What doesn’t work in long-term care

A new article in the Journal of the American Medical Association points to the futility of supervised brushing and flossing to improve the oral health and to lower the incidence of pneumonia among residents in long-term care. In a randomized trial over 2 years, residents with nurse-supervised oral hygiene routines experienced no reduction in pneumonia…

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To improve health disparities, focus on oral health

That’s the recommendation on a new blog from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. How so? well, here’s an argument.
Let’s begin by recognizing chronic diseases such as diabetes and COPD have a much higher prevalence in poorer communities than rich ones. For example, about 4 in 100 adults in Rosedale (high income) in Toronto have diabetes, whereas, 3 kilometers away in St. Jamestown (low income), 12 in 100 are diabetic.

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Healthcare savings via prevention of chronic disease

A new study which examines why American spending on healthcare has shown little growth over the past few years, reports that a key reason is healthier hearts among Seniors.

Between 1999 and 2012, American per capita spending on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (heart attack, cardiac arrest, stroke, etc.) declined by $827 per person. Spending on a related category called cardiovascular risk factors (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes) also fell $802 per person below the trend line.

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