Top stories in health and medicine, June 16, 2014

From MedPage Today: The Hobby Lobby Case: The Stakes for Birth Control. One of the most watched issues before the Supreme Court this term may turn on the question of religious freedom. But it will also likely determine how women will be able to access a key provision of the Affordable Care Act — one seeking to guarantee no-cost prescription contraception in most health insurance plans. Risk Factors ID’d for Stroke Readmits. Among patients with stroke, those with a more severe event and those with more hospitalizations leading up to the stroke were most likely to be readmitted within 30 days. Combo Therapy Boosts Patient Outcomes in RA. Patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had not previously received methotrexate fared significantly better on patient-reported outcomes if given a combination of tocilizumab (Actemra) plus methotrexate than if they received either agent alone. Apoptosis Drug Gets High Marks in CLL. Three-fourths of patients with high-risk relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) had objective responses when treated with an investigational inhibitor of Bcl-2. Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: News Cancer Heart Rheumatology Source Type: blogs