a 55% or 85% higher risk of infertility among this group of men compared to those born with appropriate weights.

15 Dec 2019

Under-5's receiving an average 25 antibiotic prescriptions each year

Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to mankind says the World Health Organization (WHO). One of the greatest contributors to this menace is indiscriminate use of antibiotics.

15 Dec 2019

A deep neural network model can predict healthcare visits by elderly people

If healthcare providers could accurately predict how their services would be used, they could save large sums of money by not having to allocate funds unnecessarily.

13 Dec 2019

Points to consider: Should germline genetic testing be offered to all patients with breast cancer?

Should germline genetic testing be offered to all patients with breast cancer? The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics addresses this important question in a new statement published in Genetics in Medicine, "Points to Consider: Is There Evidence to Support BRCA1/2 and Other Inherited Breast Cancer Genetic Testing for All Breast Cancer Patients? A Statement of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics."

13 Dec 2019

House drug pricing bill to reduce costs, improve access to life-saving therapies

H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act passed by the House of Representatives today introduces critically needed and significant steps to reduce costs and improve access to life-saving therapies for conditions including HIV and hepatitis C.

13 Dec 2019