Florida’s insurance regulator is demanding detailed prescription data on millions of patients, raising alarms over patient privacy. In January, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation asked pharmacy benefit managers — companies that manage prescription drug plans — to hand over highly personal data about prescriptions filled in the state last year. The data request includes… read on > read on >
The antiviral drug Paxlovid may not offer much protection against COVID-related hospitalizations or deaths for vaccinated older adults after all. Research published recently in JAMA Network Open looked at data from more than 1.6 million adults ages 65 to 74 in Ontario, Canada, during 2022. Most participants (nearly 88%) had received at least two… read on > read on >
Breastfeeding can promote lower blood pressure among children, a new study says. Longer-term breastfeeding appears to populate a baby’s gut with diverse bacteria that could help lower blood pressure, researchers found. Children who were breastfed for at least six months had lower blood pressure at age 6, researchers report in the Journal of the American… read on > read on >
Preventive screenings for cancer declined during the pandemic, with lockdowns, social distancing and COVID-19 surges keeping many from needed mammograms and colonoscopies. But breast and colon cancer screening numbers have since rebounded and have even surpassed pre-pandemic screening estimates, a new American Cancer Society study has found. “These findings are mostly encouraging as the pandemic… read on > read on >
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic can help kidney transplant patients avoid organ failure and live longer, a new study suggests. The drugs help manage patients’ type 2 diabetes and promote weight loss, both of which improve the chances of a successful kidney transplant, researchers added. Kidney transplant patients prescribed GLP-1 drugs were 49% less likely to… read on > read on >
Hot flashes, night sweats and other symptoms of a difficult menopause could be early warning flags for dementia, a new study suggests. Women who exhibit more menopause symptoms are more likely to develop early signs of dementia like decreased mental function and mild behavioral impairment, compared with women who have an easier transition, researchers reported… read on > read on >
Chronic stress can increase young women’s risk of stroke, a new study says. Moderate stress increases risk of stroke by 78% in women but not in men, researchers reported in the journal Neurology. “More research is needed to understand why women who feel stressed, but not men, may have a higher risk of stroke,” said senior… read on > read on >
Odactra is an immunotherapy for treatment of house dust mite-induced allergic rhinitis read on >
A measles outbreak in Texas has grown to 159 cases, and now the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sent a team to help local health officials respond. The CDC announced the plan on X, explaining that its Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) is working closely with the Texas Department of State Health… read on > read on >
Folks facing surgery on a Friday may want to consider rescheduling if they can based on findings from a new study. People who undergo surgery just before the weekend have a significantly increased risk of death and complications, researchers reported March 4 in JAMA Network Open. This “weekend effect” occurred across 25 common procedures representing… read on > read on >
