What We're Reading: GOP Health Plan; UTI Antibiotic Resistance; Lifestyle Alters Dementia Risk

GOP Trying to Come Up With Alternate Health Plan

Republican senators are meeting to try and come up with a plan to preserve protections for people with pre-existing conditions and allow children to stay on their parents’ health plan until age 26 in the event that the Affordable Care Act is struck down, The Hill reported. Senator Mitt Romney, R-Utah, is leading the negotiations and is working with Senator Rick Scott, R-Florida, and consulting closely with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, according to the report.

Urinary Tract Infections Increasingly Resistant to Antibiotics

One of the world one of the world's most common ailments, urinary tract infections (UTIs), are increasingly becoming resistant to antibiotics, The New York Times reported. Some UTIs now require heavy-duty treatment with intravenous antibiotics. Besides more restrained use of antibiotics, one possible solution would be the development of rapid, inexpensive diagnostic tools so that providers could broker prescribe the appropriate drug after an instant urine culture; however, running cultures is not standard practice and may be expensive depending on insurance.

Lifestyle Choices Can Counteract Genetic Influence of Dementia

A new study says that a healthy lifestyle, such as a good diet, exercise, not smoking, and limiting alcohol, can protect against Alzheimer disease or dementia even if your genes increase your risk, the Associated Press reported. The results, published by JAMA, were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference last weekend. According to the study findings, people with high genetic risk and poor health habits were approximately 3 times more likely to develop dementia compared with those with low genetic risk and good habits.