- Center on Health Equity and Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
What We're Reading: Long-Acting Contraceptives; Heart Surgery and Opioids; Undocumented and Seeking Care
Of US women between the ages of 15 and 49, 64.9% use some form of contraception, and the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives is increasing; people with prolonged opioid use have an increased risk for cardiovascular problems, but they are also more likely to develop major surgery complications; there are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, and they struggle to receive basic medical care.
More Women Are Turning to Long-Acting Contraceptives
Of US women between the ages of 15 and 49, 64.9% use some form of contraception, and the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) is increasing. According to The New York Times, more than 10% of women use LARCs, which are hormone-releasing rods placed under the skin or intrauterine devices. From 2011 to 2015, 8% of women were using LARCs, which increased to 11.3% in the 2015 to 2017 period. The most common form of contraception is female sterilization (18.6%), followed by oral contraceptives (12.6%).
Opioid Use Is Up and Increasing Surgical Complications
People with prolonged opioid use have an increased risk for cardiovascular problems, but they are also more likely to develop major surgery complications. While mortality rates are similar between patients with and without opioid use disorder (OUD) who underwent heart surgery, those with OUD were more likely to have serious complications, reported Reuters. These surgical complications result in longer hospital stays and higher costs. The research in JAMA Surgery also found that people with OUD having heart surgery were almost 2 decades younger than patients having heart surgery without OUD.
The Difficulty of Seeking Healthcare While Undocumented
There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, and they struggle to receive basic medical care. A new article in Vice highlighted the hurdles these immigrants face when seeking care. In addition to approximately 40% being uninsured, they have been seeking less care as the immigration debate continues. The article follows one woman’s journey for a doctor’s appointment for an infection in her foot due to a growing ulcer, and the challenges she faces: traveling 3 hours to the doctor’s office, a language barrier, paying for public transportation, and more.
Drug Overdoses Leading to Cardiac Arrest Rising, Particularly With Stimulant-Opioid Combination
November 25th 2023A population-based study found that out-of-hospital cardiac arrest events resulting from drug overdoses have significantly increased from 2015 to 2021, particularly among patients who have taken a combination of stimulants and opioids.
Read More
For National Women’s Health Week, One Company Emphasizes Cardiovascular Risk Management
May 10th 2022On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Joanne Armstrong, MD, MPH, vice president and chief medical officer for Women’s Health and Genomics at CVS Health, on the distinct pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease in women and how her own health experiences have influenced her perspective on cardiovascular disease management.
Listen
New Study Links Sphingolipids With Palmitic Acid to Increased Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
November 17th 2023Plasma ceramides and sphingomyelins with palmitic acid were linked to a 34% and 37% increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) per higher SD of log sphingolipid levels, respectively.
Read More
Rates of Elevated LDL-C Have Decreased, but Awareness, Treatment Still Suboptimal
November 6th 2023The prevalence of severely elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) has declined in recent decades, but 1 in 17 US adults in a recent analysis had levels of LDL-C that would warrant consideration of pharmacotherapy, and 1 in 48 had high levels of LDL-C that are indicated for medication.
Read More
