Frank Magliochetti Report Archives - Page 2 of 5

Color Compounds in Foods Lowering Risk of Lung Cancer?

January 26, 2017 By admin

Color Compound in Some Fruits and Vegetables Could Lower Lung Cancer Risk in Smokers

A pigment in oranges, sweet red peppers, and other fruits and vegetables may lower the risk of lung cancer in smokers, according to a new study.

Nicotine is the primary addictive component of tobacco and some e-cigarette liquids. Medical scientists believe nicotine contributes to cancer promotion and progression by activating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The study results suggest that the color compound, known as beta-cryptoxanthin (BCX), reduces the number of these receptors. This means eating fruits and vegetables high in BCX might reduce the risk of lung cancer resulting from smoking.

Doctors diagnose about 222,500 new cases of lung cancer in the United States each year, according to the American Cancer Society, and more than 155,000 Americans will die from the disease each year. The American Lung Association notes that male smokers are 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer than are men who do not smoke, and female smokers are at 13 times greater risk of developing lung cancer than are non-smoking women.

Causing approximately 7,330 deaths among nonsmokers each year, exposure to secondhand smoke is also a risk factor for lung cancer.

Nicotine and the Growth of Lung Tumors

Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 compounds and many of these substances, upon inhalation, act as carcinogens to damage the cells lining the lungs. While nicotine does not cause lung cancer directly, the addictive compound can promote lung tumor growth.

Study co-author Xiang-Dong Wang, of the Jean Mayer United States Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, MA, and colleagues provide more insight into how nicotine promotes lung cancer.

When inhaled, nicotine binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 (α7-nAChR), which is a nicotine receptor lying on the surface of the lungs. The binding action prompts a signaling cascade that results in the proliferation of cells and the formation of new blood vessels. Cell proliferation and blood vessel formation are processes involved in the growth of cancer.

Nicotine also increases the production of nicotinic receptors, actually creating more α7-nAChR on which to bind. Providing more nicotinic receptors strengthens the signaling cascade, further encouraging the growth of lung cancer cells. In other words, the more a person smokes or suffers secondhand exposure to smoke, the more receptors he or she develops, the stronger the process encouraging the growth cancer.

Wang and colleagues think that consuming BCX could effectively reduce the number of α7-nAChR receptors on the lungs, thereby decreasing the potential growth of lung cancer cells.

BCX reduced lung tumor growth in laboratory mice

BCX is a carotenoid that gives yellow, orange and red fruits and vegetables their color. Oranges, tangerines, butternut squash, and sweet red peppers contain beta-cryptoxanthin.

In an earlier study, Wang and a team of researchers observed an association between eating foods rich in BCX and a lower risk of lung cancer in humans. In this study, the team focused on pinpointing the mechanisms underlying the link between a BCX-rich diet and lowered risk of lung cancer in smokers.

The scientists administered a daily injection of a carcinogen derived from nicotine to two groups of mice. The test group of mice also received a daily dose of BCX before and after the nicotine injection. The researchers found that, compared with the mice that did not receive the carotenoid, the test group experienced a 52-63 percent reduction in lung tumor growth.

The researchers determined 870 micrograms, which is the equivalent to one sweet pepper or two tangerines per day for humans, as the most effective daily dose of BCX for reducing lung tumor growth.

The team then tests BCX on human lung cancer cells, both with and without α7-nAChR. They discovered that lung cancer cells with α7-nAChR receptors were less likely to spread after exposure to the color compound, as compared with lung cancer cells without those receptors.

Further research could provide a better understanding of how consuming foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin might affect the development of lung cancer in humans.

Source

http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/content/9/11/875

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-small-cell-lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html

http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/resource-library/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html?referrer=http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315404.php

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital

North Andover, Massachusetts

This column of posts is directed at the Healthcare Industry. Frank plans to release new sites dedicated to the industry. Frank currently assists companies who are building, restructuring, transforming and resurrecting there business’s. An example of his client base are, Xenetic Biosciences , IPC Medical Corp, Just Fellowship Corp, Environmental Services Inc., Parsons Post House LLC, ClickStream Corporation as well as having a business talk radio show; The Business Architect on the URBN network.

Filed Under: Featured, Frank Magliochetti Report, Healthcare Industry, Healthcare Industry News, Healthcare Innovations, News Tagged With: CANCER PREVENTION, CANCER TREATMENT, FRANK MAGLIOCHETTI REPORT, LUNG CANCER

Wearable Sensors: Identify Early Signs of Disease

January 21, 2017 By admin

Wearable Sensors May Help Identify Early Signs of Disease

Wearable technologies may be able to do much more than monitor a person’s blood pressure or total number of steps each day, according to a new study, which suggests wearable sensors can detect early signs of serious disease.

Wearable biosensors, otherwise known as wearables, are a low-cost technology capable of measuring physiological parameters continuously or frequently. Biosensor technology is a promising approach to monitoring physiological measurements, and these devices could potentially identify significant changes in health conditions. Capable of passive and routine recording, the technology can provide immediate real-time delivery of multiple measurements to the wearer or physician. Software simplifies the technology, so using wearable biosensors requires minimal training and attention from the wearer or the clinician.

In addition to physiological measurements, wearable devices can capture the wearer’s physical activities, such as walking, running, and biking, often in conjunction with a GPS to provide information about the location of the activity.

Wearables can Track Health and Provide Useful Health Information

The newest generation of portable biosensors can measure health-related physiology changes during various activities. The goal of the study, published in PLOS Biology in January 2017, was to investigate the use of portable biosensors in this capacity and their potential role in health management, specifically in the diagnosis and analysis of disease.

The researchers fitted participants with between one and seven commercially available activity monitors. Over the course of the study, the scientists recorded more than 250,000 daily measurements, including participants’ heart rate, skin temperature, blood oxygen, sleep and calories expended collected from up to 43 individuals. The scientists then combined biosensor information with medical measurements to develop a personalized, activity-based normalization framework, which they used to identify abnormal physiological signals and detect disease.

Several participants reported minor cold-like illnesses in the study’s first two years. At the onset of these illnesses, the sensors detected higher than normal readings for skin temperature and heart rate. Blood tests showed an increase in inflammation before symptoms occurred.

The devices could detect physiological differences, namely variations in heart rate patterns, between insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant individuals. The researchers also found interesting physiological changes associated with alterations in environment. Participants’ blood oxygen levels decreased during high-altitude flight, for example, and this decrease in oxygen levels correlated with fatigue.

The wearables even detected physiological changes in one person – lead author of the study, Michael Snyder – who later turned out to have Lyme disease. The geneticist never developed the telltale bulls-eye rash that usually precedes the condition, but his smart watch and other sensors detected changes in his own oxygen levels and heart rate. Shortly afterwards, Snyder developed symptoms and received an official diagnosis of Lyme disease.

The researchers concluded by saying the portable biosensors can provide information useful for the monitoring of personal activities and physiology. These devices will likely play an important role in health management and access to care by those traditionally limited by geography or socioeconomic class.

Lead author of the study, Michael Snyder, said in a press release that today’s wearables are “the equivalent of oral thermometers but you’re measuring yourself all the time.” He added wearables might someday act as a “check engine” light that tells the wearer when it is time to see a doctor.

Source

http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2001402

http://www.biosciencetechnology.com/news/2017/01/testing-wearable-sensors-check-engine-light-health-0

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital

North Andover, Massachusetts

Filed Under: Featured, Frank Magliochetti Report, Healthcare Industry, Healthcare Industry News, Healthcare Innovations, News Tagged With: HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY, HEALTHCARE TRENDS, WEARABLE SENSORS

New Study on Personal Health Care Spending

January 17, 2017 By admin

New Study Sheds Light on Personal Health Care Spending Trends in the U.S.

The amount of dollars the Unites Spends on healthcare surpasses every other nation on the planet; all in all accounting for 17% of the economy in the U.S.

Frank Magliochetti

People spend more for health care in the United States than in any other nation on earth and, according to results of a new study published in JAMA, they spend more on diabetes and ischemic heart disease than on any other health condition.

Health care spending continues to rise in the U.S., now accounting for 17 percent of the nation’s economy. Despite this spending, there is very little information on how spending varies by condition, age and through time. Joseph L. Dieleman, PhD, from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington and a team of researchers hoped to estimate national spending on personal health care by various factors.

U.S. Spending on Health Care Trends

The researchers included 183 sources of data in the study. Data sources included insurance claims, government budgets, household surveys, facility surveys, and official U.S. records from 1996 to 2013. The scientists grouped ICD-9 codes to form 155 conditions, such as diabetes and ischemic heart disease, for consideration in the study.

One of the more interesting findings of the study was that many of the top 20 conditions of health care spending were chronic conditions with a relatively high prevalence and health burden – many of them were also preventable. This group of conditions included diabetes, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cerebrovascular disease, all of which are attributable to modifiable risk factors.

Total costs of care

Americans spent $30.1 trillion on personal health care during the years included in the study. The researchers looked at how Americans spent that money, estimating the costs of treating 155 conditions. They found that, at an estimated $101 billion, Americans spent the most on treating diabetes. Spending for ischemic heart disease came in second at $88 billion; spending for low back and neck pain was a close third at $87 billion.

Increases in costs of care

Spending for personal health care increased for 143 of the conditions investigated over the course of the study. Spending on low back and neck pain increased $57 billion during those 18 years, and spending on diabetes increased $64 billion during that period.

Of all the conditions included in the study, 57 percent of spending went towards the top 20 conditions. Spending on emergency care and retail pharmaceuticals rose the fastest, at 6.4 percent and 5.6 percent annual growth rate, respectively. When it came to spending on diabetes, 57.6 percent went to pharmaceuticals while 23.5 percent was for ambulatory care.

The study was important in that it was the first to provide modeled estimates of U.S. personal health care spending. The results were revealing in that they showed that diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and low back and neck pain presented the highest costs to American consumers. The study was limited in that it used population-weighted data to represent total national spending, which excludes incarcerated persons and those receiving care from a Veterans Affairs (VA) facility. The University of Washington institutional review board reviewed and approved the project.

The information presented in the study may be useful to health care policy makers and health care providers working towards making health care spending more cost effective for the conditions that most commonly affect people living in the United States.

Source

http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2594716

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital

North Andover, Massachusetts

Filed Under: Featured, Frank Magliochetti Report, Healthcare Industry, Healthcare Industry News, Healthcare Innovations, News Tagged With: FRANK MAGLIOCHETTI REPORT, HEALTH CARE SPENDING, HEALTHCARE TRENDS

Prenatal Fish Oil – Lower Risk of Asthma in Children

January 13, 2017 By admin

Prenatal Fish Oil Supplementation May Lower Risk of Asthma in Children

Taking fish oil supplements during pregnancy may lower the risk of asthma in children, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study shows that supplementation with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) during the third trimester can reduce the risk of asthma or persistent wheeze in the babies. LCPUFA supplementation also reduces the risk of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in the offspring.

Asthma in Children is a Significant Problem

Asthma is a common problem in children born in the United States. Approximately 7.4 percent of adults and 8.6 percent of children in the nation have asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), and the number of children with the breathing disorder has been increasing since the 1980s.

Hospitalization rates for asthma are historically higher in the Northeast. Massachusetts has the highest prevalence rate for asthma at 12 percent, according to statistics presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with several other northeastern states following with asthma prevalence rates topping 10 percent.

Fish Oil-Derived LCPUFAs in Pregnancy and Asthma in Offspring

Reduced intake of LCPUFAs may contribute to the increased incidence of wheezing and asthma in children. The researchers in the NEJM study hoped to evaluate the effects of maternal LCPUFA supplementation on offspring.

The scientists enrolled 736 pregnant women at 24 weeks of gestation into the study then randomly assigned the subjects to control and test groups. Participants in the test group received 2.4 g of n−3 LCPUFA derived from fish oil each day, while those in the control group took a placebo containing olive oil daily.

The participants’ offspring became the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC) cohort. The researchers followed this group of children for several years, with pediatricians collecting clinical data for visits at 1 week after birth, and then at 1, 3, 6 months and every 6 months until the children reached 36 months of age. The pediatricians then saw the children yearly until the participants were 5 years old.

Neither the researchers nor the participants knew which group the children belonged to for the first three years of follow-up studies. During the next two years of follow-up studies, only the scientists were unaware of the group assignments.

The researchers looked primarily for persistent wheezing and asthma, but included LRTIs, eczema, asthma exacerbations, and allergic sensitization as secondary endpoints.

Ninety-five percent of the 695 children included in the COPSAC cohort completed the 3-year, double-blind follow-up portion of the study. The researchers found that the risk of asthma or persistent wheeze in the treatment group receiving LCPUFA was 16.9 percent, while the risk was 23.7 percent in the control group. This means consuming fish oil-derived LCPUFAs can lower the risk of persistent wheeze or asthma and LRTIs in offspring by nearly 7 percentage points, or one-third. Analysis of the secondary endpoints showed that supplementation reduces the risk of LRTIs, but there was no association between supplementation and asthma exacerbations, allergic sensitization, or eczema.

These findings would be extremely helpful for expectant mothers hoping to reduce the risk of asthma and other breathing problems in their children.

Source

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1503734

http://www.aafa.org/page/asthma-facts.aspx

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12214899

https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_data_states.htm

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital

North Andover, Massachusetts

Filed Under: Featured, Frank Magliochetti Report, Healthcare Industry, Healthcare Industry News, Healthcare Innovations, News Tagged With: ASTHMA, CHILDCARE, CHILDREN HEALTHCARE TRENDS, FISH OIL, FRANK MAGLIOCHETTI, PRENATAL

NSAIDs May Prevent Colorectal Cancer

January 10, 2017 By admin

NSAIDs May Prevent the Development of Colorectal Cancer after Polyp Removal

A recent study published in the British medical journal suggests that NSAIDs may help prevent colorectal cancer after polyp removal – This post goes into more detail on the study.

Frank Magliochetti

Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may prevent the recurrence of advanced neoplasia, a type of polyp that is the precursor of colorectal cancer, after the surgical removal of pre-existing polyps. Recurrence rates of benign polyps and advanced neoplasia are quite high, so clinicians are eager to find easy-to-follow treatments to reduce recurrence.

A team of scientists from across the United States recently collaborated with Mayo Clinic researchers to determine how well NSAIDs, aspirin and other supplements prevent the recurrence of precancerous or cancerous polyps. The results of the study, published in the British medical journal BMJ suggest NSAIDs may offer the greatest protection.

About Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in men and woman in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and it is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among cancers affecting both men and women.

Colorectal cancer, characterized by abnormal cell growth in the colon or rectum, is one of the few preventable types of cancers. Removing precancerous polyps during colonoscopy prevents those polyps from turning cancerous but it does not prevent recurrence of advanced neoplasia, also known as advanced adenomas or adenomatous polyps. A study published in PLOS showed a recurrence rate of 50.5 percent for polyps, and a 32.9 percent recurrence rate for neoplasia.

Research Suggests Non-Aspirin NSAIDs Reduces Risk of Recurrence of Precancerous Polyps

The results of the BMJ study showed that non-aspirin NSAIDs, particularly ibuprofen, work better than aspirin or many other nutritional supplements for most patients when it came to preventing the growth of advanced neoplasia. The researchers note that, because most colorectal cancers develop from neoplasia, chemoprevention with NSAIDs has a favorable risk to benefit profile when it comes to reducing recurrence in those with a history of high-risk neoplasia.

Hassan Murad, M.D., preventive medicine physician and clinical epidemiologist at Mayo Clinic, is the study’s senior author. “Approximately 85 percent of all colorectal cancers are thought to result from untreated adenomatous polyps,” says Murad, M.D., in a press release published by Mayo Clinic. “If we can find a way to stop their growth, we could prevent a majority of these cases.”

“We knew that aspirin and other NSAIDs have a protective effect, and that a number of other nutritional supplements have also been studied for their effectiveness in preventing cancer,” says Dr. Murad. “What we didn’t know is how they compared to each other.”

The research team conducted a meta-analysis from data obtained from 15 randomized control trials. The scientists reviewed information from 12,234 patients who were taking various supplements and medications. The researchers looked at low- and high-dose aspirin therapy, NSAIDs, vitamin D, calcium, and folic acid, and then compared each treatment alone and in different combinations.

Analysis of the information showed that non-aspirin NSAIDs worked better than all the other therapies for preventing adenomatous polyps recurrence within three to five years after removal through colonoscopy. Because these non-aspirin NSAIDs pose other health risks, this treatment may not be appropriate for all patients.

“It is important that patients and doctors have a discussion on the various risks and benefits of any medication or other therapy,” says Murad. “While a research publication may contain promising findings, it is generalized information, and each individual is different. So their care will be individualized, as well.”

Source

http://www.bmj.com/content/355/bmj.i6188

https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/statistics/

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0050990

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital

North Andover, Massachusetts

Filed Under: Featured, Frank Magliochetti Report, Healthcare Industry, Healthcare Industry News, News Tagged With: CANCER PREVENTION, COLORECTL CANCER, FRANK MAGLIOCHETTI, FRANK MAGLIOCHETTI REPORT, NSAIDS

Spending Trends: Health Care for Children

January 6, 2017 By admin

Spending Trends 1996 – 2013: Health Care for Children

Spending on health care for children has risen in the past 20 years and a new article sheds light on where the money goes.

Frank Magliochetti

Personal health care spending for children skyrocketed 56 percent between 1996 and 2013, according to a new study published online by JAMA Pediatrics. Increased spending in health care for children reflects the increased spending for patients of all ages, according to the statistics presented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The United States spent about $3.2 trillion for health care in 2015, or $9,990 per person, up 5.8 percent from the year before.

Spending Trends for Children’s Personal Health Care in the U.S., 1996 – 2013

While health care spending on children continues to rise, there is very little data on differences in spending for specific conditions, age groups, gender, and type of care. There is also a paucity of information on how spending patterns have changed over the years. To shed light on these spending patterns, Joseph L. Dieleman, Ph.D., of the University of Washington, Seattle, and his team of researchers used 183 sources of data and 2.9 billion patient records gathered from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Disease Expenditure 2013 project database. They performed annual estimates for each year from 1996 through 2013 and used inflation-adjusted 2015 dollars to report estimates.

They found that spending for pediatric health care increased from $149.6 billion in 1996 to $233.5 billion in 2013. Spending per child rose from $1,915 in 1996 to $2,777 in 2013.

Most of the money went for well-newborn care in inpatient settings, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and well-dental care. Payers spent $27.9 billion for inpatient well-newborn care, which was the largest condition leading to health care spending.

ADHD and well-dental care services were the second and third largest conditions leading to health care spending in children, with $20.6 billion for ADHD care and $18.2 billion for well-dental care. At $9 billion, asthma care garnered the fourth highest level of spending.

The researchers found that, at $11,741, the greatest spending per child was for infants younger than 1 year in 2013. Spending per child increased over time, rising from $1915 in 1996 to $2777 in 2013. Ambulatory care among all types of care and inpatient well-newborn care, ADHD, and asthma showed the greatest growth.

Just over 30 percent of total children’s health care went for inpatient care, 38.6 percent went towards ambulatory care, and 7.8 percent was spent on retail pharmaceuticals in 2013. More was spent on males than on females.

The findings provide information about spending trends for child health care and serve as a guide for future spending. Payers can expect larger health care spending growth rates for inpatient well-newborn care and ADHD, for example, while health care professionals can gear up to provide an increased amount of care for these conditions.

“The next step should be analyzing the factors driving increased health care spending and determining whether changes in particular subcategories of spending have been associated with improvements in processes or outcomes. It is crucial to understand whether spending increases have been appropriate or misguided and how we might target spending increases and reductions now and in the future,” the authors conclude in a press release.

Source

http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2593700

https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/downloads/highlights.pdf

http://media.jamanetwork.com/news-item/how-much-money-is-spent-on-kids-health-care-where-does-it-go/

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital

North Andover, Massachusetts

Filed Under: Featured, Frank Magliochetti Report, Healthcare Industry, Healthcare Industry News, News Tagged With: CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE, FRANK MAGLIOCHETTI, HEALTH CARE, HEALTHCARE TRENDS, MEDICAL SPENDING

Trends 2017: Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV)

January 2, 2017 By admin

Human Metapneumovirus Trends

Frank Magliochetti Report

Human is a respiratory virus that can cause lower and upper respiratory tract infections, including bronchitis and pneumonia, and may even trigger asthma. Acute respiratory tract infections are the most common reason for doctor office visits, according to the American College of Physicians. Illness associated with hMPV can be severe; the virus is associated with an associated 20,000 hospitalizations of children aged 5 and younger in the United States each year. Elderly and immunocompromised individuals are at higher risk of the disease.

History of hMPV

Until just a few short years ago, the hMPV virus was different from other common respiratory viruses as PCR-based methods using virus genome-specific primers and immunological assays using virus-specific antibodies failed to identify the pathogen. It was only after the application of a molecular biology tool, known as randomly primed PCR, could researchers identify portions of the virus’s genomic sequence.

In 2001, a team of scientists headed by B.G. van den Hoogen identified hMPV in children with respiratory tract infection by using randomly primed PCR to obtain a genomic sequence of the pathogen. Based on the sequence data currently available, the human metapneumovirus seems to be a close relation of another member of the Metapneumovirus genus, the avian pneumovirus.

Since its discovery just over 16 years ago, laboratory testing has confirmed the virus in patients around the globe. Today, scientists recognize human metapneumovirus as an emerging pathogen that may have been causing respiratory tract infections for at least 60 years.

Testing and Treatment of hMPV

Testing is not yet widely available, according to the American Lung Association, but the most common method is by swabbing and testing secretions from the nose or throat. Bronchoscopy may be used to collect specimens in hospitalized patients.

There is no direct treatment for hMPV infection so treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms of fever, runny nose, cough and sore throat. The symptoms of human metapneumovirus typically last for 2 to 5 days. Management focuses on the use of over-the-counter fever and pain remedies along with decongestants.

hMPV Trends in the United States and By Region

hMPV infections typically develop during flu season in winter and early spring, according to a report published in April 2016, and typically after the onset of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collects weekly laboratory PCR and antigen testing result data and tracks trends of hMPV by region. In nationwide testing, positive results by PCR testing for the year 2016 peaked at 9 percent in the middle of February while the number of positive antigen tests peaked at 9.5 percent in March.

hMPV peaks later in the Northeast, with positive PCR test results peaking at the end of February and March and a spike in positive antigen results of 10.4 percent at the end of April 2016.

The Midwest had the highest rates of positive test results in 2015, with about 13 percent of hMPV tests returning positive results. The southern section of the United States sees its peak hMPV tests in March with a 10 percent positive antigen testing rate and 8 percent positive PCR rate. The West had high hMPV positive test rates throughout February, reaching their 2016 PCR positive test peak of 11.3 percent in the last week of February. Antigen detection tests yielded unsteady results in that region.

The CDC and other agencies will likely collect more information about hMPV trends and treatments as diagnostic tools become more available.

Source

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1539100/

https://www.acponline.org/acp-newsroom/acp-and-cdc-issue-advice-for-prescribing-antibiotics-for-acute-respiratory-tract-infections-in

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/861392

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11385510

http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/human-metapneumovirus-hmpv/diagnosing-hmpv.html?referrer=http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/human-metapneumovirus-hmpv/learn-about-hmpv.html?referrer=https://www

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2016/03/31/peds.2015-2927

https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/hmpv/index.html

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital.

North Andover, Massachusetts

This column of posts is directed at the Healthcare Industry. Frank plans to release new sites dedicated to the industry – . He currently assists companies who are building, restructuring, transforming and resurrecting there business’s. An example of his client base are, Xenetic Biosciences , IPC Medical Corp, Just Fellowship Corp, Environmental Services Inc., Parsons Post House LLC, ClickStream Corporation as well as having a business talk radio show; The Business Architect on the URBN network.

Teen Use of E – Cigarettes

December 27, 2016 By admin

Teen Use of E-Cigarettes on the Rise – Good or Bad News?

Teen use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has more than tripled since 2011, according to a recent report by the U.S. Surgeon General, with 40 percent of high school students saying they had used the product at least once in their lives. In that report, 16 percent of students say they had used these products within the past 30 days. E-cigarettes are a type of electronic nicotine delivery system that heats liquid containing nicotine, flavoring, and other ingredients into an aerosol. In a process known as “vaping,” users inhale the aerosol.

Regulation of Electronic Cigarettes

In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized their rule regulating all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. The FDA prohibits the sale of electronic cigarettes and other tobacco products to individuals under the age of 18 years.

Some individual states also impose additional regulations on tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, specifying who can smoke e-cigarettes and where the products may be used. California requires those purchasing e-cigarettes to be 21 years or over, for example, and it does not allow consumers to use electronic cigarettes in cars with minors present.

The 2016 FDA rule included other provisions to reduce access to e-cigarettes by teens by prohibiting the distribution of free samples and the use of vending machines, but the new regulations allowed flavored electronic cigarettes to remain on the market. Some anti-smoking groups were disappointed in this lack of regulation, in that flavors like gummy bear and bubble gum may entice younger people to start smoking tobacco. A study published in a December 2016 issue of Pediatrics supports this concern, finding that the use of flavored e-cigarettes among youth increases their risk of smoking tobacco.

Proponents of electronic cigarettes can argue that tobacco smoking has actually declined among youth in the U.S., although there is not clear indication that e-cigarettes are responsible for the drop in teen smoking.

Dangers of Cigarettes, Electronic or Otherwise

Health officials are particularly worried about the use of electronics cigarettes and traditional tobacco products because of the negative effects nicotine has on the developing brain. Research shows that electronic cigarettes deliver only modest concentrations of nicotine to the inexperienced user but consumers can increase nicotine concentrations to levels similar to traditional tobacco cigarettes.

E-cigarettes also contain substances not found in tobacco products, such as heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, and ultrafine particles that consumers could inhale into their lungs. Some e-cigarette flavorings contain diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease. Still, the dangers from using electronic cigarettes may not be as lethal as the deadly effects of tobacco smoke, making e-cigarettes the safer choice for teenagers who insist on the habit.

“Kids are a kind of ‘third rail’ issue,” said Amy Fairchild, PhD, MPH, the associate dean of academic affairs at the Texas A&M School of Public Health in a press release. “On the one hand, they require extra protections. On the other, though, we also have to place their risks of harm into perspective. The consequences of combustible tobacco use are well known and serious, while e-cigarettes – while not risk free – represent a far lesser harm.”

Source:

https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/default.htm

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/05/10/2016-10685/deeming-tobacco-products-to-be-subject-to-the-federal-food-drug-and-cosmetic-act-as-amended-by-the

http://publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/files/E-Cigarette-Legal-Landscape-50-State-Review-November-2016.pdf

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2016/11/03/peds.2016-2513.full.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/tobacco_use/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3543069/

http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/23/suppl_2/ii30.full

Teens’ use of e-cigarettes rising, according to Surgeon General report

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital.

North Andover, Massachusetts

Filed Under: Featured, Frank Magliochetti Report, Healthcare Industry, Healthcare Industry News, News Tagged With: E CIGARETTES, E CIGS, TEEN HEALTHCARE TRENDS

Rising Drug Costs: Trending 2017

December 19, 2016 By admin

2017 Trends: Rising Drug Costs

The cost of prescription drugs has been rising rapidly since 2010, and will likely continue to rise in 2017.

Frank Magliochetti

The largest drug maker in the United States, Pfizer Inc., raised prices on 133 of its U.S. brand name products in 2015. More than three-quarters of the increases were 10 percent or more. Daraprim, the antiparasitic commonly used to treat toxoplasmosis, went from $13.50 to $750 per pill overnight in September of 2015. The price of Epipens skyrocketed 500 percent, rising from $97 in 2007 to $600 in 2016 for a two-pack set of the emergency treatment for anaphylaxis.

The total net spending on prescription drugs has grown to $309.5 billion annually, according to IMS Health, including discounts, within the past year. This makes prescription drugs the fastest growing segment of the nation’s healthcare economy. At 12.2 percent, 2014 spending on drugs dwarfs the overall growth rate of healthcare spending and the rate of spending growth on physician and hospital care. The price of drugs, rather than utilization, is the predominant driving factor in this increased drug spending.

Spending on drugs rose 8.5 percent in 2015 but total prescriptions dispensed increased by a mere 1 percent. The pharmaceutical price inflation was 7.2 percent in 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Producer Price Index (PPI), significantly outpacing both general inflation and medical inflation at 0.7 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively.

2017 Trends towards Higher Prices

2017 will probably see more increases in drug prices, and the rises costs will likely have a significant effect on consumers and healthcare providers. Price hikes will likely affect employees and young retirees in 2017. The results of Segal’s 2017 Health Plan Cost Trend Survey suggest prescription drug costs will rise 11.6 percent in 2017 for active employees and retirees under the age of 65, on top of 11.3 percent in 2016.

That is a huge leap for most Americans. More than 48 percent of all people living in the U.S. report taking at least one prescription drug in the previous month, according to statistics provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and more than 20 percent of Americans use three or more prescription medications. Health plan cost trends have slowed, according to the Segal survey, but they continue to outpace average wage increases and inflation by more than three time.

Patients carry an increasingly heavy financial burden when it comes to drug costs, and so do hospitals faced with difficult decisions regarding the allocation of scarce resources. Inpatient drug spending rose 23.4 percent on average, according to a report by theAmerican Hospital Association (AHA), and 38.6 percent per individual hospital admission. The report details the experience of one hospital that reported that last year’s price increases for just four common drugs were equivalent to the annual salaries of 55 full-time nurses there. Drug prices will likely continue to rise in unpredictable ways while reimbursement amounts from payors will probably increase only a small amount. Hospitals will continue the struggle of balancing resources in response to changes in the drug market.

The rise in specialty drug/biotech medications will be especially high in 2017 at 18.7 percent. While specialty drugs make up less than 1 percent of all medications, the 100 insurance providers responding to the Segal’s survey said that specialty drugs now account for 35 percent of total projected prescription drug cost increases for the next year.

Source

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-02/pfizer-raised-prices-on-133-drugs-this-year-and-it-s-not-alone

http://www.imshealth.com/en/about-us/news/ims-health-study-us-drug-spending-growth-reaches-8.5-percent-in-2015

http://www.bls.gov/ppi/ppidr201512.pdf

https://www.segalco.com/media/2716/me-trend-survey-2017.pdf

http://www.aha.org/content/16/aha-fah-rx-report.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/drug-use-therapeutic.htm

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital.

North Andover, Massachusetts

Filed Under: Featured, Frank Magliochetti Report, Healthcare Industry, Healthcare Industry News, Medical Drugs, News Tagged With: DRUG COSTS, FRANK MAGLIOCHETTI, HEALTHCARE TRENDS, RISING COSTS

5 Trends in New Medical Economy

December 13, 2016 By admin

5 Trends in the New Medical Economy-

Frank Magliochetti Report

Five key trends will shape the new medical economy, according to a November 2016 briefing report by the cloud-based healthcare IT solutions provider CareCloud.
The medical economy is shifting away from fee-for-service and towards value-based care. The industry faces a host of new economic realities as various forces shape the business of medicine. Five trends in particular will influence the new medical economy.

Five Trends Shaping the Business of Medicine

1. Patients as payers
Patients will continue to seize control over their own healthcare costs as a response to skyrocketing out-of-pocket expenses and deductibles. Insurance deductibles have increased by 255 percent since 2006, according to a survey by InstaMed, and the average health insurance premium for family coverage has gone up by 83 percent since 2005. Because they pay out of their own pockets, consumers want the best treatment bang for their buck, including information about services, options, and treatment costs.
Patients are also becoming increasingly proactive in managing their own healthcare by gathering information on diagnosis, billing and treatments digitally. Nearly two out of three consumers participating in the InstaMed survey expressed interest in using Apple Pay or other mobile payment systems for healthcare bills. More than three out of four consumers prefer to pay their household bills through online payment channels. The internet will continue to be a rich source of information, health apps, data, and medical devices for patients. CareCloud predicts a surge in retail urgent care clinics and concierge practices that cater to consumer-minded patients.
2. Doctors as digital innovators
An increasing number of healthcare providers are adopting EHR systems, and are shifting from server-based systems toward cloud technology to take advantage of improved usability, faster upgrade cycles and more innovation. Providers will likely use more specialized technologies across multiple EHR platforms. Application programming interfaces (APIs) will help medical groups enhance services without having to replace entire base systems.
3. Fiscal stewardship
Hospitals and health systems will try to reduce costs as they shift towards value-based care and away from fee-for-service care. Financial stewardship promotes health in the general population by increasing overall access to care.
4. Entrepreneurs in medicine
Exciting opportunities are ahead for “doctorpreneurs” and other medical professionals who either build new medical groups or acquire existing ones. Medical entrepreneurship offers the twin benefits of earning profits and social good.
While private equity investors traditionally invest in medical groups promising high reimbursement potential, such as dermatology and pain management, today’s medical entrepreneurs are looking at primary care groups.
5. Information retains its crown as king
The push to digitize medical records coupled with the rapid shift to value-based care has created a mountain of information. The information benefits population health management by making healthcare proactive rather than reactive, identifying at-risk patients and promoting early intervention. The plethora of data and new technologies now allows each patient to create a custom care plan tailored to their medical history. The development of intelligent apps that leverage data and analytics tools will help manage and disseminate this information.
Changing regulations, patient engagements and new economic realities are driving healthcare towards a value-based, consumer-centric model. Healthcare technology will evolve to focus more on adaptability and innovation.

Source
http://on.carecloud.com/thenewmedicaleconomy.html
http://www.instamed.com/blog/trends-impacting-the-healthcare-payments-mar

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital.

North Andover, Massachusetts

Filed Under: Featured, Frank Magliochetti Report, Healthcare Industry, Healthcare Industry News, News Tagged With: FRANK MAGLIOCHETTI REPORT, HEALTHCARE TRENDS, MEDICAL TRENDS

Color Compound in Some Fruits and Vegetables Could Lower Lung Cancer Risk in Smokers

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital

North Andover, Massachusetts

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital

North Andover, Massachusetts

New Study Sheds Light on Personal Health Care Spending Trends in the U.S.

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital

North Andover, Massachusetts

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital

North Andover, Massachusetts

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital

North Andover, Massachusetts

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital

North Andover, Massachusetts

Human Metapneumovirus Trends

Frank Magliochetti Report

History of hMPV

Testing and Treatment of hMPV

hMPV Trends in the United States and By Region

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital.

North Andover, Massachusetts

Teen Use of E-Cigarettes on the Rise – Good or Bad News?

Dangers of Cigarettes, Electronic or Otherwise

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital.

North Andover, Massachusetts

2017 Trends: Rising Drug Costs

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital.

North Andover, Massachusetts

5 Trends in the New Medical Economy-

Frank Magliochetti Report

Five Trends Shaping the Business of Medicine

Frank Magliochetti is Managing Partner for Parcae Capital.

North Andover, Massachusetts

Pages