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 Colleagues –
At HCI we are excited to be working with our client-partners to help celebrate ‘Heart Month’. Heart disease continues to be the number 1 cause of death in the US. So, what are we doing about heart disease? As an industry we are making significant progress in the ability to diagnose disease earlier, and then provide treatment for patients. These advancements allow patients to lead a more productive and active life. Not long ago, one would not know they had a heart issue until they had symptoms. Now through technologies such as CTA, nuclear cardiology, echo, MRI, and PET we have numerous tools available to help diagnosis through non-invasive testing. Once a patient is diagnosed, their physician has a myriad of options available to treat the patient’s particular problem. Much of what is available today was not available just a few years ago, not to mention decades ago…and the pace of finding new diagnostics and treatments is rapid which means better days are ahead. Finally, although family history can be a contributing factor, we all can help stem the disease through healthy diet, exercise, and regular check-ups. So, we all need to do our part too. We have plenty of information in this month’s newsletter for you to read about heart health. Please take some time to read it and then pass it along.
Friday, February 5th, is Wear Red Day…please wear your favorite red outfit and help us celebrate!
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National Wear Red Day®
Join NHLBI, The Heart Truth®, and organizations around the country on National Wear Red Day®, celebrated each year on the first Friday in February, to bring greater attention to heart disease as a leading cause of death for Americans. Use the poster, stickers, and social media resources below to promote Wear Red Day.
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American Heart Association on the COVID-19 vaccine: ‘We urge everyone to get vaccinated’
The American Heart Association (AHA) has issued a new statement in support of the approved COVID-19 vaccines, noting that high-risk patient populations should make it a priority to get vaccinated “as soon as possible.”
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Merck’s vericiguat gains FDA approval for treating high-risk chronic heart failure patients
Merck has gained FDA approval for vericiguat, the company’s soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator, as a treatment option for patients showing signs of chronic heart failure. Sold as Verquvo, the medication was designed to reduce a patient’s risk of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization following hospitalization or outpatient IV diuretic therapy if they present with symptomatic chronic heart failure and ejection fraction less than 45%.
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Alcohol consumption, even just a daily glass of wine, leads to a heightened risk of AFib
Drinking even a small amount of alcohol can increase a person’s risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib), according to new research published in European Heart Journal.
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24% of heart failure patients hospitalized with COVID-19 die
Nearly one in four hospitalized COVID-19 patients with a recent history of heart failure die, according to a new study published in JACC: Heart Failure.
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Cardiologist urges patients not to follow keto diet, calling it ‘a mistake’
The keto diet is “a mistake” that causes people to miss out on eating healthy, nutrient-rich foods, according to one prominent New York cardiologist.
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Male breast cancer patients face a heightened risk of cardiovascular issues
Cardiovascular conditions occur at an especially high rate among male breast cancer patients, according to new findings presented as part of the American College of Cardiology’s Advancing the Cardiovascular Care of the Oncology Patient virtual conference.
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Health suffers as rural hospitals close
Rural-area residents' health suffered as their hospitals continued to close, according to a new report. More than 110 rural hospitals have closed from 2013 through 2020, which means that residents had to travel an additional 39 miles for some services, the Government Accountability Office found
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PET Imaging Reveals Site of Tau’s Emergence in Alzheimer’s
Using an automated PET imaging analysis strategy, providers can follow how tau protein clumps develop in the brains of people who have Alzheimer’s disease. It is a method that could shed light on better ways to treat the neurodegenerative disease.
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A rural county in Washington state hasn't wasted a single Covid-19 vaccine dose. Here's its secret
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A new study provides more evidence that the South Africa variant evades antibody treatment
The study, published Jan. 26 on the pre-print server bioRxiv, has yet to be peer-reviewed. Researchers at New York City-based Columbia University found activity of Eli Lilly's monoclonal antibody, along with one of the two made by Regeneron, was "completely or markedly abolished" when tested against the variant known as B.1.351.
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NY undercounted nursing home coronavirus deaths by as much as 50%, state AG says
New York Attorney General Letitia James said that the state Department of Health underreported COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50%, according to a report released Thursday.
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Brand-name drugs cost 344% more in U.S. than other countries
First, the good news. Generic drug prices are lower in the U.S. on average than in more than two dozen comparable countries. Now, the bad. Brand-name drugs cost 344% more.
"It's a shockingly large number," said Andrew Mulcahy, senior health policy researcher with the RAND Corporation.
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The Strange Neurology of the Anonymizing Mask
During the pandemic, masking transformed my world, inside the hospital and out. A carnival profusion of masks blossomed outdoors in my safely distanced San Diego: outlaw bandannas, Khyber hoods, pets, skull mandibles, American flags, Mexican flags, secret service black -- a street quilt of materials and prints.
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Reducing Readmissions Among Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Patients: Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Case Study
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PET Scan Used to Distinguish Juvenile HD From Parkinson’s in Case Study
A teenage boy with a history of parkinsonism was diagnosed with juvenile-onset Huntington’s disease (HD) using high-sensitivity positron emission tomography imaging, known as a PET scan, as described in a recent case study.
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Agent Orange Tied to Increased Dementia Risk in Vietnam Vets
Exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange has been tied to a significantly increased risk for dementia in Vietnam War veterans, new research shows.
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Virus aid package tests whether Biden, Congress can deliver
More than a sweeping national rescue plan, President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package presents a first political test—of his new administration, of Democratic control of Congress and of the role of Republicans in a post-Trump political landscape.
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Prime Healthcare settles with union workers, agrees to $458,000 in backpay
Prime Healthcare has settled with the Service Employees International Union Local 121RN over allegations that it laid off workers engaged in organizing activity.
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Cardiac surgery outcomes in UK improve when patients pay for procedure, skip government-funded option
Patients in England either pay for healthcare themselves with private insurance or receive assistance from a taxpayer-funded system known as the UK National Health Service (NHS). According to new research out of the University of Bristol, patient outcomes after cardiac surgery are significantly improved when the patient is paying for his or her own care.
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Biden to reopen ACA marketplace, revisit work requirements
President Joe Biden on Thursday will order HHS to create a special enrollment period to allow people to sign up for a health plan through Affordable Care Act marketplaces and reexamine policies like Medicaid work requirements that make it more difficult for individuals to access or afford coverage.
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CMS Clarifies 2021 PFS Reimbursements for Remote Patient Monitoring
In an update posted this week in the Federal Register, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has amended the 2021 Physician Fee Schedule to clarify reimbursement for remote patient monitoring programs.
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American College of Cardiology’s HeartPAC temporarily pausing individual political contributions
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has announced that its political action committee, the HeartPAC Executive Committee, is “temporarily pausing all individual and leadership contributions” as it reassesses the current U..S. political landscape. The Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and continued division between the country’s political parties appear to be at the center of the committee’s decision.
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When treating low-risk stable chest pain, what’s the most cost-effective imaging option?
When patients present with low-risk stable chest pain (SCP), anatomic imaging strategies—coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA), for example—may be more cost-effective than functional strategies, according to new research published in JAMA Network Open.
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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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HeartCare Imaging, Inc. | Phone: 561-746-6125 | Fax: 561-741-2036 | info@heartcareimaging.com |
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