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Study: Sweet tooth gene related to lower body fat, with some caveats
Amanda Ghosh Medical & Allied HealthcareFGF21, or fibroblast growth factor 21, is a hormone secreted by the liver. It suppresses sugar and alcohol intake, stimulates the uptake of glucose by fat cells, and acts as an insulin sensitizer. At least one variant of the FGF21 gene, rs838133, is associated with higher consumption of sugar and alcohol and lower consumption of fat and protein. Approximately 20% of Europeans are homozygous for the rs838133 variant, and they consume more sugar and alcohol as a result. But, to what effect? A study published in Cell Reports investigates.
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Can AI predict which COVID-19 patients are at greatest risk of severe complications?
Tammy Hinojos Medical & Allied HealthcareFrom news anchors to medical experts put on camera every evening, it seems everyone has an interest in identifying the profile of who will and won't become extremely ill (or worse) if infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. At present, no one knows for sure. But more information is becoming available daily and researchers are working hard to find answers. An international research team has designed a computer program that can predict, with up to 80% accuracy, which COVID-19 patients will develop serious respiratory disease.
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US employers shed 700,000 jobs, as unemployment rises to 4.4%
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIn March, total U.S. nonfarm payroll jobs fell by 701,000 versus February's 273,000 new hires, according to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. March's unemployment rate rose to 4.4% from February's 3.5%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic included local and state orders to practice "shelter in place" and social distancing," as well as closing bars and restaurants. The leisure and hospitality sector accounted for 459,000 layoffs or 65% of March's total job losses.
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During pandemic, US hospitals are firing, furloughing and cutting pay
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationWhile it may seem counterintuitive during the coronavirus pandemic, there are many hospitals across the United States that are furloughing, firing, or cutting pay for employees despite the coming surge of virus cases. The act of doing so is not, unfortunately, limited to a specific few, and is becoming an issue for more hospitals nationwide. These moves have become a necessity for most hospitals as they have cut elective procedures to limit supplies and make the most of their resources to battle COVID-19.
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How to get free PR for your telehealth services
Jarod Carter Medical & Allied HealthcareTwo weeks ago, we converted my cash-based physical therapy practice in Austin to performing all of our patient treatments online via telehealth. I have to say it's gone better than I expected, especially since we are known for being a hands-on manual therapy practice. With that said, we’ve been able to maintain a little over 50% of our current physical therapy patients as telehealth patients. But knowing we'd lose plenty of patients no matter what, I've also been developing and implementing a direct-to-consumer marketing plan for our new "tele-physio" services.
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Does COVID-19 affect the cardiovascular system?
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareCOVID-19 is an illness that can affect a person's lungs and airways with fatal consequences for those with underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD), evidenced by the large proportion of COVID-19 patients who have CVD. Although researchers have known that viral illnesses such as COVID-19 cause respiratory infections that lead to lung damage and sometimes death, their knowledge about the effects on the cardiovascular system is still evolving. A recent review, however, shows that COVID-19 can cause cardiac injury even in patients without underlying heart conditions.
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The coronavirus is devastating rural hospitals
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationWhile urban hospitals and health systems are getting racked by an overflow of patients and the need to respond to an overwhelming number of patients currently infected with COVID-19, their rural counterparts are equally or more so overwhelmed, too. In some cases, the impacts on rural hospitals are dramatic. Many of these community-based hospitals will close because the pandemic is preventing them from performing profitable elective surgeries, physical therapy, and lab tests.
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3 possible economic outcomes for the coronavirus pandemic
Lark Gould Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementSurviving the coronavirus is currently top of mind for the American public. There are many likely scenarios possible within the possible epidemiological trajectories of COVID-19 and the economic response to this crisis will also develop over the next few months, bringing a new set of struggles to consider. The Conference Board, a New York-based think tank on the economy and public policy, has developed three scenarios for the development of the U.S. economy through the remainder of the year.
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The COVID-19 pandemic: A reverse Wizard of Oz?
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareAt the end of the classic film, "The Wizard of Oz," Dorothy, the naïve yet savvy heroine played by a young Judy Garland, wakes up in her bed on a bright morning following a frightening tornado and a grand, slightly nightmarish adventure of epic proportions. The sleepy Dorothy quickly realizes that it has all indeed been a dream, and she’s safe and sound at home. If only the COVID-19 pandemic was the same: a global nightmare from which we will all awake on a sunny Midwestern morning, surrounded by the people we love most.
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Social media posts offer clues to ED utilization
Chelsea Adams Healthcare AdministrationSocial media often serves as a signal of medical distress that could be utilized to help hospitals determine when a patient might seek emergency care. Previous research has analyzed clinical information to forecast readmissions but looking at digital signatures on social media could predict individuals’ behaviors, thoughts and motivations prior to a healthcare visit. A study published in the March 12 edition of Nature Scientific Reports found that patients made Facebook posts that discussed family and health more than usual. They also included language that was more anxious, worrisome and depressed.
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