|
EVERYTHING
RCT: Weight Loss Drug Curbs Alcohol Use
What: A first-of-its-kind randomized control trial found the weight loss drug semaglutide cut the amount of alcohol that participants consumed by 40% and “dramatically reduced” their desire to drink compared to the placebo group. The study was made up of 48 adults who had alcohol use disorder but were not actively seeking treatment.
Key line: “Dr Stephen Burgess of the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the study, said: ‘This is a small study, but an exciting one. It provides evidence that semaglutide treatment can reduce alcohol consumption, similar to how it has been shown to reduce food consumption and consequently body weight. The likely mechanistic pathway is by dampening brain cues that prompt an individual to crave both food and alcohol.’”
Source: The Guardian
One-in-Four Women Think Health Influencers are As Reliable as Doctors
What: A survey sponsored by the Alliance for Women’s Health and Prevention found 42% of women had skipped an annual check-up, routine testing, or couldn’t get an appointment with a provider in the past year. They also found that 24% of women under age 50 said “health influencers are just as reliable as healthcare providers.” The survey of over 3,000 American women was conducted by Ipsos.
Key line: “’Social media is a valuable tool for sharing healthcare resources and building communities among individuals with shared experiences, however, it’s important that women continue to talk with their provider about what is best for their unique needs and circumstances,’ said Cheruba Prabakar, MD, a board-certified OBGYN, founder and CEO of Lamorinda Gynecology and Surgery and member of AWHP’s Advisory Council. ‘AWHP’s survey results show that 1 in 4 women under 50 (24%) agree that health influencers are as reliable as healthcare providers—but the Internet should be supplementary, and not a substitute, for working with a healthcare professional.’”
Source: AWHP
FERTILITY
Rising Fertility Costs Have Employers Looking at ‘Preconception Care’
What: A survey of HR leaders and full-time employees sponsored by Maven Clinic found that 70% of companies reporting that fertility costs have increased in the past three years, and nearly a third of employees who were undergoing fertility treatments went into debt to do it. Maven is a health care platform for employers, with a focus on women’s health.
Key line: “Employers recognize this status quo can’t continue—in the next year, the majority of employers (61%) affected by these rising fertility costs plan to increase access to preconception care, and over half (58%) plan to enhance or add fertility support.”
Source: Maven Clinic
ABORTION ACCESS
Taking Decisions Away from Patients in Texas
What: Ms. Magazine has the story of what it’s like to be an OBGYN in Texas and practicing under the state’s strict abortion ban. Dr. Todd Ivey from Houston described being forced to wait to treat a patient who was miscarrying until she developed an infection in her uterus.
Key line: “’The sad part for me is that the patient is being taken out of this, so all of the decisions are being made by politicians and physicians and hospital administrators and attorneys,’ Ivey said. ‘The patient really hasn’t been considered very much in this.’ …According to Ivey, a Republican lawmaker in the state actually told him that the stories of women dying, losing their fertility, or nearly dying because of doctors’ fears of violating the abortion ban ‘aren’t real.’”
Source: Ms. Magazine
MENOPAUSE
Testifying to Your Colleagues About Menopause
What: Oregon state Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis is pushing legislation to get insurers in the state to cover hormone treatment for menopause. One tactic for getting support? Sharing her own experience as a witness to the relevant committee.
Key line: “Boshart Davis said she noticed last year that something suddenly was off. She turned to her gynecologist for help but found none, sought out podcasts and books to grasp what she was experiencing and eventually found a knowledgeable nurse practitioner who prescribed her a course of hormone replacement therapy. But her health insurer wouldn’t pay for it and she learned it might cost her about $200 out of pocket. …’I lived being denied menopause care,’ Boshart Davis told the House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee. ‘I lived being denied medication through insurance. I can’t quite put it into words what that was like for me. And I don’t think the word devastating really quite explains it.’”
Source: The Oregonian/OregonLive
|