Health News Roundup: Walmart to test programs for U.S. workers to cut its healthcare costs; Healthy eating tied to lower risk of kidney disease


Reuters | Updated: 04-10-2019 02:30 IST | Created: 04-10-2019 02:27 IST
Health News Roundup: Walmart to test programs for U.S. workers to cut its healthcare costs; Healthy eating tied to lower risk of kidney disease
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Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Walmart to test programs for U.S. workers to cut its healthcare costs

Walmart Inc said on Thursday it will begin several healthcare pilot programs for its U.S. employees starting Jan. 1 as it looks for ways to cut healthcare costs - one of the largest expenses for the retailer after wages. Walmart will pilot a program that will connect patients with local doctors in an effort to cut down on its workers relying on word of mouth or social media to find a doctor. The pilot programs will be held in parts of Arkansas, Florida and Texas.

U.S. vaping-related deaths rise to 18, illnesses to 1,080: CDC

U.S. health officials on Thursday reported 18 deaths due to a mysterious lung illness linked to e-cigarettes and said confirmed and probable cases of the illness had crossed the 1,000 mark. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 1,080 cases had been reported across 48 states and one territory so far, compared with 805 cases last week.

U.S. seeks advertising, sales data on e-cigarette companies

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has ordered a half-dozen e-cigarette companies to turn over sales and advertising data, the federal regulator said on Thursday, in the first sign of a likely probe into their marketing practices. The order was sent to JUUL Labs Inc, RJ Reynolds Vapor Company, Fontem US Inc, Logic Technology Development LLC, Nu Mark LLC and NJOY LLC, the FTC said in a statement.

Factbox: Vaping-related illnesses cause 18 U.S. deaths; Delaware, Alabama latest

Delaware and Alabama state health officials confirmed one death each from a mysterious lung disease associated with the use of e-cigarettes, bringing the total number of fatalities to 18 across 15 U.S. states. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has listed more than 800 confirmed and probable cases of the illness as of Sept. 24. The agency is expected to update the data later on Thursday. 

Trump woos seniors with order to boost Medicare health program

U.S. President Donald Trump sought to woo seniors on Thursday with an executive order aimed at strengthening the Medicare health program by reducing regulations, curbing fraud, and providing faster access to new medical devices and therapies. The order, which Trump discussed during a visit to a retirement community in Florida known as the Villages, is the Republican president's answer to some Democrats who are pushing for a broad and expensive expansion of Medicare to cover all Americans.

Drinking within recommended limits not tied to dementia

Most older adults who have one or two drinks a day are no more likely to develop cognitive decline or dementia than their peers who drink only rarely, a recent study suggests. The researchers followed 3,021 adults aged 72 and older for an average of six years. At the start, most were free of cognitive issues; 473 of them had mild cognitive impairment.

Tanzania denies hiding information on suspected Ebola cases

Tanzania denied on Thursday it was withholding information from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on suspected cases of Ebola, saying it was not hiding any outbreak of the deadly disease in the country. "Ebola is known as a fast-spreading disease, whose impact can be felt globally. This is not a disease that the Tanzanian government can hide," Tanzania health minister Ummy Mwalimu told journalists in commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

U.S. FDA approves Gilead's HIV prevention treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Gilead Sciences Inc's drug, Descovy, to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV infection. The expanded label is a combination of emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide, and is already approved to treat chronic HIV.

Healthy eating tied to lower risk of kidney disease

People with diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy may be less likely to develop chronic kidney disease than those who shun these foods in favor of sweets and meats, a research review suggests. Compared to people who tended to avoid fruits and veggies and pile their plates with sugar and red meat, those who had healthier diets with lots of foods recommended to reduce the risk of a variety of chronic illnesses were 30% less likely to develop chronic kidney disease and 32% less likely to have protein in their urine caused by kidney damage.

Optimism tied to lower rates of heart attacks, death

People with a positive outlook on life may be less likely than pessimists to experience events like a heart attack or stroke, and they may live longer, a recent review of existing research suggests. For the analysis, researchers examined data from 15 studies with a total of 229,391 participants who were followed for an average of about 14 years.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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