The number of deaths due to opioid overdoses has increased for three consecutive years in South Carolina. This year, Charleston County tops the list in the number of deaths due to heroin and fentanyl overdoses. Charleston County has experienced 94 deaths and has dropped into...
Only 23 percent of Americans from age 18 to 64 exercise on a regular basis and meet federal guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Regular participation in physical activity goes a long way to lowering your risk of many chronic conditions, disability and mortality. Federal...
A recent study by the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) reports that high blood pressure continues to be one of the nation’s biggest health issues. The cost to treat those with high blood pressure is up to $131 billion a year, or approximately $2,000...
The emergency department is experiencing the same use but at a much higher cost these days. ER spending has nearly doubled between 2009 and 2016 as a result of more complicated and severe health issues being presented to the emergency department, according to a new...
If you have a loved one who is by themselves most of the time and feels lonely and socially isolated, they may be at higher risk of hospitalization or death due to heart failure. The Journal of the American Heart Association (https://www.jaha.ahajournals.org) published its findings...
A recent clinical trial examined the effectiveness of aspirin combined with other medicine to prevent recurring strokes in patients who had already suffered one that resolved quickly. Thirteen percent of those individuals will most likely suffer a larger stroke in the next five years, or...
Access to care may be in jeopardy for some dialysis patients as a Medicare cut is looming on the horizon for ambulance reimbursement. The new Medicare reimbursement rate may fall below a company’s cost of providing ambulance transport services to patients. Medicare administrative contractors have...
Hospitals are quickly shifting away from the traditional inpatient facility that has been established for decades to a new model of delivery of care through investment in outpatient clinics, same-day surgical centers, free-standing emergency departments and micro-hospitals (which have about 8 beds for overnight stays)....
Google researchers presented recent findings in the online medical journal “Nature Biomedical Engineering” that help apply artificial intelligence to predict serious heart problems such as heart attacks or stroke in patients by examining images of the patient’s retina. The researchers say the method they have...
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is trying to stop the widespread use of 911 funds by states to pay for other budgetary priorities. States are using the 911 fees collected from the public to help pay for other government services according to the FCC commissioners. “On...