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Prominence Health Plan announced that its 7 Universal Health Services (UHS) Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) revealed a continued trend of increased cost savings and improved quality in 2018 results.

A high-tech drug testing machine is being utilized to detect fentanyl in illicit drugs; the Massachusetts governor enacts a stingent vaping flavor ban; data on blood-sugar levels for patients with diabetes using Dexcom's continuous glucose monitor (CGM) has been unavailable since Saturday.

Historically, patients with severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and severe chronic GVHD as determined by the National Institutes of Health have poor survival. New research being presented at the 61st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition shows that earlier treatment with novel therapies can improve outcomes for these patients.

Adjunctive therapy with a positive expiratory pressure (PEP) device may possibly decrease the length of hospital stays for patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), researchers suggested in a set of 2 small studies published in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

A recent review examined the challenges of treating excessive daytime sleepiness due to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and narcolepsy.

A recent case study of a patient with a history of migraine with visual aura revealed a pathophysiological link between stroke and migraine, demonstrating the need for additional research that links migrainous infarction (MI) and stroke-related migraine.

A study aiming to determine whether blood cells expressing α‐synuclein (α‐syn) can differentiate Parkinson disease (PD) from healthy controls (HC), finding that there is potential usefulness of blood cells expressing α‐syn as a biomarker for PD.

The Medical Monitoring Project (MMP)—a national population-based behavioral and clinical surveillance system of adults diagnosed with HIV in the United States—provides information for monitoring progress of national treatment and prevention goals and is the only source of annual population-based data of those with HIV, according to a recent report.

There are no cures available to patients with polycythemia vera (PV), who are first treated with hydroxyurea (HU); ruxolitinib is approved as a second-line therapy in both Europe and the United States for patients who are intolerant of or resistant to HU. Two abstracts being presented at the 61st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition explore the use of ruxolitinib in patients with PV, either in patients who first tried HU or had ruxolitinib as a first-line therapy.

Two recent studies have explored the role of activator protein-1 (AP-1), a transcription factor with a role in skin diseases caused by inflammation, including psoriasis and atopic dermatitis

Here are the top 5 articles for the month of November.

Tumor slices provide a useful platform for studying the tumor microenvironment and evaluating the preclinical efficacy of cancer therapeutics, according to a recent study.

The findings have important implications, the authors wrote, as the study confirms “the potential clinical utility of empagliflozin for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and [nonalcoholic steatohepatitis."

Disease severity also influences how these patients interact with and react to everyday stimuli.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the healthcare and mainstream press.

The association between disadvantaged communities and heightened risk of cardiovascular disease was attributed to factors that impair sleep quality and duration, such as living in noisy environments, working several jobs with various shifts, and having greater levels of emotional and financial stress, according to study findings.

Researchers used ultrasound to investigate the anatomical basis for arthralgia symptoms and found that tenosynovitis was the only significant difference in patients who went on to develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Hospitals in California are facing critical decisions on patient care; the FDA and CDC are investigating a multistate hepatitis A outbreak; 6 pharmaceutical giants are being investigated for their potential roles in the opioid crisis.

Here are 5 interesting findings from the November 2019 issue of AJMC®.

An international study examining trends in COPD mortality over more than 2 decades showed that COPD mortality rates declined in most countries, but remained stable among US women and increased in several European countries, with total mortality additionally increasing or remaining stable in most countries.

After a request for additional input from oncologists, practice administrators, payer representatives, and experts in physician payment and business analysis, ASCO has issued updated guidance on PCOP. With CMS’ Oncology Care Model set to end in 2021, the current draft of ASCO’s Community-based Oncology Medical Home model would be an option to take its place.

Inhaled cannabis was shown to reduce self-reported headache and migraine severity by nearly 50%, according to study findings.

Three straight years of declining life expectancy—from 2014 to 2017—have roots that go back to the 1980s, when the authors say US life expectancy began to lose pace with other countries.

US Customs and Border Protection rejected recommendations by the CDC to vaccinate migrants in detention centers for the flu; PhRMA cut its donation to Addiction Policy Forum and will end all support in 2020; Louisiana health officials announced they will examine the cancer incidence in an area next to a chemical plant known to emit a likely carcinogen.

A minimally invasive procedure that applies pulses of focused ultrasound to the brain was found to be safe and effective in reducing tremors and improving the quality of life in patients with Parkinson disease and essential tremor, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

While there is an increased interest in using real-world evidence (RWE) to design, test, and review rare disease treatments, payers may not be as receptive to using RWE when making reimbursement and formulary decisions, according to a new report from Syneos Health.

A new study says that more than 1 in 10 of the 17 million cancer survivors in the United States will die from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The FDA Monday granted accelerated approval to voxelotor (Oxbryta) for the treatment of sickle cell disease in adults and pediatric patients 12 years or older.