What is the TME?Components of TMEThe TME and tumor-proliferationTME and gut microbiotaClinical role of TMEReferencesFurther reading For a prolonged period, cancer was thought to be a genetic disease where mutations spur malignant changes in the cell. In recent years, the growth in knowledge about the tumor microenvironment (TME) has altered this view. This article briefly introduces the TME and discusses […]

In April 2016, government auditors asked a Blue Cross Medicare Advantage health plan in Minnesota to turn over medical records of patients treated by a podiatry practice whose owner had been indicted for fraud. Medicare had paid the Blue Cross plan more than $20,000 to cover the care of 11 patients seen by Aggeus Healthcare, a chain of podiatry clinics, […]

IntroductionMental health Interventions for young peopleUsing digital interventions to monitor older people's mental health Technological intervention in a social work contextHazards of technology-based interventions ReferencesFurther reading Mental health disorders are becoming increasingly frequent in the general population. Mental health disorders are largely associated with improved life expectancy and end-of-life diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, with over 15% of those over 60 suffering […]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Atrium Health, the largest hospital system in North Carolina, has declared publicly that in 2019 it provided $640 million in services to Medicare patients that were never paid for, by far the largest “community benefit” it provided that year. Like other nonprofit hospitals around the nation, Atrium logs losses on the federal health insurance program for seniors […]

People who seek medical treatment for obesity or an eating disorder do so with the hope their health plan will pay for part of it. But whether it’s covered often comes down to a measure invented almost 200 years ago by a Belgian mathematician as part of his quest to use statistics to define the “average man.” That work, done […]

The increased production of certain hormones throughout pregnancy is essential for maintaining the health of both the mother and fetus. Human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG), human placental lactogen (hPL), progesterone, and estrogen are the most notable hormones involved in pregnancy. Pregnancy. Image Credit: Ground Picture/Shutterstock.com The placenta and estrogen During the first ten weeks of gestation, both estrogen and progesterone […]

KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed health care costs and the fiscal health of Medicare and Social Security on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” on Sept. 28. She also discussed President Joe Biden’s comments about the covid-19 pandemic being “over,” as well as health inflation, the government funding bill, and other domestic news on WAMU/NPR’s “1A” on Sept. 23. Click here […]

Imagine if one day in the future, doctors could diagnose throat cancer, Alzheimer’s, depression or other diseases based on the sound of a patient’s voice. To help make that a reality, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is joining the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bridge2AI program, an estimated $130 million initiative intended to expand the use of […]

IntroductionThe Arrangement of the AortaAortic Dissection PathogenesisSymptomsPre-dispositionsDetectionTreatmentReferencesFurther Reading The aorta is the main artery of the human body. Its large structure is key to maintaining the vital function of pumping oxygenated blood around the whole body. Aortic dissection. Image Credit: sciencepics/Shutterstock.com Aortic dissection occurs when the wall of the aorta tears, allowing blood to exit the aorta through a false […]

IntroductionCauses and Symptoms of Binder SyndromeEpidemiology of Binder SyndromeAssociation with Chondrodysplasia PunctataDiagnosis and Treatment of Binder SyndromeReferences Binder syndrome, also known as nasomaxillary dysplasia or maxillo-nasal dysostosis, is a rare congenital condition causing developmental defects. Although the true etiology is unknown, it is most likely multifactorial. It has distinct impacts on facial characteristics, significantly affecting the front region of the […]