April 29th 2024
These lifestyle improvements included adherence to the Mediterranean diet, improved frequency of healthy food consumption, increased physical activity, and quitting smoking, among other factors.
Alzheimer's Association Funds Extension of Study on Blood Pressure, Dementia Connection
January 29th 2019The National Institutes of Health halted the landmark SPRINT study in 2015 after results clearly showed a cardiovascular benefit for patients who had their systolic blood pressure aggressively controlled to 120 mm/Hg.
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CVS Health CEO Outlines How Aetna Deal Will Benefit Customers
January 9th 2019The chief executive officer and president of CVS Health said the integration of CVS and Aetna is well underway—even while it complies with a US district court that is reviewing the deal—more than a month after the acquisition closed.
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Of US women between the ages of 15 and 49, 64.9% use some form of contraception, and the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives is increasing; people with prolonged opioid use have an increased risk for cardiovascular problems, but they are also more likely to develop major surgery complications; there are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, and they struggle to receive basic medical care.
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An estimated 30 million Americans are living with diabetes. Additionally, 84 million have prediabetes, a condition that will result in type 2 diabetes within 5 years if not properly treated. Long regarded as one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in United States, diabetes is also a leading cause of disability and the seventh-leading cause of death. Less discussed is one of the most common complications of diabetes: diabetic foot ulcers. If not properly treated with standard and adjunctive care, these chronic wounds can lead to permanent disability and premature death.
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Studies Show Medicaid Expansion Is Improving Health, While Jury Still Out on Chronic Disease
December 8th 2018A batch of studies appearing in recent months have linked Medicaid expansion with lower death rates in renal failure, more efforts to quit smoking, and earlier detection of cancer. There are mixed outcomes in chronic disease, but an important clinical trial in Oregon shows that over the long haul, Medicaid expansion makes a difference.
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A Little Weight Training Can Do a Lot to Cut Cardiovascular Risk, Study Finds
December 1st 2018Researchers described the study as one of the first to examine how strength training can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, separate from the effects of aerobic activity like running or long walks
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Increasing Awareness This National Diabetes Month Can Save Limbs and Lives
November 29th 2018Atherosclerosis and peripheral artery disease are significant long-term complications of diabetes that demand more education and quality care to prevent limb loss. The conclusion of National Diabetes Month offers an opportunity to draw attention to ways to prevent these outcomes and screen for them early.
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Stricter Blood Pressure Guidelines Could Prevent Cardiovascular Events, but Debate Continues
November 19th 2018A 2015 study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health made a change in blood pressure guidelines seem inevitable. But there is disagreement between the standards promoted by societies for family physicians and those for cardiologists, leading to confusion for those in daily practice.
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This Week in Managed Care: November 16, 2018
November 16th 2018This week, the top managed care news included research that showed c​​​​ancer surpassed cardiovascular disease to be the leading cause of death in high-income counties; HHS Secretary Alex Azar announced a new mandatory payment model is coming to oncology; a policy change could make mental health treatment more available.
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Cancer Surpasses CVD as Leading Cause of Death in High-Income Counties
November 14th 2018As a result of increased prevention and improved medical treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and despite increasing rates of obesity and diabetes, cancer has gradually surpassed CVD as the leading cause of death in high-income counties. However, CVD is more likely to be the leading cause of death in low-income counties.
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