Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Health Care Costs Top $240,000 for Retired Couples: Report
American couples retiring this year can expect their medical
bills throughout retirement to cost about $240,000, which is about
four percent more than the $230,000 needed by those who retired
last year, says an annual projection released Wednesday by Fidelity
Investments.
The new estimate is based on a 65-year-old couple retiring with
Medicare coverage, and factors in the federal program's premiums,
co-payments, deductibles and out-of-pocket prescription drug costs,
the
Associated Press reported.
The projection assumes the couple does not have insurance from
their former employers and is based on a life expectancy of 85 for
women and 82 for men. It doesn't include the costs of dental
services or long-term care, such as the expense of living in a
nursing home.
The most recent estimate could change significantly depending on
the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling next month on whether to strike
down part or all of the 2010 health care law. Depending on the
ruling, Fidelity may update its estimate, the
AP reported.
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Two Proposed Diagnoses Dropped From Psychiatric Diagnostic
Manual
Two controversial proposals that would have expanded the number
of people diagnosed with psychotic or depressive disorders have
been scrapped by an expert panel revising an influential
psychiatric diagnostic manual.
The panel working to complete the fifth edition of the American
Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders said the two proposed diagnoses were not supported
by evidence,
The New York Times reported.
The two rejected diagnoses were: attenuated psychosis syndrome,
proposed to identify people at risk of developing psychosis; and
mixed anxiety depressive disorder, a hybrid of anxiety and
depression.
The panel also refined their proposed definition of depression
so that the normal sadness a person experiences after the loss of
loved one, marriage or job would not be mistaken for a mental
health problem,
The Times reported.
However, the panel did not back down from another widely
criticized move to streamline the definition of autism. Critics say
the new definition could greatly reduce the number of people
diagnosed with autism, but panel members say evidence from a newly
completed study shows that's not the case.
The changes to the diagnostic manual -- which plays a major role
in research, treatment and insurance decisions -- are being debated
this week at the psychiatric association's annual meeting,
The Times reported.
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Diamond Pet Foods Expands Recall
A recall of some Diamond Pet Foods dog food brands has been
expanded after a salmonella outbreak linked to the products
sickened 14 people in nine states.
On its official website for the recall, the company added dog
food under the Country Value, Diamond, Premium Edge, Professional,
4Health, and Taste of the Wild brands with a 2 or 3 in the 9th
position of the production code and an X in the 10th or 11th
position,
CBS News reported.
These recalled products have "best before" dates between Dec. 9,
2012 and April 7, 2013 and were distributed in a number of states
as well as parts of Canada.
The company previously recalled Diamond Naturals (particularly
the Lamb & Rice dry dog formula), Chicken Soup for the Pet
Lover's Soul Adult Light Formula, and Diamond Puppy Formula,
CBS News reported.
Some companies that co-manufacture with Diamond Pet Foods have
also yanked their products from the market, including Natural
Balance, Kirkland Signature/Kirkland Signature Nature's Domain,
Apex Pet Foods, Canidae Pet Foods, and one type of Wellness
Complete Health puppy food.
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Senate Committee Examines Painkiller Makers' Financial Ties
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee has launched an investigation
into the financial links between companies that make prescription
painkillers and pain experts, patient advocacy groups and
organizations that create guidelines on how doctors use the
drugs.
Two senior senators on the committee say they opened the inquiry
to determine if doctors and patients are receiving accurate and
unbiased information about the risks of benefits of prescription
painkillers,
The New York Times reported.
"Overdoses on narcotic painkillers have become epidemic and it's becoming clear that patients aren't getting a full and clear picture of the risks posed by their medications," Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, said in a statement.
"The problem of opioid abuse is bad and getting worse," Senator Charles E. Grassley added in a statement, The Times reported.
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Amped Is Newest Type of 'Bath Salts' Drug
A new type of synthetic drug called Amped is being used by
people in Virginia to get high, according to state officials.
It's likely that people in other parts of the United States are
also using the drug, which is touted as a ladybug attractant and
falls into the street category of "bath salts," according to
ABC News.
There have been at least six reported cases of people ingesting
the chemical compound in Eastern and Central Virginia, Virginia
Poison Center Director Dr. Rutherfoord Rose said.
Bath salts -- which are often disguised as incense, plant foods
and cleaners -- have amphetamine-like qualities and boost blood
pressure and heart rate. Amped is the latest of these types of
drugs to be sold on the Web and in convenience stores,
ABC News reported.
"Despite laws that have outlawed certain chemicals within these drugs, chemists easily change a chemical or molecule within the compound to give it a similar or more potent property, and, because it is a different chemical entity, it is no longer illegal," Rose said.
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