Trending News Today: HPV Represents Growing Health Problem in United States

A Maryland-based physician paid $450,000 to the state to settle allegations that she submitted false billing records to the Medicaid program, according to The Washington Post. A civil complaint was filed against Dr Sabiha Mohiuddin in the Circuit Court of Frederick County, MD. From January 2007 through February 2014, Dr Mohiuddin billed routine office visits at a higher level of care than was provided to increase reimbursement from the Maryland Medicaid Program, according to the Post. Dr Mohiuddin did not admit liability to the accusations, but has agreed to pay $450,000 to settle the lawsuit.

A surgical brain stimulation technique reduces involuntary movements and vocal outbursts associated with severe Tourette’s syndrome in young adults, according to a study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery. Thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) sends electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain to reduce tics, reported The Washington Post. The findings further support growing evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of deep brain stimulation. “The treatment has the potential to improve the quality of life for patients who are debilitated through their teenage years and young adulthood,” Alon Mogilner, associate professor in the departments of neurosurgery and anesthesiology at New York University Langone and director of the Center for Neuromodulation, said in a press release.

Nearly half of Americans aged 18 to 59 years are infected with the genital human papillomavirus (HPV), according to a new report by the National Center for Health Statistics. Currently, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Some high-risk strains infected 25% of men and 20% of women, and cause approximately 31,000 cases of cancer per year, The New York Times reported.