Health + Medicine

This was the year of the health review – on mental health care, the response to ice, Medicare, private health insurance, the pharmacy industry … and the list goes on.


Paying doctors a fixed sum to care for a patient for the entire year, rather than a fee for each visit or service, is one solution, Peter Sivey wrote.

Another is to better target the tests and treatments that are given, and to tame the tsunami of too much medicine, Ray Moynihan explained. The current review of the Medicare schedule presents an opportunity to do just this.

Population health, a push to keep people healthy and out of the hospital, gained traction in multiple settings across the U.S., including accountable care organizations, bundled-care plans and clinically integrated health-care networks. These networks link patients to the full spectrum of services, from preventive care to highly specialized hospital care. The goal is to help keep people healthy and intervene before costly care is necessary.

Consumerism is expanding. Wearable medical devices, cloud-based computing and transparency initiatives enable consumers to make more informed health care choices. Consumers also have more choice; they can purchase coverage privately, through their employers or through state and federal insurance marketplaces. Employers, in some cases, have established their own marketplaces. Those shopping for insurance can choose between comprehensive or high-deductible plans.

7 really weird ways bad teeth are destroying your body

It is absolutely essential that you treat your oral health just as you would your overall health.

Many people fail to brush and floss regularly, and more importantly, do not go to their yearly dentist checkups. If this is the case for you, this means you are unaware of the true damage you are doing to your body. There are a number of reasons for neglecting your oral health, but there are even more reasons why you shouldn't.

Understanding why proper oral hygiene is so important to your health will hopefully motivate you to take better care of your teeth and gums. Gum disease has the potential to pop up at any given time.

Here are 7 reasons why you simply cannot afford to neglect your oral health even a second longer:

1. Risk for Heart Disease and Stroke

People who have a periodontal disease are twice as likely to develop heart disease because of the narrowing of the arteries that causes plaque and bacteria to get into the blood stream through the mouth and gums.

This bacterium contains protein that promotes blood clots which can also clog the arteries while significantly increasing the risk for heart attack. This same bacteria has the ability to clog the artery that delivers blood to the brain which can cause you to have a stroke.

2. Risk of Dementia

Poor oral health and tooth loss increases your risk of suffering from memory loss at an early age.

Studies have shown that poor oral health can lead to a diagnosis of early stage Alzheimer's disease. If your gums become inflamed due to infection, this can also cause brain inflammation which could cause death of certain brain cells.

3. Respiratory Problems

Bacteria that is caused by periodontal disease has the ability to travel through the bloodstream and to your lungs where it can impact the respiratory system.

If you have already experienced respiratory problems in the past, then you have a greater chance of having further problems due to poor oral hygiene. If you have gum disease this also puts you at higher risk for pneumonia and other respiratory conditions.

4. Risk of Diabetes

95% of the individuals in the United States who have diabetes have also experienced severe periodontal disease that has led to tooth loss. This is because individuals who suffer from diabetes have a higher risk of infections. However, it is a two-way street: diabetes leads to gum disease and gum disease leads to diabetes.

5. Erectile Dysfunction

Men who suffer from periodontal disease are seven times more likely to also experience some sort of erectile dysfunction than men who practice excellent oral hygiene.

The bacteria caused by periodontal disease can travel into the bloodstream which inflames the blood vessels which blocks the flow of blood to the genitals.


6. Premature Birth

Many experts have stated that premature birth is caused by the overall health of the mother and her entire body. If she does not practice good oral hygiene and develops an infection in the mouth, this can travel to the unborn child which can lead to premature birth.

7. Cancer

A number of experts have confirmed that men who have gum disease were almost 50% more likely to develop kidney cancer and 30% were more likely to develop cancers of the blood. This makes it extremely important to see your dentist regularly and practice good oral hygiene.

If you are not taking care of your oral health, you could be causing severe damage to your body. Make sure that you get regular checkups from your dentist and continue practicing excellent oral health.

Examines solutions to community health problems

While many people think of staying well as an individual responsibility, where you live plays a huge role. Place and culture help determine social norms and access to affordable housing, safe neighborhoods, healthy food and places to exercise.



Benjamin said such solutions work for a few major reasons: "They're culturally sensitive. They're focused on the needs of people in the area. And they're designed to work where they are."

In September, USA TODAY and Cigna hosted a forum in Houston that focused more on challenges facing that part of the country and rural areas. Residents in the sprawling city talked about their health challenges, and barber Tre Sims discussed overcoming his. He's lost 100 pounds in the last three years by eating healthier and no longer suffers from high blood pressure. Now he picks up fruit at the convenience store near his work, instead of the junk food he used to eat. He can do that thanks to the Healthy Corner Store Network, a partnership between Go Healthy Houston and the community organization CAN DO Houston, which stands for Children and Neighbors Defeat Obesity.

The event, presented by USA TODAY and Cigna, runs from 9-11 a.m. at the Newseum in Washington. One panel will feature two public health thought leaders: Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association; and Richard Hamburg, deputy director of the Trust for America's Health. They will talk about keeping whole populations healthy and reducing health disparities, especially in urban areas.