Study examines pros and cons of aggressive blood pressure lowering in older adults

Results from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) have supported lower blood pressure targets among community-dwelling older adults with hypertension to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and early death, but intensive blood pressure lowering can also increase risks of developing acute kidney injury and experiencing dangerously low blood pressure.

Daily drug can mimic health benefits of high-altitude, low-oxygen living for mitochondrial disease

For the average person, living at high altitude—where oxygen is sparser than at sea level—can have health benefits ranging from lower rates of heart disease to increased endurance. But for those born with inherited mitochondrial diseases, who rarely survive past childhood, low-oxygen air like that found at mountain peaks could be life-saving, potentially extending their lifespan and eliminating their symptoms.

Medicaid telehealth reimbursement policies are exacerbating workforce shortages in safety net clinics, study finds

A new study published in JAMA Network Open finds that low Medicaid telehealth reimbursement in New York State may be exacerbating a workforce crisis at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), particularly among mental health care practitioners. The challenge compounds existing financial instability at FQHCs and barriers to telehealth access among low-income New Yorkers who rely on safety-net care.