San Francisco is on the verge of passing a ban on “forever chemicals” in the protective clothing firefighters wear while battling blazes. City lawmakers are expected to pass an ordinance on Tuesday that will prohibit the use of firefighting gear made with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS have been linked to health harms, including decreased… read on > read on >
Semaglutide — the active ingredient in the blockbuster weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy — can produce long-term weight and heart health benefits, a pair of new studies show. Researchers found that overweight and obese adults lost an average 10% of their body weight and nearly three inches off their waistline after taking semaglutide for four… read on > read on >
Having private insurance may not be all it is cracked up to be when it comes to hospital bills, new research warns. In a report published Monday by the nonprofit research institute RAND Corp., researchers discovered that patients with private health insurance may wind up paying more for procedures or tests performed during their stay than Medicare… read on > read on >
Babies born by C-section are unlikely to receive protection from a single dose of measles vaccine, a new study finds. A single measles jab is up to 2.6 times more likely to be completely ineffective in C-section babies, compared to those born vaginally. Their immune systems fail to produce antibodies to fight against measles infection.… read on > read on >
Melanoma, while rare among Black Americans, is often detected later with devastating consequences, a new study finds. Black people are frequently diagnosed with melanoma at later stages, increasing their risk of death compared to fairer-skinned patients, researchers found. Advanced stage 3 melanoma was detected in 19% of Black people with the cancer, versus 6% of… read on > read on >
Women who smoke during pregnancy run a higher risk of their kids becoming overweight or obese, and researchers now think they know one reason why. Children born of moms who smoked while expecting tend to have gut bacteria that is significantly different from that of kids whose moms didn’t light up, scientists reported recently in… read on > read on >
Actress and “X-men” star Olivia Munn has revealed that she underwent egg retrieval and then a hysterectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer. In an article published on Mother’s Day, Munn told Vogue she opted for hysterectomy because it allowed her to avoid using an estrogen-suppressing cancer drug called Lupron, which left her drained of… read on > read on >
Women who get abortion pills through the mail receive care that’s as good as those who are required to get them in person from a clinic or doctor’s office, a new study says. Using a mail-order pharmacy to deliver the drugs after an in-person assessment was both safe and effective, according to findings published in… read on > read on >
People with heart failure are often prescribed what are known as loop diuretic medications to help reduce the fluid buildup that’s a hallmark of the disease. Now, research suggests that taking the blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) can help patients reduce their need for diuretics. After a year taking Wegovy, “there was evidence of… read on > read on >
