Drugs and Medications News
- Student Mental Health Week Focuses on Rates of Stress, Anxiety
February 8, 2023 — A recent study showed that nearly one-third of students worldwide said their mental health has worsened since returning to campus following the COVID-19 lockdowns.
- Genetics Can Drive Gout in Families, but Lifestyle Can Worsen Pain
February 8, 2023 — Gout in people who have a brother, father, sister, or mother with the condition, a form of arthritis that often causes sudden, severe pain in the joints, is mostly driven by genetic makeup but can worsen significantly if they also drink heavily or carry excess weight.
- Consistent Blood Pressure Monitoring Called For During Pregnancy
February 8, 2023 — Doctors should screen for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, which can cause serious and fatal complications for both the mother and baby, according to a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
- No New COVID-19 Variants Emerged in China, Analysis Says
February 8, 2023 — No new COVID-19 variants emerged in China’s recent surge of infections when the country ended its zero-COVID policy, according to an analysis published in The Lancet.
- 18% of U.S. Adults Use Sleep Aids, Report Says
February 8, 2023 — Almost 1 in 5 American adults regularly use prescription or over-the-counter medicine to help them sleep, a new government report says.
- IVF-Conceived Children Show Strong Developmental Performance
February 7, 2023 — Some previous researchers linked conception via IVF to an increased risk of congenital abnormalities, autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, and intellectual disability.
- Marriage May Help Keep Your Blood Sugar on Target
February 7, 2023 — A study finds that blood sugar levels improved slightly as people transitioned into marriages or domestic partnerships and worsened slightly when they left those relationships.
- Healthy Lifestyle Linked to Lower Risk of Long COVID
February 7, 2023 — People with healthy lifestyles may be less likely to have prolonged COVID-19 symptoms, a new study suggests.
- Playing Golf May Be Good for Your Heart
February 7, 2023 — A new study says playing 18 holes is just as good, and maybe better, as brisk walking for cardiovascular health in older adults.
- Black, Hispanic Dialysis Patients Have Higher Infection Rates
February 7, 2023 — Black and Hispanic people on dialysis have higher rates of staph bloodstream infections than White people, with Hispanic patients having a 40% higher risk of staph bloodstream infections, a report released by the CDC said.
- Nearly 40% of U.S. Households Affected by 'Tripledemic'
February 7, 2023 — In about 40% of U.S. households during the holiday season, at least one person got sick with one of the trifecta of respiratory illnesses referred to as the tripledemic, a new survey shows.
- The Truth Behind Viral Videos Linking COVID Vaccine to Spasms, Shakes
February 7, 2023 — Vaccine hesitation is once again flying as videos depicting movement disorders go viral.
- Childhood Cancer Survivor Now Works to Help Others Like Her
February 6, 2023 — A cancer survivor as a child, Maggie Rogers now works with the American Cancer Society to help others like her.
- More Time Outdoors May Mean Less Need for Medications
February 6, 2023 — Urban dwellers who frequently visit green spaces, such as parks and community gardens, have a lower use of some commonly prescribed medications.
- Hundreds of Prepared Food Products Recalled Over Listeria Concerns
February 6, 2023 — Dozens of brands of prepared foods are being recalled due to possible contamination with the dangerous bacteria listeria. The products were sold at a wide variety of locations, including retail stores, on trains, and in vending machines.
- We Don't Lose Our Keys (or Other Things) as Much as We Think
February 6, 2023 — People in a study recalled the positions of dozens of objects with good if not perfect accuracy, a finding that expands our understanding of spatial and temporal memory.
- Pill for Postpartum Depression Submitted for FDA Review
February 6, 2023 — A pill that could change the way postpartum depression is treated has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for priority review, pharmaceutical companies Sage Therapeutics and Biogen announced.
- USDA Proposes New Sugar, Salt Limits in School Meals
February 5, 2023 — Added sugars in school meals would need to be less than 10% of calories per meal by 2027. Reductions in sodium would be phased in. Salt in school breakfasts would need to be cut by 10% in 2025 and another 10% in 2027. Sodium in lunches would need to be cut 10% in 2025, 2027, and 2029.
- California Drops School Vaccination Requirements
February 4, 2023 — California says it will no longer require schoolchildren to be vaccinated in order to attend in-person classes.
- Warmer Temperatures Could Be Helping Dangerous Fungi Spread
February 4, 2023 — Scientific evidence suggests “dangerous fungal infections are on the rise.” As temperatures have risen, some fungi are adapting to higher heat, including within people, the newspaper wrote.
- Weight Loss Drug Will Be Easier to Find in Stores Soon, Manufacturer Says
February 4, 2023 — Drug maker Novo Nordisk says it is increasing production of Wegovy, a weight loss drug, which has been hard to find in stores.
- ChatGPT's AI Could Help Catch Alzheimer's Early
February 3, 2023 — The AI everyone's talking about identified Alzheimer's 80% of the time by analyzing people's speech.
- 57% of People in CDC Survey Support Ban on All Tobacco Sales
February 3, 2023 — Even among smokers, there was some support for the bans. About a third of smokers supported the menthol ban and more than a quarter backed a total tobacco ban, the survey found.
- Now Trending on Social Media: Bad Birth Control Info
February 3, 2023 — YouTubers are ditching the pill and pushing more “natural” contraception methods, putting impressionable young women at risk of unintended pregnancy.
- Community Gardening Could Boost Your Lifestyle and Your Health
February 3, 2023 — A recent study shows that people who picked up community gardening were able to improve their physical and mental health. Is it time to change our approach, and expand the path to finding a healthy lifestyle that's right for you?
- Avian H5N1 Flu Outbreak Now Spreading to Mammals
February 3, 2023 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture and its counterpart in the United Kingdom say the bird flu has been detected in mammals such as raccoons, foxes, bears, skunks, and even a cat in France.
- Three Wild Technologies About to Change Health Care
February 3, 2023 — If you thought AI was remarkable, just wait until you see these.
- Positive Test No Longer Required To Get COVID Antivirals
February 2, 2023 — People no longer need a positive COVID-19 test to be prescribed the antiviral medications Paxlovid or Lagevrio.
- A Healthy Lifestyle Might Delay Memory Decline in Older Adults
February 2, 2023 — A new study suggests that following a healthy lifestyle is linked to slower memory decline in older adults, even in people with the apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) gene—one of the strongest known risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
- The Future of At-Home Testing: Flu, RSV Rapid Tests Are Coming
February 2, 2023 — The FDA says it is confident that at-home rapid tests like those for COVID-19 are forthcoming for flu and RSV.
- COVID Emergency Orders Ending: What’s Next?
February 1, 2023 — The Biden administration announced Monday that it will be ending the twin emergency declarations of COVID-19, marking the switch from COVID-19 “pandemic” to “endemic” status. Here's what to know.
- Inflammation and Immunity Troubles Top Long COVID Suspect List
February 1, 2023 — Nonstop inflammation and immune problems top the list of potential causes of long COVID, but doctors say it’s growing clear that more than one factor is to blame for the wide swath of often debilitating symptoms that could last months or even years.
- Recall: EzriCare Eyedrops Linked to Bacterial Outbreak
February 1, 2023 — A bacterial outbreak linked to eyedrops has caused one death and sickened at least 50 people in 11 states, the CDC says. Some patients have been hospitalized and some are now permanently blind.
- Brain Scans Show Effect of Poverty, Stress on Black Children
February 1, 2023 — Childhood stress can change the brain negatively, according to a new study that says Black children are affected more because they experience more poverty and adversity.
- Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Ovarian, Other Cancers
February 1, 2023 — Eating more ultra-processed food is linked to an increased risk of getting and dying from cancer, particularly ovarian cancer, according to a new study.
- Many Older Adults Are Addicted to Highly Processed Foods: Study
January 31, 2023 — Food addiction may be more common among older adults than addiction to alcohol or tobacco, according to a new study.
- Teens Used Pot Less When Pandemic Hit, Study Finds
January 31, 2023 — Teenagers used marijuana less in the first year of the pandemic, a new study shows, while adult use of cannabis, illegal drugs and alcohol stayed the same or increased.
- Brains of Obese People Show Changes Similar to Alzheimer’s
January 31, 2023 — The brains of obese people go through changes like those of Alzheimer’s patients, a new study shows. This is the first study that directly compared patterns of brain shrinkage in the two groups.
- Despite High Spending, U.S. Ranks Last in Health Outcomes: Study
January 31, 2023 — The U.S. spends dramatically more on health care than other high-income nations but has the worst health outcomes on nearly every metric, a new report shows. Despite the high health care spending rate, affordability of health care was the top reason Americans gave for skipping or delaying care.
- New Book Explores Why Trust Is Vital For Doctors, Patients
January 31, 2023 — In How Medicine Works and When It Doesn't, F. Perry Wilson, MD, guides readers through the murky and often treacherous landscape of modern medicine.
- Surgeon General Says 13-Year-Olds Shouldn't Be on Social Media
January 30, 2023 — The U.S. Surgeon General says 13 years old is too young to begin using social media.
- Flu, RSV on Decline, but COVID Deaths Persist
January 30, 2023 — Respiratory illness levels in the U.S. have declined so much in recent weeks that they are approaching numbers usually seen during non-flu season.
- Biden to End COVID Emergencies in May
January 30, 2023 — Doing so will have many effects, including the end of free vaccines and health services to fight the pandemic. The public health emergency has been renewed every 90 days since it was declared by the Trump administration in January 2020.
- Fauci Q&A: On Masking, Vaccines, and What Keeps Him Up at Night
January 30, 2023 — The adviser to seven presidents reflects on his career, the highs and lows, and offers advice for staying safe 3 years into the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Cardiac Arrest Risk Low for Active Seniors During Sports
January 30, 2023 — Adults ages 65 and over who engage in regular physical activity are at low risk of sports-related sudden cardiac arrest, a new study suggests.
- Gut Microbiome May Control Body Temperature, Study Says
January 30, 2023 — Gut microbiome appears to play a big role in regulating body temperature, both in long-term health and during life-threatening medical situations such as sepsis, according to a study from the University of Michigan.
- Coffee With Milk May Fight Inflammation, Preliminary Research Shows
January 30, 2023 — The combination of polyphenols and amino acids was seen to be twice as effective at fighting inflammation as polyphenol alone, in preliminary research suggesting that coffee with milk could be an anti-inflammatory.
- FDA Proposes Gender-Inclusive Questions for Blood Donor Screenings
January 29, 2023 — The FDA has proposed updating blood donor screening questions to be gender-inclusive, in a long-sought move away from uniform exclusions for gay men and men who have sex with men.
- FDA Withdraws Authorization for COVID Drug Evusheld
January 28, 2023 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 antibody drug Evusheld because the drug is not effective against the Omicron variants now dominating the nation.
- Nearly Half of Americans Don’t Get Enough Physical Activity: CDC
January 27, 2023 — Most American adults are not meeting physical activity guidelines, the CDC said this week.