Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Frailty before surgery tied to more complications, higher costs

(Reuters Health) - Patients who are frail before surgery are more likely to have serious complications afterward and increased costs of care, suggesting that frailty should be factored into risk calculations before surgery, researchers say. The study team assessed 14,530 patients for frailty before common non-emergency operations such as heart surgery, cancer operations, plastic surgery and organ transplants. Overall, 3.4 percent of the patients had high levels of frailty, based on signs like recent dramatic weight loss, poor grip strength, or other indications that their bodies might not be resilient to stress. Female cancer radiation doctors earn less than male peers

Women doctors who specialize in using radiation to treat cancers collect less in Medicare reimbursement dollars than their male counterparts, even when they see similar numbers of patients, according to a new study. Depending on the setting, female radiation oncologists collected an average of $27,000 to $143,000 less than their male counterparts in 2016, the authors report in JAMA Network Open. N.Y. accuses opioid maker Purdue of illegal fund transfers to Sacklers

Purdue Pharma LP fraudulently transferred funds to members of the wealthy Sackler family who control the OxyContin maker despite knowing it faced major liabilities that had made it already insolvent, New York's attorney general alleged on Thursday. New York Attorney General Letitia James made the claims in a revised lawsuit already pending against Purdue over its role in the opioid epidemic that added members of the Sackler family and other drug manufacturers and distributors as defendants. New Jersey jury finds J&J not liable in talc cancer trial; company settles three other cases

A New Jersey jury on Wednesday cleared Johnson & Johnson of liability in a lawsuit brought by a man who said that asbestos in the company's talcum powder products caused his mesothelioma. The jury delivered its unanimous verdict in Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick, just miles from J&J's headquarters, in the case of plaintiff Ricardo Rimondi. Trump says he can produce a better healthcare plan than Obamacare

U.S. President Donald Trump pledged on Wednesday to deliver a better healthcare system than Obamacare if the Supreme Court tosses out his predecessor's signature domestic achievement, a potentially hazardous claim as he seeks re-election. Trump defended his administration's decision to step up its assault on the healthcare law passed under former President Barack Obama, which expanded healthcare coverage to about 20 million Americans. U.S. judge blocks Medicaid work requirements in Kentucky, Arkansas

A federal judge on Wednesday overturned the Trump administration's approval of plans by Kentucky and Arkansas to impose work requirements on people seeking Medicaid health insurance benefits. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services had failed to adequately consider the extent to which the Republican-led states' plans would cause significant numbers of people to lose coverage. Novartis MS drug wins FDA's blessing amid scrutiny of $88,000 annual price

Novartis AG has won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for multiple sclerosis drug Mayzent as the Swiss company targets patients whose disease advances from intermittent attacks to a gradually worsening condition. Novartis has priced the treatment at $88,000 annually, head of pharmaceuticals Paul Hudson told Reuters, a level exceeding some other MS drugs and one that may draw scrutiny from payers. Mozambique to start cholera vaccinations next week after cyclone

Mozambique will start a cholera vaccination campaign next week in areas ravaged by Cyclone Idai, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday, after five confirmed cases were detected. Thousands of people were trapped for more than a week in submerged villages without access to clean water after Cyclone Idai smashed into the Mozambican port city of Beira on March 14, causing catastrophic flooding and killing more than 700 people across three countries in southeast Africa. Bayer shares sag after U.S. jury verdict in Roundup cancer trial

Bayer AG shares sank to their lowest in almost seven years on Thursday after a U.S. jury awarded $80 million to a man who claimed use of the group's weed killer Roundup caused his cancer, with thousands of similar lawsuits looming. The jury in San Francisco federal court on Wednesday found Bayer liable because its Monsanto unit did not warn plaintiff Edwin Hardeman of the herbicide's alleged cancer risks. Germany warns of medical products shortage if Brexit chaotic: paper

Germany could face shortages of medical products by mid-April if Britain makes a chaotic withdrawal from the European Union, German business daily Handelsblatt said on Thursday, citing a letter by Health Minister Jens Spahn to the EU Commission. Tens of thousands of medical products could lose their approval if no "practicable procedures" were found, Spahn added, according to the paper.