Health Policy News

January 25, 2025

Top Headlines

While Most Americans Use a Device to Monitor Their Heart, Few Share That Data With Their Doctor

Jan. 22, 2025 — A new national survey found that while many Americans use a device to monitor their heart, few share that data with their ...

Researchers Track Sharp Increase in Diagnoses for Sedative, Hypnotic and Anxiety Use Disorder in Young Adults

Jan. 23, 2025 — The prevalence of diagnosed disorders from recurrent use of sedative, hypnotic and anti-anxiety medications in adolescents and young adults has increased sharply since 2001, according to researchers. ...

How Improving Education Could Close Maternal Heart Health Gaps

Jan. 15, 2025 — Research has established a clear link between racial and ethnic disparities in maternal heart health and higher risks of preterm birth, preeclampsia and cardiovascular issues for Black and Hispanic mothers and their ...

Small-Scale Fisheries Essential to Global Nutrition, Livelihoods

Jan. 15, 2025 — Small-scale fisheries play a significant but overlooked role in global fisheries production and are key to addressing hunger and malnutrition while supporting livelihoods around the world, according to new research. The study rigorously quantified ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:53pm EST

Medicare Rules May Reduce Prescription Steering

Jan. 10, 2025 — Researchers have found that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) -- organizations that negotiate access to medicines for most patients in the United States -- steer patients to use their own pharmacies. ...

What Is the Average Wait Time to See a Neurologist in US?

Jan. 8, 2025 — Older people wait an average of just over a month to see a neurologist for specialty care after being referred by their primary care physician or another physician, according to a new study. The ...

'Sandwich Carers' Experience Decline in Mental and Physical Health

Jan. 6, 2025 — People who care for both their children and older family members -- also known as 'sandwich carers' -- suffer from deterioration in both their mental and physical health over time, finds a new ...

Tuberculosis Strains Resistant to New Drugs Are Transmitted Between Patients

Jan. 6, 2025 — Tuberculosis (TB) is the world's biggest infectious disease killer with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) posing a particular threat to global health. ...

Modeling Tool Affirms Critical Role of Testing in Pandemic Response

Jan. 3, 2025 — A study found public-private partnerships to develop, produce and distribute COVID-19 diagnostic tests saved approximately 1.4 million lives and prevented an estimated 7 million patient ...

Study Finds Physical Activity Reduces Chronic Disease Risk

Jan. 2, 2025 — A study underscores the value of physical activity. Researchers found patients who responded in a survey that they are physically active have a statistically significant lower risk of having 19 ...

Research on Clozapine Safety: Big-Data Evidence on Rare Blood Cancer Cases

Jan. 2, 2025 — An inter-departmental research team has conducted an analytic real-world cohort study on the association of clozapine, a highly efficacious antipsychotic drug, with the incidence of blood cancer. ...

Digital Healthcare Consultations Not Enough for Safe Assessment of Tonsillitis

Dec. 27, 2024 — Digital healthcare consultations are not enough for a safe assessment of tonsillitis, according to a new study. Reliability will not be sufficient, ...

Public Shows Greater Acceptance of RSV Vaccine as Vaccine Hesitancy Appears to Have Plateaued

Dec. 23, 2024 — A year after becoming available, vaccines to protect against RSV in newborns and older adults are being more widely accepted by the American public, ...

New Recommendations to Increase Transparency and Tackle Potential Bias in Medical AI Technologies

Dec. 18, 2024 — A new set of recommendations aims to help improve the way datasets are used to build Artificial intelligence (AI) health technologies and reduce the ...

Economic Burden of Tooth Decay Is Highest in Deprived Groups, New Study Reveals

Dec. 26, 2024 — The economic impact of dental caries (tooth decay) is disproportionately higher in the most deprived groups, new research ...

A Tropical Disease in Switzerland: Call for Coordinated Action on Chagas Disease

Dec. 20, 2024 — Researchers conducted a comprehensive review of Chagas disease in Switzerland. Although typically found in Latin America, Chagas disease affects between 2,000 and 4,000 people in Switzerland. The ...

Genetic Testing Changes Course of Care in Children With Neurodevelopmental Conditions

Dec. 18, 2024 — Adding genetic testing to the evaluation of pediatric patients with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) resulted in more individualized ...

Microplastics in the Air May Be Leading to Lung and Colon Cancers

Dec. 18, 2024 — Tires and degrading garbage shed tiny pieces of plastic into the air, creating a form of air pollution that researchers suspect may be causing respiratory and other ...

Air Pollution in India Linked to Millions of Deaths

Dec. 11, 2024 — A new study shows that long-term exposure to air pollution contributes to millions of deaths in India. The research emphasizes the need for stricter air quality regulations in the ...

Empowering Older Adults With Home-Care Robots

Dec. 10, 2024 — The rapidly increasing aging population will lead to a shortage of care providers in the future. While robotic technologies are a potential alternative, their widespread use is limited by poor ...

Americans Are Uninformed About and Undervaccinated for HPV

Dec. 10, 2024 — Research shows that HPV accounts for 70% of all throat cancers, but only one-third of the public is aware that HPV causes throat ...

Getting a Grip on Health Norms: Handgrip Strength

Dec. 6, 2024 — A groundbreaking study has created the world's largest and most geographically comprehensive international norms for handgrip strength, enabling global peer-comparison, health screening and ...

Antipsychotic Medications Don't Always Work the Way They're Supposed to

Dec. 6, 2024 — A study analyzed data from nearly 500,000 Canadian patients who lived in nursing homes across Canada between 2000 and 2022. It found that residents who were given antipsychotic medications showed a ...

Study Shows Significant Rise in Psychotherapy Use Among Adults, but Gains Are Uneven Across Socioeconomic Groups

Dec. 4, 2024 — Access to psychotherapy has risen substantially among U.S. adults with mild to moderate distress since 2018, according to a new study. The increase in psychotherapy use is particularly notable among ...

Home and Neighborhood Environments Impact Sedentary Behavior in Teens Globally

Dec. 3, 2024 — Adolescents worldwide are spending an average of 8 to 10 hours per day engaging in sedentary activities such as watching television, using electronic devices, playing video games and riding in ...

Even Low Levels of Arsenic in Drinking Water Raise Kidney Cancer Risk

Dec. 2, 2024 — New research findings indicate that exposure to even low levels of arsenic poses significant health risks, including an increased risk of kidney ...

Revisiting Vitamin D Guidelines

Dec. 2, 2024 — In June of 2024, the Endocrine Society, influenced by a substantial body of research conducted in recent years, published new clinical practice guidelines for the testing and supplementation of ...

Eliminating Physical Activity Disparities Between Male and Female Youth Could Save Hundreds of Millions of Dollars, New Study Says

Nov. 26, 2024 — Eliminating current physical activity disparities between male and female youth in the United States could save around $780 million for each new cohort of six-to-17-year-olds, according to a new ...

Home Testing Kits and Coordinated Outreach Substantially Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates

Nov. 25, 2024 — Colorectal cancer screening is an effective tool for catching the disease early when it's most treatable, yet it is underutilized at federally qualified health centers (FQHC). A new study ...

Online Health Care Reviews Turned Negative Following COVID Pandemic

Nov. 25, 2024 — Researchers showed online reviews of health facilities took a negative turn after COVID and remain that ...

Troubling Spike in Severe Pregnancy-Related Complications

Nov. 22, 2024 — A new study reveals a troubling rise in severe maternal health issues and birth complications in Illinois from 2016 to 2023, closely linked to increases in chronic health conditions affecting ...

How Educational Attainment May Impact Memory and Dementia Risk Later in Life

Nov. 20, 2024 — Historical policies shaping educational attainment have enduring benefits for later life memory and risk of dementia, according to a new study. The study compared the differences in years of ...

Dementia Risk Prediction: Zero-Minute Assessment at Less Than a Dollar Cost

Nov. 20, 2024 — A study by researchers presents their low cost, scalable methodology for the early identification of individuals at risk of developing dementia. While the condition remains incurable, there are a ...

Climate Change and Air Pollution Could Risk 30 Million Lives Annually by 2100

Nov. 20, 2024 — Mortality attributable to air pollution and extreme temperatures is a major concern, and it is expected to heighten in the future. An international research team found that, under the most probable ...