Key CDC advisers set to scrutinize evidence for vaccine booster shots
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 11, 2021
The question of whether a COVID-19 booster shot will be helpful and safe may receive an answer Friday. That is when the CDC’s top vaccine advisers will meet to review updated evidence for recommending...
Dementia mortality skyrockets since lockdowns; CMS loosens visitor restrictions
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 18, 2020
An excessive number of deaths due to dementia have occurred since shelter-in-place orders went into effect this spring, a new analysis finds. Meanwhile, CMS has proposed a framework for nursing homes...
Use of common sleep meds nosedives, with 86 percent drop in oldest adults
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 17, 2022
The use of sleep medications among Americans dropped by 31% just prior to the pandemic, with the steepest decline among adults aged 80 and older, investigators report.
Switch to race-neutral equation would affect millions of U.S. kidney patients: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 16, 2022
A highly recommended transition away from race-based measurements of kidney function resulted in new kidney disease classifications for 5.5 million patients in an analysis of 39,000, investigators say.
ACC: Rate of 4 cardiovascular risk factors projected to soar through 2060
By
Alicia Lasek (f3)
Aug 04, 2022
The American College of Cardiology projects a 39% increase in diabetes and a 28% increase in high cholesterol among other key risk factors on the rise.
Barriers prevent LTC residents from reaping full benefits of telemedicine: study
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
May 18, 2022
New technology learning curves and a preference for in-person care create barriers to telemedicine for independent living residents, a Stanford University study finds.
CDC: Deaths from antibiotic-resistant bacteria jumped 15% in 2020
By
Alicia Lasek (f3)
Jul 13, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has “pushed back years of progress” in combating antimicrobial resistance in the United States, the CDC reports.
After decade of progress, diabetes control loses steam as first-line therapies go underused
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 11, 2021
Reinvigorating the use of first-line therapies such as statins, metformin, ACE inhibitors or ARB is key to getting care and outcomes back on track, investigators say.
Multiple jobs held by nurses, direct care workers tied to coronavirus transmission
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 09, 2020
Many healthcare workers with secondary jobs move across health settings, and 15% of second jobs for personal care and nursing aides are in other essential occupations, investigators say.
CMS: Lower COVID rates linked to higher nursing home quality ratings
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 02, 2021
Higher facility star ratings are tied to lower COVID transmission rates and fewer deaths, according to the agency’s chief medical officer and director of its Center for Clinical Standards and Quality.