New (and pricey) hepatitis C medicines, such as Harvoni and Sovaldi, are living up to their promise and greatly reducing patients’ odds for liver cancer and death, a new French study finds. The news came as little surprise to one U.S. liver expert. The advent of this class of drugs “has led to almost universal cure of chronic hepatitis C infection,” said Dr. David Bernstein, chief of hepatology at Northwell Health in Manhasset, N.Y. Bernstein believes “this large study provides the best evidence to date to support the recommendations that all patients with chronic hepatitis C infection be treated with [these drugs].” According to background data in the study, about 71 million people worldwide have chronic hepatitis C infection, which can cause debilitating or fatal illnesses such as cirrhosis, liver disease and liver cancer. Over the last 15 years, these complications have tripled and it’s predicted that they’ll peak between 2030 and 2035, the researchers said. The new research was funded by drugmakers and included nearly 9,900 patients in France. About three-quarters of the patients were treated with the newer class of drugs, called “direct-acting antivirals,” while the other one-quarter were not. Direct-acting antivirals work quickly — over a course of about three months — to push liver-damaging hepatitis C virus to undetectable levels in patients’ blood. In the study, over a median follow-up of…  read on >

Millions of Americans with heart disease say they face financial strain because of their medical care, with some skipping meds or cutting back on basics like groceries. That’s the finding of a new national study of heart disease and stroke patients younger than 65 — a group that’s too young for Medicare but often lack health insurance, or “good” insurance. The researchers found that 45 percent of those patients said they’d had problems paying their medical bills in the past year. That translates to nearly 4 million Americans. For many, the study found, the issues ran deep: More than one-third of people with payment problems said they’d skipped needed drugs, cut back on groceries or were in general “financial distress.” “In order to meet obligations toward out-of-pocket costs, heart disease patients are delaying or avoiding paying for medications and elementary daily needs — like putting food on the table,” said senior researcher Dr. Khurram Nasir, of the Yale School of Medicine. Others said the findings were striking and important, though not surprising. Dr. Alison Bailey, a cardiologist in Tennessee, said she routinely sees patients who are struggling financially. So she spends a lot of time helping them figure out the most affordable medication options. This sometimes means choosing which drugs are most needed at the moment, and leaving others out. “We’re lucky in cardiology that…  read on >

Many studies have shown that color affects both mood and behavior. Color can help you go from sad to happy or angry to calm. When it comes to mood, there are four primary colors. Though different shades within each of the four can have different effects, some generalities exist. Red symbolizes power and strength and may even stimulate aggression. Yellow is associated with joy, hope and optimism. As “warm” colors, both red and yellow are thought to increase arousal. Green is emotionally calming and stands for harmony. Blue is the color of intellect, yet is so calming that it can lower blood pressure. As “cool” shades, both blue and green can be relaxing. Much research has found that people living in areas with more green space have better physical and mental health than those with less green space. A European study looked at the effects on city dwellers of making purposeful visits to green spaces in four cities. They found strong positive links, including better mental health and more vitality. For another study, Michigan State University researchers analyzed data from the other side of the world. They compared the effects of living with a view of the ocean or of green space on residents of Wellington, New Zealand. They found that just looking out on a pure blue ocean or sea can significantly improve distress.…  read on >

A lot of importance is placed on developing self-esteem to create emotional well-being and to quiet the inner critic that causes people to doubt themselves. But even more essential to emotional wellness might be self-compassion — extending to yourself the same feelings of empathy and concern that you show others. Self-compassion leads to contentment and offers a kind of immunity against negative influences like fear, according to researcher Kristin Neff, associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. More than self-esteem, self-compassion can soothe you when you’re upset, help you gain perspective, and allow you to accept your faults. With that mindset, you can flourish. Neff has identified three important elements of self-compassion: Self-kindness: This simply means being understanding with yourself, rather than judgmental. Feeling connected with others in life: This is what Neff calls “common humanity.” Mindfulness: This is often described as viewing a situation in real time without coloring it with “what ifs?” Self-compassion doesn’t depend on your reaching ideal and possibly unrealistic goals, but from caring for yourself as you are, with your own balance of weak and strong points. People with self-compassion experience less anxiety and are more comfortable in their own skin. What’s more, if you’re a mom or dad, having self-compassion can help you feel more at ease with your parenting skills, which will benefit…  read on >