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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most frequently reported bloodborne infection in the United States, and prevalence has increased in recent years. Researchers recently sought to estimate the prevalence of HCV at the state level in order to more accurately guide prevention and care efforts.

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who also have food allergies have more relapses than patients with no known food allergy, according to a new study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

This week, the top managed care news included a federal judge ruling that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional; new diabetes standards address cardiovascular risk; efforts targeting loneliness show improved health outcomes.

Researchers found no evidence that initiation of inhaled corticosteroids or leukotriene receptor antagonist therapy is associated with fewer wheezing/asthma attacks than therapy with a short-acting ß-agonist alone in preschool children with recurrent wheezing/asthma.

Outgoing Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is urging fellow Republicans to oppose President Donald Trump’s International Pricing Index; after 12 patients became seriously ill from stem cell injections, the FDA issued a warning to the company that made the product and sent a letter to 20 clinics warning them that stem cell products should be regulated by the agency; Cigna has finalized its $54 billion purchase of Express Scripts.

The relationship between diabetes management and preventing cardiovascular events was a theme throughout 2018, and this is reflected in the new standards.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the healthcare and mainstream press.

The year 2018 was a banner year for biosimilars, with the number of FDA-approved biosimilar products nearly doubling, and with major policy, business, and regulatory developments that moved the biosimilars marketplace forward. Here are 5 of the top developments in biosimilars for the past year, as reported by The Center for Biosimilars®, a sister site of The American Journal of Managed Care®.

Patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma who are responsive to nivolumab (Opdivo) have higher serum levels of soluble CD163 (sCD163) compared with nonresponders, according to the results of a recent study.

While there is widespread acceptance of the coexistent asthma–AR and the associated burden among physicians, a new study highlighted the need for increased healthcare practitioner communication and awareness to improve the appropriate treatment and management of these 2 coexistent conditions.

Women who breastfed for longer than 6 months had a smaller waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) compared with women who have not breastfed or have breastfed for a shorter duration, according to the results of a recent study.

The FDA has issued a warning that rare but serious cases of stroke and tears in the lining of arteries in the head and neck have occurred in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who received treatment with alemtuzumab (Lemtrada).

A new nonprofit announced it will help fill the gap that was left earlier this year when federal budget cutbacks shut down a website that housed clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals.

A study found an approximate 30% decrease in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes among women with active migraine.

Faulty glia cells in the brain may trigger Huntington disease (HD), a finding that may potentially create a path for new treatments and therapies, according to a recent study in Cell Stem Cell.

Nearly 30 drug makers will raise the prices of their medicines in January after a temporary halt to increases; more than 180,000 Virginians without insurance coverage will now have access to Medicaid coverage under the program’s expansion; despite lagging far behind 2017's enrollment numbers for most of open enrollment, the number of people who signed up for Affordable Care Act plans on HealthCare.gov was only down 4% after a surge of sign-ups last week.

Throughout the year, The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) offered a number of video programs, including Peer Exchange discussions and interviews, on a range of topics. Here are the most-watched videos published by AJMC® in 2018.

Low back pain is a common cause of disability globally and represents a significant economic burden for patients. According to a recent study, digital versions of pain assessments, such as mobile applications, may be as effective and reliable as paper methods that are currently used to assess pain.

Providing the latest news and updates in managed care on the go, The American Journal of Managed Care®’s podcast Managed Care Cast provides listeners with discussions surrounding a myriad of topics, ranging from understanding financial burdens to social determinants of health.

A recent review of calcium supplementation suggests that the supplements should be prescribed with caution, accounting for individual risks and benefits.

Patients hospitalized with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) had worse impairments of cognition compared to those hospitalized without the disease, according to a recent study.

Data from 3 erenumab clinical trials of patients with migraine have identified that an increase in the frequency of monthly migraine days leads to an increase in acute medication use and productivity loss.

Despite HIV diagnosis rates decreasing among black women as a whole, disparities in diagnosis rates persist among US- and non–US-born black women.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) New Drug Development Paradigm (NEWDIGS), an entity that brings together global leaders in a program that designs, evaluates, and initiates advancements that are too complex to be addressed by individual organizations, are working to solve the problem of ultra–high-cost treatments, including gene therapies.

In a deal that will allow both companies to focus more on their prescription drug business, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline plan to combine their over-the-counter (OTC) consumer healthcare units; 2 antiabortion groups want National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Director Francis Collins, MD, to resign after he defended the agency’s funding of fetal tissue research; despite the fact that 20 veterans die a day from suicide, suicide prevention efforts at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have slumped.

Health providers are taking a serious look at loneliness because of the health implications. A new program from CareMore Health that tackles loneliness has shown positive health outcomes after 12 months.

As consumer preference continues to help shape the way in which care is delivered, the need for patient-focused innovation is critical. One key area where this approach can result in improved quality of care and reduced costs is drug management.

In 2018, The American Journal of Managed Care® team traveled all over the country to provide conference coverage for some of the biggest meetings in the industry. Here are the top 5 most-read conference pieces from this year.

A recent study of abemaciclib, a cyclindependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitor for metastatic breast cancer, found that it helped all women with hormone receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative disease, and that it was particularly beneficial in women with a worse prognosis.