Trending News Today: Affordable Care Act Repeal Faces Hurdles

The American Heart Association reports that 1 in 5 patients hospitalized for heart attack or chest pain will develop depression, which is 4 times the national trend. Additionally, 1 in 3 survivors of stroke and half of patients who undergo heart bypass surgery develop depression, according to Kaiser Health News. Depression was found to increase the risk of death more than other risk factors in a new study, and may result in patients not wanting to take care of themselves and engage in harmful behaviors, such as drinking alcohol or smoking. These findings highlight the need for screening heart disease patients for depression and initiating treatment when appropriate, according to the study.

Despite certainty that the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) would not pass, Senate leaders are pressing ahead with a vote next week, according to The New York Times. Republicans are currently working to either revive the BCRA or repeal the Affordable Care Act first and replace the legislation at a later date, the Times reported. It is currently unclear which bill will be voted on and there has been little done to negotiate support.

Late last week, Sen John McCain (R-AZ) was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain cancer. Glioblastoma is known to be fast-growing, complex, and spread in the supportive tissue of the brain, the Los Angeles Times reported. The typical treatment involves surgery to remove a majority of the tumor followed by 5 to 6 weeks of low-dose radiation and chemotherapy. The final treatment is high-dose chemotherapy, which can continue for up to 12 months, according to the article. Despite intensive treatment, the cancer tends to recur.