Trending News Today: EpiPen Manufacturer Refuses to Testify Before Congress

Despite an aging population, a new study found that dementia prevalence has significantly dropped in recent years, reported Kaiser Health News. The study, which examined more than 21,000 people across the United States, showed that dementia rates in individuals over 65-years-old fell from 11.6% in 2000 to 8.8% in 2012, a decrease of 24%, according to Kaiser. This drop in prevalence translates to approximately 1 million fewer Americans with the condition. This trend is most likely attributed to the increase in education levels, as well as better heart health, which are both closely related to brain health, the study concluded.

At a congressional hearing scheduled for next week regarding a settlement between Mylan and the Justice Department over the EpiPen, the manufacturer has refused to testify. According to The New York Times, an attorney for Mylan addressed the Senate Judiciary Committee in a letter stating that the company’s executives would not be testifying at the hearing on November 30. This no-show is because the settlement is still pending and the Justice Department will also not be attending, the Times reported.

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) has declared opioid addiction a public health emergency, and issued a standing prescription for any resident to get the lifesaving Naloxone drug, reported The Washington Post. In Virginia, 3 people die every day from an opioid overdose, and more than 2 dozen are treated in emergency rooms. Gov McAuliffe stated that the actions are in response to the growing painkiller epidemic as well as evidence that Carfentanil, a large-animal synthetic sedative, is being abused in Virginia.