Eczema Affects All Ages and New Treatments Could Improve Quality of Life for Patients
August 8th 2017Eczema is often assumed to be a childhood disease; however, the skin condition also affects adults and its prevalence is continually increasing. About half as many adults are affected by eczema than children, but it can negatively influence their quality of life.
Best and Worst State Healthcare Systems in 2017
August 7th 2017The number of Americans with access to healthcare is greater than ever before; however, the quality of care differs depending on the state. As the number of Americans with insurance grows, the quality of a healthcare system is further being evaluated with emphasis on the costs, accessibility, and outcomes.
The Impact of Unhealthy Lifestyles on Life Expectancy and Early Onset Disability
August 6th 2017In the United States, those with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are likely to have a shorter life expectancy and experience an onset of disability sooner than those who do not participate in these behavioral risks, according to a study published in Health Affairs.
Phase 1 and Phase 2 Study Results Find Potential Treatment for Severe Cystic Fibrosis
August 5th 2017Vertex Pharmaceuticals recently announced positive data from phase 1 and 2 studies of 3 triple combination regimens in cystic fibrosis patients with one F508del mutation and one minimal function mutation (F508del/Min). These results are the first to present the potential of treating the underlying cause of those with difficult-to-treat cystic fibrosis.
Study Identifies 5 Key Values of Quality Care for Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
August 5th 2017The idea of quality care for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often varies among the patient, clinician, and healthcare provider. However, there is a lack of representation of the patient’s perspective involved in the quality indicators that are the current standards for RA outcomes.
Lifestyle-Based Tool Estimates Premature Cardiovascular Disease in Young Patients
August 4th 2017The Healthy Heart Score (HHS) is an effective tool for identifying the risks of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and can assist in determining counseling for primary prevention. A study, recently published by JAMA, evaluated the performance of the lifestyle-based tool, the HHS, which estimates the risk of early ASCVD events in young adults.
ADHD Medication Is Associated With a Lower Risk of Substance-Related Problems
August 4th 2017There is an association between the use of medication in treating attention deficient/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a lower risk for the development of substance abuse problems in adolescents and adults with ADHD.
ICER Seeks Comments for Proposed Changes for Orphan Drugs Assessments
August 2nd 2017The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review is seeking public comments on its recently released outline of proposed adaptations involving the assessment of certain treatments for ultra-rare conditions, also known as orphan drugs.
Lung CT Changes in COPD Patients Affects the Human Lung Microbiome
August 2nd 2017There is an association between computed tomography (CT) detectable structural changes in the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and changes in bacterial communities that influence alterations in the relationship between microbes and host cells, according to a new study published in PLOS One.
CAR-T Cells Can Increase Clinical Remission Rates in Multiple Myeloma Patients
August 2nd 2017The new immunotherapy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells has demonstrated the ability to increase clinical remission in multiple myeloma patients by targeting the B-cell maturation protein that participates in disease progression.
Back Pain Has Negative Physical, Psychological, and Social Impact on Older Adults
July 31st 2017The most common type of pain among older adults is back pain, yet its impact on the everyday lives of individuals is often not considered. The physical, psychological, and social influence of activity restrictive back pain need to be measured when evaluating treatment for back pain.
Characteristics of Patients Visiting EDs and UCCs for Sunburn Treatment
July 30th 2017In 2013, there were 33,826 emergency department (ED) visits for sunburn treatment costing a total of $11.2 million in the United States. It is important to examine the demographics and specific characteristics of patients that have received ED or urgent care clinic treatment to guide promotion for prevention, reduce utilization, and create low-cost settings.
Continued Statin Use Following Adverse Reaction May Reduce Incidence of Death and CVD Events
July 30th 2017Patients often stop statin treatment following an adverse reaction; however, new research finds an association between continued statin prescriptions after an adverse reaction and a decreased incidence of death and cardiovascular events.
Weak Link Between Hospital Readmission Rates and Mortality After Hospital Discharge
July 29th 2017Hospital 30-day readmission rates associated with the Affordable Care Act for heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and pneumonia are weakly but significantly correlated with reductions in hospital 30-day mortality rates after discharge, according to a new study.
Childhood Vaccination Hesitancy Has Significant Public Health and Economic Consequences
July 27th 2017Vaccine hesitancy is prevalent in the United States and has led to a decrease in routine childhood vaccinations. This decline has started discussion by policy makers, on both the state and national levels, regarding how to address the public’s hesitancy in order to prevent the increased risk of the resurgence of infectious diseases.
Patient Questionnaires Can Predict Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis
July 26th 2017Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) can demonstrate the effects of a disease or treatment. By using patient questionnaires, the results can be analyzed to predict clinical outcomes in medical research for diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS).
Link Between Lower Healthcare Resource Utilization and Adherence to DMARD Therapy in RA Patients
July 26th 2017In recent years, biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) have advanced the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, poor adherence to treatments have increased the patient and society burden of the chronic disease.
Immune-Cell Numbers Determine Combination Immunotherapy Response in Melanoma Patients
July 25th 2017The Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight recently published a study that analyzed 112 different melanoma tumors in attempt to correlate partially exhausted cytotoxic lymphocytes (peCTLs) and regulatory T lymphocyte (Treg) levels with response to combination immunotherapy.
Psychosocial Factors Affect Pulmonary Rehabilitation Adherence in COPD Patients
July 24th 2017Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients often face psychological and neuropsychological problems that affect pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes. The prevalence of certain factors, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and self-reported adherence, can assist in predicting patient adherence to prescribed physical exercise and diet.