Heart disease

November 17, 2024 1:00 PM

Air pollution spikes inflammation in patients with heart disease: Study

Patients with heart disease, specifically those with heart failure, are especially vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution and poor air quality and can take steps to protect themselves, a new study has said. Results from the Intermountain Health study, presented at the American Heart Association’s 2024 Scientific Sessions international conference in Chicago, found that two inflammatory markers — CCL27 (C-C motif chemokine ligand 27) and IL-18 (interleukin 18) — were elevated in heart f...

Doctors struggle to get Wegovy for older Americans with heart disease

Older Americans are having little success getting prescriptions for weight-loss drug Wegovy covered by Medicare despite the federal healthcare program's decision to pay for patients with obesity at risk of heart disease, according to their doctors. In interviews with Reuters, seven obesity and heart disease specialists from various parts of the United States said their prescriptions for the Novo Nordisk drug have been denied repeatedly by the healthcare companies that administer Medicare drug b...