Could eating more fiber be the key to a healthier gut? Research suggests the answer is yes. The findings, published recently in the journal Nature Microbiology, analyzed gut microbiomes from more than 12,000 people in 45 countries. It found that individuals with higher levels of beneficial gut bacterium called Faecalibacterium also had fewer harmful bacteria… read on > read on >
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Trump-Era HHS Website Makes Term ‘Abortion’ Harder To Find
Abortion information is disappearing from federal government websites, signaling potential changes in abortion under the second Trump administration. ReproductiveRights.gov, a site launched under the Biden administration to provide resources on abortion and contraception, now redirects to an error page. The site previously included information on medication abortion, state laws and financial assistance. While some archived… read on > read on >
Trump Ends Push To Slash Prescription Drug Costs
With a sweep of the pen, President Donald Trump has ended a Biden administration effort to lower the cost of prescription drugs for people on Medicare and Medicaid. Trump’s order, signed shortly after his inauguration on Monday, targets policies his administrations calls “deeply unpopular” and “radical,” NBC News reported. One of those now-cancelled policies directed… read on > read on >
“Chameleon” Immune Cells Linked To Severe Asthma
A set of chameleon-like immune cells could be contributing to severe asthma in some patients. Intermediate group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) appear to be able to get around cutting-edge asthma treatments by transforming into another type of immune cell. Targeted biologic drugs have revolutionized the treatment of severe asthma driven by eosinophils, which are… read on > read on >
Sports Boost Academic Performance in Teens
Want your kid to do well in school? Get them involved in an organized sport, a new study urges. Boys and girls are both more likely to earn a high school diploma if they take part in team sports like soccer or artistic sports like dance or gymnastics, researchers reported in a study published recently… read on > read on >
Rural America Faces Growing Shortage of Eye Surgeons
Rural areas are facing an increasing shortage of eye surgeons who can treat conditions like cataracts, glaucoma and detached retinas, a new study says. More than 17% of patients who need an ophthalmic surgeon live in rural America, but fewer than 6% of eye surgeons now work in a rural area, researchers recently reported in… read on > read on >
Most Families Exclude Foods Linked to Allergies
Most parents of a child with a food allergy opt to cut the offending food completely out of their homes. However, that strategy is tied to an emotional toll, researchers said. Parents who exclude food from their home because of their child’s allergy have a worse quality of life on average, due to worry and… read on > read on >
Job Protections Improve Mental Health Among LGBTQ+ Workers
TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2025 (HealthDay New) — A landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision barring job discrimination significantly eased the minds of LGBTQ+ workers, a new study says. The court extended employment protections to nearly 3.6 million LGBTQ+ people in 12 states with its 2020 Bostock v Clayton County decision. As a result, those workers experienced… read on > read on >
Moderna Receives $590M From HHS To Develop Bird Flu Vaccine
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is awarding the pharmaceutical company Moderna $590 million to continue developing a vaccine to protect against bird flu. This funding, announced Friday by Moderna, builds on the $176 million it received from HHS last year to support earlier stages of vaccine research. Moderna’s vaccine is designed… read on > read on >
Seniors Miss Out on Services With Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage isn’t that great an advantage for seniors compared with traditional Medicare, researchers say. The privatized form of Medicare offers more supplemental benefits than traditional Medicare, including dental, vision and hearing benefits. But many seniors aren’t using those additional benefits, and their out-of-pocket costs are about the same as with regular Medicare, researchers report… read on > read on >