Trending News Today: Americans with HBV, HCV Often Unaware of Infection

A new study found that many American adults with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) are completely unaware of their infection status, MD Magazine reported. According to the article, the researchers surveyed 14,745 participants via complete serologic analyses from 2013 to 2016 to determine whether individuals knew about their infection. Only 32% of individuals who had HBV and 49% with HCV reported being aware of the infection, the article reported.

The American Medical Association (AMA) is calling for state-level legislation to increase oversight of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), The Center for Biosimilars reported. According to the article, the new policy calls for active regulation of PBMs by state departments of insurance, application of rebates to drug prices at the point of sale, efforts to ensure that no patients are discriminated against in benefit design, and increased transparency in how direct and indirect remuneration fees are calculated. The AMA said that it will develop model legislation addressing state-level regulation of PBMs for policymakers to use, the article reported.

A recent study showed that heart attack survivors with chronic depression may be at an increased risk of premature death than those who do not have these conditions, Reuters reported. According to the article, the researchers assessed approximately 58,000 patients for emotional distress 2 months after a heart attack and again at 12 months after the event, following a majority of the patients for at least 4 years. Compared with those without emotional distress, individuals who felt depressed or anxious at both assessments were 46% more likely to die of cardiovascular causes during the follow-up period and 54% more likely to die from other causes, the article reported.