Sara Kellner

2 days ago | healio.com | Sara Kellner

Key takeaways: High levels of fluoride exposure have been linked to lower IQs among children in other countries. The CDC’s recommended fluoride levels are less than half the levels in these studies. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told The Associated Press that he will instruct the CDC to stop recommending fluoride in municipal water supplies. Kennedy cannot stop communities from adding fluoride to their water, but he can tell the CDC to stop recommending it.

2 days ago | healio.com | Sara Kellner

Jennifer Ross, PharmD, BCIDP My initial reaction is that these findings represent a substantive decrease in the rate of newly reported chronic hepatitis C cases in Alaska from 2020 to 2023. Alaska Native and American Indian people are disproportionately affected by HCV, so expansion of testing and treatment efforts contribute to positive trends and can be applied to other areas and/or groups with higher rates.

6 days ago | healio.com | Sara Kellner

Key takeaways: Physicians partnered with dentists to administer HPV vaccines during dental visits. Vaccine uptake improved from 5.3% to 13.9% during the intervention period. Partnering with dental clinics to offer HPV vaccines to eligible children and adolescents improved vaccination rates by more than 8 percentage points in 1 year, according to a study published in Pediatrics. As Healio previously reported, HPV vaccine coverage has stalled since 2022 among adolescents.

6 days ago | healio.com | Sara Kellner

Read more Key takeaways: Bariatric surgery was cost-effective over 10 years at a threshold of $100,000 per QALY among patients with cirrhosis. Surgery also was associated with significant survival benefit. Bariatric surgery was associated with improved survival and appeared cost-effective over 10 years among patients with obesity and compensated cirrhosis, according to an analysis published in JAMA Surgery. David E.

1 week ago | healio.com | Sara Kellner |Heather Biele

Key takeaways: A patient navigation program addressed barriers to getting a colonoscopy, including insurance and transportation. Patients were 69% more likely to get a colonoscopy with patient navigation vs. usual care. A patient navigation program significantly improved the odds that people would get a colonoscopy after receiving an abnormal fecal immunochemical test result, according to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine.