Photo of the arm of an elderly man sitting in a wheelchair.
Aging, Medicare, Palliative Care

Endgame: How the Visionary Hospice Movement Became a For-Profit Hustle

November 28, 2022

It might be counterintuitive to run an enterprise that is wholly dependent on clients who aren’t long for this world, but companies in the hospice business can expect some of the biggest returns for the least amount of effort of any sector in American health care. Medicare pays providers a set rate per patient per day, regardless of how much help they deliver. Since most hospice care takes place at home and nurses aren’t required to visit more than twice a month, it’s not difficult to keep overhead low and to outsource the bulk of the labor to unpaid family members — assuming that willing family members are at hand.

Picture of a white rat in a researcher's gloved hand.
Ethics, Research

What is ethical animal research? A scientist and veterinarian explain

November 23, 2022

Federal research agencies follow guiding principles in evaluating the use and care of animals in research.These principles are summarized by the “3 R’s” of animal research: reduction, refinement and replacement. The 3 R’s encourage scientists to develop new techniques that allow them to replace animals with appropriate alternatives.

Diet, Fitness, Nutrition, Weight Loss

Weight loss treatments are not a permanent fix – that doesn’t mean they ‘don’t work’

November 23, 2022

It is often said that 95% of weight-loss measures don’t work. Only, it’s not true. Advances in behavioural treatments (such as cognitive behavioural therapy) for obesity and weight-loss drugs mean there are lots of approaches that help people lose weight. In fact, weight loss is the easy part . The problem is that when you come off a diet or stop taking a weight-loss drug, the weight will invariably creep back up.

Picture of a man's arm extended pointing an semi-automatic hand gun
Injury Prevention, Law, Public Health

Health Harms of Mass Shootings Ripple Across Communities

November 23, 2022

Research shows that mass shootings lead to higher rates of depression and anxiety and higher risks for suicide among young people. They also lead to an overall decline in a community’s sense of well-being. Some studies suggest that mass shootings damage economic prospects in a community, diminishing productivity and earnings. 

Graph showing percentage of women of women on oral contraceptives who will become pregnant in a year
Contraception, Contraceptives, Pregnancy, Women's Health

Post-‘Roe,’ Contraceptive Failures Carry Bigger Stakes

November 21, 2022

The failure rate for typical use of birth control pills is 7%. For every million women taking pills, 70,000 unplanned pregnancies could occur in a year. According to the most recent data available, more than 6.5 million women ages 15 to 49 use oral contraceptives, leading to about 460,000 unplanned pregnancies. Even seemingly minuscule failure rates of IUDs and birth control implants can lead to surprises.Even seemingly minuscule failure rates of IUDs and birth control implants can lead to surprises. Some 4.8 million women use IUDs or implants in the U.S., leading to as many as 5,000 to 20,000 unplanned pregnancies a year.

Dialysis, Metabolism, Minorities

Why South Asians are at increased risk for diabetes: A complex interplay of genetics, diet and history

November 16, 2022

South Asians are particularly insulin resistant. Compared to Caucasians, South Asians had higher insulin concentrations in their blood after ingesting sugar. This means that South Asian individuals require more insulin to regulate their blood sugar levels, a characteristic of Type 2 diabetes. There are numerous possible explanations for this, but genetic variants could be one culprit.