Content about U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A report released Monday by the Commerce Department showed that consumer spending in the United States rose more than forecasted in February as incomes climbed.

Bloomberg News estimated spending would advance 0.5%.

Purchases increased 0.7% — the most since October 2010 — after advancing 0.3% the prior month. Incomes increased 0.3%, less than the 0.4% projected.

WASHINGTON — The Natural Products Association on Wednesday outlined five key industry issues for the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the United States Trade Representative for the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade.

The NPA focused on removing barriers for trade to China with recommendations on increasing transparency, clarifying and reforming regulations, and enhancing export opportunities.

Alarming statistics are as common in the healthcare world as healthcare workers themselves, but some of the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are particularly dramatic: Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, the agency said in late January, and an estimated 79 million U.S. adults — representing more than one-third of all adults in the country — have prediabetes.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — US WorldMeds has announced a new treatment for migraines, the drug maker said Wednesday.

The company announced the launch of Alsuma auto-injector (sumatriptan), which injects the drug sumatriptan under the skin via a single-use, prefilled auto injector. The company is selling the drug under a licensing agreement from King Pharmaceuticals.

NEW YORK Loss of patent protection for branded drugs and subsequent competition from generics could save the U.S. healthcare system $70 billion or more over the next four years, according to published reports.

Reuters reported IMS Health SVP Murray Aitken as saying at the Reuters Health Summit that generics also would increase their dominance in terms of prescriptions dispensed, increasing from 77% during the first half of this year to perhaps 85% by 2014.

NEW YORK New research by Duke University found that obese workers cost U.S. employers $73.1 billion a year.

WASHINGTON Despite widespread media coverage on healthcare reform, political debates and legislative initiatives over the past year, many consumers still do not understand how the healthcare system works, according to the 3rd Annual Deloitte Center for Health Solutions Survey of Health Care Consumers.

The survey also found that, despite suffering from chronic conditions and often not participating in a wellness program, many consumers still perceive themselves as healthy -- a problem that will continue to challenge the healthcare system.