Archive for March, 2009
« Previous EntriesInsurers shun those taking certain meds
Sunday, March 29th, 2009How health insurers secretly blacklist those with certain ailments.
Source: Miami Herald
Trying to buy health insurance on your own and have gallstones? You’ll automatically be denied coverage. Rheumatoid arthritis? Automatic denial. Severe acne? Probably denied. Do you take metformin, a popular drug for diabetes? Denied. Use the anti-clotting drug Plavix or Seroquel, prescribed for anti-psychotic or [...]
Heart Disease: Combined Treatment Is Best
Thursday, March 26th, 2009Heart Patients Fare Better When They Fix Both Blood Pressure and Cholesterol, Study Shows
Source: Web MD
Heart disease patients who achieve normal blood pressure and very low cholesterol levels with aggressive drug therapy do better than patients who achieve only one of these goals, new research suggests.
Using ultrasound to identify plaque buildup within the artery walls [...]
New Treatments Improve Control for Severe Asthma
Friday, March 20th, 2009Over just one decade, new asthma medications and tools have significantly improved the management of this serious airway disease.
When compared to children treated in the mid-’90s, children with severe asthma during 2004 to 2007 were less likely to need oral steroids and rescue inhalers, and their lung function scores were improved, according to a study [...]
Drug Sales in U.S. Rise at Slowest Rate in 47 Years
Friday, March 20th, 2009Retail sales of prescription drugs in the U.S. showed the slowest growth in at least 47 years, as cheaper pills and the recession cut spending.
Sales of medicines for 2008 rose 1.3 percent to $291 billion, said IMS Health Inc., which compiled the data, in a statement today. That compares with a 3.8 percent increase in [...]
Drug Cost Cutting Could Prove Dangerous
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009Everyone is looking for ways to make ends meet.
However, a just-released Consumer Reports survey shows that some people are cutting corners in ways that could actually be jeopardizing their health.
Sticker shock is taking a toll at the pharmacy counter.
A Consumer Reports Health poll of more than 2,000 Americans reveals 66 percent didn’t know the cost [...]
Poll shows patients, physicians do not discuss prescription prices.
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009WebMD (3/17, Zwillich) reported that a Consumers Union poll of about 2,000 adults (+ / - 3.4 percentage points) from Jan. 15-19 found that most “patients never talk about price when getting a drug prescription from their doctor, and few confront the actual price of their drugs before it’s time to pay at the pharmacy.” [...]
Some pharmacists helping patients obtain pills that can be split.
Thursday, March 12th, 2009CNN (3/12, Kavilanz) reports, “More consumers, struggling to contain medical expenses, are resorting to ‘pill cutting’ to make their prescriptions last longer.” Meanwhile, “at some drug stores, pharmacists are stepping in to help cash-strapped customers get the option to split their pills.” Walgreen spokesman Robert Elsinger “said he’s learned anecdotally of many instances over the [...]
Alternate day dosing of rosuvastatin
Thursday, March 12th, 2009Daily dosing of rosuvastatin (Crestor) provides statistically better LDL-C lowering than alternate daily dosing, according to the results of a new study. Rosuvastatin has a longer half-life than other statins, which led the authors to examine the feasibility of alternate daily dosing.
The crossover study compared rosuvastatin 20 mg every other day to rosuvastatin 10 mg [...]
Digestion not hurt by heartburn meds
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009Pills to curb acid in stomach tame pain but leave plenty to process food
Source: YOU DOCS
Q. I have GERD and take Nexium (a proton pump inhibitor) for it. Does reducing the amount of acid in my stomach slow the digestion of food. — Tracie
A. Not likely. Proton-pump inhibitors such as Nexium and Prilosec reduce the [...]
Effective Treatments Available for Anxiety Disorder
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009When worries pile up, seem inescapable and interfere with day-to-day activities, it’s time to see a doctor. Overwhelming worry is a symptom of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The March issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers the symptoms of GAD and treatment options.
With generalized anxiety disorder, shedding worries is difficult, even when the worry is [...]
