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Get Mad Column
Taxes or Medical Research? Tensions Rise in the Battle to Reduce the Deficit
The country did not go over the "fiscal cliff" thanks to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA), which was passed by Congress on New Year’s Day. While fears loomed that lawmakers would fail to act in time, ATRA addressed the expiration of numerous tax credits, raised some revenue, and temporarily delayed automatic spending cuts scheduled to take effect on December 31, 2012. When ATRA became law America earned a temporary reprieve from imminent economic catastrophe. However, our health and personal economic security may still suffer from the fallout resulting from actions taken by policymakers struggling to find a more permanent solution to the nation’s fiscal woes.
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Feature Article
The Month of Love and Heart Health
It’s that time of year where people throughout the world exchange candy, flowers, and sentimental gifts with their loved ones, and those that they hope to love. While many of us believe—especially those who grumble at the thought of the lovey-dovey holiday—that Valentine’s Day was invented by greeting card and chocolate companies to up their profits, it actually has a long, and somewhat dark history.
Heart health advocacy organizations are hoping to add to the history of Valentine’s Day by designating the month of love “heart health month” and making it another reminder of how important it is that we protect and cherish both our loved ones and our hearts.
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Fact Sheet
The Silver Book: Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation impacts between 2.7 and 6.1 million adults and can lead to stroke, heart failure, dementia, disability, and death. It also costs a tremendous amount of money--at least $6.65 billion each year. This latest factsheet from The Silver Book brings the leading data on the burden of the disease and the value of innovation to reduce that burden, all into one place.
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Document, Feature Article
Translating Innovation to Impact
This white paper presents the findings and recommendations from a review of the state of the art non-pharmacological treatments and care practices for people with Alzheimer's or other dementias and their family caregivers. It is intended to support deliberations by the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care and Services, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and other government and private organizations about hot to make effective non-pharmacological treatments and care practices available to people who will benefit from then. Its development resulted from a public-private partnership between AoA and the Alliance for Aging Research, with funding from the Metlife Foundation.
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Document
Assessing Stroke and Bleeding Risk in Atrial Fibrillation
This expert consensus statement makes important recommendations on the use of stroke and bleeding risk tools, the decision to anticoagulate, the incorporation of patient preferences, and more.
