What We’re Reading: Alabama IVF Ruling Impacts; Administrative Task Fees; Nursing Shortage Response
February 26th 2024Patients with cancer express shock and anxiety over the recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court regarding frozen embryos; doctors are beginning to charge fees for administrative tasks; some universities are implementing accelerated nursing programs to help with the shortage.
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Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: February 24, 2024
February 24th 2024This week's news from the Center on Health Equity and Access discusses racial disparities in prostate cancer outcomes, the impact of access to cancer care on racial gaps in CLL/SLL outcomes, the effects of 340B programs on drug pricing and health care disparities, the role of mental illness in maternal mortality rates, and racial bias and diagnosis disparities in bipolar disorder.
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Teclistamab Approved for Biweekly Dosing in R/R Multiple Myeloma
February 23rd 2024The bispecific antibody is used to treat patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM) who have achieved and maintained a complete response for at least 6 months; this approval allows a dosing frequency of 1.5 mg/kg every 2 weeks.
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The House Democratic Women’s Caucus wrote a letter urging insurers to comply with both contraceptive coverage requirements and recent Biden administration guidance; several pharmacy chains are experiencing disruptions following a hack at Change Healthcare, UnitedHealth’s technology unit; the FDA said it is not planning to take a tougher stance against clinical trial reporting requirement noncompliance.
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Part 3: Dr James Robinson on the Impact of 340B Programs and Drug Pricing Policies
February 23rd 2024In part 3 of our interview with James Robinson, PhD, MPH, he discusses the need for reforms to commercial insurance that reflect the changes to Medicare under the Inflation Reduction Act, how the 340B drug pricing program has veered widely from its original goals, and ongoing cost sharing struggles among patients, insurers, hospitals, and drug companies.
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30-Day Atorvastatin Improved Brachial Artery FMD in Patients With HFpEF, but More Research Is Needed
February 23rd 2024This study was the first of its kind to explore how taking statin medication affects blood vessel function and exercise response in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), although the cohort only included 16 patients.
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There Is No Interaction Between BMI and SGLT2 Inhibitor Efficacy in HF, Review Finds
February 23rd 2024Among patients with heart failure (HF), those taking dapaglifozin or empaglifozin had a 30% odds reduction in HF hospitalization, 14% odds reduction in cardiovascular mortality, and a 10% odds reduction in all-cause mortality compared with patients taking placebo.
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What We’re Reading: ACA Perception; FDA Blood Sugar Warning; AI and Physician Burnout
February 22nd 2024More than half of US adults have a favorable view of the Affordable Care Act (ACA); smartwatches and rings that claim to measure blood sugar levels without piercing the skin could be dangerous and should be avoided; many believe artificial intelligence (AI) could be the solution to physician burnout.
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For chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies (CAR T) approved to treat B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders and multiple myeloma, more data are needed on the effects of posttreatment myeloid neoplasms to optimize patient counseling, risk stratification, and surveillance.
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Unlocking T1D Risk: Environmental and Genetic Factors Investigated
February 22nd 2024Outside of genetics, which has a well-documented link to the risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D), investigators detail available research spanning a variety of factors, including viral infections, pesticide exposure, and the gut microbiome.
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Venetoclax Plus HMA Therapy Shows Encouraging Results in Higher-Risk MDS/CMML
February 22nd 2024Results of a phase 1/2 trial show encouraging outcomes for patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) treated with the fully oral regimen of venetoclax and decitabine plus cedazuridine.
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