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What We're Reading: Opioids Cause More Fatalities Than Overdose Deaths
What we're reading, June 15, 2016: opioids also linked to heart-related deaths and fatalities other than overdoses; judge overrules Federal Trade Commission's efforts to block merger of Advocate Health Care and NorthShore University HealthSystem in Illinois; and using social media to monitor patients outside of the healthcare setting.
Opioids may also be linked to heart-related deaths and other fatalities in addition to overdose deaths. According to the AP, a study found that while 64% of patients taking opioids had a higher risk of dying within 6 months of starting their medication, only 18% of deaths were due to unintentional overdoses. The prescription painkillers are responsible for slowing breathing or worsening the type of disrupted breathing that occurs with sleep apnea, ultimately resulting in heart attacks or death.
In Illinois, a federal judge has overruled efforts by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to block a merger of 2 hospital systems. The FTC was interested in preventing the deal because it felt the system emerging as a result of the merger of Advocate Health Care and NorthShore University HealthSystem would dominate the North Shore area of Chicago, reported The New York Times. The judge’s reasoning has not been explained yet, but his decision will be released after the hospital systems can redact sensitive competitive information.
Doctors could start using social media to follow patients’ health issues. FastCompany reported that people are using social media to discuss health issues they normally don’t tell their doctors, which providers can use to monitor patients outside of a healthcare setting. However, few health systems are currently equipped to eal with remote patient monitoring.
Could On-Body Delivery of Isatuximab Bring More Competition to Anti-CD38 Myeloma Treatment?
June 6th 2025Results for IRAKLIA show noninferiority for Sanofi's on-body delivery system for isatuximab, compared with IV administration. Patients overwhelmingly preferred the hands-free delivery option.
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Laundromats as a New Frontier in Community Health, Medicaid Outreach
May 29th 2025Lindsey Leininger, PhD, and Allister Chang, MPA, highlight the potential of laundromats as accessible, community-based settings to support Medicaid outreach, foster trust, and connect families with essential health and social services.
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ICS Use Tied to Fewer Exacerbations in Patients With Bronchiectasis and Elevated Blood Eosinophils
June 6th 2025Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use was common among patients with bronchiectasis and was associated with reduced exacerbations and hospitalizations in those with elevated blood eosinophil counts.
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Inside the Center's MDD Value Model and Its Use of Dynamic Pricing
May 13th 2025Larragem Raines, MS, of the Center for Innovation & Value Research, discusses the organization's major depressive disorder (MDD) open-source value model, dynamic pricing, and the future role of artificial intelligence in care.
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Real-World Data Support Luspatercept vs ESAs for Anemia in Lower-Risk MDS
June 5th 2025Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) who received luspatercept showed greater hemoglobin gains and transfusion independence compared with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in a real-world analysis.
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At EHA 2025, Hematology Discussions Will Stretch Across Lifespans and Locations
June 5th 2025The 2025 European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress, convening virtually and in Milan, Italy, from June 12 to June 15, 2025, will feature a revamped program structure for the meeting’s 30th anniversary while maintaining ample opportunities to network, debate, and absorb practice-changing findings in hematology and oncology.
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