Government programs are designed to benefit the public, particularly those in lower income brackets. However, it is crucial to critically assess these programs to ensure that they are fulfilling their intended purpose. In this article, we will delve into some notable examples where government initiatives have fallen short, causing unintended consequences and raising important questions.
Health
In the world of cancer treatment, there is a constant quest to find innovative therapies that can combat this devastating disease. One such treatment, CAR T-cell therapy, has shown promising results in patients with hematologic malignancies. However, recent news of black box warnings issued by the FDA has raised questions about the safety of this
In a recent analysis of the FRAME-AMI trial, researchers found that the use of fractional flow reserve (FFR) guidance for nonculprit lesion intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) resulted in cost savings and increased quality of life. The study demonstrated that FFR increased quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) by 0.06 compared to angiography-guided percutaneous coronary
The Dominican Republic (D.R.) has gained popularity as a destination for medical tourism, particularly for cosmetic surgery procedures. However, recent findings in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) shed light on a concerning trend – there have been 93 deaths among U.S. residents who traveled to the D.R. for cosmetic surgery between 2009 and
In the United States, the nursing profession has long been regarded as the most trusted among the population. According to Gallup’s 2023 Honesty and Ethics poll, 78% of surveyed adults deemed nurses to have “very high or high” honesty and ethical standards. However, the same cannot be said for medical doctors, who dropped to the
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects motor function and cognition. A recent post hoc analysis conducted by Anne-Marie Wills, MD, MPH, and her colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, has shed light on the potential impact of benzodiazepine derivatives on the progression of PSP. The study revealed that individuals with
A phase II study has demonstrated that hepatic arterial infusion pump (HAIP) chemotherapy with floxuridine offers significant improvements in overall survival (OS) for patients with advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). Bas Groot Koerkamp, MD, PhD, of the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, reported that patients treated with HAIP chemotherapy combined with systemic chemotherapy
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine has been on the rise, but there are concerns that over-reliance on this technology may lead to a loss of clinical knowledge. In a viewpoint published in JAMA, Agnes Fogo, MD, and colleagues highlighted the potential consequences of relying too heavily on AI in the field of
Long COVID, a condition that affects individuals long after their initial COVID-19 infection, has posed numerous challenges in terms of understanding its underlying mechanisms and developing effective treatments. Recent research conducted by Onur Boyman, MD, and his colleagues at the University of Zurich in Switzerland has shed new light on the role of blood proteins
The use of gabapentinoids, such as gabapentin, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been found to be associated with an increased risk for severe exacerbations, according to a population-based cohort study conducted in Canada. The study, led by Christel Renoux, MD, PhD, examined over 27,000 COPD patients and found that those who