ArcaMax

Almost 80% of physicians surveyed say that the prior authorization process "often or sometimes" leads their patients to abandon treatment. Prior authorization is a cost-control measure used by health insurance companies that requires patients and their doctors to get approval from the insurance carrier before care or treatment can proceed.

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Sure, you can try to lose weight using a trendy drug like Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro, assuming you can afford it. (The reported cost is at least a few hundred dollars per month -- for the rest of your life.)

Or there's a cheaper, natural way: Eat more fiber.

But maybe not just any fiber. Researchers at the University of Arizona fed rats ...Read more

If the amount of sleep you're getting varies by more than an hour day-to-day, you may be at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in Diabetes Care.

The findings, reports STAT, are based on analysis of more than 84,000 participants in the U.K. Biobank. People without diabetes wore monitors while sleeping for a ...Read more

The Food and Drug Administration is reportedly considering its first regulations for ultraprocessed foods, such as soda, prepackaged cookies and breakfast cereals. These foods make up roughly 60% of all calories consumed by the typical American but are notoriously laden with unhealthy ingredients, from excessive sugar and salt to preservatives...Read more

After age and tobacco use, the third-biggest driver of cancers among people aged 30 and older is alcohol, with roughly 5% of cancer cases in men and women are attributable to drinking.

Recent data published by the American Cancer Society and the International Agency for Research looked at alcohol use associated with seven types of cancers, ...Read more

In the last half of 2023, it was estimated that 76% of adults and 87% of children lived in homes that did not have a landline telephone but did have at least one cellphone.

That may bode well for mobility and such, but in terms of health, recent data suggests that people who live in wireless-only homes are less likely to have health insurance...Read more

The average person ingests approximately 100 milligrams (0.003 ounces) of dust and dirt each day. Doesn't sound like much, but in an average lifetime, it adds up to six pounds. It gets worse: Scientists have estimated that the average person inhales around 50 billion dust particles an hour. Over a lifetime, that works out to 45 pounds.

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New research indicates that when temperatures climb above 100 F, heat can cause restricted blood flow and boost heart attack risk.

In a study, volunteers wore special suits that slowly raised the surrounding temperature. All the participants experienced increased blood flow with more heat, a sign that their hearts were working harder, in part...Read more

Legislators in nine states, from California to Massachusetts, are considering bans on the sale of unregulated diet pills and supplements to minors. Only New York currently has a ban in place.

Nearly 1 in 10 adolescents reportedly uses some type of poorly regulated, nonprescription weight loss product. The products, which broadly behave like ...Read more

Remarkably and somewhat appallingly, pregnancy and childbirth remain more dangerous for mother and child in the United States than in any other high-income nation.

Some numbers, reported by STAT:

The U.S. maternal mortality rate is 22 deaths per 100,000 live births -- triple what some other high-income countries see. For Black women in the U...Read more

The mental health crisis that seems to be afflicting many of us has found a new target: our best friends. Veterinarians across the country report rising prescriptions of Prozac for dogs, along with various mood stabilizers for separation anxiety, socialization fears, biting habits or other problematic behaviors.

The phenomenon reflects the ...Read more

A new study suggests that patients whose doctors are more empathetic to their suffering tend to feel less lower back pain than patients whose doctors don't create much of an emotional connection.

Levels of improvement among patients reporting the most empathetic care were higher than for such treatments as exercise therapy, yoga, massage, ...Read more

Rising rates of colorectal cancer in younger people have prompted calls for screening at an earlier age. A new study looked at the question of when people are old enough to no longer require follow-up colonoscopies, when the procedure no longer makes long-term health sense.

In a cross-sectional study of 10,000 patients aged 70 to 85 who had ...Read more