Daily Rounds: Prescriptions For Pigs; Dementia Rising; Partners Checks Out South Shore; And More

U.S. Tightens Rules On Antibiotics For Livestock (The New York Times) — "Farmers and ranchers will for the first time be required to get a prescription from a veterinarian before using antibiotics in cattle, pigs, chickens and other animals, federal food regulators announced on Wednesday. Officials hope the move will slow the indiscriminate use of the drugs, which has made them increasingly ineffective in humans."

Health Officials: Dementia Cases Will Triple In Next 40 Years (Slate) — "Cases of people living with dementia will double in the next two decades and triple in the next four, according to new data from the World Health Organization. The Associated Press reports that scientists say that increased life expectancy and better medical care in developing countries will result in a spike in the rates of the brain illness, which affected about 35.6 million people in 2010. By 2050, the health agency predicts there will be 115 million people suffering from dementia, largely in low or middle-income nations.The steep incline in dementia will also prove to be a financial burden for families taking care of their affected relatives. About $604 billions is currently spent on the health and social care of dementia, which is often caused by Alzheimer’s."

Partners HealthCare In Talks To Acquire South Shore Hospital (The Boston Globe) — "Partners HealthCare System Inc. is in talks to acquire South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, one of the largest remaining independent hospitals in the Boston area, in a deal that would reshape the competitive landscape in the region’s health care market, according to two health care professionals who have been briefed by the parties on the negotiations. The 318-bed regional hospital serves a swath of southeastern Massachusetts extending from Quincy to Taunton to Cape Cod. Representatives from Partners and South Shore Hospital acknowledged Wednesday that they are discussing ways to expand their alliance, but would not confirm they are talking about a merger deal under which it would become part of the Partners system."

Blood Clot Warning Added To Yaz And Other Newer Birth Control Pills (Time Healthland) — "Yaz, Yasmin and other newer birth control pills will soon be bearing warning labels that detail the potential risk of blood clot risks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Tuesday. The FDA is updating the labels based on recent studies that suggest that birth control pills containing drospirenone, a synthetic version of the female hormone progesterone, have a slightly increased risk of blood clots, compared with older birth control pills."