INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

NEW YORK — The annual cost of treating dementia in the United States ranges from $157 billion to $215 billion, according to a new study by the RAND Corp.

The research organization said that number meant dementia costs more to treat than cancer or heart disease, with the greatest cost coming from institutional and home-based long-term care, as opposed to medical services.

SAN FRANCISCO — More than half of Americans shop and spend money to improve their moods, according to a new survey.

The study, by Ebates.com, found that 63.9% of women engage in "retail therapy," compared with 39.8% of men, and the belief that it improves moods was found among 39.2% of women, compared with 20.6% of men. The survey was conducted online by TNS Global and included 1,000 adults.

SAN DIEGO — Improving adherence to generic statin drugs for high cholesterol can reduce the costs of health care in a way that adherence to branded statins historically couldn't, according to a new study.

SAN DIEGO — Specialty drugs are expected to account for 50% of all drug costs by 2018, according to two new studies.

By contrast, specialty drugs accounted for 20% of all drug costs in 2009, but increased to 28.7% by 2012. Pharmacy benefit manager Prime Therapeutics and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota conducted the studies, and Prime is presenting them Tuesday at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's 25th annual meeting and expo in San Diego.

Google has officially unveiled its testing program for Google Shopping Express, its new online delivery service in the San Francisco Bay area, signing up with retailers like Target, Walgreens and Raley's to allow customers to receive items directly from store shelves at their homes within a day.

NEW YORK — According to a study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, text-message reminders do not increase the likelihood an expecting mother will receive a flu shot, Reuters reported this week.

A representative and a senator, both Republicans, recently introduced legislation that would repeal restrictions on health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 that prohibit the use of HSA and FSA account dollars for the purchase of over-the-counter drugs without a prescription.

ATLANTA — The percentage of people who are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and aware of it has risen slightly over the past few years, but remains low, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.