Medicare, Medicaid to cover weight loss drug for heart disease risk
By
John Roszkowski
Mar 25, 2024
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services disclosed last week it will provide coverage for the popular weight loss drug Wegovy for patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Vision contrast issues may increase the likelihood of falls in older adults
By
John Roszkowski
Mar 25, 2024
Older adults with contrast sensitivity impairment are at greater risk for falls than those without vision problems, a new study found.
Clinical briefs for Monday, March 25
By
John Roszkowski
Mar 25, 2024
Long genes linked to aging … Fat buildup in brain cells may cause Alzheimer’s … Drug shows no benefit for dry age-related macular degeneration in NIH trial … Neurologic disease may be higher for...
Clinical briefs for Friday, March 22
By
Kristen Fischer
Mar 22, 2024
Heart damage, COVID-19 lung infection linked … Study finds genetic variants tied to Alzheimer’s disease … Anxiety, depression treatment helps heart disease … FDA OKs Tryvio for high blood pressure
Talk therapy may be better for long-term care residents with depression but verdict still out, study...
By
Kristen Fischer
Mar 22, 2024
Psychotherapy, or “talk therapy,” may be better at treating depression compared to other methods in older adults residing in long-term care communities. Talk therapy also may do more good than other...
CMS discharge program isn’t reaching those with highest readmission risks: study
By
Kristen Fischer
Mar 22, 2024
A new report took a deeper dive to see if the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ transitional care management (TCM) program is reaching those most at risk. Even though the program is designed to...
Group re-assessing antipsychotic label warning
By
Kristen Fischer
Mar 22, 2024
Project PAUSE (Psychoactive Appropriate Use for Safety and Effectiveness) will hold a workshop exploring black box warnings on antipsychotic medication instructions, especially for older adults.
Black, Hispanic adults on Medicare with dementia face higher costs, study shows
By
Kristen Fischer
Mar 21, 2024
Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic people on Medicare had higher costs to treat their dementia compared to non-Hispanic white people. In fact, costs were highest for Non-Hispanic Black individuals during...
Report: Caregivers, healthcare workers struggle to navigate dementia care
By
Kristen Fischer
Mar 21, 2024
People caring for those with dementia — who include family members and healthcare workers — say it’s hard to navigate the disease within the US health system, according to the Alzheimer’s Association...
Dementia diagnosis can lag because of lack of access to neurologists, study finds
By
Kristen Fischer
Mar 21, 2024
The process of receiving a dementia diagnosis can be long and difficult, but some people have an even harder time because they can’t access neurologists. The disparities are based on race and ethnicity,...