Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Geriatrics for September 2018. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Pharmaceutical Executive Defends 400 Percent Price Hike
FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A pharmaceutical executive is defending his company’s 400 percent price hike on an antibiotic, according to a report published in Formulary Watch.
Increased Cardiovascular Risk for Diclofenac Initiators
FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Diclofenac initiators have increased cardiovascular risk compared with non-initiators, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in The BMJ.
Physicians Often Don’t Address Their Burnout
FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) — More than half of physicians experience burnout, and many do not seek treatment for burnout, according to a report published in the American Medical Association’s AMA Wire.
Implementing EMRs Affects Time Spent With Patients in Clinic
FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Following a six-month learning period to implement an electronic medical record (EMR) system, outpatient orthopedic clinics return to pre-implementation efficiency, but there may be other lasting effects on productivity, according to a study published in the Sept. 19 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Strategies to Cut Cardiovascular Risk Factors Show Mixed Results
FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors remain prevalent despite known, proven strategies to reduce risk, according to research published in the Sept. 7 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Many Proxies Unaware of Centenarians’ Thoughts on Death
FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Many proxies of centenarians are not well-informed about the centenarians’ thoughts and plans regarding the end of life (EOL), according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Business Degree Increasingly Useful for Doctors
THURSDAY, Sept. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Having a Master of Business Administration degree (M.B.A.) can help doctors with important, practice-related decisions, according to a report published recently in Physician Practice.
Grip Strength Tied to Pulmonary Function in Older Women
THURSDAY, Sept. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For older Korean women, handgrip strength is positively associated with pulmonary function, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Practices Should Set Rules for Staff Social Media Use
THURSDAY, Sept. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Medical practices can take steps to avoid problems related to use of social media by staff members, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Burnout, Career Choice Regret Prevalent in U.S. Residents
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Symptoms of burnout and career choice regret are prevalent among U.S. resident physicians, according to a study published in the Sept. 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Childhood Poverty Can Affect Cognitive Skills in Old Age
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Variation in childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) partially accounts for cognitive performance in older age, with adverse childhood SEP associated with lower level of baseline cognitive performance, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in Neurology.
Combo Therapy Not Needed If Low RA Disease Activity Achieved
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Once low rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity is achieved with tocilizumab (TCZ) plus methotrexate (MTX), patients can discontinue MTX without significant disease worsening, according to a study published in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
High-Risk Anticholinergics Prescribed to 6 Percent of Elderly
TUESDAY, Sept. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — High-risk anticholinergic prescriptions are listed for 6.2 percent of visits of older adults, according to a study published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Positive Link Between Air Pollution, Diagnosis of Dementia
TUESDAY, Sept. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — There is a positive association between residential levels of air pollution and being diagnosed with dementia, according to a study published in the September issue of BMJ Open.
In 2016, Proportion of Uninsured Americans Down to 10 Percent
TUESDAY, Sept. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — From 2013 to 2016 there was a reduction in uninsurance among Americans from 17 to 10 percent, according to a report published in September by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Urban Institute.
Physician-Group ACOs Generate Medicare Savings
TUESDAY, Sept. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Physician-group accountable care organizations (ACOs) participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) generated significantly more savings for Medicare that grew from 2012 to 2015 compared with hospital-integrated ACOs, according to research published in the Sept. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Heart Failure Patients Enrolled in Hospice Use Less Health Care
MONDAY, Sept. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Patients with advanced heart failure enrolled in hospice have fewer emergency department visits, hospital days, and intensive care unit (ICU) stays, according to a study published in the September issue of JACC: Heart Failure.
Simplifying Medicare Plan Finder Improves Plan Selection
MONDAY, Sept. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Simplifying an internet-based decision support tool provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to help older adults make good plan choices in the Medicare prescription drug (Part D) program could result in selection of lower-cost plans, according to a study published in the August issue of Health Affairs.
Prevalence of Alzheimer’s, Related Dementia Set to Double
FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) is expected to increase to 3.3 percent in the United States by 2060, according to a study published online Sept. 19 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
Some Clinicians, Patients Record Clinic Visits for Patient Use
FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A considerable proportion of clinicians and patients report having recorded a clinic visit for the patient’s personal use, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
Mortality Rate From Heart Failure Higher in Women Than Men
FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Despite decreases in overall heart failure incidence and mortality in ambulatory patients from 2009 to 2014, mortality rates remain higher in women than in men, according to a study recently published in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Dozens of Medical Groups Join Forces to Improve Diagnoses
FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Every nine minutes, a patient in a U.S. hospital dies because a diagnosis was wrong or delayed — resulting in 80,000 deaths a year. That sobering estimate comes from the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM).
Age, Sex, APOE Genotype Identify Alzheimer’s, Dementia Risk
FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Age, sex and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype can identify groups at high 10-year risk for Alzheimer’s disease and all dementia, according to a study published Sept. 4 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Research Links Doctor Burnout to Patient Safety Incidents
THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Physician burnout is associated with increased risk of patient safety incidents, poorer quality of care due to low professionalism, and reduced patient satisfaction, according to a review published online Sept. 4 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Allopurinol Dose Escalation for Gout Doesn’t Improve Mortality
THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Allopurinol dose escalation is not associated with reductions in mortality risk among patients with gout, according to a study published in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
Few Yogurt Products Qualify As Low-Sugar
THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — There is considerable variability in the sugar content of yogurts, with very few yogurts qualifying as low-sugar, according to a study published in the August issue of BMJ Open.
Combo Physical, Mental Activity Prevents Cognitive Decline
THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Behavioral activation that increases mental, physical, and social activity may prevent cognitive and functional decline in older black patients, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in JAMA Neurology.
Hospitals Charge 479 Percent of Cost of Drugs on Average
THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — On average, hospitals mark up drugs by 479 percent of their cost, according to a report from The Moran Company, commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).
Residents Should Take Advantage of Paid Time Off
THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Although there are many demands on residents, taking advantage of paid vacation time is one of the perks and should be maximized, according to an article published in the American Medical Association’s AMA Wire.
Patient Health Information Often Shared Electronically
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The most common electronically sent and received types of patient health information (PHI) include laboratory results and medication lists, according to a report published Aug. 15 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
HTN Tx Intensification Common Upon Discharge in U.S. Vets
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Fourteen percent of older adults hospitalized with non-cardiac conditions are discharged with intensified antihypertensive treatment, of whom more than half had previously well-controlled outpatient blood pressure, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in The BMJ.
Global Prevalence of Insufficient Activity 27.5 Percent
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In 2016 the age-standardized prevalence of insufficient physical activity was 27.5 percent, according to a study published in the October issue of The Lancet Global Health.
Active Choice Intervention Tied to Increase in Flu Shot Rates
TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — An active choice intervention is associated with an increase in influenza vaccination rates, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in JAMA Network Open.
Scribes Improve Physician Workflow, Patient Interaction
TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Use of medical scribes is associated with decreased physician documentation burden, improved work efficiency, and improved patient interactions, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Drug Prices Increase More Than Expected After Shortages
TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Prices for drugs under shortage increase more than twice as quickly as expected in the absence of a shortage, according to a research letter published online Sept. 18 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Compliance With Requirement to Report Results on EUCTR Is Poor
TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Half of trials on the European Union Clinical Trials Register (EUCTR) are non-compliant with the European Commission’s requirement that all trials post results to the registry within 12 month of completion, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in The BMJ.
Tips for Advising Patients Living in Highly Polluted Settings
TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Clinicians advising families living overseas in highly polluted settings should understand their patients’ concerns and have a network of resources to draw upon for guidance, according to an article published in the Aug. 1 issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
Association Health Plans Can Help Small Businesses Offer Coverage
MONDAY, Sept. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Association health plans (AHPs) will provide small businesses with more choices, access, and coverage options, although critics warn that they may undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, according to an article published in Managed Healthcare Executive.
Potentially Inappropriate Opioid Prescribing Tied to Overdose
MONDAY, Sept. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) of opioids is associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality and fatal and nonfatal overdose, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Mercury in Traditional Tibetan Medicine Could Be Harmful
MONDAY, Sept. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The high mercury (Hg) concentration contained in traditional Tibetan medicine (TTM) could be harmful to humans and contribute to the environmental Hg burden in Tibet, according to a study published in the Aug. 7 issue of Environmental Science & Technology.
Use of Aspirin in Healthy Elderly Questioned in Three Studies
MONDAY, Sept. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Low-dose aspirin appears to have limited effect on healthy life span in older people, according to three studies published online Sept. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Many Older Adults Transition to Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use
FRIDAY, Sept. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) — More than one-quarter of older adults newly prescribed benzodiazepine by an non-psychiatric clinician transition to long-term use, according to a research letter published online Sept. 10 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Sales of Flavored E-Cigarette Products Up Since 2012
FRIDAY, Sept. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Sales of flavored electronic cigarette products have increased dramatically since 2012, according to a study published online Aug. 23 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Preventing Chronic Disease.
Situation Framing, Language Can Influence Decision-Making
FRIDAY, Sept. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) — How a situation is framed and the language used to describe risks can influence patients’ decision-making, according to an article published in Physicians Practice.
CDC: About One in Five U.S. Adults Have Chronic Pain
THURSDAY, Sept. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) — About 20.4 percent of U.S. adults have chronic pain and 8.0 percent have high-impact chronic pain, according to research published in the Sept. 14 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Pharmacovigilance Needed for Rheumatology Patients
THURSDAY, Sept. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Recommendations have been developed for pharmacovigilance in rheumatology, emphasizing the need for continued monitoring of new drugs, according to a position statement issued by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).
ACR Position Statement
AHA: Resistant Hypertension Diagnosis, Tx Guidelines Updated
THURSDAY, Sept. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A correct diagnosis of resistant hypertension is necessary to avoid overmedicating, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association published online Sept. 13 in Hypertension.
Gains in Insurance Coverage Seen for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Adults
THURSDAY, Sept. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults report continued problems affording care despite coverage gains offered by the Affordable Care Act, according to a study published in the August issue of Health Affairs.
Propofol May Decrease Delay in Neurocognitive Recovery
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For older cancer patients undergoing major cancer surgery, propofol-based general anesthesia may reduce the incidence of delayed neurocognitive recovery versus sevoflurane-based general anesthesia, according to a study published in the September issue of the British Journal of Anesthesia.
Better Classification of Dry Eye Disease Will Aid Diagnosis, Tx
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Attention to the subtypes of dry eye disease may better equip clinicians to diagnose and treat cases, according to a review article recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Six-Step Analysis Can Help Improve Practice Logistics
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A six-step analysis can help redesign and improve the outpatient health care process, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
Single, Fixed-Dose Combo Pills Improve Hypertension Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Single-pill, fixed-dose combination (FDC) treatment may be more effective for improving blood pressure control in older patients, according to a study recently published in PLOS Medicine.
Residents Working Long Hours Can Increase Alertness
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Medical residents can take steps to maintain their energy and alertness during long shifts, according to an article published in the American Medical Association’s AMA Wire.
Tai Chi Effective at Reducing Number of Falls in Older Adults
TUESDAY, Sept. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Tai chi is more effective than conventional exercise at preventing falls among high-risk, older adults, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
AHA: Update on Diagnosis, Tx for Chagas Cardiomyopathy
TUESDAY, Sept. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Health care providers need to be equipped to recognize, diagnose, and treat Chagas disease, which is growing in prevalence in the United States, according to an American Heart Association (AHA) scientific statement published online Aug. 20 in Circulation.
Algorithm Can Discriminate Cardiovascular Disease Risk
TUESDAY, Sept. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The Cardiovascular Disease Population Risk Tool (CVDPoRT) algorithm, which includes 12 variables, can discriminate cardiovascular disease risk, according to a study recently published in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Data Age in Clinical Trials Is About Three Years at Publication
TUESDAY, Sept. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The median data age in clinical trials in journals with a high impact factor is about three years at publication, according to a study published in the Aug. 10 issue of JAMA Network Open.
Medicaid Work Requirements Don’t Impact Many Enrollees
TUESDAY, Sept. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Medicaid work requirements will only impact a small proportion of persons and may only generate minimal savings, according to two research letters published online Sept. 10 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Many Opportunities for Doctors Using Twitter
MONDAY, Sept. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Doctors can use Twitter to build networks and learn more about research in real time, according to a blog post published by Penn Medicine News.
Physician Burnout Rates Vary by Medical Specialty
MONDAY, Sept. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Nearly half of physicians report being burned out, but rates vary substantially by medical specialty, according to an article published in AMA Wire.
Docs, Consumers Agree on Benefits of Virtual Care
MONDAY, Sept. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Physicians and consumers agree on the benefits of virtual care, but physician adoption of virtual care technologies is low, according to a report on the Deloitte 2018 Survey of U.S. Physicians.
Social Determinants Linked to Provision of Primary Care
FRIDAY, Sept. 7, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Social determinants are associated with provision of primary care services, according to a study recently published in the Annals of Family Medicine.
Personalized Weighting Could Enhance Hospital Rating Tools
FRIDAY, Sept. 7, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The weighting systems that underlie hospital performance rating tools should incorporate the needs, values, and preferences of patients, according to a perspective article published in the Aug. 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
With New Persistent Opioid Use, Most Early Scripts From Surgeons
FRIDAY, Sept. 7, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Among surgical patients who develop new persistent opioid use, surgeons provide the majority of opioid prescriptions in the first few months after surgery, but by nine to 12 months post-surgery, most prescriptions are from primary care providers, according to a study recently published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Hospitals Using Two Strategies to Up Quality, Lower Costs
THURSDAY, Sept. 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Hospitals receiving bundled payments are reducing skilled nursing facility (SNF) use and improving care integration to improve quality and control costs, according to a report published in the August issue of Health Affairs.
Hospital Groups Launch Own Generic Drug Company
THURSDAY, Sept. 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Three U.S. health care foundations and seven hospital groups have formed a generic drug company to combat high prices and chronic shortages of medicines.
AP News Article
Better Training Needed to Boost LGBTQ Patient Health Care
THURSDAY, Sept. 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — High-quality health care needs to be provided to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) patients, and improved training is necessary to deliver that care, according to a report published in the American Medical Association’s AMA Wire.
Widespread Statin Use Not Recommended in Old, Very Old
THURSDAY, Sept. 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Statin use is not associated with reduced risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) or all-cause mortality among older adults without type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Sept. 5 in The BMJ.
PSA Testing Not Recommended for Prostate Cancer Screening
THURSDAY, Sept. 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Prostate cancer screening with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing is not recommended, although certain groups of men are more likely to undergo testing, according to a review and recommendations published online Sept. 5 in The BMJ.
Psychological Distress Linked to Increased Risk of MI, Stroke
THURSDAY, Sept. 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Psychological distress is associated with myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke in men and women, according to a study published online Aug. 28 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Baloxavir Superior to Placebo for Alleviating Flu Symptoms
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The selective inhibitor of influenza cap-dependent endonuclease, baloxavir marboxil, is superior to placebo for alleviating influenza symptoms, according to a study published in the Sept. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Has Uncertain Future
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Uncertainty surrounds the future of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, according to an Ideas and Opinions article published online Aug. 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Out-of-Pocket Costs Similar for Infliximab, Infliximab-Dyyb
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Under Medicare Part D, out-of-pocket costs are similar for infliximab and its biosimilar infliximab-dyyb, according to a research letter published in the Sept. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
~3,000 Excess Deaths Estimated Due to Hurricane Maria
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The total excess mortality attributed to Hurricane Maria is estimated at 2,975 deaths, according to a report issued by George Washington University.
Enrollment in High-Deductible Health Plans Up From ’07 to ’17
TUESDAY, Sept. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Enrollment in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) has increased among adults with employment-based insurance coverage, according to an August data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
Adding Pharmacist to Team Can Improve Patient Outcomes
TUESDAY, Sept. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Integration of pharmacists into team-based care practice models can improve patient outcome, especially in chronic diseases, such as diabetes, according to a report published in the American Medical Association’s AMA Wire.
Self-Injury Tops Diabetes As Cause of Death in United States
TUESDAY, Sept. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In the United States, self-injury mortality (SIM) exceeded diabetes as a cause of death in 2015, with the gap expanding in 2016, according to a study published online Aug. 27 in Injury Prevention.
CDC: Increase in Rate of STDs for Fourth Consecutive Year in U.S.
TUESDAY, Sept. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Nearly 2.3 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were diagnosed in the United States in 2017, marking a fourth consecutive year of sharp increases in these sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to a report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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