Statins + CPAP = life

People with sleep apnea have a significantly increased risk of heart problems. Using a CPAP machine helps a lot, but there’s some pharmacological help, too: statins.

A study out of Columbia University found that whether or not a patient uses a CPAP, taking statins can reduce apnea’s heart disease risk. How? “The researchers found that statins, but not CPAP, protected blood vessels against dangerous inflammatory changes that occur in people with the condition.”

A little more science: Reducing cholesterol with statins helps stabilize levels of a protein called CD59 that helps reduce apnea sufferers’ blood-vessel inflammation. “[A]nything that we can do to stabilize CD59 in these patients is likely to be beneficial for heart health.”

Last chance to get the worm

Early-bird registration for the Georgia Pharmacy Convention ends TODAY. If you haven’t registered yet … well, take your time. GPhA gets more money if you wait and pay full price.

But seriously, register now and save $50!

A pollen haiku

Allergy season
It keeps coming earlier
Atlanta’s hit hard

We need you to be one of the 100

Were you worried that the Georgia Pharmacy Foundation wouldn’t jump on the “Use March Madness in your marketing” bandwagon? No worries!

Here’s the deal: The foundation is looking to raise some potentially life-changing cash for student-pharmacist scholarships. The goal is for 100 pharmacists to each donate $100 — that’s the $100 from 100 Campaign.

Help the foundation, help some students, and pay it forward to the next generation of Georgia pharmacists.

The foundation has virtually no overhead, so all donations go directly to fund student scholarships at Georgia’s four pharmacy schools.

What, you want a basketball pun? Fine: Won’t you assist?

VA to cover Leqembi

The Veterans Health Administration said it’s going to cover Eisai’s $26,500-per-year Alzheimer’s treatment Leqembi. This is interesting in part because it’s pretty darned expensive (especially for a treatment that doesn’t seem to have a huge benefit), and in part because Medicare doesn’t cover it.

Leqembi got expedited FDA approval in January, but CMS is waiting for full FDA approval (which would take into account more detailed, real-world results) before being willing to pay for it.

Are you dispensing amoxicillin suspension?

Our friends at NCPA have passed on a survey request. A physician at the Emory-affiliated Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is trying to get a handle on the how pharmacists are dispensing amoxicillin suspension.

Would you take five minutes to complete the anonymous survey? Please?

Stock your razor aisle

Apparently there are people with hair so thick that a 2-second rinse doesn’t unclog their razors. (Looking at you, Otzi.) Fear not, o hairy bears — Bic is here for you. The company is launching its EasyRinse razor with a slogan “All Shave. No Clog” and a couple not-really-hairy B-list celebrities in the shower.

This follows the company’s release last year of the Soleil Escape razor, which featured a lavender- and eucalyptus-scented handle. Really.

Why not to trust “patient influencers”

First of all, anyone called an influencer is already a bit suspicious^*, but a University of Colorado Boulder study found that not only are they entirely unqualified to give medical advice (Captain Obvious nods in the corner), but they “often have close ties with pharmaceutical companies.”

Some [“influencer”] interviewees posted company press releases directly. Others read studies about drugs and translated results for followers. Some were paid to post content for drug companies.

^* Yes, I could have said “a bit sus,” but I didn’t feel like making the reference.

Short Takes

Novo Nordisk follows Lilly

Those shifty Danes have announced they’ll also cut their insulin list prices — on pre-filled pens and vials of long- and short-acting insulins — by up to 75% as, like Eli Lilly before it, the company sees the writing on the wall.

Protein vs depression

A small study of athletes found that a high-protein diet seemed to reduce their symptoms of depression.

Long Covid’s latest weird symptom

Reason #3451 you don’t want Covid, even if it’s mild: The latest long-Covid symptom appears to be face blindness.

Note: The linked story is based on a study out of Dartmouth, but it spends most of its 1,600+ words talking about prosopagnosia in general, and not the study.