HCI's Monthly Review of the Healthcare Industry
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Robert J. Stilley
President, CEO
HeartCare Imaging, Inc.
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Dear Colleague -
Nasty people...it seems like we see and hear about more and more of them lately. It's almost as if a virus was released from some deep, dark place that is taking hold of more and more people on a daily basis. Since we are in the healthcare business, I've come up with some potential cures. First cure, follow the "Golden Rule' and treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves. This will really confuse those that are infected. But be warned, it might actually make their symptoms worse in which case I suggest quarantining yourself from the infected person. While quarantining is not always possible, I do suggest staying as far away from people that have symptoms, as the disease is sometimes contagious. Working and socializing with friends and colleagues that do not have the disease appears to strengthen individuals who might come into contact with those infected, so I suggest hanging with those that do not have the infection as much as possible . The final idea might not actually be a cure but is a way we can inoculate ourselves from this 'Nasty' bug. My research and idea for this vaccine was done at a local watering hole that has clever sayings posted on the wall. The one that caught my attention says 'If you can't be a good example, then we will have to use you as a horrible warning'. Thus, when we interact with a person that has symptoms of this 'Nasty bug' we should remind ourselves that we might have a little of that in us...but we are protected due to having more of the good stuff (we've just discussed) vs. the bad stuff being demonstrated by the infected person in front of us. This will help us fight off any chance of being infected!
We at HeartCare are committed to never being infected and always being the 'The Good Example' by serving our clients and patients with respect, kindness, and compassion.
Best Regards,
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Key Heart Risks Decline for Older Americans
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Older Americans dramatically reduced their risks for heart attack and stroke over a recent 20-year period, a new analysis finds. The likely reason: greater use of drugs to control cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as a decline in smoking, according to researchers from the University of Southern California.
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H. Pylori Linked to Atherosclerosis in Healthy People
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Current infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) was associated with significant subclinical coronary artery stenosis in a population with no prior arterial disease, suggesting a need for earlier diagnosis and treatment of this pathogen to forestall progression to overt disease, researchers reported.
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Tight blood pressure control may increase risk for CVD, mortality in type 2 diabetes
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The observational findings, based on a population-based cohort study using a clinical trial modeling approach, also found that treating patients with diabetes and comorbid hypertension to systolic BP targets of less than120 mm Hg or less than 130 mm Hg may potentially be associated with increased risk for CVD and mortality when compared with patients treated to a target systolic BP of less than 140 mm Hg.
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Veggies a Healthy Recipe for Older Women's Hearts
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Eating lots of vegetables may help older women keep their blood vessels healthy, Australian researchers report. The biggest benefit seems to come from cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli. Eating these strong-smelling veggies was linked to less thickening of the carotid arteries, located in the neck.
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Ischemic heart disease remains leading cause of death in US
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Ischemic heart disease was still the No. 1 cause of death in the United States from 1990 to 2016, according to findings recently published by the U.S. Burden of Disease collaborators and appearing in JAMA.
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CMS eases MRI approvals for patients with implanted cardiac devices
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The CMS has finalized a Medicare policy that makes it easier for patients with pacemakers to receive MRI scans.
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Childhood cancer survivors may develop heart problems sooner
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Adult survivors of childhood cancer have a greater risk of heart disease and develop risk factors like high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol earlier in life compared to the general population, a German study suggests.
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Lower Thromboembolic Risk With New A-Fib After CABG Versus NVAF
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For patients post coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is associated with lower long-term thromboembolic risk than that seen among patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), according to a study published online March 28 in JAMA Cardiology.
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Study: Heart disease more common in U.S.-born adults
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Heart disease and strokes are less prevalent among foreign-born adults than U.S.-born adults, according to a study. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers compared coronary heart disease and strokes among U.S. adults based upon birthplace. The findings, based on data from the 2006 to 2014 National Health Interview Survey for people 18 and older, were published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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PET tracer could help predict treatment effectiveness for depression
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The PET tracer 11C-DASB targets the serotonin transporter protein (5-HTT) in the amygdala of the brain, which is important for emotional processing. The drug escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), can be an effective MDD treatment, but not for all patients. A PET scan with 11C-DASB can indicate which patients will benefit by measuring the level of 5-HTT present before treatment.
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Sure, cancer mutates, but it has other ways to resist treatment
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New research helps explain how therapy-resistant cancers arise, findings with important implications for the future of cancer therapy. It shows how hidden, subtle layers of regulation – epigenetics – control the activity of genes to produce drug-resistant surviving cells.
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Poor sleep may cause an increase in brain protein linked to Alzheimer’s
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A new study shows that sleep deprivation is linked to higher levels of a protein called beta-amyloid—a notorious precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.
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Study: Cost of treating opioid addiction soars
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In 2016, people with health coverage through their employer received $2.6 billion in opioid treatment services, compared to $273 million in 2004, according to an analysis released Thursday morning by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
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FDA puts restrictions on birth control implant but no recall
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U.S. health officials on Monday placed new restrictions on a permanent contraceptive implant that has been subject to reports of painful complications from thousands of women. But the metal implant, called Essure, will remain on the market.The Food and Drug Administration said only women who read and sign a brochure about the risks of the device will be able to receive the implant made by Bayer. The checklist of risks must also be signed by the woman's doctor.The new requirement comes almost two years after the FDA added its strongest warning to Essure, citing problems reported with the nickel-titanium implant.
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Prenatal Exposure to SSRI Tied to Fetal Brain Development
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Prenatal exposure to a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) is associated with fetal brain development, according to a study published online April 9 in JAMA Pediatrics.
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Multiple Myeloma Study Links More Than Three Dozen Genes to Disease
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Researchers have identified 40 genes that can be disrupted in the early stages of multiple myeloma. While multiple myeloma is characterized by known recurrent chromosomal changes, how the disease first develops isn't clear. In 2017, there were 30,280 new multiple myeloma cases in the US and 12,590 deaths due to the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute.
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Traumatic Brain Injuries are Tied to Dementia
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In the largest study of its kind, researchers have found that traumatic brain injury is associated with an increased risk of dementia. The risk of dementia was highest among people who had suffered multiple T.B.I.s. But even a single mild T.B.I. was tied to an increased risk of dementia.
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Control Blood Pressure to Keep Dementia at Bay: Study
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Bringing high blood pressure under control can reduce older black Americans' risk of dementia, a new study finds.
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Reclassify cancers to improve treatment, researchers say
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Cancers should no longer be categorized by where they are first formed in the body, but instead by similarities in tumor types, researchers say.
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Canadians create nuclear isotope council
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The goal of the newly formed Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC) is to raise awareness of the importance of medical isotopes in nuclear medicine and to support long-term policies to have an adequate supply of isotopes in Canada and elsewhere around the world.
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Why does the U.S. spend so much more on healthcare? It's the prices
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The sharp difference between the two doctors' experience partly explains why the U.S. healthcare system has much higher administrative costs than Canada and other countries. Those costs, plus much higher prices for medical services and pharmaceuticals and much higher pay for physicians and nurses, were the major reasons the U.S. spent a larger share of GDP on healthcare in 2016 than 10 other wealthy nations, according to a recent study in JAMA.
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Cyclopharma enters agreement to sell its production and commercialization activities in France to Curium group
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Cyclopharma, specialized in molecular imaging solutions, is planning to divest its manufacturing assets and radiopharmaceutical drugs production and commercialization activities in France to Curium group, a world-class company specialized in the development, production and commercialization of tracers for nuclear medicine imaging.
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Politics that Affect Medicine
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MedPAC votes to cut payments for free-standing ERs
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The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission voted unanimously to cut reimbursement for some stand-alone emergency departments in urban areas. The proposal could save Medicare up to $250 million annually if adopted by Congress.
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CMS issues final rule allowing states to pick essential health benefits
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The CMS issued a final rule late Monday aimed at giving states and health insurers more flexibility and reducing regulatory burdens in the individual and small group health insurance markets.The final rule allows states to define essential health benefits that individual and small group insurers must offer; gives insurers more options when reporting their medical loss ratios; and eliminates standardized plan options to maximize innovation.In separate guidance also issued today, the CMS said it is expanding hardship exemptions for consumers so that people who live in counties with one or no exchange insurer will be exempt from paying the Affordable Care Act's penalty for not having coverage.Health insurers have anxiously been waiting for the rule, which is usually released in mid-March.
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Congress searches for prescription to help fight growing opioid epidemic
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The opioids epidemic that is ripping apart lives across the country appears to be uniting Republicans and Democrats in Congress. “I know of no other issue right now that commands the attention of so many members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican who chairs the Senate committee that oversees health care issues.
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CMS Final Rule Allows States to Choose Essential Health Benefits
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a final rule that allows states to select essential health benefits that must be covered by individual insurance plans sold under former President Barack Obama’s healthcare law. The 2010 Affordable Care Act requires coverage of 10 benefits, including maternity and newborn care and prescription drugs. Under the new rule, states can select from a much larger list which benefits insurers must cover.
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For over 25 years, HRSI has provided Authorized User (AU) classroom and laboratory training to physicians. HRSI's training is recognized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and fulfills the didactic training required by law.
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Annual Rural Health Conference May 8-11, 2018 in New Orleans, LA. New Orleans Marriott Hotel.
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Annual Scientific Session of the
American Society of Nuclear Cardiology
Bridging Quality Imaging and Patient Care
September 6-9, 2018 | San Francisco Marriott Marquis | Calif.
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Mark your calendar! The Radiological Society of North America’s 104
th
Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting is scheduled to take place November 25 to 30 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Every year, radiology’s best and brightest convene at the RSNA annual meeting to learn from the specialty’s top experts and get an exclusive look at the latest in medical imaging technology. RSNA 2017 brought breakthrough science in machine learning, artificial intelligence and 3D printing to the forefront, affirming the Society’s position as the leader promoting scientific innovation for better patient care. Save the date now to see tomorrow’s medical imaging discoveries today at RSNA 2018!
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HeartCare Imaging, Inc. | Phone: 561-746-6125 | Fax: 561-741-2036 | info@heartcareimaging.com
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