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Is the term anti-aging out for good?
Elizabeth Donat RetailSome people in the beauty industry want "anti-aging" to go the way of the dodo. In light of Allure magazine announcing in last year's September issue that it would no longer publish the term anti-aging, it makes me wonder if this will become the new normal for the industry. The magazine stated that aging is a "celebration of growing into your own skin," so we shouldn't see it as a "battle" and something that needs a remedy. But does the term really stand for something negative or is it just a way to clearly state which skin care goals you're after?
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New report shows reimbursement increases for brand-name drugs in Medicare…
Scott E. Rupp PharmaceuticalThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has released a much-publicized report that shows that from 2011 to 2015, total reimbursement for brand-name drugs in Medicare Part D increased 77 percent even though there was an actually decrease in utilization for these drugs. Per the report, overall, Part D paid $382 billion for all brand-name drugs for the period mentioned. The total number of prescriptions for brand-name drugs decreased 17 percent, from 229 million in 2011 to 191 million in 2015.
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The screen problem for children with anxiety
Terry Lynam Mental HealthcareWhile depictions of violence affect many children differently, those with an anxiety disorder are more likely to experience a negative impact. "Children who have a preexisting anxiety disorder are at greater risk for reacting more viscerally to violent or frightening images or stories," said Dr. Victor Fornari, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Queens, New York City.
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New study looks at transplants from drug overdose donors
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareDemand for donor organs for transplant is high. Someone is added to the national transplant waitlist every 10 minutes, according to UNOS, and an estimated 20 people die every day waiting for a transplant. Deceased donors save thousands of lives each year, as four out of five donated organs come from deceased donors. Now, an increasing number of organs are coming from donors who died from drug overdoses.
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Take the stress out of testing for your patients
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareFor most patients, medical tests are obviously necessary protocol — but they're not a lot of fun, for a number of reasons. Testing can cause much more emotional distress to patients than many doctors suspect, in fact. A study from the University of Illinois at Chicago found that many people reported serious symptoms of anticipatory anxiety in a situation like waiting for test results, such as worrying for an entire day. The positive news: you as a physician can do a lot to take the stress out of the testing process.
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Labor Dept. rules expand AHPs, in further blow to Obamacare
Seth Sandronsky Healthcare AdministrationThe Trump administration’s Department of Labor on June 19 issued a final rule that lets groups of small businesses offer Association Health Plans (AHPs), which are health insurance plans that sidestep some provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. "Every American should be able to get comprehensive health care coverage they can afford, and we support the goal of increasing competition and choice in ways that improve affordability," said Kristine Grow, senior vice president of communications for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a national trade association, in a statement.
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Research finds e-cigarette flavorings are harmful to vascular system
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareThere is ever-increasing evidence that the harm from electronic cigarettes far exceeds the benefits of their use as an aid to stop smoking nicotine cigarettes. The latest adverse health effects reported are to the delicate tissues of the vascular system from the use of flavorings in e-cigarettes. The new study looked at how nine different flavors impacted vascular endothelial cell function.
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Negative pressure wound therapy for lower leg fractures might be ineffective
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareCompared with standard dressings, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) does not improve 12-month outcomes in patients with open leg fractures, according to a new study published in JAMA. Since they break the skin, open fractures have a higher risk of healing-related complications. Infection rates can be as high as 27 percent in severe open leg fractures, for example. NPWT is a new type of postoperative dressing that creates a vacuum, removing the blood and fluid accumulating inside a wound.
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The effects of loneliness on our hearts
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareIt is well-known that our hearts often respond to our emotional state. For example, broken heart syndrome, also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is a recently recognized heart problem. Symptoms of broken heart syndrome can look like those of a heart attack. But a broken heart may not be the only emotional stressor that affects our hearts. Loneliness may also be bad for the heart and may even lead to premature death.
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Tips to boost your energy in the morning
Lisa Mulcahy Sports & FitnessImagine tackling your workload with enthusiasm, energy, speed and accuracy every single morning (without downing five cups of coffee). Sounds like the impossible dream, right? It's actually easy to achieve. Research has found that the key to maximizing your a.m. performance as soon as you get to work is to simply make a few easy, enjoyable adjustments to your routine. Not only will you actually enjoy making these changes, you'll effortlessly boost your mental and physical stamina.
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