Tag: health

  • Wednesday, November 16, 2022 | Kaiser Health News

    Wednesday, November 16, 2022 | Kaiser Health News

    Lung Hazards From Smoking Marijuana Might Be Even worse Than Cigarettes: Analyze

    Media stores report on a research that observed using tobacco pot to be linked with probably even worse lung problems than tobacco-only cigarettes. In the meantime, in Kentucky, the governor signed an government order to partly legalize medical cannabis.

    In other marijuana news —


    The Courier-Journal:
    Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear Signs Buy To Partly Legalize Medical Cannabis


    Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed an govt get Tuesday to legalize the possession and use of clinical marijuana by specified qualified individuals in the condition, so lengthy as it was procured lawfully exterior Kentucky and quantities to considerably less than 8 ounces. Kentucky is at this time 1 of just 12 states to nonetheless outlaw cannabis for both of those health care and recreational applications, despite general public polling demonstrating the legalization of clinical cannabis is fairly well known between its citizens. (Sonka, 11/15)

    In news about opioids and addiction —


    Reuters:
    Opioid Overdose Reversal Drug Most likely Secure For OTC Use, States Fda


    Opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone may be secure and successful for in excess of-the-counter use in some varieties, the U.S. Foodstuff and Drug Administration reported on Tuesday, likely paving the way for its use federally. The Fda would nevertheless involve facts on specific products and solutions from producers for them to be readily available around the counter at a federal level. (11/15)


    Stat:
    Fentanyl Is Building It More challenging To Begin Dependancy Treatment 


    Medical practitioners are reporting a troubling craze when it arrives to fentanyl. The strong drug, they say, isn’t just producing overdoses — it’s also producing it a lot more tough to commence dependancy cure. In individual, fentanyl appears a lot more probably to bring about critical withdrawal indications for sufferers set on buprenorphine, a critical medication used to take care of opioid use dysfunction. (Facher, 11/16)

    KHN:
    The Participant-Coaches Of Addiction Restoration Function Devoid of Boundaries

    Sarah Wright stops by her peer aid specialist’s resort place-turned-office in this Denver suburb quite a few situations a working day. But her check out on a Wednesday early morning in mid-October was just one of her initial with teeth. The specialist, Donna Norton, experienced pushed Wright to go to the dentist a long time soon after homelessness and addiction had taken a toll on her health, down to the jawbone. Wright was even now having made use of to her dentures. “I haven’t had teeth in 12½, 13 yrs,” she stated, incorporating that they made her feel like a horse. A new smile was Wright’s most current milestone as she will work to rebuild her daily life, and Norton has been there for just about every action: opening a bank account, finding a occupation, creating a perception of her own truly worth. (Bichell, 11/16)

  • KFF’s Kaiser Health News Investigates Private Equity’s Stealth Takeover of Health Care in the United States

    KFF’s Kaiser Health News Investigates Private Equity’s Stealth Takeover of Health Care in the United States

    A new investigation by KFF’s Kaiser Overall health News (KHN) lays bare the sizeable endeavours by non-public equity buyers to acquire about large and lucrative components of the U.S wellness treatment procedure in new a long time. KHN found that non-public equity firms have invested almost $1 trillion as a result of thousands of specials to obtain hospitals and specialised medical tactics through the final 10 years by itself.

    The specials, numerous of them unnoticed by federal regulators, normally end result in a ratcheting up of providers’ pursuit of gains – and increased price ranges for sufferers, lawsuits, and issues about high-quality of treatment.

    The investments variety broadly and include things like the acquisitions of medical professional procedures, dental clinic administration providers, firms that handle autism, drug habit and other behavioral well being treatment, and ancillary expert services these as diagnostic and urine screening labs and software for health care billing. By way of other offers, corporations tied to private fairness have occur to dominate specialised health care services this sort of as dermatology, gastroenterology, and anesthesiology in particular markets around the nation. All of it has occur on top of greater-publicized takeovers of healthcare facility crisis space staffing firms as effectively as the purchasing up of total rural healthcare facility units.

    Federal regulators have been virtually blind to the incursion. KHN identified that a lot more than 90 {fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of personal equity takeovers or investments fell below the $100 million threshold that triggers an antitrust overview by the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Office.

    Whistleblowers and wounded people, however, have turned to the courts to press allegations of misconduct or other improper business dealings. KHN identified that companies owned or managed by private equity have agreed to pay fines of additional than $500 million given that 2014 to settle at the very least 34 lawsuits submitted beneath the Untrue Promises Act. Most of the time, the non-public fairness house owners have averted legal responsibility.

    The latest tale, posted nowadays in United states Nowadays, is aspect of a broader ongoing sequence, “Patients for Financial gain: How Non-public Equity Hijacked Wellness Treatment” in which KHN has examined a huge assortment of non-public equity’s forays into the overall health care technique. They include things like the promoting of America’s best-selling abortion capsule, the institution of “obstetric crisis departments” at some hospitals, investments in the booming hospice treatment marketplace and even takeovers of funeral residences and cemeteries. The series includes a movie primer, “How Private Equity Is Investing in Overall health Care”.

    KHN collaborates with many editorial associates, and media shops can publish these and other KHN stories at no charge. KHN also will publish the tales on khn.org and boost them via its social media platforms. KHN journalists also are obtainable for interviews about their tales. News corporations intrigued in working with KHN should really speak to the news company at [email protected], and individuals intrigued in serving to to increase and enhance well being journalism around the state should really get in touch with KFF at [email protected].

    About KFF and KHN

    KHN (Kaiser Wellbeing Information) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about wellbeing concerns. Alongside one another with Coverage Analysis, Polling and Survey Investigation and Social Effect Media, KHN is a person of the four big operating plans at KFF (Kaiser Spouse and children Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit group providing details on overall health difficulties to the nation.

  • Public Health Tips to Enjoy Healthy Thanksgiving

    Public Health Tips to Enjoy Healthy Thanksgiving

    Nov. 15, 2022 (Astoria, OR) — Clatsop County has place jointly strategies to hold oneself and liked ones healthy this Thanksgiving season.

    “We want to make certain you and your liked ones are harmless, delighted, and healthful all through the getaway year,” reported Lucas Marshall, environmental wellbeing supervisor.

    Avoid Meals Poisoning For the duration of the Holiday seasons

    Taking pleasure in meals with relatives and mates is one of the highlights of the holiday year. Effortless, secure food items dealing with techniques assist protect absolutely everyone from having unwell while taking pleasure in meals.

    Observe these strategies to enable avert meals poisoning throughout the vacations.

    • Clean your fingers.
    • Meat, hen, turkey, seafood, and eggs can have microorganisms these kinds of as Salmonella and E Coli.  Use a meals thermometer to make sure these food items have been cooked to a safe inner temperature.
    • Bacteria can increase quickly in the “danger zone” involving 40°F and 140°F.  Keep hot foodstuff hot and chilly food chilly. Refrigerate or freeze any perishable foodstuff inside 2 hours.
    • Quite a few vacation favorites comprise raw eggs, including eggnog, tiramisu and hollandaise sauce.  Always use pasteurized eggs when producing food items with raw eggs.
    • Do not taste or take in raw dough or batter that is intended to be baked or cooked.
    • Thaw turkey in the fridge, in a sink of cold h2o (modify the drinking water each and every 30 minutes) or in the microwave. Keep away from thawing foods on the counter.

     

    Scorching tub security suggestions

    Men and women frequently travel throughout the vacations and take time to relax. If paying time in a incredibly hot tub is element of your plans, there are some points for you to know.

    Ailment from taken care of pools and very hot tubs was joined to a lot more than 27,000 infections and 8 fatalities in the United States amongst 2000-2014.

    When very hot tubs are not taken care of perfectly, their moist surroundings is the fantastic breeding ground for microbes. Sizzling tub users can just take extra ways to assist in preserving by themselves and their households.

    Incredibly hot tub policies for secure and healthier use.

    • Do not enter a hot tub when you have diarrhea or are unwell.
    • Do not swallow sizzling tub h2o or even get it into your mouth. If you do, spit it out.
    • Shower or bathe with soap right before moving into the scorching tub.
    • Don’t enable kids less than 5 decades of age use warm tubs.
    • If expecting, talk to a health practitioner ahead of hot tub use.

     

    Right before Having into a very hot tub, examine the following:

    • A nicely-chlorinated scorching tub has very tiny odor. A sturdy chemical odor implies a maintenance trouble.
    • Incredibly hot tub devices makes sound and you really should listen to pumps and filters jogging.
    • Scorching tub h2o temperature ought to not exceed 104°F.
    • Take a look at for incredibly hot tub drinking water quality using hot tub check strips.

     

    Clatsop County Environmental Health recommends examining area pool/spa inspection stories prior to your stop by.

  • In Charlotte, health care for women only?

    In Charlotte, health care for women only?

    By Michelle Crouch

    Co-published with Charlotte Ledger

    The term “women’s health” tends to conjure images of gynecology offices, hospital maternity centers or other facilities focused on women’s reproductive health.

    But at the Novant Health Women’s Center in Charlotte’s SouthPark area, you can find neurology, psychiatry, pulmonary and cardiology clinics tailored specifically to women. 

    The center also includes traditional women’s services such as a sexual health clinic, an ob-gyn practice, breastfeeding support and mammography, all housed in a spa-like setting with soft white light fixtures with undulating curves, eye-catching artwork and other feminine décor.

    Meanwhile, Charlotte’s other health care giant, Atrium Health, recently announced its plan to open its own suite of women’s health services just down the road, in a space formerly occupied by an Atrium urgent care center.  

    The fact that the two competing health care giants will soon offer health services targeted at women within a mile of each other underscores the importance of this market, both in Charlotte and across the state, said William Brandon, a professor emeritus of health policy at UNC Charlotte.

    “The clinical differences between men and women are now much more widely recognized,” Brandon said, “and that certainly makes for a great marketing niche.” 

    While the trend may serve a hospital’s marketing goals, experts say it’s also an important and long-overdue recognition of the many ways that women’s health needs differ from men’s. 

    A one-stop shop for women

    The 36,000-square-foot Novant women’s center, which opened in 2020, is designed to be an integrated center where physicians of different disciplines can work together to meet a woman’s health needs, said Stephanie Appling, women and children’s service line leader for Novant Health.

    The women’s center occupies the fourth floor of a larger medical building. Appling hopes to expand to other floors, perhaps by adding women’s dermatology and family practice clinics.

    Appling said she wants the center to be a “one-stop shop” where women at different life stages can access care.

    “We want women to be with us from start to finish,” she said. “Women have so much they’re already managing and taking care of, so we wanted to make it easier.” 

    Novant Health women’s center features neurology, heart and pulmonary services. Credit: Michelle Crouch

    Other systems expanding services

    In other states, hospitals have opened stand-alone women’s health centers dedicated to all aspects of health care for women.

    So far, the Novant center appears to be the most comprehensive facility dedicated to women’s health in North Carolina, but other hospitals have started offering more gender-specific health services.

    In the Triangle area, Duke Health offers women’s cardiology at its Duke Center for Women’s Heart Care, while UNC Health has a Women’s Heart Program and the stand-alone Women’s Heart & Health Clinic on its REX campus in Raleigh.

    Duke also has a Women’s Cancer Center in Raleigh and is developing a Female Athlete Program in its sports medicine department, a spokeswoman said.

    Atrium’s plans include opening a women’s sexual health practice and its first women’s cardiology program in the former urgent care center space in mid- to late 2023, said Suzanna Fox, service line leader for women’s care at Atrium Health. Also being considered: women’s physical therapy or a menopause clinic.

    “We have people that are really good at menopause, but I’d love to expand that into a true menopausal center,” Fox said. “That is probably one of my next priorities.”

    Why sex-specific care?

    Men’s and women’s bodies are obviously different, yet the medical field ignored those differences for decades. Clinical studies were conducted by men, on men. Researchers worried that women’s varying hormone levels would affect their data, so women were left out of clinical trials for most of the 20th century. It wasn’t until 1993 that federal law required their inclusion in research.

    As a result, women historically have been underdiagnosed and undertreated, said Katie Schubert, president and CEO of the Society for Women’s Health Research, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C.

    “There was this idea that women are just small men, so if you extrapolate your results out, then whatever treatment or disease you’re studying, you can apply to the whole population,” Schubert said. 

    “Now we know that not to be true.”

    The latest research shows that men and women often experience the same disease in different ways. For example, it’s well-established that symptoms of heart disease in women are different than they are in men. Female life transitions such as pregnancy and menopause can also affect heart health. 

    Treatments may also work better for one sex compared with another or have different side effects. In addition, some conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis affect women in far greater numbers than men.

    The waiting room at the Novant Health Women’s Center in Charlotte’s SouthPark area features cozy furniture, pastel colored art and soft lighting. Credit: Michelle Crouch

    How gender makes a difference

    Gender differences affect just about every medical specialty. Take neurology, for example. 

    Women get migraines four times more often than men, while men get cluster headaches more often, said Megan Donnelly, head of women’s neurology at Novant. 

    Women’s headaches are often related to hormonal shifts that occur during menstruation or when they get close to menopause, Donnelly said. 

    “We risk missing things if we don’t think about the sex differences,” she said.

    Donnelly said she works closely with the ob-gyns in the Novant women’s center, and they send many pregnant patients down the hall to her clinic. A pregnant woman with a migraine is at greater risk of having a serious underlying issue, Donnelly said.

    Sex-specific differences also come into play in sports medicine, said Kendall Bradley, an orthopedic surgeon in Duke Health’s sports medicine department.

    The department is developing a female athlete program that will take into account the anatomical and hormonal factors that play a role in the likelihood of injury for women, she said. 

  • 7 tips for choosing your health benefits for 2023

    7 tips for choosing your health benefits for 2023

    Amid greater inflation, you may possibly be hunting at strategies to regulate your way of living and expending behavior. But when it arrives to health and fitness care, it’s significant to keep your nicely-being and funds in brain.

    Annual or open up enrollment time is in this article – a time when much more than 2,095,000 people in New Mexico and hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country will have the prospect to decide on or switch their health insurance policies strategy for the coming calendar year.

    Open up enrollment is a very good chance to overview how normally you are employing health expert services and choose regardless of whether you are going to stick with the prepare you have obtained or change to an additional getting supplied. It’s also an possibility to assess your total treatment costs to make sure you are selecting a system that will do the job most effective for subsequent year’s funds.

    Enrollment timing: For persons with coverage from their employer, open up enrollment generally takes place for two months sometime between September and December. Medicare users can enroll or make alterations to coverage from Oct. 15-Dec. 7. Most picks produced will consider outcome on Jan. 1, 2023.

    Listed here are seven strategies to support in deciding on a wellbeing system by way of get the job done, the Exchange Market or Medicare:

    1. Think about all your alternatives. Consider time to realize and evaluate the added benefits, solutions and costs of each strategy so you can determine out which will function ideal for you. A superior initial stage may well be to observe a speedy refresher online video on wellness insurance lingo, which includes premiums, deductibles, copays, coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximums.

    Medicare associates: As you weigh your selections, assure you’re familiar with the variance in between initial Medicare and Medicare Benefit. If you need to have a review, go to MedicareEducation.com – an on the web useful resource with responses to thoughts about eligibility, program possibilities, charge basics, prescription protection and additional.

    2. Test your prescription added benefits. Being aware of how to get the most out of your prescription positive aspects may perhaps assist you handle expenses. For instance, check out into discount rates and reduced-cost possibilities, including generics, which may possibly be accessible. You may perhaps also be capable to fill your prescriptions at a collaborating community pharmacy or with property delivery by mail – two extra cash-saving alternatives.

    Medicare associates: You may perhaps be amazed to understand unique Medicare doesn’t commonly go over prescription medicines. Consider including Component D or a Medicare Benefit strategy with prescription drug protection to enable continue to keep your treatment expenditures in look at.

    3. Check out for mental health and fitness coverage. In addition to in-particular person mental wellness care, you may perhaps have access to a significant digital community of therapists and psychiatrists. Some health and fitness insurers also supply advocacy solutions to help you come across the suitable style of behavioral wellbeing treatment.

    Medicare users: Some designs provide digital mental wellbeing treatment with a $ copay, which include UnitedHealthcare Medicare Benefit.

    4. Really don’t forget about about specialty gains. Added positive aspects, such as dental, eyesight, hearing or critical illness insurance coverage are typically out there and may possibly lead to all round well-staying.

    Medicare users: You might be shocked first Medicare does not protect most dental, eyesight and hearing products and services, but quite a few Medicare Edge strategies do.

    5. Search into wellness plans. Quite a few well being plans offer incentives that reward you for getting healthier actions, such as completing a wellness study, exercising or steering clear of nicotine.

    Medicare users: Quite a few Medicare Advantage designs also offer fitness center memberships and wellness plans for associates at no further expense.

    6. Anticipate upcoming year’s wellness expenditures. If you are anticipating a important overall health party in the following year, this kind of as surgery or the beginning of a little one, evaluate the discrepancies in approach styles for that precise circumstance, which include any out-of-pocket prices.

    7. Consider a prepare with virtual care expert services. If you’re active or just desire connecting with a doctor from the comfort of your property, consider choosing a program that involves 24/7 virtual care. You might have entry to digital wellness visits, urgent treatment and continual situation administration.

    Medicare members: Most Medicare Benefit plans deliver accessibility to digital treatment, which can be an simpler, a lot more reasonably priced way to talk with medical practitioners about frequent overall health issues on a smartphone, tablet or computer system.

    For additional practical content and films about open enrollment, check out uhcopenenrollment.com.

  • Heart health tips: Way to keep cardiac problems at bay | Health

    Heart health tips: Way to keep cardiac problems at bay | Health

    Human coronary heart defeat is the very first and very last indication of lifetime and heart is a incredibly selfless organ as even though it is filled with blood, it will not choose the oxygen from the blood which is there in the chambers. It pumps the blood to the key artery termed aorta, from aorta 3 coronary arteries crop up and these coronary arteries offer the oxygen and nutrients to the coronary heart muscle.

    The blockages because of to cholesterol and or blood clots within these coronary arteries induce heart attack. The cholesterol deposition takes place over a long time owing to the hazard things like, age, loved ones heritage, diabetes mellitus, smoking cigarettes (tobacco in any variety), high blood pressure, large blood cholesterol, lack of work out, harmful foodstuff behaviors, tension, excess alcoholic beverages and so forth which indicates, we have decades of time to regulate these chance things to avert the blockages.

    In an job interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Vithal D Bagi, Senior Advisor and Interventional Cardiologist (MD, DM Cardiology, DNB Cardiology) at Apollo Hospitals in Bangalore, explained, “Over and above the cholesterol blockages, clots type which leads full or around whole occlusion of the coronary arteries. That benefits in coronary heart assault signifies dying of heart muscle mass tissue owing to the loss of blood supply.”

    He elaborated, “When coronary heart assault takes place, the severity or survival is dependent on criticality of the coronary artery block, the location of the coronary heart muscle equipped by the coronary artery, existence or absence of collaterals, and so on. If the significant artery is occluded that can guide to lessen in the heart pumping operate, drinking water assortment in the lungs, low blood force, extreme variation in the coronary heart amount, unexpected cardiac arrest or loss of life. If the small artery is occluded the affected individual can have delicate or no signs or detected during program evaluation.”

    He extra, “Heart attack is a professional medical emergency, the place each individual moment counts. “Time is muscle” as the first two several hours from the onset of signs or symptoms or attack is the golden hour. Within just ‘golden hours’ the blocked artery should really be opened ideally by angioplasty and stenting where ever doable or by dissolving clots, employing blood thinners to reduce the muscle harm, to make improvements to the coronary heart purpose and to increase the odds of survival. Recognising indicators of coronary heart attack like upper body discomfort, breathing issues, extraordinary tiredness, unexplained perspiring, fainting, palpitations and having cure in golden several hours. We have 1 lifetime, a person coronary heart, we really should take treatment of it.”

    Heart attack is the most popular bring about of dying in the entire world and in India. For the initially action in prevention, Dr Vithal D Bagi recommended some life style modification ought to get started extremely early in life to protect against cholesterol depositions:

    • Having well balanced food plan (avoiding junk/speedy, unhealthy food/preserved food/higher calorie food stuff)

    • Quitting sedentary life style (Normal training at minimum 30 minutes for each working day).

    • Managing stress (sufficient rest, sound snooze, beneficial attitude to lifestyle).

    • Quit smoking, controlling diabetic issues, hypertension, high blood cholesterol with medications.

    • Periodic health look at-ups including ECG, echocardiogram, treadmill take a look at, CT coronary angiogram to identify blocks in early stage.

    Dr Kunal Sarkar, Senior Vice Chairman and Chief Cardiac Surgeon at Medica Superspecialty Healthcare facility in Kolkata, highlighted, “Heart assaults in truly young and apparently ‘fit ones’ are being reported with expanding frequency. Harmful diet which requires excess of fried and fatty food, obesity, undetected diabetic issues, higher blood pressure, smoking cigarettes alongside with unavoidable worry of a demanding city sedentary way of living all lead to this issue.”

    Insisting that we have a practice of not getting a health and fitness look at-up accomplished until there are ominous indications and signs and symptoms of difficulties, he claimed, “With the incidence of coronary condition influencing much more than 15{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of those people who are significantly less than 40 many years of age, we do not have a alternative other than to get checkups performed often. This need to include things like blood assessments, ECG, ECHO and if the medical doctor advices, a treadmill exam together with CT coronary angiogram.”

    He recommended, “There is no area for guesswork. Let us check out to pack up using tobacco, examine our weight, blood stress and blood sugar. The catastrophe of a heart attack, hits us unannounced when it is least expected. The to start with agony is too late. Let us continue to keep our vigil.”