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Early treatment, in comparison to deferred treatment, of patients with smoldering multiple myeloma could reduce progression and mortality.

Bone is one of the most frequent sites of metastasis in breast cancer, but the exact reasons for this high risk of bone metastases has not been well understood. However, research has found that physics may be partly the reason for this high risk.

According to a study published earlier this week, nearly 95% of healthcare workers risk potentially transmitting respiratory viruses to both patients and coworkers by attending work even when they show symptoms.

Currently, the number of patients who are actually utilizing precision cancer care treatments is small, but it is growing fast. As that happens, physicians will need to get comfortable with ordering the right tests, explained Clynt Taylor, chief executive officer of Intervention Insights, and Lee Newcomer, MD, formerly of UnitedHealth Group.

According to new research published this week, investigators have identified the earliest signs of Parkinson disease (PD) in the brain, years before patients present with any symptoms.

According to a meta-analysis, long-term macrolide therapy at low doses could reduce acute exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Healthy middle-aged men who had high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness had a 31% lower risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared with men with low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness.

This week, the top managed care news included a report finding slow progress in reducing low-value care; a study finding savings by accountable care organizations may be overstated; CMS proposing a rule to allow for electronic prior authorization in Part D drugs.

The June issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) featured research on care coordination and low back pain therapy in addition to studies on its theme of oncology. Here are 5 findings from research published in the issue.

A federal appeals court has ruled that the Trump administration's family planning rule can go into effect as several lawsuits over the rule play out; Missouri's only abortion clinic will defy the state by refusing to perform a required pelvic exam days before an abortion; the World Health Organization (WHO) has removed 2 guidelines on opioids following allegations of industry influence.

With the expected surge of aging Americans over the next few decades, states are trying to prepare for a wave of Alzheimer disease and dementia, which carries with it an enormous societal burden, extracting a toll on families and caregivers, and impacts state Medicaid budgets. In response, nearly every state is turning to Alzheimer action plans to try to cope with what is coming in the years ahead.

The PrEP Access and Coverage Act would require all private and public insurance plans to cover pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention and related services with no out-of-pocket costs and would promote access to the prevention pill for the uninsured.

Patients with Parkinson disease appeared to have more than a 2-fold higher risk of developing temporomandibular disorder, known as TMD, in a study that evaluated health insurance data from Taiwan.

Adding hydroxyurea to the selective inhibitor of Janus kinase 1 and 2 could elicit a high clinical response and increased ruxolitinib exposure for patients with hyperproliferative forms of myelofibrosis.

https://www.pharmacytimes.org/on-demand/examining-the-application-of-immunoglobulin-in-multiple-disease-states-a-review-of-evidence

Surprise medical bills affect 16% of in-network patient stays and 18% of emergency visits; new research has identified a link between World Trade Center dust and prostate cancer among first responders; the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved UnitedHealth Group’s acquisition of DaVita Inc on the condition that it sells one of its newly purchased healthcare organizations.

According to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine of the first quantitative evidence on the nation’s first work requirements in Medicaid, thousands of adults lost insurance coverage in the 6 months after the requirements were implemented, with no change in employment.

Comorbidities, toxicities, and certain treatments received, including immunotherapy and bone marrow transplants, were found to be the strongest predictors of high costs among oncology patients.

Obesity could exacerbate inflammation and worsen clinical disability in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Senators Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, and Patty Murray, D-Washington, introduced bipartisan legislation that aims to lower some healthcare costs.

A Quest Diagnostics webinar discussed how lab services fit in with value-based care strategies and could reduce total healthcare costs, improve care coordination, and enhance member experiences.

A recent study examined cognitive changes in a type of migraine termed chronic migraine with medication overuse headache (CM-MOH).

It is imperative for organizations to support diversity and acknowledge individuals’ differences in order to foster better morale, promote creativity and innovations, improve decision making, and create social justice that advocates equity.

Tensions have risen between White House officials and HHS Secretary Alex Azar; a life-saving bladder cancer drug is in short supply; suicide rates for children and young adults have soared.

Women 80 years or older with osteoporosis have a high hip fracture probability even when accounting for mortality risk, suggesting that these patients are candidates for drug treatment to prevent hip fractures.

The FDA is partnering with COTA, a precision medicine technology company, to gain better insight into treatment variation within subpopulations of patients using real-world data. The program will start with breast cancer and may expand to other cancer types.

CMS has released a proposed rule that would allow clinicians to complete prior authorizations online through a more streamlined process.

An analysis of spending on low- and high-value services between 2014 and 2016 found that despite significant discussion about reducing low-value care, reduction has been slight.