Single-Dose Flu Drug Reduces Spread Within Households
Only 1.9% of uninfected household contacts who took a single dose of baloxavir marboxil came down with the flu.
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Mortality
Tip of the Iceberg: Existing Racial Inequalities in Death from COVID-19 Will Soar
Lifesaving innovations for COVID-19 will only markedly increase the already existing racial inequalities, if public health initiatives for equitable dissemination throughout all communities are not immediately developed. The introduction of drugs for HIV, respiratory distress syndrome, and hepatitis C resulted in racial inequalities. Moreover, before the introduction of the Salk polio vaccine in 1952, initially, black Americans experienced significantly lower rates of paralytic polio than white Americans. By 1959, after the widespread distribution of the vaccine, the reverse was true.
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Racial Inequalities in Liver Cancer Deaths Soared After Launch of Hepatitis C Drugs
A study explored racial inequalities in death from liver cancer before and after the introduction of lifesaving drugs for hepatitis C. Results showed that from 1979 to 1998, racial inequalities in mortality from liver cancer in the U.S. were declining. But, from 1998 to 2016, of the 16,770 deaths from liver cancer among blacks, the excess relative to whites increased from 27.8 percent to 45.4 percent. Concurrently, racial inequalities in death decreased for major risk factors for liver cancer, such as alcohol and diabetes.
Read moreA new approach to measuring inequalities in development
A new study for the first time systematically explored and compared the use of the Human Life Indicator as a viable alternative to the conventional Human Development Index.
Read moreHeart attack, stroke risk declines among people with diabetes
The rate of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular complications has improved among people with diabetes over the past 20 years, narrowing the gap in cardiovascular mortality rates between individuals with and without diabetes, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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A New Way to Accurately Estimate COVID-19 Death Toll
A Rutgers engineer has created a mathematical model that accurately estimates the death toll linked to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and could be used around the world. The model, detailed in a study published in the journal Mathematics, predicted the death toll would eventually reach about 68,120 in the United States as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19. That’s based on data available on April 28, and there was high confidence (99 percent) the expected death toll would be between 66,055 and 70,304.
Read moreThyroid hormone use may raise death risk in older adults
Thyroid hormone replacement therapy in older adults is associated with a higher risk of death compared with no treatment, a large study finds. The study results were accepted for presentation at ENDO 2020, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, and publication in a special supplemental section of the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
Read moreLow-income older adults dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid have substantially higher mortality rates than adults solely enrolled in Medicare
In a new study published today in JAMA, a team of researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) evaluated how health outcomes for low-income older adults who are dually enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid have changed since the early 2000s.
Read moreResearchers Challenge New Guidelines on Aspirin in Primary Prevention
New guidelines recommend aspirin use in primary prevention for people ages 40 to 70 years old who are at higher risk of a first cardiovascular event, but not for those over 70. Yet, people over 70 are at higher risks of cardiovascular events than those under 70. As a result, health care providers are understandably confused about whether or not to prescribe aspirin for primary prevention of heart attacks or strokes, and if so, to whom.
Read moreAn egg a day not tied to risk of heart disease
The controversy about whether eggs are good or bad for your heart health may be solved, and about one a day is fine. A team of researchers from the Population Health Research Institute of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences found the answer by analyzing data from three large, long-term multinational studies.
Most Rehabilitating Sea Turtles with Infectious Tumors Don’t Survive
Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is the most significant infectious disease affecting sea turtle populations worldwide. FB leads to tumors on the turtles’ eyes, flippers and internal organs and is widespread in warmer climates like Florida. A large-scale study evaluated tumor score, removal and regrowth in rehabilitating green sea turtles with FP in the southeastern U.S. from 2009 to 2017, and found that 75 percent did not survive following admission into a rehabilitation facility, irrespective of whether or not tumor regrowth occurred after surgery.
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Sepsis Associated with 1 in 5 Deaths Globally, Double Previous Estimate
Twice as many people as previously believed are dying of sepsis worldwide, according to an analysis published today in The Lancet and announced at the Critical Care Reviews annual meeting in Belfast. Among them are a disproportionately high number of children in poor areas.
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