7 days in healthcare (August 5th-11th, 2024)

 

Summary

Biomedicine

• How to reduce the risk of dementia. A healthy lifestyle can prevent or delay at least half of cases. The Lancet article adds two risk factors to the 12 already identified in 2020: untreated vision loss and high cholesterol levels. Modifiable factors include tobacco, obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, diabetes and excessive alcohol. No one doubts that the prevalence of dementia will increase as the population ages, although, adjusted for age, the incidence is falling.
• It seems clear that women are better doctors than men. This is demonstrated by a broad review of 1.5 million medical records of adult patients.
• The increasing number of cancers in young people points to the responsibility of the environment. Many of the cases are gastrointestinal, and could point to microplastics, as well as other risk factors, such as a sedentary lifestyle, a change in diet, as well as higher rates of obesity and diabetes.
• Type 2 diabetes remission. According to a paper published in The Lancet, initial studies show that this type of diabetes can be put into remission with a “total diet replacement” (TDR) program. The issue is important, given the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes.
• A new biomaterial capable of regenerating damaged joint cartilage is developed. As is known, cartilage does not regenerate. This new potential therapy may help address a serious and unmet clinical need. The new bioactive material successfully regenerated high-quality cartilage.

Global Health

• Why the war on childhood obesity is failing. Since 1990, obesity rates have doubled among adults and quadrupled among children. In 2019, this caused 5 million deaths, 20 times more than malnutrition. No country has succeeded in reducing obesity: the problem is too complex to be solved with public health measures or drugs. Behind it there is a set of biological, economic and social factors.
• The evolution of mortality under 5 years, a call for urgent action. Since 2000, the global incidence of mortality in children under five years has decreased by more than 50%. But the global community must not forget that millions of preventable deaths in children under five years of age occur every year. From 2000 to 2022, 162 million children under five years of age died.

International health policy

• A study estimates the cost of cancer screening in the USA at 43 billion dollars. The study focuses on five cases in which screening is recommended: breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate.
• NHS England advocates four-year medical studies. In most countries, the studies are at least five years old, although in the USA and Canada they are already four years old.
• The WHO triples the number of viruses and bacteria that threaten the world. The previous report was from 2018 and there were only a dozen pathogens; while the current report includes a total of 32 groups of microbes.
• The EUDA, the new agency that will fight against drugs in the EU. Its mission would be to monitor drug trends, warn of emerging threats and share science-based knowledge.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• The debate continues on the new financing system of Catalonia and its impact on the SNS. The government’s crossroads: raise taxes, cut benefits or increase the debt further. FEDEA considers that the Catalan agreement will allow the Generalitat to receive up to 13.2 billion from the common fund, which is detrimental to the income of other communities and a minimization of solidarity, which is what can be deduced from the PSC-ERC agreement. Although Illa’s arrival to the presidency of the Generalitat has encouraged a certain “do-goodism”, as if everything had already been resolved, the truth is that the problems with this agreement are of great magnitude, given the high price paid for it. Salvador Illa’s management at the head of the Ministry of Health does not contribute to optimism either. As Jordi Sevilla says, very critical of the agreement, “how can we believe that there will not be a referendum in Catalonia?” (https://www.elespanol.com/espana/politica/20240805/jordi-sevilla-carga-pacto-psc-erc-creernos-no-referendum-cataluna/875912880_0.html)
• Massive incorporation of teachers to MUFACE. The incorporation of almost 36,300 teachers is expected.
• Abuse of caesarean sections in the private health sector. One in three births in private health care ends in a caesarean section, much more than the WHO considers advisable (15%). In public health, it is performed in 22.4%. The organisation of the centres, the absence of midwives and the characteristics of the patients are some of the reasons given.

Companies

• International
  • Mergers and acquisitions are booming in the pharmaceutical industry. Largely due to the loss of patents.

• National
  • Spain, the fourth European market for medicines. Behind Germany, France and Italy.
  • Ribera is committed to sustainability. It reduced its carbon footprint by 13% in 2023.
  • Mapfre, the insufficiency of the premium is taking its toll on health insurance in Spain. Despite having increased turnover in 2024, the results of health insurance are negative (- 1.6 million, in the first two quarters of 2024). This is due to the increase in claims. The measures that are intended to be taken include reviewing rates and coverage, being strict in contracting and seeking maximum operational efficiency. Although it is clear that raising premiums and improving operational efficiency can be part of the solution, there is no solution for quality health insurance in our country without considering the interaction of the private insurance system with the public system (as happens in Germany, Switzerland, Holland and other countries), something that is apparently still taboo in our country.

Biomedicine

• Article from The Economist: How to reduce the risk of dementia. A healthy lifestyle can prevent or delay at least half of cases. The Lancet article adds two risk factors to the 12 already identified in 2020: untreated vision loss and high cholesterol levels. Modifiable factors include tobacco, obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, diabetes and drinking too much alcohol. No one doubts that the prevalence of dementia will increase as the population ages (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/08/05/how-to-reduce-the-risk-of-developing-dementia). Original article from The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01296-0/abstract
• It seems clear that women make better doctors than men. This is demonstrated by a comprehensive review of 1.5 million medical records of adult patients (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/08/07/do-women-make-better-doctors-than-men)
• The increasing number of cancers in young people points to the responsibility of the environment. Many of the cases are gastrointestinal, and could point to microplastics, as well as other risk factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, a change in diet, and higher rates of obesity and diabetes (https://www.ft.com/content/491d7760-c329-4f57-9509-0da36bc9e7de)
• Remission of type 2 diabetes. According to a paper published in The Lancet, initial studies show that this type of diabetes can be put into remission with a “total diet replacement” (TDR) program. The issue is important, given the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(24)00194-3/fulltext)
• Largest genetic analysis of colorectal cancer reveals DNA damage caused by tobacco and gut bacteria. Analysis of the genomes of 2,000 colon and rectal cancers. This is one of the results of the 100,000 Genomes Project, from the United Kingdom, led by the public company Genomics England (https://elpais.com/ciencia/2024-08-07/el-mayor-analisis-genetico-del-cancer-colorectal-revela-danos-en-el-adn-provocados-por-el-tabaco-y-bacterias-del-intestino.html)
• They develop a new biomaterial capable of regenerating damaged cartilage in joints. As is known, cartilage does not regenerate. This new possible therapy can help address a serious and unresolved clinical need. The new bioactive material successfully regenerated high-quality cartilage (http://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/traumatologia/nuevo-biomaterial-regenera-cartilago-danado-articulaciones.html)
• Primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, on the way to a more effective prevention model (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/prevencion-primaria-enfermedades-cardiovasculares-prediccion-mas-eficaz_147263_102.html)
• A study links anisakis to colon cancer for the first time (https://www.expansion.com/directivos/estilo-vida/salud/2024/08/05/66b0a5cf468aeb826f8b459b.html#)

Global Health

• Why the war on childhood obesity is failing. Since 1990, obesity rates have doubled among adults and quadrupled among children. In 2019, this resulted in 5 million deaths, 20 times more than malnutrition. No country has succeeded in reducing obesity: the problem is too complex to be solved with public health measures or drugs. There is a set of biological, economic and social factors behind this (https://www.economist.com/international/2024/08/08/why-the-war-on-childhood-obesity-is-failing)
• The unrest in Venezuela has an impact on health services (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01639-8/abstract#:~:text=Half%20of%20the%20hospitals%20surveyed,seen%20goods%20return%20to%20shelves.)
• The rejection of the lessons of Covid-19. The spread of H5N1 avian influenza has brought new concerns in the USA about a new pandemic, leading the NEJM article to consider that the lessons of the covid-19 pandemic are not being applied (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2406427)
• The evolution of mortality in children under 5 years of age, a call for urgent action. Since 2000, the global incidence of mortality in children under five years of age has decreased by more than 50%. But the global community must not forget that millions of preventable deaths in children under five years of age occur every year. From 2000 to 2022, 162 million children under the age of five died (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)00501-4/abstract#:~:text=Since%202000%2C%20the%20global%20rate,Child%20Mortality%20Estimation%20(UN%20IGME)
• Around 400 million people in the world had long Covid (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/09/health/long-covid-world.html#:~:text=About%206%20percent%20of%20adults,Covid%20since%20the%20pandemic%20began.). Access to the original Nature article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03173-6

International health policy

• USA
  • FDA rejects use of ecstasy as mental treatment (https://www.ft.com/content/520465f3-822a-4608-bcbc-3595e6235493)
  • A study estimates the cost of cancer screening in the USA at $43 billion. The study focuses on five cases in which screening is recommended: breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/05/health/cancer-screening-tests-cost.html#:~:text=The%20estimate%20focused%20on%20five,for%20most%20of%20the%20costs.). Access to the original study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39102723/

• United Kingdom and the National Health Service
  • NHS England advocates four-year medical studies. In most countries, studies are at least five years long, although in the US and Canada they are already four years long (https://www.bmj.com/content/386/bmj.q1630#:~:text=NHS%20England%20is%20considering%20piloting,and%20may%20do%20the%20opposite.)
  • GPs and hospitalists get 6% pay rise by 2024-25 (https://www.bmj.com/content/386/bmj.q1698)
  • NHS approves CRISPR-based treatment for beta thalassemia for 1.7 million (https://www.ft.com/content/061c5c18-487d-44aa-89e2-fe692b40c63d)
  • Can better data save the NHS? (https://www.ft.com/content/b4c57347-d64d-436a-a2f1-33b7049a74b7)

• WHO
  • The WHO triples the number of viruses and bacteria that threaten the world. The previous report was from 2018 and there were only a dozen pathogens; while the current report includes a total of 32 groups of microbes (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20240808/oms-triplica-numero-virus-bacterias-amenazan-mundo-peligrosos/876412776_0.html)
  • Mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo: the WHO convenes an emergency committee, given the extent of the epidemic. 511 people have already died from this disease since the beginning of the year (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2024/08/08/mpox-en-rdc-l-oms-convoque-un-comite-d-urgence-face-a-l-ampleur-de-l-epidemie_6273597_3244.html)

• European Union
  • Europe seeks to promote organ donations (https://elpais.com/internacional/2024-08-09/video-europa-busca-impulsar-las-donaciones-de-organos.html)
  • EUDA, the new agency that will fight against drugs in the EU, whose mission is to monitor drug trends, alert on emerging threats and share science-based knowledge (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/euda-nueva-agencia-luchara-contra-drogas-en-ue-vigilancia-es-nuestro-lema_146881_102.html#)

National health policy

• Central government initiatives
  • Green light for government plans to fight alcohol and obesity in children and young people (https://diariofarma.com/2024/07/30/luz-verde-a-los-planes-del-gobierno-para-luchar-contra-alcohol-y-obesidad-en-ninos-y-jovenes)

• Initiatives and news from the autonomous communities
  • FEDEA Report: The debate continues on the new financing system for Catalonia, the government’s crossroads, raising taxes, cutting benefits or increasing the debt further. FEDEA believes that the Catalan agreement will allow the Generalitat to receive 13.2 billion from the common fund, which is detrimental to the income of other communities (https://www.vozpopuli.com/economia_y_finanzas/encrucijada-gobierno-cupo-catalan-impuestos-pensiones-deuda.html). Access to the original FEDEA document: https://documentos.fedea.net/pubs/ap/2024/ap2024-21.pdf?utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=portada&utm_campaign=estudio&_gl=1*h8y82z*_ga*MTg2NjIyNjQ5Ny4xNzIzMjE3MDY2*_ga_K71EGLC8JC*MTcyMzQzNzg0MS4zLjAuMTcyMzQzNzg0MS4wLjAuMA..
  • Olga Pané, new Minister of Health of Catalonia (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/cataluna/la-medica-de-trabajo-y-directiva-olga-pane-consellera-de-salut-de-cataluna-2356)
  • Asturias sets a date for its new health map (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/asturias/el-mapa-sanitario-asturiano-con-3-areas-unificadas-entrara-en-vigor-en-2025-6496)
  • Asturias approves the draft Law on Science (http://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/asturias-aprueba-proyecto-ley-ciencia-crear-csic-asturiano.html#:~:text=Asturias%20aprueba%20el%20proyecto%20de%20Ley%20de%20Ciencia%20para%20crear,pretende%20ser%20un%20CSIC%20asturiano.)

• SNS Report
  • SNS Annual Report 2023. Access to the original report: https://www.sanidad.gob.es/estadEstudios/estadisticas/sisInfSanSNS/tablasEstadisticas/InfAnSNS.htm

• Changes in MUFACE
  • Massive incorporation of teachers. The incorporation of almost 36,300 teachers is expected (https://www.vozpopuli.com/espana/muface-incorporacion-docentes-sd.html)

• Abuse of caesarean sections in the private health sector
  • One in three births in private health care ends in a caesarean section, much more than the WHO considers advisable (15%). In public health care, it is performed in 22.4%. The organization of the centers, the absence of midwives and the characteristics of the patients, among the reasons given (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2024-08-07/el-abuso-de-las-cesareas-en-la-sanidad-privada-practica-mas-del-doble-de-las-que-recomienda-la-oms.html#)

• Deaths due to heat
  • At least 366 Spaniards have died from heat in four days in August, according to Carlos III (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20240806/espanoles-muerto-calor-dias-agosto-carlos-iii/875912596_0.html

• Consequences of Maduro’s “victory” in Venezuela
  • According to the Association of Venezuelan Doctors in Spain: more doctors and nurses will come to Spain. In the first quarter of 2020, 2024, Venezuelans are the third nationality to come, only surpassed by Moroccans and Colombians (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/amevesp-fraude-electoral-en-venezuela-llamara-mas-medicos-enfermeras-venir-espana_147336_102.html)

• Mortality at work
  • Mortality at work soars 7% until June, with 360 workers dead (https://elpais.com/economia/2024-08-08/la-mortalidad-en-el-trabajo-se-dispara-un-7-hasta-junio-con-360-trabajadores-fallecidos.html#)

Companies

• International news
  • Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry, largely due to the loss of patents, continue to boom in 2024 (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/internacional/fusiones-adquisiciones-en-industria-farmaceutica-continuan-su-auge-en-2024_147142_102.html)
  • NovoNordisk strengthens research, while its competitors threaten its leadership in obesity drugs (https://www.ft.com/content/2ea93480-f6dc-4714-aeaa-036427eafe53)
  • Lilly improves its sales forecasts in diabetes and obesity drugs (https://www.ft.com/content/0483afac-6a3a-431e-8555-57a7cc382e5f)
  • Lilly enters the isotope business for cancer treatment (https://www.ft.com/content/c560f664-ad97-4e7a-87b0-6a25b3e35e57)
  • Roche is considering divesting Flatiron Health (a start-up specialising in cancer data) six years after buying it (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/roche-tantea-desprenderse-de-flatiron-health-seis-anos-despues-de-comprarla)
  • BioNTech increases its red numbers in the first half of the year and plummets its revenues by 78% (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/biontech-eleva-sus-numeros-rojos-en-el-primer-semestre-y-desploma-sus-ingresos-un-78)
  • Bayer eliminates 3,200 jobs in the first half of the year, 2,500 of them management positions (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2024/08/06/66b1fb36468aeba7598b457f.html#)

• National
  • Spain, fourth European market for medicines, behind Germany, France and Italy (https://diariofarma.com/2024/08/08/espana-cuarto-mercado-europeo-de-medicamentos#:~:text=España%20se%20sitúa%20en%20cuarta,dato%20de%202013)%20e%20Italia.)
  • Bank of America breaks into Grifols’ shareholding with 3.7% amid a possible takeover bid (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20240805/bank-of-america-irrumpe-accionariado-grifols-medio-posible-opa/875912825_0.html)
  • Ribera, with its commitment to sustainability, reduced its carbon footprint by 13% in 2023 (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/sostenibilidad/ribera-su-apuesta-por-sostenibilidad-redujo-13-su-huella-carbono-en-2023_147398_102.html#)
  • IMED hospitals invoices 184 million and prepares an opening in Murcia (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/imed-hospitales-factura-184-millones-en-2023-y-prepara-una-apertura-en-murcia#:~:text=El%20grupo%20hospitalario%20con%20sede,fuera%20de%20la%20Comunidad%20Valenciana.)
  • Mapfre, the insufficiency of the premium takes its toll on health insurance in Spain. Despite having increased turnover in 2024, the results of health insurance are negative (negative 1.6 million, in the first two quarters of 2024). This is due to the increase in the accident rate. The measures that are intended to be taken include reviewing rates and coverage, being strict in contracting and seeking maximum operational efficiency (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/seguros/2024/08/08/66b3e0f4468aeb60018b4584.html)
  • Rovi’s third-party manufacturing business collapses in the middle of the sale process (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud/noticias/12942666/08/24/el-negocio-de-fabricacion-a-terceros-de-rovi-se-desfonda-en-pleno-proceso-de-venta.html)