Women more often say they are likely to skip taking medications due to cost concerns, says a new study. Researchers looked at data from three years in 11 high-income countries, focusing on persons ages 18-64.

They found that 1 in 4 women in the U.S. reported skipping medications because they were unaffordable, compared with 1 in 7 men. It was the same in other countries, though the gender gap was smaller.

The U.S. also ranked highest in drug unaffordability among adults over the age of 65.

Prescription Drug Delivery

Meanwhile, the pandemic has measurably changed the way people get their medications, with a dramatic increase in home delivery of prescription drugs. There are now multiple apps and online services, and rideshare companies like Uber are getting involved.

The drug store chain CVS, for example, reports a 1,000% increase in home drug-prescription deliveries, along with similar increases in telehealth and virtual visits through its MinuteClinic locations.

Changes in the rules now allow delivery services to send out many prescriptions without requiring couriers to check patient identity documents and get a signature.

Worsing Homes

A study published in the July 29 issue of the JAMA journal found that nursing homes with more health and emergency preparedness deficiencies — and more complaints — were also more likely to report COVID-19 cases.

Likewise with nonprofit facilities, those with more beds and those with a higher proportion of Medicaid patients.

Body of Knowledge

Blood makes up nearly one-tenth of total body weight.

Get Me That, Stat!

Over the last 20 years, fewer people have been suffering from hip fractures. A new analysis suggests the reason may be linked to declining rates of smoking and drinking. Smoking rates fell from 38% in the 1970s to 15% by 2010. During that time, heavy drinking dropped from 7% to 4.5%.

Counts

1 in 5: Ratio of nursing homes in the U.S. that have reported a severe shortage of personal protective equipment or staff during the COVID-19 pandemic

80: Percentage of prescriptions filled by mail by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Source: Health Affairs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Doc Talk

Horripilation: goose bumps

Phobia of the Week

Catoptrophobia: fear of mirrors

Observation

"Surely, nothing could be that funny." — jazz singer George Melly when rock star Mick Jagger insisted that his wrinkles were actually laugh lines

Medical History

This week in 1956, the first U.S. prefrontal lobotomy surgery was performed on a 63-year-old woman at the George Washington University Hospital.

Ig Nobel Apprised

The Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate achievements that make people laugh and then think. It's a look at real science that's hard to take seriously and even harder to ignore.

In a bit of cutting-edge research, the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to a British and an American pair of scientists for their penetrating report on sword swallowing and its side effects.

Medical Myths

Stress can increase stomach acid, but it's unlikely to give you an ulcer. Most ulcers are caused by a common stomach bacterium, H. Pylori. Stress also won't turn your hair gray. That's more a matter of genetics. However, if a person is predisposed to gray hair, stress can make it appear sooner. It can also cause hair loss.

Med School

Q: What do the spleen and appendix do?

A: You can live without either organ, and until the 1950s, doctors believed the spleen was useless. But both organs do appear to have helpful roles assisting the immune system. The spleen adds antibodies to blood to fight bacterial invaders. The appendix has a high concentration of immune cells. No one's exactly sure what they do, but they seem to play a role in keeping people healthy.

Curtain Calls

According to police reports, Jimi Heselden died Sept. 26, 2010, at the age of 62 when he fell from a cliff footpath while riding a Segway personal transport vehicle. Heselden owned the Segway company.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: stevepb at Pixabay