“They put me on…” – Dec. 20, 2019 – Key Takeaways We studied the 50 most-prescribed brand-name drugs in Medicare for which drugmakers had made payments to doctors in 2016. The drugs include treatments for diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol, hypertension, glaucoma and more. Among our findings: Of those 50 drugs, 38 cost more than $1,000 per year. For 32, at least 10% of doctors prescribing the drug received payments tied to the drug from the company that made it. For 46 of the drugs in 2016, doctors who received payments for the drug prescribed more of it compared with doctors…
Author: Leonard Buschel
More Neighborly Love – December 23, 2019 – Midnight Mission spokeswoman Georgia Berkovich hugs a man after a shelter graduation event. It’s not uncommon to see Berkovich clapping, dancing and getting misty-eyed, as she did when a group made up primarily of homeless singers finished rehearsing the “Hallelujah Chorus.” … “They (homeless) are you and they are me,” Berkovich said, becoming choked up. “They were full of hope, wonder, just as you and I are, and were. And they’ve have had horrific things happen.” The horrific things began happening to Berkovich when her father died. “I was 6 years old,…
Jobs Better Than Junk – Dec. 30, 2019 – That finding underscores the role that economic despair may play in eroding public health. “For a long time, we’ve been interested in the link between the American dream and America’s health, namely that the fading American dream actually has population health consequences,” said Dr. Atheendar Venkataramani, the lead author of the paper and a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “It’s an unfortunate natural experiment when you have a disintegration of an industry like this through plant closures in that it allows us to understand what the consequences of…
This is your brain on donuts – Dec. 25, 2019 – Sugar can disrupt memory formation Another brain area affected by high sugar diets is the hippocampus – a key memory centre. Research shows that rats eating high-sugar diets were less able to rememberwhether they had previously seen objects in specific locations before. The sugar-induced changes in the hippocampus were both a reduction of newborn neurons, which are vital for encoding memories, and an increase in chemicals linked to inflammation. How to protect your brain from sugar? The World Health Organization advises that we limit our intake of added sugars…
The New Golden Standard – Dec 19 2019 – Among other things, according to federal prosecutors, Ahmed and co-conspirators collected generous kickbacks from urine analysis laboratories looking to cash in on the well-known lucrative practice of repeatedly testing someone’s urine, regardless if the results came out clean or dirty. … Ahmed, along with his brother, Sebastian—who has denied involvement in any criminal activity—owned three drug treatment centers and a chain of sober homes, halfway houses occupied by people in recovery who have left inpatient drug treatment facilities. Those two sets of facilities, in turn, supplied a steady stream of clients…
For Kith and Kin – December 26, 2019 – Hannah, now 17, is an artistic young woman who enjoys making French toast with her uncle and watching movies with the entire family of seven on most weeknights. She has not talked to her mother in more than five years. “My feeling of love toward her has faded away,” Hannah said. “I hope she’s doing O.K., but I don’t care anymore. She never cared for us.” More than a quarter of the nearly 27,000 children who were removed from their homes last year in Ohio were placed in the care of…
A rose by any other name… – Dec. 29, 2019 – Shortly after that first meeting, I took a group of friends to dinner to come out with it. Over quartini of Italian reds and one very obvious mocktail, I explained my alcoholism and promised that nothing would change; I was still me. I could still sit down in a restaurant and inhale the fumes of a Nebbiolo without imbibing, my sickness would not impede our good times, I would not ruin the party. After dinner, we walked to a friend’s apartment to smoke pot before going out to a…
Opinion: Getting High in America – Dec. 29, 2019 – So how did 80-year-old cannabis laws finally begin to crumble this past decade? Though very different in properties and ill effects, marijuana’s image shifted for some of the same reasons that opioids changed the drug conversation in America: White people being criminalized, the medical industry having a role in how to calibrate use of the drug, and a feeling among both liberals and conservatives that filling up jails with users was a waste of lives and money. Cannabis laws didn’t change all by themselves, and it’s important to recognize the…
Christmas Disaster – December 29, 2019 – “More than half of the individuals ordered to G.W. Hill Correctional facility come to the facility with a substance abuse addiction. We provide rigorous treatment programs and education to help individuals overcome their addictions,” the company said in a statement. “More importantly, we have policies and procedures in place to ensure we keep all inmates and staff safe and secure. Not only is it completely unlawful to illegally smuggle narcotics into the facility but people who pursue these unlawful actions only hurt their friends and family members who are trying to fight addiction.” …
“Being honest may not get you a lot of friends, but it’ll always get you the right ones.” –John Lennon
First One is Free – Dec. 23, 2019 – Kathy Thomas took opioids for two years until a doctor told her she was being unnecessarily medicated. She still lives with the psychological consequences. “I still don’t think that I have cognitive functioning back where it needs to be,” the former Army program manager said. Ted Flores, who suffered from a pinched nerve and a couple of degenerative discs from a car crash, knows how ordinary people can get hooked on pain pills. As a pharmacy technician, he saw customers who looked like him. “I was one of the many.” In…
Seven Visions of Addictions – Dec. 13, 2019 – Patients often lose the ability to connect and relate through the compulsive use of mind-altering substances. Treating such patients can feel like a Sisyphean task and there are unique challenges to consider. Significant treatment obstacles arise from our negative countertransference, which can be quite intense with such patients. One unique source of this negativity towards addiction is that it may exist even prior to consultation with patients. We may unconsciously experience long held and unacknowledged social biases about those who misuse alcohol and drugs. These biases may have followed us from…
Sobriety is more than skin deep – Dec. 17, 2019 – Alongside the snap, he wrote: “On a real one @ddlovato #hideawayatsuitex #slimneedle (sic)” The new ink comes after Demi recently gave her first interview in more than a year, where she said she was “more in tune” with herself now than ever before. She said: “I’ve never been more in tune with who I am than where I’m at today. Life is not worth living unless you’re living it for yourself. If you’re doing things for other people it’s not going to work out.” … She added: “What I…
It’s About More Than Food – December 20, 2019- The popular online review site is best-known for its restaurant ratings. But it’s also become a clearinghouse for people to rate just about anything — including addiction treatments. Absent a standard set of quality ratings for those facilities, Yelp and Google reviews can give researchers a window into how patients feel about their addiction treatment — and what they need from providers. “Five or 10 years ago, when I thought of Yelp, or Google ratings, I thought of restaurants and maybe stores,” said Anish Agarwal, an assistant professor of emergency medicine…
Miracle in Hattiesburg – December 19, 2019 – HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – Sherry Rodgers is thankful this Christmas for her sobriety and for her four children being with her. Rodgers, 28, is now four years sober thanks to the Lighthouse Rescue Mission in Hattiesburg. This is a home for women who can come recover from addiction, abuse or homelessness. This nonprofit helps women recover, practice life skills and get a job. They live with their children, away from society, including cell phones. Rodgers came to the Pine Belt from Texas. After years of drug addiction and her children living with…
BIGGEST LOSER – December 20, 2019 – The counselor says before you place that bet, know your tendencies and set limits so you don’t end up making poor decisions. “It may open a door for people who may not necessarily gamble if they were just interested in sports gambling they could go to the site,” said operations manager Sheryl Dey. “If it’s more accessible then they’re probably going to be capable of betting more and more often.” If you or someone you know needs help with a gambling addiction, find a counselor near you or find more information at https://www.northernlakescmh.org…
The sound of sober music – December 21, 2019 – Q. What made you want to start this? A. There’s a ton of music festivals and they are all great. Lots and lots of fun, until the alcohol kicks in. When the alcohol kicks in, there’s still a lot of fun, but eventually, it kind of deteriorates. We decided to try and piece together music festivals that skip the alcohol, enjoy the music. Q How are the acts chosen? A Those are all folks in recovery in one form or another. Folks who made decisions to make a change in…
No Cash Bail – DEC 22, 2019 – At 19, Allison was arrested for selling a small amount of heroin to an undercover police officer for $15 to support her addiction to opioids. Because she was unable to pay bail of $3,500, she spent a year on Rikers Island awaiting trial. Eventually, she pled guilty and was sentenced to time served. Once released back to her Harlem community, she found herself homeless, excluded from employment, and struggled with finding treatment for her substance use disorder. Thousands of people in New York State face similar devastating experiences when they cannot pay…
Be With a Friend – December 22, 2019 – If you are worried about a party or venue lacking non-alcoholic options, Reames said to bring your own drink. “Some people get really obsessed about the idea that it’s the holidays [and think they] have to drink,” Reames said. She said there can be other ways to have fun without consuming alcohol. “If anyone has ever been down to New Year’s Eve Fest in Kalamazoo, you know that there are a lot of ways to have fun and there isn’t any alcohol around,” Reames said. People can opt for non-alcoholic holiday…
Saving Lives for a Better Tomorrow – Dec. 22, 2019 – Grown out of the need to stop blood-borne diseases like HIV, the needle-exchange program handed out 1,452 Narcan kits, the brand name for naloxone. And that’s just through 2018, according to a report to county supervisors last week. So far in 2019, another 1,554 kits were distributed, and 356 successful reversals saved lives, program administrator Matt Pennon said, who’d just compiled the numbers for a grant request to the state. The distribution of naloxone — administered as a nasal spray — skyrocketed from 282 in 2017 to 1,053 in…
Life or Death? – December 23, 2019 – “Like a butterfly effect” Health data for Belmont County show that the county ranked 50th of 88 Ohio counties for health outcomes. As with the rest of the state and the U.S. overall, Belmont County is seeing a trend of people dying younger, as life expectancy dips. … “They’re losing years of potential life that they could have been a productive citizen in the county,” says Linda Mehl, director of nursing with the Belmont County Health Department. There is no one factor behind these numbers: Smoking, obesity, alcohol abuse and organ system…
Congratulations! – Dec. 23, 2019 – “Being sober and living a life of integrity has really opened up so many doors for me,” he added. “I feel like I’m really my best self right now, living my best life and now I want to share it and teach others to do the same.” Sorrentino plans to spend Christmas with his wife and their families, after being released from prison in September following an eight-month sentence for tax evasion. “Christmas is that much sweeter because I am home — last year, I believe I was about to go to into prison…
Deck the Halls – December 23, 2019 – Because Christmas is a time for tradition, NBC will repeat last year’s holiday lineup (as I am repeating last year’s descriptions of it) with Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve, 8 p.m. Tuesday; it’s a movie that lasts two hours and 10 minutes spread across three hours of prime time, so count the commercials and think of Mr. Potter. Christmas night sees the Chuck Jones-directed, Boris Karloff-narrated “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” which is an animated classic (8 p.m. Wednesday), followed by the live-action “How the Grinch…
It’s an Anti-Depressant? – Dec. 23, 2019 – Researchers trained rats to receive a “delicious, high-fat, high-sugar” pellet by pressing a lever. The rats had to wait 20 seconds before pressing the lever again. If they were quicker than this, they had to wait an additional 20 seconds. Then researchers then introduced an injection of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH). This is a transmitter produced in the hypothalamus at the base of the brain, and previous research has shown it to play a role in impulsive behavior. Using an advanced technique, the team activated an MCH neural pathway from the hypothalamus to…
WATCH (at your own risk) – Dec 18, 2019 – Billie Eilish, the six-time Grammy-nominated artist, has just turned 18 yesterday and is speedily raising eyebrows and amassing fame. We take a look at her huge success as a breakthrough electropop/alternative artist so far and her latest video ‘Xanny’. Her 18th birthday is just weeks after she made Grammy history as the youngest artist to receive nominations across all four major categories: Record, Song, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. She achieved this remarkable victory all within the space of just a year. Additionally, her album engineers got…
Breaking the chains that bind… – Dec. 22, 2019 – Battling addiction by reconnecting with Jewish culture The history behind the tradition goes back over 2,000 years, to when the Maccabees returned to Jerusalem to liberate it from Seleucid Greek rule and rededicate the Temple with a new altar and menorah in 139 BCE. The Maccabees only had enough oil to light the new menorah for one day, but according to tradition, it ended up burning for eight nights. Since then, a festival of lights has been celebrated every year to remember the occasion. Kosman said the story behind the…
Reading can save your world – December 19, 2019 – “I just didn’t know how to deal with constantly being called curse words. I was never Rick. I was always belittled. I was always told I would be nothing,” said Greene. As a teen, Greene was sick of the pain, so he turned to alcohol, marijuana and then cocaine. It consumed his life for 16 years — so much that it destroyed his marriage. “I remember telling her to leave me. That’s when I knew I was a full addict. I told her to leave me and somebody had to…
What a sweet tooth – December 11, 2019 – This year, the government will have to open the spigot and let more foreign sugar into the United States. In fact, it will be a lot more. In a new report, economists at the Agriculture Department estimate that it will take 3.86 million tons of imported sugar to satisfy the domestic demand for sugar during the current fiscal year, which began in October and runs through September, 2020. Most of the sugar will come from Mexico, because trade agreements give Mexico first dibs on the American market. The U.S. hasn’t imported…
Have I got a drug for you – Dec. 16, 2019 – Instead, it starts with fast access to prescribed medicine that prevents withdrawal sickness. After patients start feeling better, they choose their next steps. In St. Louis, Seattle and San Francisco, people with opioid addictions can start medication on their first day of treatment. Early research suggests the approach can change lives. But it will be a tough sell elsewhere: Nearly two-thirds of U.S. treatment centers don’t offer anti-addiction drugs and there’s resistance to easy access. Within two weeks of walking into the Olympia clinic, Cline had a job…
Choked Up? – December 19, 2019 – Reports of gabapentinoid abuse alone, and with opioids, have emerged and there are serious consequences of this co-use, including respiratory depression and increased risk of opioid overdose death,” Douglas Throckmorton, MD, deputy director for Regulatory Programs in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. The agency also is requiring updates to gabapentinoid labels to include new warnings of potential respiratory depressant effects, and “requiring the drug manufacturers to conduct clinical trials to further evaluate the abuse potential of gabapentinoids, particularly in combination with opioids, with special attention being…