Health Politics. Politics affects health, hospital management, physicians and patients in a big way. Dr. David Samadi will explore major national and global health political issues and debates affecting the patient outcome. Learn what you need to know and get Dr. Samadi's take.
A new study finds obesity rates of many US states are actually higher than previously thought. The research is based on doctors’ measurements of peoples’ height and weight. Previous reports were based on people’s own report. The problem is not that people underestimate their weight, but they overestimate their height. Previous reports said most states have rates under 30%, and no states have a rate over 40%.
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Losing weight and keeping it off is a struggle for many people out there. More often than not, people who have lost weight tend to gain it back rather than keep it off. But why is this? What in our nature makes it easier to gain the weight back than keep it off? Recent research has sought to find out what happens after weight loss that leads to weight re-gain. What scientists found was that this weight regain is actually a survival mechanism from our days as hunter gatherers. So when we lose weight our body see this as a threat to survival and starts of circulated hormones which affect our appetite. This leads to over-eating and weight regain.
Read MoreEvery year, thousands of people end up in the emergency room as a result of using supplements for various purposes such as for an energy boost, to lose weight or build muscle mass.
Read MoreDid you know that Americans are spending more on healthcare than any other industrialized nation? While this may not be a surprise to all people, what is a surprise is that simultaneously Americans also have one of the lowest life expectancies.
Read MoreU.S. tobacco companies on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration hoping to stop the agency from enforcing a directive on changes to a tobacco product’s labeling or quantity
Read MoreA new study suggests that when patients are hospitalized more than once in the same month. It may have more to do with their income or education levels than the quality of care they received.
According to the analysis of data from Medicare, patients 85 and older are more likely to return to the hospital within 30 days of being sent home than people a decade or two younger.
Patients also have higher odds of returning soon after discharge if they lack a high school diploma, have limited income and assets or have health benefits from Medicaid.
The White House isn't likely to wait long to challenge Wednesday's ruling allowing House Republicans to sue the Obama administration for spending federal funds on the Affordable Care Act's cost-sharing assistance.
Read MoreAn alarming new study released in England showed that an early cancer diagnosis depends on where you live, meaning the level of care you have direct access too. Some patients across the country were even shown to have an early diagnosis of the disease more than 4 times other patients. It also showed that insurance companies specifically have carried 25 times more scans for tumor detection. Why is this an issue? Let's explore.
Read MoreA U.S-backed panel of independent medical experts are not recommended a daily low-dose of aspirin for people between the ages of 50-59 at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition to preventing heart attack and stroke, some people may also reduce their risk of colon cancer if they take aspirin for at least 10 years. This was stated by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. This recommendation is more narrow than the group's previous recommendation which segmented out the guidelines based on gender.
Read MoreAs a result to New York City's board of health, fast food chains and popular chain restaurants will not be required to have warning labels on restaurant foods that contain more than a day's worth of sodium which is currently at 2,300 mg. The American Heart Association is in full support for the new initiative because sodium is highly linked to high blood pressure and heart disease risk. It also causes bloating which means cutting down on sodium is one of the fastest ways to flatten the belly. 2300 mg might sound like a lot until you find out that one of those mini salt packages add up to a total of 189 mg of sodium.
Read MoreThe FDA is now taking action by issuing warnings to 5 distributors of pure powdered caffeine which is a potentially dangerous product, that's been tied to the deaths of two men. This action was followed up by an FDA alert in 2014 as a warning to all consumers regarding these products. It is nearly impossible to accurately measure pure powdered caffeine, according to the FDA. Consumers can mistakenly and easily consume a lethal amount of the powder. The amount is so small but even common kitchen serving utensils aren't accurate enough to measure the amount that should be in a single serving size.
Read MoreRepublicans in Congress are again demanding the government to cut all funding for Planned Parenthood which has been around for over a 100 years, providing women's health services. This latest uproar sparked after videos of officials from Planned Parenthood went record discussing compensation for providing fetal tissue from abortions. Other challenges the group is facing is with the Affordable Care Act. Formerly uninsured women are not less reliant on Planned Parenthood for access to birth control, abortions and other reproductive healthcare.
Read MoreAnthem will buy Cigna for about $54.2 billion, creating the largest U.S. health insurer by membership and accelerating the industry's consolidation from five national players to three. The proposed acquisition, the health insurance industry's largest, comes three weeks after Aetna Inc agreed to buy Humana Inc for $37 billion. Health insurers are finding it tougher to raise prices following the roll-out of President Barack Obama's healthcare law, while grappling with soaring expenses of medications including cancer drugs that can cost each patient more than $100,000 a year.
Read MorePuerto Rico is beginning to face another budget cut to a highly-used Medicare program as well as an alarming shortage of Medicaid funds. The health care system is moving towards a crisis which could further undermine the island's gutted economy. The first sign of this crisis regarding the health care system was seriously in trouble when a large amount of doctors, a total of 3,000 in 5 years, began to leave the island for better positions, more money and less stress in the United States.
Read MoreLegionnaires’ disease has killed a total of 12 people in the South Bronx of New York ever since the outbreak began on July 10th. However, according to the New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, the outbreak is on the decline. He said there have been no new reported cases in a week. The most recent case of the illness was reported over a week ago. So far in New York, there have been a total of 113 cases of Legionnaires’ disease since July. And among those people who have been hospitalized, 76 had been released from the hospital since the beginning of this week.
Read MoreIt seems New Yorkers are beginning to worry in response to the seven people who have died from the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak this week in the Bronx. Even though all of the victims were older adults with other underlying medical conditions, young people can become infected as well if the disease lives in a concentrated area, usually a building. A total of 81 cases were reported and 64 of those infected have been hospitalized.
Read MoreA new cholesterol lowering drug called Praluent was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and introduced to the market. Praluent is said to be a better alternative to statins. There are millions of people in the United States that currently take statins. Statins are a medication that people take to lower cholesterol in order to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Examples of statins include Lipitor, Lescol, Altoprev, Livalo, Pravachol, Crestor and Zocor.
Read MoreA group of 118 leading cancer experts have developed a list of proposals designed to reduce the cost of cancer drugs. Also in support of a grassroots patient protest movement to pressure drug companies to charge what they deem a fair value for treatments. Experts include former presidents of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology. An insured cancer patient who needs a drug that costs $120,000 a year would pay as much as $30,000 in out-of-pocket costs, which is more than half of the average U.S. household income of $52,000.
Read MoreThe Food and Drug Administration is strengthening warnings on some common painkillers saying they cause increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The FDA conducted a review on new safety information and now want the drug makers to change the warning labels on certain NSAIDs. NSAIDs, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are over-the-counter or prescription medications such as Advil, Ibuprofen, Aleve, Naprosyn, or Celebrex.
Read MoreHeroin use has been increasing at an alarming rate. The number of people who have died as a result of heroin use has nearly quadrupled in the last decade. What is the reason for the significant increase in heroin deaths? Firstly, the drug is getting cheaper. Secondly, more and more people are becoming addicted to prescription painkillers after having surgery or simply taking them for recreational use. Many people often end up using heroin once their doctor will no longer provide them with a prescription.
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