Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Geriatrics for May 2019. 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.
Nonfasting Lipid Levels Adequate for Assessing Cardiovascular Risk
FRIDAY, May 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Fasting before a cholesterol test is not necessary when evaluating risk for cardiovascular events, according to a study published online May 28 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Impaired Vision Tied to Perceived Discrimination in Older Adults
FRIDAY, May 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Older adults with impaired vision are at increased risk for perceived discrimination, which in turn is associated with poorer emotional well-being, according to a study published online May 30 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
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More Steps Tied to Lower Death Risk in Older Women
THURSDAY, May 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — More steps taken per day are associated with lower mortality rates among older women, according to a study published online May 29 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
High Costs Associated With Physician Burnout in U.S.
THURSDAY, May 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — High costs are associated with physician turnover and reduced clinical hours attributed to burnout, according to a study published online May 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Reading Visit Notes May Improve Medication Management
WEDNESDAY, May 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Reading clinical notes can help patients to understand why medications are prescribed and improves medication adherence for some patients, according to a brief research report published online May 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Inappropriate Prescribing Leads to Poor Outcomes in Older Adults
WEDNESDAY, May 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) is tied to increased health care utilization and poor outcomes among older individuals seen in primary care practices, according to a review published in the May/June issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Global Burden of Serious Health-Related Suffering to Double by 2060
WEDNESDAY, May 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The global burden of serious health-related suffering is set to increase 47 percent by 2060, according to a study published online May 22 in The Lancet Global Health.
Poverty Ups Risk for Amputation After Knee Replacement
TUESDAY, May 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Lower socioeconomic status is associated with an increased risk for above-knee amputation (AKA) after periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) of the knee, according to a study recently published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
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Suboptimal BP, Fasting Glucose Tied to Atrioventricular Block
TUESDAY, May 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Suboptimal blood pressure and fasting glucose levels are associated with atrioventricular (AV) block, according to a study published online May 24 in JAMA Network Open.
Postdischarge Fall-Related Injury a Top Readmission Diagnosis
FRIDAY, May 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Postdischarge fall-related injury (FRI) is a leading readmission diagnosis for seniors, according to a study published online May 24 in JAMA Network Open.
Poor Glycemic Control Linked to Sarcopenia in T2DM
FRIDAY, May 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with type 2 diabetes, poor glycemic control is associated with sarcopenia, according to a study published online May 9 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.
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Vision Loss May Up Cognitive Decline-Related Functional Limitations
FRIDAY, May 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Vision impairment is associated with increased subjective cognitive decline (SCD)-related functional limitations for adults aged 45 years and older, according to research published in the May 24 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Half-Price Version of Humalog Insulin Now Available
WEDNESDAY, May 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A half-price version of Humalog insulin is now available in the United States, Eli Lilly said Wednesday.
CDC: Seniors Use Various Strategies to Reduce Rx Costs
WEDNESDAY, May 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A proportion of older adults employ strategies to reduce prescription drug costs, according to a May data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
Weight Gain, Loss in Seniors May Increase Risk for Dementia
TUESDAY, May 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Weight gain and weight loss in older adults are both associated with an increased risk for dementia, according to a study published online May 20 in BMJ Open.
Clinical Drug Diversion Costly to Health Care Organizations
TUESDAY, May 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — U.S. health care organizations lost nearly $454 million due to clinical drug diversion in 2018, according to the 2019 Drug Diversion Digest, released by Protenus Inc.
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Octogenarians With Acute Myeloid Leukemia Have Poor Survival
TUESDAY, May 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Octogenarians with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have a one-month mortality rate of 41 percent and overall survival (OS) of 1.5 months, according to a research letter published in the June issue of the American Journal of Hematology.
Regular Puzzle Use May Improve Cognition in Older Adults
TUESDAY, May 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Older adults who regularly perform word and number puzzles have higher cognitive functioning than those who do not engage in such activities, according to two studies recently published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
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Statin Use Reduces Dementia Risk After Concussion in Seniors
MONDAY, May 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Older adults have an increased risk for dementia after concussion, which is modestly reduced among patients using a statin, according to a study published online May 20 in JAMA Neurology.
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Many Lives Could Be Saved if All Hospitals Had Grade A Rating
FRIDAY, May 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — More than 50,000 lives could be saved if all hospitals had an avoidable death rate equivalent to “A” grade hospitals, according to an updated report prepared for The Leapfrog Institute.
Private Insurers Pay 241 Percent of What Medicare Would Pay
FRIDAY, May 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Prices paid to hospitals for privately insured patients in 2017 averaged 241 percent of what Medicare would have paid, with wide variation in prices among states, according to a report published by the RAND Corporation.
Recs Updated for TB Screening, Treatment in Health Care Workers
THURSDAY, May 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Guidelines have been updated for screening and treatment for tuberculosis (TB) infection among health care personnel, according to research published in the May 17 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Healthy Lifestyle Recommended for Reducing Dementia Risk
WEDNESDAY, May 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Guidelines emphasizing adoption of a healthy lifestyle for reducing the risk for cognitive decline and dementia have been developed by the World Health Organization.
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Risk Reduction of Cognitive Decline and Dementia: WHO Guidelines
Light, Incremental Physical Activity Can Help Reduce Brain Aging
TUESDAY, May 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Incremental physical activity (PA), even of light intensity, is associated with larger brain volume and healthy brain aging, according to a study published online April 19 in JAMA Network Open.
Patients Find Note Reading Important for Health Management
MONDAY, May 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Patients find note reading important for their health management and are rarely troubled by what they read, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
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Heart Patients at Risk When Pharmacies Close
MONDAY, May 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — When pharmacies close, people with heart disease stop taking widely used heart medications, such as statins, beta-blockers, and oral anticoagulants, according to a study published online April 19 in JAMA Network Open.
Health Professionals Supportive of Medicinal Cannabis
FRIDAY, May 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Health professionals are generally supportive of medicinal cannabis use but report a lack of knowledge about its use, according to a review published online May 6 in PLOS ONE.
Sharing Data With Surgeons Can Reduce Overuse of Mohs Surgery
FRIDAY, May 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Sharing personalized practice pattern data with physicians that is benchmarked to national data for their peers can reduce overuse of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) among outliers, according to a study published online May 5 in JAMA Dermatology.
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Doctors Aware of Patient Difficulties Affording Medical Care
FRIDAY, May 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Physicians are aware of patients’ difficulty with affording medical care and consider out-of-pocket costs in their decision making, according to an article published in a supplement to the May 7 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
2018 Saw More Employed Physicians Than Self-Employed
THURSDAY, May 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In 2018, employed physicians outnumbered self-employed physicians, according to a report from the American Medical Association (AMA).
CDC: Uninsurance Levels Did Not Change Significantly in 2018
THURSDAY, May 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In 2018, the percentage of U.S. individuals who were uninsured was not significantly different from the numbers in 2017, although uninsurance increased among adults aged 45 to 64 years, according to a report published online May 9 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
Prices Will Soon Be Included in TV Drug Ads
WEDNESDAY, May 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In response to public demands for action to control drug costs, the top U.S. health official says TV advertisements for prescription drugs will soon have to include prices.
In 2015 to 2016, 45.8 Percent of U.S. Population Used Rx Drugs
WEDNESDAY, May 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In 2015 to 2016, 45.8 percent of the U.S. population used prescription drugs within the past 30 days, according to a May data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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CDC: Prevalence of Arthritis 22.8 Percent in U.S. Adults in 2017
WEDNESDAY, May 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of arthritis was 22.8 percent in U.S. adults in 2017, with statewide variation in prevalence and in the prevalence of severe joint pain and physical inactivity among those with arthritis, according to research published in the May 3 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Efforts Needed to Ensure Publication of All Trials
TUESDAY, May 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Efforts are needed to ensure all completed large trials are reported, according to a research letter published online May 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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External Reference Pricing Could Cut Drug Costs in U.S.
TUESDAY, May 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The average price for single-source brand-name drugs is higher in the United States than in other countries, indicating that external reference pricing could reduce costs, according to a study published in the May issue of Health Affairs.
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Lifetime Risk for Brain Mets Up in Elderly With Three Common Cancers
FRIDAY, May 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Elderly patients with lung cancer, breast cancer, or melanoma are at increased risk for brain metastases (BMs) later in life, according to a study published online May 3 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
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More Than Half of U.S. Adults Have Medical Financial Hardship
FRIDAY, May 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Medical financial hardship affects more than half of adults in the United States, according to a study published online May 1 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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Diagnostic Criteria Proposed for Advanced-Age Proteinopathy
WEDNESDAY, May 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Progress has been made toward developing diagnostic criteria for limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE), although gaps remain in understanding, according to a report published online April 30 in Brain.
Thiazide Use May Lower Fracture Risk in Patients With Alzheimer Disease
WEDNESDAY, May 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Community-dwelling patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) experience a lower risk for fractures, including hip fractures, with thiazide use, according to a study published online April 16 in Osteoporosis International.
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