The recent retrospective cohort study conducted by Cindy X. Cai, MD, and colleagues sheds light on the impact of social determinants of health on the severity of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). The study revealed that patients residing in neighborhoods with higher Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and lower per capita income were more likely to present
Health
With the ongoing COVID-19 crisis straining hospital resources, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver in 2020. This initiative allowed hospitals to provide hospital-level care to patients in the comfort of their own homes. More than 300 hospitals across 37 states have taken advantage of this
When John J. Pippin, MD, was in medical school years ago, live animals were a standard part of learning human physiology. Pippin, now the director of academic affairs for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), has been working to advocate against the use of animals in medical training. The PCRM is known for its
Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, has recently welcomed its first class of medical students at the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine. This partnership with U.S. healthcare giant HCA Healthcare marks a significant milestone in medical education in the region. The inaugural class consists of 50 students who received their white coats last week
In a recent exploratory pilot study, it was found that intermittent calorie restriction may have a positive impact on executive function and memory in cognitively intact older adults. The study, conducted over an 8-week period, included 40 overweight older adults with insulin resistance who were randomly assigned to either a 5:2 intermittent fasting plan or
An FDA advisory committee recently voted 11-5 in favor of the efficacy of arimoclomol, an investigative treatment for Niemann-Pick disease type C. However, despite the majority vote, some committee members still expressed concerns about the treatment. If the FDA ultimately approves arimoclomol, it would be the first indicated treatment for this ultra-rare and fatal neurovisceral
The FDA recently granted accelerated approval to afamitresgene autoleucel (afami-cel, Tecelra) for the treatment of advanced synovial sarcoma, marking a significant milestone in cancer therapy. This engineered cell therapy represents a new option for patients with unresectable or metastatic disease who have previously undergone chemotherapy. Synovial sarcoma is a rare soft-tissue cancer that predominantly affects
A recent study based on the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) has highlighted the association between the presence of non-essential and essential metals in urine and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality. The study found that various metals such as cadmium, tungsten, uranium, cobalt, copper, and zinc were linked to increased incidence
The recently released proposed Medicare fee schedule for physicians and other healthcare professionals in 2025 has sparked concerns within the healthcare community. One of the primary issues highlighted in the proposal is the significant decrease in the Medicare “conversion factor” (CF), which is used to determine payment rates for services and procedures. This decrease means
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s administration recently received approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for a groundbreaking proposal aimed at providing financial incentives to hospitals in the state. The goal of this initiative is to help hospitals eliminate patients’ medical debt and implement policies that deter future liabilities. Under this new