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A lawsuit filed by a former executive of Juul claims they knowingly sold 1 million contaminated pods; Novartis trial for its Zolgensma gene therapy stopped amid safety concerns; charts show worsening air quality in Louisiana.

Here are 5 interesting findings from the October 2019 issue of AJMC®.

A report released this week by the Kaiser Family Foundation illustrates how immigration policy changes at the federal level are affecting an increasing number of families, some of whom are disenrolling themselves and their children from California’s Medicaid program and not renewing or not enrolling in other programs, even though they are eligible and not directly affected by the policy changes. Experts are worried about long-term health effects.

The FDA today approved Biogen and Alkermes’ diroximel fumarate, an oral agent, to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), including clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting disease, and secondary progressive disease. The drug, approved under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway on the basis of its bioequivalence to dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera), will be sold as Vumerity.

The number of uninsured children in the United States rose by more than 400,000 between 2016 and 2018 and now stands at over 4 million; mortality from heart failure rose 20.7% between 2011 and 2017 and is likely to keep climbing sharply; US District Judge Myron Thompson issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking Alabama from enforcing a near-total abortion ban.

Use of digital health tools appears to have leveled off in 2019, according to one study, but another finds that use of telehealth is poised to grow considerably.

The FDA released a report that finds 3 factors responsible for the problem, including a lack of incentives for manufacturers to produce less profitable drugs.

As increasing evidence suggests that a disrupted sleep-wake cycle can drive the development of Alzheimer disease and other neurocognitive disorders via β-amyloid accumulation, a new study finds that the association between β-amyloid accumulation and cognitive impairment can be mediated by sleep disruption even after the onset of cognitive decline.

Regular use of chemical disinfectants among female nurses was found to be a potential risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to study findings.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released a detailed report on potential finance options for implementing "Medicare for All"; employers beginning to lessen dependence on high-deductible health plans; Juul to cut nearly 500 jobs by end of 2019.

Access and quality are inseparable, so providers prioritizing population health goals can find success by starting from a solid foundation of patient access. So how can providers streamline access to care and directly influence population health? The answer lies with sophisticated patient engagement technology.

The idea that obesity is linked to mood disorders has been posited since at least 2004.

Quadruple therapy for newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM) led to significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS), according to an abstract presented at the 17th International Myeloma Workshop 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts, last month.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced plans to invest at least $100 million over the next 4 years to develop gene-based therapies for 2 diseases: HIV and sickle cell disease. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will also contribute $100 million to the goal of advancing these potential cures, with an aim toward providing affordable, globally available treatment that will be accessible to patients in low-resource settings.

States move to encourage work for Medicaid; the Trump administration imposes restrictions on immigrants using reciept of government benefits when applying for citizenship; FDA advises against cannabis use for pregnant women.

In 2017, an estimated 5.5 million Americans were diagnosed with Alzheimer disease (AD) and 200,000 under 65 years of age are described as having early-onset AD. Even more striking is the finding that 47 million Americans are presymptomatic with stage I AD. These dire statistics beg the question about the merits of getting tested for AD since lifestyle changes can help people at risk, but they are less likely to improve the conditions of those already experiencing cognitive impairment or dementia.

Unlike many other cancer rates that have been on the decline, liver cancer rates for new liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer cases have been rising. This October, which is Liver Cancer Awareness Month, Global Liver Institute is joining with more than 30 other leading health and medical organizations, to issue a global call-to-action to increase the 5-year survival rates for patients with liver cancer from 18% to 36% by 2030.

The results suggested that very accurate short-term prediction can be achieved by only monitoring interstitial glucose data over a very short time period and by using a low sampling frequency.

A new study says most healthcare students are uninformed about migraine treatments and may not be prepared to advise patients.

Performance on a manual dexterity test can act as an objective behavior marker that can aid in detecting the prodromal stage of patients with Parkinson disease.

As HIV infection becomes a chronic illness, assessing psychosocial status regularly and implementing effective interventions aimed at related problems as they arise may be particularly important for people living with HIV to improve their health-related quality of life, a study suggests.

Patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and chronic bronchial infection due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa may benefit from combination therapy with nebulized colistin and continuous cyclic azithromycin for reducing the number of COPD exacerbations.

Childhood conditions can have a long-lasting impact on the health of those individuals into their adulthood.

Parkinson disease significantly impacts an individual’s quality of life (QoL); however, many spouses and family’s QoL and finances are also affected through increased healthcare and privately borne costs as the condition progresses, according to a recent study.

Cleveland Clinic announced the top 10 medical innovations for 2020, which details the medical advancements that have the potential power in transforming healthcare in the next year, at a multimedia presentation during the 2019 Medical Innovation Summit.

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

Less than half of Medicare patients newly diagnosed with blood cancer are receiving treatment for their cancer shortly after diagnosis, which may be attributed to the high cost burden they face, according to a new report from Milliman commissioned by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

A CDC report said that, overall, fentanyl continues to drive drug overdose deaths, but in almost half of the country, methamphetamine is the leading killer; backers of Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma said they submitted more than enough signatures to get the measure on the ballot in 2020; the Federal Trade Commission is suing publishers of "The Doctor's Guide to Reversing Diabetes in 28 Days" on the grounds that they are falsely promising a cure without dietary changes or exercise and stating that those changes will make diabetes worse.

This week, the top managed care news included the average Affordable Care Act premiums falling 4%; the FDA approving a triple combination treatment for cystic fibrosis; House Republicans releasing part 1 of their healthcare plan.

Insufficient sleep among 2 adolescent groups aged 6-12 and 13-17 was linked with decreased childhood flourishing, a measurement of behavioral and social well-being that affects school performance, as well as, physical and mental health, according to a study to be presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2019 National Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans, Louisiana.