High Blood Pressure Not Being Treated Effectively

According to CDC Vital Signs, one third of American adults who suffer from high cholesterol and 50% of those same patients are not receiving effective treatment. But how could that be? The majority of individuals with high blood pressure or high cholesterol have access to effective medical support at a lower than average cost, but many aren’t taking advantage of it.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the top causes of death in the U.S. today, and leaving high blood pressure or high cholesterol untreated or treated ineffectively can lead to a much higher risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Still, nearly 80% of adult patients who have controlled these diseases have some sort of health insurance and in turn, often have a highly effective, low cost treatment opportunity, but they are opting out.

Additionally, characteristics associated with the lack of control in the high blood pressure and cholesterol community are little or no health insurance or medical care, lower income and less medical care visits. Still, insurance companies have been doing their best to offer low priced treatment to these patients in an attempt to curb the trend.

Contact Healthcare Consultants - Pharmacy Business Solutions for help with your pharmacy planning, performance and efficiency or interim pharmacy management issues at 800-642-1652.

Cooperation between Medical and Pharmacy Benefits - Lowers Costs and Improves Health

A study by CIGNA in cooperation with HealthPartners showed that people who bundle their medical and pharmacy benefits and are supplied by only one healthcare company are more likely to improve their overall health and lower their yearly medical bills.

CIGNA indicated that one of the best and only ways to lower the cost of health care is to work against bad health. By keeping people healthy and helping to manage chronic conditions appropriately, costs can be lowered significantly for all parties. For a long time, data exchange was the sole cooperation between medical and pharmacy benefits, but CIGNA has proven that it’s not enough. By having all the benefits coming from one place, the healthcare companies can create custom care for each client and coordinate data and service to determine what is needed to keep customers in good health.

How this is all achieved is simple. If all the benefits are coming from one place, the individual in question is more likely to undergo health assessments and in turn opt in for health improvement programs, particularly in the cases of health coaching and chronic illness. HealthPartners states that the key benefit of it all is the focus on the patient rather than an aspect of their health care.

Contact Healthcare Consultants - Pharmacy Business Solutions for help with your pharmacy planning, performance and efficiency or interim pharmacy management issues at 800-642-1652.

Help for the Common Cold - Try Zinc

Although there is no cure for the common cold, there can be a way to help manage it. If taken within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms, Zinc lozenge or syrup will help reduce the severity and duration of the common cold. It is generally thought that Zinc will hold back rhinoviral replication giving your body’s immune system a better chance of fighting it off.

A recent study published in Cochran Library stated that when compared against a placebo, Zinc killed the cold about a day sooner and highly lessened the chance of persistency in the cold. Basically speaking, if taken appropriately, Zinc should get ride of a cold in 7 days or less. When supplemented over a 5 month period, it proved to lessen the chance of accidents, absence and prescription antibiotics for kids with a cold.

Although Zinc was effective in tests of healthy people who were infected with the common cold, there is no evidence that it helps those with chronic issues that might offer less protection to the illness. That being said, Zinc cannot currently be recommended for them.

But for the majority of people who suffer several times a year from the common cold, Zinc may be a good option for you. Certain variables are stilling being tested as to any adverse effects of the supplement on the body, but from the initial study, things are looking good for the future fight against the common cold.