Latest news with #BostonUniversitySchoolofPublicHealth
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
United States had 1.5 million excess deaths following COVID-19 pandemic
Excess deaths in the United States have continued to mount following the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to an early demise for hundreds of thousands, a new study says. More than 1.5 million "missing Americans" died in 2022 and 2023, deaths that would have been averted if U.S. death rates matched those of other wealthy nations, researchers reported Friday in JAMA Health Forum. In fact, nearly 1 of every 2 deaths among people younger than 65 (46%) in 2023 would not have occurred if U.S. death rates mirrored those of peer nations, researchers found. "The U.S. has been in a protracted health crisis for decades, with health outcomes far worse than other high-income countries," lead researcher Jacob Bor, an associate professor of global health and epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health, said in a news release. "Imagine the lives saved, the grief and trauma averted, if the U.S. simply performed at the average of our peers," Bor added. "One out of every 2 U.S. deaths under 65 years is likely avoidable. Our failure to address this is a national scandal." For the study, researchers tracked death record data from the United States and 21 other high-income nations from 1980 to 2023, including more than 107 million U.S. deaths and 230 million deaths among the peer nations. The other wealthy nations included Australia, Canada, France, Japan and Britain, researchers said. Overall, the United States had nearly 15 million excess deaths during the four decades in question, when stacking its death rate against that of other wealthy countries, results show. In 1980, the United States actually outperformed other nations, with 42,000 fewer deaths than might be expected compared to the death rates of peer nations. But in 1990, the United States had more than 89,000 excess deaths, leaping to nearly 355,000 in 2000 and 409,000 in 2010, results show. Excess deaths peaked in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 1 million dead in 2020 and nearly 1.1 million in 2021, researchers said. But excess deaths remained high even after scientists conquered COVID, with more than 820,000 in 2022 and 705,000 in 2023, the study says. "The 700,000 excess American deaths in 2023 is exactly what you'd predict based on prior rising trends, even if there had never been a pandemic," said researcher Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota. "These deaths are driven by long-running crises in drug overdose, gun violence, car collisions, and preventable cardiometabolic deaths," she added in a news release. In 2023, needless excess deaths accounted for nearly 23% of all deaths in America, researchers report. These excess deaths show how the policies of other peer nations better protect the health of their citizens, senior researcher Andrew Stokes said in a news release. "Other countries show that investing in universal healthcare, strong safety nets, and evidence-based public health policies leads to longer, healthier lives," said Stokes, an associate professor of global health and epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health. "Unfortunately, the U.S. faces unique challenges; public distrust of government and growing political polarization have made it harder to implement policies that have proven successful elsewhere," he added. The executive actions and policies enacted under the second Trump administration threaten to drive excess deaths even higher, Bor said. For example, the U.S. House of Representatives' approved version of legislation containing President Donald Trump's second-term agenda includes potential cuts to Medicare and Medicaid that would make excess deaths even more likely. "Deep cuts to public health, scientific research, safety net programs, environmental regulations, and federal health data could lead to a further widening of health disparities between the US and other wealthy nations, and growing numbers of excess -- and utterly preventable -- deaths to Americans," Bor said. More information KFF has more on U.S. life expectancy compared to other nations. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
UPI
6 days ago
- Health
- UPI
United States had 1.5 million excess deaths following COVID-19 pandemic
Excess deaths in the United States have continued to mount following the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News Excess deaths in the United States have continued to mount following the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to an early demise for hundreds of thousands, a new study says. More than 1.5 million "missing Americans" died in 2022 and 2023, deaths that would have been averted if U.S. death rates matched those of other wealthy nations, researchers reported Friday in JAMA Health Forum. In fact, nearly 1 of every 2 deaths among people younger than 65 (46%) in 2023 would not have occurred if U.S. death rates mirrored those of peer nations, researchers found. "The U.S. has been in a protracted health crisis for decades, with health outcomes far worse than other high-income countries," lead researcher Jacob Bor, an associate professor of global health and epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health, said in a news release. "Imagine the lives saved, the grief and trauma averted, if the U.S. simply performed at the average of our peers," Bor added. "One out of every 2 U.S. deaths under 65 years is likely avoidable. Our failure to address this is a national scandal." For the study, researchers tracked death record data from the United States and 21 other high-income nations from 1980 to 2023, including more than 107 million U.S. deaths and 230 million deaths among the peer nations. The other wealthy nations included Australia, Canada, France, Japan and Britain, researchers said. Overall, the United States had nearly 15 million excess deaths during the four decades in question, when stacking its death rate against that of other wealthy countries, results show. In 1980, the United States actually outperformed other nations, with 42,000 fewer deaths than might be expected compared to the death rates of peer nations. But in 1990, the United States had more than 89,000 excess deaths, leaping to nearly 355,000 in 2000 and 409,000 in 2010, results show. Excess deaths peaked in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 1 million dead in 2020 and nearly 1.1 million in 2021, researchers said. But excess deaths remained high even after scientists conquered COVID, with more than 820,000 in 2022 and 705,000 in 2023, the study says. "The 700,000 excess American deaths in 2023 is exactly what you'd predict based on prior rising trends, even if there had never been a pandemic," said researcher Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota. "These deaths are driven by long-running crises in drug overdose, gun violence, car collisions, and preventable cardiometabolic deaths," she added in a news release. In 2023, needless excess deaths accounted for nearly 23% of all deaths in America, researchers report. These excess deaths show how the policies of other peer nations better protect the health of their citizens, senior researcher Andrew Stokes said in a news release. "Other countries show that investing in universal healthcare, strong safety nets, and evidence-based public health policies leads to longer, healthier lives," said Stokes, an associate professor of global health and epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health. "Unfortunately, the U.S. faces unique challenges; public distrust of government and growing political polarization have made it harder to implement policies that have proven successful elsewhere," he added. The executive actions and policies enacted under the second Trump administration threaten to drive excess deaths even higher, Bor said. For example, the U.S. House of Representatives' approved version of legislation containing President Donald Trump's second-term agenda includes potential cuts to Medicare and Medicaid that would make excess deaths even more likely. "Deep cuts to public health, scientific research, safety net programs, environmental regulations, and federal health data could lead to a further widening of health disparities between the US and other wealthy nations, and growing numbers of excess -- and utterly preventable -- deaths to Americans," Bor said. More information KFF has more on U.S. life expectancy compared to other nations. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
NDTV
10-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Cannabis Use Doesn't Affect Sperm Quality, New Study Finds
A recent study from the Boston University School of Public Health indicates that cannabis use does not significantly impact sperm quality. Researchers analysed semen samples from 921 men, assessing semen volume, total sperm count, concentration, and motility. The findings revealed no substantial differences between cannabis users and non-users in these parameters. These results align with a 2018 study led by Professor Lauren Wise, which found that marijuana use by either partner did not reduce a couple's chances of conceiving. The study, part of the Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO), surveyed over 4,000 women and 1,100 of their male partners in the U.S. and Canada. Approximately 14% of male participants reported marijuana use in the two months before the study, yet conception rates remained consistent regardless of cannabis use. The research has been published in Andrology. "Chronic cannabis use among human males has been associated with lower testosterone concentrations and alterations in other hormones relevant to semen quality," write the researchers in their published paper. "Studies have also shown associations of chronic cannabis use with poor semen quality, but results have been inconsistent across different hormonal and reproductive measures." Contrastingly, some research suggests potential negative effects of cannabis on sperm morphology and volume. A 2021 study indicated that current marijuana users had higher odds of abnormal sperm morphology and reduced semen volume compared to non-users. Given these mixed findings, experts emphasise the need for further research to understand the relationship between cannabis use and male fertility. Factors such as dosage, frequency, and individual health profiles may influence outcomes.
Boston Globe
28-01-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
‘A terrible way to treat scientists': Trump directives sow uncertainty, fear among area labs and hospitals
The sudden changes sent fear and confusion through one of the world's major science hubs, as researchers scrambled to grasp the status of their funding and sort fact from rumor. Advertisement I ran — Atul Gawande (@Atul_Gawande) Around 40 percent of all basic research in the United States is government funded, and Dr. David Hamer, a professor of global health and medicine at the Boston University School of Public Health, said the turmoil landed just before a major NIH grant deadline of Feb. 5. 'I have two resubmissions I'm working on,' said Hamer, who conducts surveillance on emerging infectious diseases. 'Should we not do these, or what's going to happen?' Advertisement For Dr. Jeremy Faust, a Boston emergency medicine doctor and public health researcher, the gag order that halted some data updates to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website was especially alarming. Last week, the agency failed to post new data to its COVID and flu vaccination dashboard and to a site that tracks the rise of new COVID variants. Last Thursday, for the first time in decades, the agency didn't publish its 'That to me was the real, real chilling moment: If they take away our data, then we're flying blind,' said Faust, who writes the popular Substack newsletter CDC data is just dripping out. High level covid, flu, & RSV released as scheduled today but not the weekly flu deeper dive (aka Fluveiw) or ILI (general count of cough and fever). Also still no bird flu MMWRs, but yes data. This sure doesn't seem like freedom to me — Katelyn Jetelina (@dr_kkjetelina) On Wednesday, Faust posted to social media asking researchers to get in touch if their work was impacted by the pause on grant reviews. He received a smattering of answers, many accompanied by what he called 'a palpable fear that even telling me this could ruin their career or could ruin their lab,' he said. 'I mean, what a terrible way to treat scientists,' he said. 'These are people who are trying to make the world safer for all of us.' A Boston-area researcher staff member who didn't want to be named for fear of retribution from the Trump administration said her group had started to explore private sources of funding as alternatives to the NIH. 'I'm pretty devastated on a personal level,' she said, adding that she was doubtful that funding opportunities would ever fully bounce back. Advertisement She said she was panicked for her job as well as for the future of her field, and was equally concerned about Trump's directive to end all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the government and in federal contracts. 'The grants we work on are typically focused on equity, and so it feels sort of like a double whammy,' she said. 'Even if some level of funding comes back, we're probably not going to be funded, or we'll have to change our proposal to not include those words.' Sonkusale was also concerned about the 'I am worried about sound science, being able to look at the impact of diseases in different groups,' he said. 'I hope they are not going to say stop doing that.' Trump's recent actions are not a repeat of his first term. During the early days of 2017, he focused on rolling back climate change regulations and repealing Obamacare. This time, Trump's actions Advertisement In recent days, however, there were some signs of continuity amid the chaos. Sonkusale also receives funding from the National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering research, but he said he has not received any notices from them about cancellations or freezes. Asked whether the Foundation was also freezing, or pausing, grant reviews or taking any other similar actions at this time, a spokesperson responded in an email: 'The US National Science Foundation is reviewing executive orders and implementing accordingly. We look forward to working with the new administration to ensure long-term US competitiveness in all fields of science and engineering for our economic and national security.' Dr. George Kuchel, a geriatrician and professor of geriatrics at the UConn Center on Aging, sits on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The group provides recommendations to the CDC on how often vaccines, including for flu, COVID, and RSV, should be given and to whom, and whether the benefits of individual vaccines outweigh the risks. Kuchel said that as far as he knew the group's next regular meeting, in late February, was still on. Another of his national scientific meetings, however, was canceled abruptly. Last Friday, he'd been planning to attend a meeting held by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, a government agency that funds research into tough health challenges that have a hard time attracting commercial support. Kuchel had planned to attend to get more information for a grant he is planning to apply for to support his work, which focuses on the science of aging, including why some people experience more age-related cognitive and mobility problems than others. He said he has no idea where the canceled meeting leaves him. Advertisement 'People are just trying to figure out what is going on,' he said. 'With any change in administration, there has always been anxiety. I think there has been some concern about reorganization of NIH, but I don't think anybody knows at this point.' For Faust, the week ended on a positive note. By Friday, health agencies had updated most of the data he needed for his dashboard. 'There was less reporting than usual, but it was not a massive change,' he wrote by email. 'Hospital capacity is so important, and thankfully most (though not all) of the data were updated.' of the Globe staff contributed reporting. Anna Kuchment can be reached at
Boston Globe
28-01-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Insurance companies delay and deny needed health care. Here's how to stop that.
The insurance companies wanted to show they were 'doing something' to help control rapidly rising health care costs. Some insurance companies made money charging extra for 'pre-admission certification.' There was no evidence then that prior authorizations for any medical test or procedure would protect patients, improve care quality, or save money. Forty years later, there is still not much evidence they do any good. In fact, they cause harm. About 25 percent of physicians in Advertisement Problems with prior authorizations are responsible for almost half of Advertisement Requiring insurance companies to publish their prior authorization denial rates on all marketing materials and platforms would let patients and plan sponsors know how likely it is that their claim would be paid before they bought the insurance. The Affordable Care Act requires insurance companies to compile denial rates for plans offered on its marketplaces, but the information is not widely available, and the regulations to publish it have not been enforced. There are no similar requirements for commercial, Medicaid, or Medicare plans. Denying claims is a very effective way for health insurance companies to make money. Only about half of all bill denials are ultimately overturned, resulting in payments to care providers. The process for appealing a denial is so complicated that fewer than 1 percent of patients bother to appeal, and most of them lose in a process that is controlled by insurance companies. Very few patients even know they have a right to an external appeal when the insurance company turns them down. Pharmacy benefit managers, often owned by health insurance companies, increase their profits through prior authorization. Sometimes they pay for only the brand-name drugs the benefit managers get a kickback for promoting. Transparent, speedy, and independent reviews of medical care, prescription, and bill denials can be implemented if the companies and agencies buying insurance tell the insurance companies to do so. Advertisement Ending prior authorization, publishing denial rates, and forcing speedy, fair appeals would eliminate the majority of medical claim denials and delays in care. These changes would increase access to medical services and reduce patients' anxiety. They would also create an atmosphere for legitimate research into policies that improve patient outcomes, improve quality of care, and prevent wasteful, harmful medical practices. David L. Rosenbloom is a professor emeritus at Boston University School of Public Health. He served as commissioner of health and hospitals for the city of Boston from 1975 to 1983.
