Teenage brains prematurely aged by 3 years during pandemic lockdowns; Washington state health officials report high flu activity and 7 deaths; medical groups ask a Texas judge to refrain from issuing a nationwide injunction against the preventive health screenings covered by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
MRI scans of adolescent brains before and after pandemic lockdowns show stress prematurely aged their brains by at least 3 years, and in ways previously seen in children affected by adverse childhood experiences, The Washington Post reported. By comparing MRI scans performed before and after lockdowns, the researchers found growth in the hippocampus and amygdala, which respectively control access to some memories and help regulate fear, stress, and other emotions, and also discovered thinning of the tissues in the cortex, which is involved in executive functioning. The study was published in Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science.
Seven people in Washington state, including 1 child, have died so far this season from influenza, according to the Associated Press. Health officials reported over 1200 new flu cases from November 13 to 19, more than double the case count of previous weeks. There was a peak of 296 flu deaths during the 2017-2018 season, and 26 in last year’s season.
Medical groups this week filed a friend-of-the-court brief in Braidwood Management v Becerra, asking Texas Judge Reed O’Connor to refrain from issuing a nationwide injunction that would invalidate US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations. In September, he ruled that the Affordable Care Act’s process for determining what kinds of preventive care must be fully covered by private health insurance is unconstitutional, noted The Hill.
House lawmakers are expected to advance a contracting ban today on 5 Chinese research firms; US government officials temporarily relaxed strict guidelines on how laboratories handle, store, and transport H5N1 bird flu samples; a recent report found that the number of abortions occurring in the US continued to grow despite bans.
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Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Urban Health Outreach
May 9th 2024In the series debut episode of "Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity," Mary Sligh, CRNP, and Chelsea Chappars, of Allegheny Health Network, explain how the Urban Health Outreach program aims to improve health equity for individuals experiencing homelessness.
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A new study highlights significant disparity in reimbursement rates across states between hospitals and Medicare; the first patient to receive a genetically modified pig kidney has died; research examines outcomes of over 500 patients receiving medication abortion pills by mail.
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Emergency Department Risk Model: Timely Identification of Patients for Outpatient Care Coordination
May 14th 2024The authors created a machine learning–based model to identify patients with major depressive disorder in the primary care setting at high risk of frequent emergency department visits, enabling prioritization for a care coordination program.
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