Author: Healthcare Propulsion Staff

Medications can snowball as we age. Pill organizers pile up. Prescriptions that are no longer necessary can mix with other drugs to create concerning side effects.  “Once you get to six or seven prescription medications, you get a nearly 100% chance of some sort of side effect or intolerance,” said physician K. Eric De Jonge, director of geriatrics at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.  Paula Span writes “The New Old Age” column for The New York Times and KFF Health News. She joined WAMU’s Health Hub on Sept. 30 to talk about common medications — from aspirin to benzodiazepines — that…

Regular walking reduces symptom flare ups for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, even if they live in an area with poor air quality, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research. COPD is a common, long-term lung condition. It cannot be cured; however, plenty of research shows that regular physical activity, such as walking, can help manage symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and feeling short of breath. Until now, doctors have been concerned about recommending walking if they know their patients live in areas with high levels of air pollution. The new research suggests walking is beneficial, regardless…

iRhythm completed Monday its acquisition of cardiac remote patient monitoring company VitalConnect for $237.5 million in an all-cash deal. iRhythm provides end-to-end cardiac monitoring services while VitalConnect’s monitoring platform supports multiple modalities—and has the capability to monitor up to 11 physiological parameters, according to an Oct. 5 press release. In addition to the $237.5 million all-cash deal, iRhythm provided VitalConnect with $10 million in working capital between signing and closing, executives say. The acquisiton is expected to increase iRhythm’s revenue growth rate and maintain its 15% adjusted EBITDA margin target for 2027. An estimated 27 million people in the U.S.…

One in 100 adolescents and young adults in the United States has an opioid use disorder (OUD) and, with the rise of fentanyl in the drug supply, overdoses in this age group have risen sharply since 2019. A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham asked whether Medicaid-enrolled 13-to-25-year-olds with OUD receive evidence-based, reliable treatment. Using eight years of national data from 229,847 adolescents and young adults, they found only half began treatment, one-third engaged in care, one-sixth received medication, and 1 in 32 continued medication for 180 days or more. Results are published today in JAMA Network Open.…

Archaeologists have discovered a temple dedicated to the Roman war god Mars in the wooded foothills of the Taunus mountains in Germany. The temple was part of a military settlement that was built in the third century to defend the border of the Roman Empire against Germanic tribes.The Roman military constructed thousands of forts across Europe, northern Africa and western Asia while expanding the empire, and most of these fortifications had an adjacent settlement, called a “vicus,” that was occupied primarily by merchants, families and other civilians.Since 2024, archaeologists have been excavating the Kapersburg Roman fort and its adjacent vicus…

Although U.S. job growth slowed in September, employment among Americans with disabilities continued to rise, with the employment-to-population ratio reaching an all-time high of 40.3 percent. The milestone increase came during a month in which the nation added 29,000 jobs, and the official unemployment rate edged up to 4.2 percent. That’s according to today’s National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) Jobs Report, issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability. nTIDE tracks employment and labor force trends for people with and without disabilities. Based on data from today’s BLS Jobs Report and nTIDE analysis,…

Tests of 15 commercial herbal toothpastes revealed wide differences in fluoride, antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity, with some formulations showing that strong bacterial inhibition does not have to come at the expense of cellular safety. Study: Cytotoxicity, antibacterial efficacy, and fluoride content of commercial herbal toothpastes. Image credit: Ground Picture/Shutterstock.com Herbal toothpastes with strong antibacterial activity often exhibit moderate to high cytotoxicity, according to a new laboratory study published in BDJ Open. Herbal toothpastes raise fluoride and safety questions Dental caries is a multifactorial disease mediated by oral biofilms and driven by dietary sugars. Acidogenic and aciduric bacteria such as Streptococcus…

Datavant is partnering with identity verification company ID.me to help patients request their medical records faster and more easily via simple digital credentials. By integrating ID.me’s digital identity verification into Datavant’s patient request tool, the companies aim to reduce friction, speed up access to records and strengthen safeguards against unauthorized access. ID.me is a secure, private digital identity platform that acts as an independent “identity wallet.” Twenty-three federal agencies, 50 state government agencies and more than 100 healthcare organizations use ID.me for secure identity verification and the company boasts more than 175 million users. Datavant offers a data exchange network…

Electronic bikes and electronic scooter injuries among children and teens increased nearly four-fold at one California hospital between 2019 and 2025, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2026 National Conference & Exhibition in San Diego.   Although e-scooters accounted for most injuries, e-bike injuries represented a growing share of cases and were considerably more severe. Children injured on e-bikes were more likely to sustain concussions and fractures, require surgery or hospitalization, and were more likely to experience potentially life-threatening injuries, according to the research to be presented during the Oct. 2-6 conference.  The authors of the abstract,…

Grindr is ramping up its focus on healthcare with plans to acquire PurposeMed Inc., the parent company of telehealth provider Freddie. Freddie provides access to HIV prevention and PrEP care through telehealth visits. Grindr plans to pick up PurposeMed for $250 million in cash and stock, consisting of $190 million in cash and $60 million in Grindr common stock.  The agreement also includes the potential for up to $70 million in additional cash consideration tied to 2027 performance targets, payable in 2028. The companies expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter, subject to applicable closing conditions. Freddie expects…