Health-related social needs, such as transportation problems and food insecurity, are the most common factors keeping women from getting mammograms, according to a CDC report based on 2022 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. "Addressing SDOH and HRSNs and their drivers might increase the prevalence of receipt of mammography and other preventive health services," said the report's authors.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that acetaminophen use during pregnancy was not associated with the development of autism or attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder in children based on sibling control analyses. Findings, based on over 2.48 million children, also found that using aspirin was associated with a lower risk, possibly because of its being used to treat pre-eclampsia and its complications.

A study in Japan found that treating gum disease within three months of undergoing catheter heart ablation was linked to lower risk of atrial fibrillation recurrence. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

A study presented at the European Psychiatric Association's annual meeting suggested that using marijuana during pregnancy may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental issues such as autism and ADHD in offspring. Smoking cigarettes and using marijuana during pregnancy was associated with an even greater risk of having an offspring with a developmental disorder.

A USDA report shows that the mortality gap between rural and urban residents is widening, with those ages 25 to 54 in rural communities dying at higher rates from natural causes compared with those in urban communities. The gap has widened from a 6% difference in 1999 to a 43% difference in 2019. Although this is a nationwide trend, the largest gap is in the southern US, the analysis shows, and rural health experts attribute the gap to a growing lack of access to health care services in rural areas.

A big-data survivorship portal created at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital provides extensive access to information about pediatric cancer survivors' treatment exposure, outcomes and whole genomic sequencing, according to a study in Cancer Discovery. "An early-career or scientist without a computing background can come to the portal with a question in mind and, with just a few minutes and a few clicks, become a kind of bioinformatics scientist or epidemiologist," said co-corresponding author Jinghui Zhang.

A poll found that approximately 60% of individuals ages 50 to 80 sought medical care in a retail health clinic or urgent care center during the past two years, with urgent care centers being the most common alternative. "The rapid rise in availability of these kinds of clinics, which typically offer walk-in convenience, expanded hours and self-scheduling of appointments in locations close to home, work or shopping, has transformed the American health care landscape in less than two decades," said Jeffrey Kullgren, director of the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.

Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans employ a number of strategies to improve affordable access to treatments and reduce prescription drug costs for members. Initiatives include promoting generic drug use through step therapy and formulary management, establishing preferred pharmacy networks and working with pharmacy benefit managers to negotiate lower drug costs.

The American Medical Group Association has urged Congress to protect provider stability by passing the Value in Health Care Act, which would extend the 5% bonus payments furnished to participants in advanced alternative payment models for two years and implement reforms to the Medicare Shared Savings Program to promote participation. The group also encouraged lawmakers to avoid additional Medicare Part B payment cuts and carefully reconsider any policy changes to the Medicare Advantage program to prevent negative impact on patient care.

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced limits to the amount of "forever chemicals" -- which are linked to increased cancer risks, among other health concerns -- in drinking water and estimates that the standard will reduce exposure to the chemicals for around 100 million people. The agency also has finalized rules meant to lower cancer cases by requiring more than 200 chemical plants across the US to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants and perform air monitoring at their perimeters.

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