Medicare/Managed Care     Home About Us Biotech/Pharma Careers Clinical Trials FDA Medicare/Managed Care New Drug Applications Regulation Stock Selection Contact Us   Hot News           Info Box   More Comparative Studies Needed to Guide Physicians Comparative effectiveness studies currently are underutilized and should be increased to better guide physicians in the effective everyday use of current therapies, according to a review in the March 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Q&A: Filing untimely claims Get your questions answered on coverage and filing limits. Rosuvastatin Protects Against Reperfusion-Related Damage Rosuvastatin protects against injury from ischemia and reperfusion through a cyclooxygenase-2-dependent mechanism, which may explain why cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors have negative cardiovascular side-effects, according to a study in the March 9 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Oral Drug for Post-Knee Surgery Thromboprophylaxis Assessed Patients who undergo knee replacement surgery can be given the oral medication apixaban for thromboprophylaxis instead of enoxaparin, and it is effective and confers no additional risk of bleeding, according to a study in the March 6 issue of The Lancet. Olmesartan Slows Sclerosis Progression in Angina Patients Olmesartan, an angiotensin-II receptor blocker, slows the rate of coronary atheroma progression in patients with stable angina pectoris, according to a study in the March 9 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. National health system to offer webcam visits Ascension Health will offer online and Web camera visits to patients beginning in the spring. Elderly patients skip care when copays increase, according to study Elderly patients forgo care when copayments for office visits increase, leading to increased hospital time, according to a new study. Statin Reduces Cardiovascular Events, Mortality in CKD Rosuvastatin (Crestor) reduces all-cause mortality and the incidence of first cardiovascular events among subjects with moderate chronic kidney disease, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of less than 130 mg/dL, and elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, according to research published online March 3 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Study Compares Drugs for Absence Epilepsy in Children Ethosuximide and valproic acid are more effective for treating childhood absence epilepsy than lamotrigine, and ethosuximide treatment results in fewer adverse attentional effects, according to research published in the March 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Norepinephrine and Dopamine Treatment for Shock Compared in patients with shock, treatment with dopamine and norepinephrine results in similar overall death rates, but dopamine causes more adverse events and may pose a safety risk for patients in cardiogenic shock, according to a study in the March 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Study Assesses Costs Related to Poor Discectomy Outcomes The costs related to poor outcomes following discectomy may be underappreciated, and technologies to improve outcomes could be cost-neutral even at a considerable price, according to research published in the February issue of The Spine Journal. AUA records victories in the Senate as 21.2% cut looms As this issue of Urology Times went to press, passage of major health care reform legislation—on which AUA and other health care groups had devoted considerable time, energy, and resources—was in jeopardy. Billing for urology supplies: Rules may vary by payer When it comes to Medicare, supplies are included for all services provided in the office setting. MGMA: Practices unhappy with PQRI Medical practice leaders continue to experience administrative challenges reporting data for Medicare?s Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, according to results of a survey recently released by the Medical Group Management Association. Specifically, respondents reported difficulty accessing the feedback reports and said that the presentation of information in the reports was not satisfactory. One-Third of 20-Somethings in U.S. Lack Health Insurance A large proportion of young adults in the United States are without health insurance, and men in this age group are more likely to be uninsured than women, according to a new report issued Feb. 24 by the National Center for Health Statistics. Physicians Working Fewer Hours for Lower Fees Physicians in the United States have been working fewer hours for lower fees in the past decade, according to research published in the Feb. 24 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Novartis Updates Exjade Prescribing Information Novartis Oncology has alerted health care professionals about changes in the prescribing information for deferasirox (Exjade), a treatment for chronic iron overload due to blood transfusions in patients 2 years of age and older, according to a Feb. 18 safety alert issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Reviewing Safety of HIV Antiretroviral Combination The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has alerted health care professionals and consumers that the HIV drug combination of saquinavir (Invirase) and ritonavir (Norvir) may increase the risk of potentially serious cardiac arrhythmias in a dose-dependent manner.This is an early communication from the FDA with ongoing review of the data. Strategies Assist Doctors in Saying 'No' to Patients When primary care physicians need to deny patient requests for tests and treatments, strategies that incorporate the patient perspective may be most effective, according to a study in the Feb. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. Hospital-Acquired Infections Impose Heavy Burden Hospital-acquired sepsis and pneumonia impose a significant financial and clinical burden, according to a study published in the Feb. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, while another study found that hospitals that keep costs down do not necessarily have poorer quality of care or higher readmission rates. Medical Checklists Needed to Improve Care and Outcomes The checklists so common in aviation and many professions are underused in medicine and, if more widely adopted, would provide powerful tools to standardize care and improve patient outcomes, according to an article published Dec. 31 in Critical Care. Bevacizumab Reduces Nose Bleeds in Inherited Condition The vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor bevacizumab administered by intranasal injection, or even by topical nasal spray, can effectively treat epistaxis from hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, according to reports published in The Laryngoscope. Q&A: Assessing your practice's lines of business Get your questions answered on what parts of your business to analyze on a yearly basis. California limits appointment wait times Ten business days is the most time California private health plan members will have to wait for a non-urgent appointment with a primary care physician. Halting Anticoagulants Lowers Post-Ablation Stroke Risk Patients who undergo atrial fibrillation ablation are less likely to have a stroke if they stop taking oral anticoagulants after a few months, according to a study in the Feb. 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Many Adults in Utah Report Using Opioids Incorrectly In 2008, one-fifth of adults in Utah had been prescribed an opioid pain medication in the past year, with some respondents reporting use of these medications despite no prescription for them, according to an article in the Feb. 19 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. LABAs Can Harm Asthma Patients When Used Alone The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that long-acting beta agonists should never be used alone to treat asthma in children or adults. Initial Clopidogrel Response May Predict Final Response In patients with acute coronary syndrome, a slow clopidogrel response within the first hour after loading may identify those with a low response after 24 hours and high post-treatment platelet reactivity, according to a study in the Feb. 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Drug Addition Found to Reduce Multiple Sclerosis Activity The addition of daclizumab to interferon beta treatment reduces brain lesion formation in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis, possibly by increasing the number of a subset of natural killer cells, according to a study published online Feb. 16 in The Lancet Neurology. Drug Combo Shows Benefits in Chronic Kidney Disease In hypertensive patients with high cardiovascular risk, benazepril and amlodipine are better at reducing progression of chronic kidney disease than benazepril with hydrochlorothiazide, according to research published online Feb. 18 in The Lancet. Cardiac Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy Studied Hormone replacement therapy that includes estrogen plus progestin may not reduce the risk for coronary heart disease during the first several years of treatment in women who started hormone therapy near menopause, according to research published in the Feb. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Outcomes Found to Be Poor in South Carolina Stroke Patients In South Carolina, patients hospitalized for an initial stroke have an elevated short- and long-term risk of recurrent stroke, heart attack, vascular death, and all-cause death, according to a study in the Feb. 16 issue of Neurology. Treating Herpes May Slow HIV in Co-Infected Patients In patients co-infected with HIV-1 and herpes simplex virus type 2, treating the herpes infection with acyclovir likely delays the progression of HIV, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in The Lancet. Supplement Shown to Be Helpful in Metformin Patients In patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome taking metformin, folic acid supplementation may help enhance metformin's benefits on the vascular endothelium, and maintain homocysteine levels, according to research published in the February issue of Diabetes Care. Mnemonic Device for Patient Decision-Making Assessed Clinicians who must quickly assess a patient's capacity to make an emergency treatment decision can now fall back on a new mnemonic device, "CURVES," developed at Johns Hopkins University and reviewed in the February issue of Chest. Fenofibrate Linked to Lower Creatinine Clearance Long-term use of fenofibrate in type 2 diabetes is linked to lowered measures of renal function but has no effect on albumin excretion rate, according to research published in the February issue of Diabetes Care. Vesicoureteral Reflux Treatment in Children Studied The treating hospital is the most important factor affecting treatment choice in children with vesicoureteral reflux, a condition characterized by an abnormal flow of urine from the bladder back into the ureter, according to research published online Feb. 8 in Pediatrics. Antiplatelet Therapy Approaches for PCI Evaluated Patients who receive a loading dose of clopidogrel just before percutaneous coronary intervention have similar ischemic and mortality outcomes to those who receive the antiplatelet therapy well in advance of the procedure (as recommended in professional guidelines), according to research published in the Feb. 1 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology. Protein May Block Letrozole Therapy in Breast Cancer The overexpression of low-molecular-weight cyclin E in the tumors of many menopausal women with estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancers nullifies the effects of letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor. However, letrozole's effect can be restored by adding the cyclin-dependent kinase 2 inhibitor roscovitine to treatment, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Clinical Cancer Research. Systemic Treatment Deemed Effective for Giant-Cell Tumor Denosumab, an antibody that targets cells involved in bone destruction, is the first systemic treatment shown to be effective in treating giant-cell tumor, a rare osteolytic tumor that can metastasize to the lung, according to a study published online Feb. 10 in The Lancet Oncology. BP Drugs, Retinal Vessel Diameter in Diabetes Studied In patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus who have normal blood pressure, neither angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors nor angiotensin-receptor blockers have an effect on retinal arteriole or venule diameter, according to a study in the February issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology. Tamoxifen Treatment Linked to Worse Cognitive Function Postmenopausal women with breast cancer have worse cognitive function after treatment with tamoxifen but not exemestane, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Bedside Blood Test Found to Detect Anticoagulation Status A new bedside blood test can be used to determine the sufficiency of anticoagulation in patients who are about to undergo catheterization or percutaneous coronary intervention, according to a study in the Feb. 16 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Neutralizing Antibodies to Interferon Beta May Persist After cessation of interferon beta therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, neutralizing antibodies to interferon beta can persist, and their presence is associated with poorer clinical outcomes, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in the Archives of Neurology. Paroxetine May Compromise the Efficacy of Tamoxifen Women with breast cancer who take tamoxifen and the antidepressant paroxetine (Paxil), which has been hypothesized to reduce the effectiveness of tamoxifen, may be at higher risk of dying of breast cancer, according to research published online Feb. 8 in BMJ. Reimbursement Changes in Office Endoscopies Studied A 2005 increase in Medicare reimbursement to encourage office-based endoscopic surgeries for bladder cancer instead of more costly hospital surgeries had the unintended effect of disproportionately increasing in-office procedures and driving up Medicare costs, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in Cancer. Outcomes Improving in Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis In patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis, intensive medical therapy has significantly reduced microemboli on transcranial Doppler as well as cardiovascular events, according to a study in the February issue of the Archives of Neurology. Behavioral Health Factors Linked to HPV Vaccination Certain behavioral health factors may potentially be associated with human papillomavirus vaccine acceptability, according to research published in the February issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Few Women Taking Tamoxifen to Prevent Breast Cancer Well below 1 percent of American women without a personal history of breast cancer have been taking tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer in the past decade, according to a report in the February issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Glaucoma Drugs Associated With Lower Mortality Among glaucoma patients, the use of any class of glaucoma drug is associated with a significantly lower likelihood of dying, according to a study published in the February issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.   Copyright © 2006. BioHQ.com. All rights reserved.