http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (Medical Xpress)—A fear of going hungry may be leading many older Georgians to skip medications and cancel doctors' appointments as they juggle limited incomes with prescription costs and out-of-pocket copayments required by Medicare, according to two new studies by University of Georgia researchers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-strong-links-food-insecurity-health.html Health Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:00:10 EST news281690670 Reducing financial barriers to medication access—a strategy known as value-based insurance design (VBID)—can improve medication adherence and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes. The economic and patient-perceived benefits of eliminating co-payments for diabetes-related medications and supplies are described in a trend-setting study published in Population Health Management. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-money-free-diabetes-related-medications.html Health Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:58:43 EST news280583915 Patients on medication for long-term conditions can often face difficulties with taking their medication as directed by their doctor.  In addition to the potentially detrimental effect on their health, the cost to the NHS of people not taking their medicines properly is estimated at more than £500 million per year. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-medication.html Health Tue, 12 Feb 2013 07:40:02 EST news279876095 When it comes to prescribing medications to their patients, physicians could use a dose of extra training, according to a new study led by a UCLA researcher. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-simple-intervention-doctors-medications.html Health Tue, 15 Jan 2013 10:44:38 EST news277468966 (Medical Xpress)—Even the best medicines in the world can be rendered ineffective if they are not taken as prescribed. The problem known as medication "non-adherence" is a major health issue in the United States, contributing to worse outcomes for people who have diabetes and other chronic diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-key-medication-adherence.html Health Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:24:26 EST news276355418 Generic medications currently account for over 70 percent of prescriptions dispensed. However, while generic drugs are clinically bioequivalent to the brand-name version, they often differ in their physical characteristics, such as color and shape. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have found that some patients who receive generic drugs that vary in their color are over 50 percent more likely to stop taking the drug, leading to potentially important and potentially adverse clinical effects. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-differences-pill-characteristics-essential-medication.html Medications Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:00:01 EST news276174392 (HealthDay)—Self-reported measures of medication adherence in adults with type 2 diabetes are valid, although some self-reports are moderated by depression, according to a study published online Nov. 30 in Diabetes Care. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-meds-adherence-self-report-valid-diabetes.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 20 Dec 2012 13:00:02 EST news275228949 Giri Prasad, a 33-year-old tailor who lives in Delhi, first noticed the pain below his ribs. He went to see a doctor, but when it didn't subside, he traveled to the hospital where he eventually learned he had tuberculosis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-technology-tb.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:04:54 EST news273834274 (HealthDay)—Diagnosis and management of erectile dysfunction (ED) improves health outcomes for men with comorbid diseases, and vice versa, according to research published online Nov. 15 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-erectile-dysfunction-comorbid-diseases-linked.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 03 Dec 2012 10:34:30 EST news273753255 As youth infected at birth with HIV reach adolescence and young adulthood, a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases underscores the need to promote healthy behaviors as some of these young people become sexually active. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-interventions-healthy-behaviors-perinatally-hiv-infected.html HIV & AIDS Thu, 08 Nov 2012 02:49:59 EST news271565387 Cutting the expenses associated with "low-value" medical tests and treatments – such as unnecessary imaging tests and antibiotics for viral infections that won't benefit from them – will require a multi-pronged plan targeting insurance companies, patients, and physicians, according to a JAMA Viewpoint article published this week by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. These efforts transcend economic impact, however, and may also be essential for improving health care quality and patient safety. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-strategy-wisely-low-value-health.html Health Tue, 23 Oct 2012 16:31:38 EST news270228681 (Medical Xpress)—Nearly half of patients taking medications for chronic conditions do not strictly follow their prescribed medication regimens. Failure to use medications as directed increases patients' risk for side effects, hospitalizations, reduced quality of life and shortened lifespans. Now, a University of Missouri gerontological nursing expert says patients' poor adherence to prescribed medication regimens is connected to their beliefs about the necessity of prescriptions and concerns about long-term effects and dependency. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-medication-beliefs-strongly-affect-individuals.html Health Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:12:58 EST news269525566 (HealthDay)—In primary care patients with type 2 diabetes, depressive symptoms (DS) are predictive of future lifestyle-oriented self-management behaviors, while diabetes-related distress (DRD) predicts glycemic control, possibly due to medication adherence, according to research published online Oct. 1 in Diabetes Care. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-diverse-distress-distinct-impact-diabetes.html Diabetes Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:10:01 EST news269107830 If you're diabetic or prone to diabetes, having a steady job appears to be good for your health, and not just because of the insurance coverage. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-diabetics-steady-job-good-health.html Diabetes Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:13:28 EST news265475565 (HealthDay) -- Many Medicaid recipients with chronic health conditions that can lead to heart disease -- diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol -- do not take their prescribed medications, a new study has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-medicaid-patients-drugs-heart.html Cardiology Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:15:11 EST news262016043 Patients' non-adherence to prescribed medication costs the U.S. health care system an estimated $290 billion annually and can lead to poor clinical outcomes, increased hospitalizations and higher mortality. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-physicians-dont-adequately-patients-medication.html Health Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:59:07 EST news261676738 A telephone intervention trial was associated with improvement in glaucoma medication adherence in both the treatment group and the control group but, when the two groups were compared, interactive telephone calls and tailored print materials did not significantly improve adherence, according to a report of a randomized controlled clinical trial published Online First by Archives of Ophthalmology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-intervention-glaucoma-treatment-adherence.html Ophthalmology Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:59:06 EST news258649136 (HealthDay) -- Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is not associated with adherence to pediatric asthma treatment, according to a study published online April 9 in Pediatrics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-alternative-medicine-doesnt-affect-asthma.html Inflammatory disorders Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:19:52 EST news253286376 When it comes to taking prescribed medications for hypertension, a patient's self confidence could be as important as doctor's orders. A new study by researchers at NYU School of Medicine reveals that positive affirmation, when coupled with patient education, seems to help patients more effectively follow their prescribed medication regimen. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-confidence-positive-medication-adherence-hypertensive.html Health Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:07 EST news246555009 Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital have found that one-quarter of severe asthma attacks could be prevented if only patients consistently took their medication as prescribed. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-medication-severe-asthma.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:36:22 EST news242912175 Patients being treated for chronic hepatitis C become less likely to take their medications over time, according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Since the study also showed better response to the drugs when they're taken correctly, the researchers say the findings should prompt clinicians to assess patients for barriers to medication adherence throughout their treatment, and develop strategies to help them stay on track. The study is published online this month in Annals of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-hepatitis-patients-falter-adherence-treatment.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:47:54 EST news236533666 Kaiser Permanente Northern California patients who obtained new statin prescriptions via a mail-order pharmacy achieved better cholesterol control in the first 3-15 months following the initiation of therapy -- compared to those patients who only obtained their statin prescription from their local Kaiser Permanente Northern California pharmacy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-mail-order-pharmacy-statin-prescriptions-cholesterol.html Health Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:09:04 EST news230547983 Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that among HIV-infected adults with alcohol problems, measuring their carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) biomarker was a poor and inaccurate method for detecting unhealthy drinking. These findings currently appear on-line in AIDS Care. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-cdt-biomarker-ineffective-unhealthy-alcohol.html Health Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:58:17 EST news227786286 Text messaging and adolescents don’t always mix well, but researchers at National Jewish Health hope text messages can spur teenagers to take their asthma medications more reliably. The study is testing whether health information and medication reminders via text message will boost adolescent’s adherence to asthma medication regimens. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-text-messaging-medication-adherence.html Medications Tue, 24 May 2011 12:42:57 EST news225459761 People who are depressed are less likely to adhere to medications for their chronic health problems than patients who are not depressed, putting them at increased risk of poor health, according to a new RAND Corporation study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-depression-poor-medication-adherence-patients.html Medications Tue, 10 May 2011 11:50:59 EST news224247044 The results of a unique study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, show that personality has an impact on how likely people are to take their medication. This is the first major study of its kind to be published in the online journal PloS ONE. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-personality-affects-medication.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 10 May 2011 09:11:48 EST news224237479 An examination of medication adherence among children with newly diagnosed epilepsy found that nearly 60 percent showed persistent nonadherence during the first 6 months of therapy, and that lower socioeconomic status was associated with higher non-adherence, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-medication-nonadherence-patterns-children-epilepsy.html Medications Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:26:33 EST news223053978