The American journal of medicine
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The opioid epidemic has been associated with an increase in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) have a high burden of hepatitis C disease and could serve as venues to enhance testing and treatment. ⋯ Routine anti-HCV testing followed by prompt RNA testing for positives is recommended at FQHCs to identify infections. If using dedicated staff or point-of-care testing is not feasible, then measures to improve immediate patient knowledge of antibody status should be considered.
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Comparative Study
Comparative analysis of the effect of renal function on the spectrum of coronary artery disease.
We aim to assess the differential effect of renal impairment across the spectrum of patients with ischaemic heart disease and to study if any established risk factors may modify this risk. ⋯ The magnitude of risk of renal impairment varies according to the clinical presentation of coronary artery disease with more weighted risk in myocardial infarction compared to stable patients.
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Cancer and cardiovascular disease are the 2 leading causes of death in most developed countries, making up the majority of national health care expenditures. In this study, we investigated nationwide trends of cardiovascular disease and cancer drug expenditure in relation to concomitant trends in cardiovascular disease and cancer death rates. ⋯ Our results point to a disproportionate high mortality-adjusted expenditure for cancer drugs compared to cardiovascular disease drugs and demonstrate an enormous potential for national health care savings when cheaper versions like biosimilars of many cancer drugs are introduced.