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Insurers Making It Harder to Treat Opioid Addiction: Study

Insurance rules that limit access to the addiction treatment medication buprenorphine may be worsening the U.S....
Food or Heart Meds? Many Americans Must Make a Choice

Millions of Americans with heart disease say they face financial strain because of their medical care,...
Many Middle-Aged Americans Worried About Health Insurance: Poll

Many middle-aged folks nearing retirement have serious concerns about their health insurance coverage, a new survey...

More Health Insurance News

‘Deaths of Despair’ May Have Helped Fuel Trump’s Victory: Study
U.S. voters’ despair over poor health and premature deaths might have tipped the 2016...
- Posted September 5, 2018
- 3
As Opioid Epidemic Rages, Painkiller Prescriptions Don’t Drop
In a sign that the U.S. opioid epidemic is still not under control, a...
- Posted August 2, 2018
- 3
Wait Times for Obesity Surgery Are Growing
People who want to have weight-loss surgery are facing much longer wait times now...
- Posted August 1, 2018
- 9
Insurance Gaps Costly for Those With Type 1 Diabetes
Gaps in private insurance coverage are common among American adults with type 1 diabetes,...
- Posted July 11, 2018
- 12
How to Determine Your Health Insurance’s True Costs
Having health insurance is essential, especially for catastrophic situations. But it’s important to choose...
- Posted June 8, 2018
- 2
A Young Life Lost to High Insulin Prices
Alec Smith was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes shortly before his 24th birthday. When...
- Posted May 29, 2018
- 14
New Medicare Perk: Diabetes Prevention
Millions of U.S. seniors can now take part in a Medicare program designed to...
- Posted May 16, 2018
- 16
Fewer Money Worries Can Pay Off in Better Health
It’s no secret that money worries can lead to health issues, so reducing monthly...
- Posted May 15, 2018
- 10
Poll: Americans Fear Crippling Medical Bills More Than Illness
Medical care costs in the United States can be so overwhelming that Americans fear...
- Posted March 29, 2018
- 9
Alzheimer’s Stigma a Barrier to Prevention, Care: Survey
Stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s disease may discourage Americans from learning about their risk and from...
- Posted March 28, 2018
- 12
Insurance Company Hurdles Burden Doctors, May Harm Patients
The scenario may sound familiar: Your doctor sends your prescription electronically to the pharmacy,...
- Posted March 19, 2018
- 5

Are You Living with Psoriasis?

A growing knowledge of the skin disease called psoriasis is leading to greater treatment choices, including personalized therapies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports.

Psoriasis is an immune system disorder that causes overproduction of skin cells, resulting in scaling, pain, swelling, redness and heat. The condition affects about 7.5 million Americans.

“As we better understand the disease, researchers know more about what specific factors to target in order to develop effective treatments,” FDA dermatologist Dr. Melinda McCord said in an agency news release.

There is no cure for psoriasis, so the main goals of treatments are to stop skin cell overproduction and reduce inflammation. Current therapies include medicines applied to the skin (topical), light treatment (phototherapy), or drugs taken by mouth or given by injection.

Doctors used to take a step-by-step approach, starting patients with mild to moderate psoriasis on topical therapy. If that was ineffective, doctors moved on to phototherapy or drug treatment.