Health Care News

• Higher BMI raises hospitalization risk in study
  Data on nearly 250,000 Australian participants showed that every additional BMI point was tied to up to a 4% higher risk of being hospitalized for a variety of conditions within a two-year period. The study was published in the International Journal of Obesity. Reuters (10/21)     

• Fertility treatments may slightly increase risk of birth defects
  The use of high-tech assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization was associated with a small increase in the odds of having babies with birth defects, a study showed. Researchers found that treatments such as artificial insemination, intrauterine insemination and fertility-enhancing medications were not tied to a greater birth defect risk. The findings were presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics conference. WebMD (10/20)     

• Smoking raises risk of age-related cataract, global study finds
  People who smoked cigarettes faced a greater risk of developing age-related cataracts than those who never smoked, according to a meta-analysis of studies from five continents. The risk of developing the eye condition was higher among current smokers. The findings appeared in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. United Press International (10/21)     

• Weight loss does not guarantee lower heart risk in diabetes
  Overweight type 2 diabetes patients who underwent a lifestyle intervention lost more weight at one year and four years than those who had a standard diabetes support and education program, the Look AHEAD study revealed. However, those in the lifestyle intervention group did not have lower rates of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke or hospitalizations for angina than those in the standard care group, researchers found. MedPage Today (free registration) (10/19)     

• Hay fever, asthma may ward off colon cancer
  Individuals diagnosed with both hay fever and asthma had a 17% lower risk of dying from colon cancer than those without the conditions, according to a study presented at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. Hay fever and asthma may be signs of a strong immune response that can also ward off colon cancer cells, and the study could lead to a vaccine program, a gastroenterologist said. U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News (10/18)     

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Pharmaceutical News

• Canada warns against simultaneous use of PPIs and methotrexate
  Health Canada warned against possible interaction between proton pump inhibitors, a class of heartburn drugs, and methotrexate, a treatment for autoimmune diseases and cancer. Taking PPIs at the same time as methotrexate may lead to adverse health effects, the agency said. CTV.ca (Canada)/The Canadian Press (10/19)     

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by AANP SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Sleep deprivation affects insulin resistance, study finds (HealthDay News)

• Longer life span, lower BMI are seen among vegetarians (EverydayHealth.com)

• 2 more drugs may be involved in meningitis outbreak, FDA warns (ABC News)

• HbA1C improvements curb 5-year mortality risk in diabetes (InternalMedicineNews.com)

• Healthy lifestyle cuts death risk 37% in women with cancer (HealthDay News)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Emerging Trends, Products and Technologies

• Unintentional injuries are leading cause of child deaths in U.S.
  Unintentional injury claimed the lives of more than 115,000 people aged 19 and younger between 2000 and 2009, making it the leading cause of child death in the U.S., CDC researchers wrote in the Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report. They noted that infants and 15- to 19-year-olds were the most affected age groups and that more than half of the deaths were due to motor vehicle accidents. DoctorsLounge.com/HealthDay News (10/18)     

• Survey: Most seniors report satisfaction with Medicare coverage
  About 90% of Americans 65 and older said they are at least somewhat satisfied with their Medicare coverage, with 61% willing to pay 5% more to maintain their existing coverage and nearly a third who would pay an extra 20%, an Allsup survey found. The survey also found that 88% of seniors are taking generic drugs or are open to using them. Twenty-two percent said they have changed Medicare plans to hold down costs. National Underwriter Life & Health (10/17)     

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Health Policy and Legislative News

• GOP senators request EHR program meeting with CMS, ONC
  Four Republican senators have submitted a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius requesting a meeting with CMS and ONC members regarding EHR attestation and meaningful use. Included in the letter were several questions they would like to have answered by the agencies, including whether taxpayer-subsidized EHRs increase the use of diagnostic tests and whether EHR use has increased the amounts providers are billing to Medicare. Modern Healthcare (subscription required) (10/18), BeckersHospitalReview.com (10/19)     

• Agency to conduct provider call on ICD-10 transition
  CMS will conduct a Medicare Fee-for-Service National Provider Call on Thursday to help health care practitioners and staff prepare for ICD-10 implementation. The call will educate medical professionals on transition points, implantation requirements, local and national coverage determination, and national implementation issues. BeckersASC.com (10/18)     

AANP News

• State Award for Excellence Call for Nominations closes today
  Today is the last day to submit nominations for the 2013 AANP State Award for Excellence. The NP State Award for Excellence is given annually to an NP in each state and Washington, D.C., who has demonstrated excellence in NP clinical practice. The Advocate State Award for Excellence is given annually to an individual in each state who has made a significant contribution toward increasing awareness and acceptance of NPs. Examples of past recipients have been physicians, legislators, educators, etc. NPs are also eligible for the advocate award for nonclinical practice initiatives related to leadership, precepting, policy, politics, research, education or community affairs. You do not need to be an AANP member to nominate or to be nominated. To be eligible for the 2013 award, nominations must be received electronically by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time today, Oct. 22, 2012.     

SmartQuote

The importance of money flows from it being a link between the present and the future." --John Maynard Keynes, British economist