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What We’re Reading: COVID-19 Brain Fog and Alzheimer Disease; Smoke-Free UK Goal; Vaccine Adverse Effects More Likely After Infection
Links between COVID-19 brain fog and risk of Alzheimer disease; cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris International discusses plans to stop selling cigarettes in the United Kingdom; COVID-19 vaccine adverse effects are more likely in people previously infected with the virus.
Exploring COVID-19 Brain Fog and Alzheimer Disease Risk
As reported by NPR, researchers from University of Texas Health San Antonio and other scientists worldwide are planning to present findings on the association between brain fog, a long-term cognitive symptom of COVID-19, and potentially elevated risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD) at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference that begins today. Notably, findings of PET scans taken before and after a person develops the virus have suggested that infection can cause changes that overlap with those seen in AD, with genetic studies also showing that some of the same genes that would increase the likelihood of developing severe COVID-19 would also increase the risk of developing AD.
UK Potentially Cigarette-Free Within 10 Years
In an interview yesterday with the Daily Mail, Jacek Olczak, the CEO of Philip Morris International, said the company plans to stop selling cigarettes from its flagship brand Marlboro in the United Kingdom within the next 10 years. According to CNBC, Olczak’s comments were similar to those made by previous senior executives within Philip Morris International on ceasing production of cigarettes, which have resulted in minimal change. The UK government has previously announced plans with a goal of ending smoking in England by 2030.
Adverse Effects of Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine More Likely After Infection
According to study findings reported by CIDRAP, patients previously infected with COVID-19 were shown to be more likely than those who were not infected to have adverse effects after their first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. In the study, published in Vaccine, about 74% of participants had at least 1 adverse effect, including 95% of patients with prior COVID-19 and 70% of those who had not been infected. Symptom intensity was not shown to be different between the 2 groups, with most common vaccine-related symptoms including fatigue, headache, and muscle pain.
Navigating Medicare's Part D Subsidy Program to Achieve Value-Based Care
May 26th 2023On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the lead researcher from a study published in the May 2023 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about the impact of low-income subsidies on the uptake and equitable use of expensive orally administered antimyeloma therapy.
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Prices for care at hospital trauma centers vary across hospitals; drug shortages reached a record high during the first quarter of 2024; although 3 of the biggest makers of asthma inhalers pledged to cap out-of-pocket costs for some US patients at $35, these do not apply to daily inhalers used by the youngest kids with asthma.
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Reaching Rural America: Value-Based Care Solutions for Systemic Health and Social Inequalities
March 7th 2023On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Jennifer Schneider, MD, co-founder and chief executive officer of Homeward, a value-based care provider aiming to improve access to high-quality care in rural communities through tech-enabled clinical services, partnerships with local physicians and health plans, and community-level demographic data.
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Study Highlights Disparities in Access to In-Network Mental Health Care vs Medical Care
April 17th 2024While health plans often employ reimbursement rates as a tool to incentivize provider participation within their networks, study results showed reimbursement rates for office visits with medical/surgical clinicians were on average 22% higher than behavioral health clinicians.
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