Every day Melissa Fulton, RN, MSN, FNP, APRN-C, shows up to work, she’s ready for another fight. An advanced practice nurse who specializes in multiple sclerosis care, Fulton says she typically spends more than a third of her time battling it out with insurance companies over drugs she knows her patients need but that insurers […]
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New efficient method for urine analysis may tell us more
Human urine contains hundreds of small molecules that tell us about our health, diet and well-being. Associate Professor Frans Mulder, in collaboration with the University of Florence, has been successful in developing a new method for analyzing the components of a urine sample. Using this method, the analysis becomes both cheaper and more accurate. The […]
Researchers estimate societal costs of the opioid epidemic
The devastating consequences of the opioid crisis are far-reaching in the United States, impacting public health as well as social and economic welfare. Penn State researchers recently collaborated to address the issue in a supplement of The American Journal of Managed Care titled “Deaths, Dollars, and Diverted Resources: Examining the Heavy Price of the Opioid […]
Sustainable method to produce lifesaving opiate antidotes at reduced cost: Cost of current method limits availability and generates harmful waste products
Overdose from opiates has skyrocketed. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, on average, 130 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose.1 The high cost of antidotes such as NARCAN® prevents many first responders from having access to lifesaving antidotes when they need it most.2 Researchers at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center […]
International travelers experience the harmful effects of air pollution
Even a short stay for travelers in cities with high levels of air pollution leads to breathing problems that can take at least a week from which to recover, a new study shows. Led by researchers at NYU School of Medicine, the study is the first of its kind, say the authors, to analyze pollution-related […]
Mortality risks among pro athletes: Differences in mortality risk suggest the existence of sport-specific disease mechanisms
Professional football players appear to have a somewhat elevated risk of death, including higher risk of succumbing to cardiac and neurodegenerative diseases, compared with professional baseball players of similar age, according to new research. The findings raise important questions about sport-specific differences in disease development and the mechanisms that drive the elevated risk. Such mechanisms […]
FDA added sugar label could be a cost-effective way to improve health, generate savings
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) mandatory added sugar labeling policy for packaged foods and beverages, set to take effect between 2020 and 2021, could be a cost-effective way to generate important health gains and cost-savings for both the healthcare system and society in the U.S., according to a new modeling study led by researchers […]
People urged to seek prompt medical advice if they suspect rabies exposure
There is only a short window of opportunity to seek medical help before rabies becomes almost invariably fatal, but people wait an average of 10 days before seeking medical advice following exposure to potentially rabid animals overseas, according to new research being presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) […]
Lack of access to antibiotics is a major global health challenge
Antibiotic resistance is an emerging global public health threat spurred by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. While “overuse” of antibiotics is widely accepted as a major health challenge, it is less well known that many people in low- and middle-income countries continue to die because they lack access to antibiotics. The majority of the […]
Counties with more trees and shrubs spend less on Medicare
A new study finds that Medicare costs tend to be lower in counties with more forests and shrublands than in counties dominated by other types of land cover. The relationship persists even when accounting for economic, geographic or other factors that might independently influence health care costs, researchers report. The analysis included county-level health and […]