Specialty Focus 9/27/22: New theory suggests Alzheimer’s is an autoimmune condition + What is rainbow fentanyl?

September 27, 2022 | Volume XI | Issue 39

What is rainbow fentanyl? Colorful pills drive new warnings about deadliest drug in the US

Jacqueline Howard reports for CNN Health:

A new wave of concern has spread across the United States over multi-colored “rainbow fentanyl” pills, powders and blocks – that look similar to candy or sidewalk chalk – being sold and used in several states, and potentially posing a threat to young people.

But parents of young children should not overly panic, and the emergence of this new product is one small part of the larger ongoing opioid crisis.

Rainbow fentanyl comes in bright colors and can be used in the form of pills...

New theory suggests Alzheimer’s is an autoimmune condition

Donald Weaver

The pursuit of a cure for Alzheimer’s disease is becoming an increasingly competitive and contentious quest with recent years witnessing several important controversies.

In July 2022, Science Magazine reported that a key 2006 research paper, published in the prestigious journal Nature, which identified a subtype of brain protein called beta-amyloid as the cause of Alzheimer’s, may have been based on fabricated data.

One year earlier, in June 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved aducanumab, an antibody-targeting beta-amyloid, as a treatment for Alzheimer’s, even though the data supporting its use were incomplete and contradictory. Some physicians believe aducanumab never should have been approved, while others maintain it should be given a chance.

With millions of people needing an effective treatment, why are researchers still fumbling in this quest for a cure for what is arguably one of the most important diseases confronting humankind?

Learn More

Centralizing Medicaid Is Not the Answer

Eric D. Hargan reports for RealClear Health:

Regardless of party, we should all be suspicious of any unwarranted extensions of power by government authorities. This is particularly true when such an extension involves increased discretion by the agency. The Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Rule (MFAR), issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a proposed rule in 2019, was an example of a proposal that would greatly increase agency discretion. Even though the proposed rule was withdrawn, CMS seems...

The link between COVID-19 and Alzheimer's

News4JAX

We are looking at an alarming study about the effect COVID-19 has on the brain. Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine studied more than 6 million adults older than 65. They found that those who had COVID-19 in the first year of the pandemic had a much higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Watch the video HERE .

Inside

FloridaHealthIndustry.com

Last Word

Publisher of Week in Review, Specialty Focus, FHIweekly & Game Changers