Journal of general internal medicine
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Simultaneous cannabis/alcohol use, using both substances within a short time interval so that their effects overlap, has a greater risk of potential negative consequences than single-substance use and is more common in younger age. Relationships between recreational cannabis laws (RCLs) and changes in simultaneous cannabis/alcohol use prevalence remain untested. ⋯ Implementation of recreational cannabis policies resulted in increased simultaneous use of cannabis and alcohol, supporting the complementarity hypothesis, but only among adults aged 21+. Efforts to minimize harms related to simultaneous cannabis/alcohol use are critical, especially in states with RCLs. Future studies should investigate cultural norms, perceived harm, and motives related to simultaneous use.
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Venous thromboembolism (VTE) treatment requires complex management, and patients with limited health literacy (HL) may perceive higher burden and lower benefits associated with their treatment. ⋯ Limited HL was associated with lower OAC treatment satisfaction, though absolute differences in satisfaction scores were small. Further examination of the intersection of HL with VTE treatment satisfaction and compliance among older and non-English speaking patients is warranted.
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Mailed stool testing programs increase colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in diverse settings, but whether uptake differs by key demographic characteristics is not well-studied and has health equity implications. ⋯ Mailed FIT outreach with patient navigation implemented in an FQHC system was effective in equitably reaching patients not up to date for CRC screening.
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This study investigated whether an individual's age at diagnosis of hypertension, which is associated with a decline in cognitive performance in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) participants. ⋯ Our findings suggest that hypertension diagnosed in mid-life is associated with worse cognition compared to late life. Besides, longer duration of diagnosis is associated with worse memory test. In addition to hypertension, pressure control might be critical for the preservation of cognitive function.