The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received at least three reports of people being hospitalized after taking counterfeit versions of the wildly popular weight-loss drugs known as semaglutides. At least one of these reports includes mention of a counterfeit version of the Novo Nordisk medication Ozempic, CBS News reported. Ozempic and Wegovy, another semaglutide… read on > read on >
California banned menthol cigarettes and flavored vaping products in late 2022, based on concerns the flavors encouraged teens to get hooked on nicotine. But a new study finds many smokers simply shrugged and turned to online shopping for their flavored vapes. Online shopping for flavored cigarettes and vapes increased significantly in the weeks following the… read on > read on >
There’s your calendar age, and then there’s what scientists call your “biological” age, which is based on various measurements indicating good or not-so-good health. Now, new Swedish research finds that less healthy folks, with a biological age that outstrips their chronological age, may be at higher odds for dementia and stroke. “But because people age… read on > read on >
Forget “Jaws”: The remarkable wound-healing power of shark skin could end up helping humans, new research claims. Shark skin is coated with a special film of mucus that more closely resembles mucus generated by people than that generated by other types of fish, noted researchers at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm. They conducted their investigation… read on > read on >
An old scourge, syphilis, is returning with a vengeance in the United States, affecting not only adults but also the most vulnerable — newborns. Rates of congenital syphilis soared 10-fold between 2012 and 2022, according to new data released Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The congenital syphilis crisis in the… read on > read on >
When doctors advise patients to lose weight, an optimistic approach is more likely to get results. Researchers found that patients were more likely to participate in the recommended program and shed pounds if doctors presented obesity treatments as an “opportunity.” They compared that upbeat approach to emphasizing the negative consequences of obesity or using neutral… read on > read on >
Many people with type 2 diabetes also struggle with depression, and this combination can lead to premature death, researchers say. “More than 35 million Americans have diabetes, and more than 95 million have prediabetes, making diabetes one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.,” said study co-author Jagdish Khubchandani. He is a professor… read on > read on >
Patients with osteoarthritis in their thumbs can get good long-term outcomes with orthotics and exercise therapy, and avoid surgery at the same time, new research shows. “Our findings support nonsurgical treatment as the first treatment choice and suggest that treatment effects are sustainable” in patients with problems in the thumb carpometacarpal joint, said study author… read on > read on >
Exposure to wildfire-related air pollution in western states has taken its toll on U.S. patients who are on dialysis. New research linked it to elevated risks of hospitalization and death in patients who were receiving in-center hemodialysis treatment in Washington, Oregon and California. Wildfires have been increasing in frequency and severity. The researchers studied nearly… read on > read on >
Gun violence causes a ripple effect that creates a lasting impact on young people lucky enough to survive being shot, as well as their families, a comprehensive new study finds. Child and teenaged gunshot survivors carry the physical and emotional scars of violence, and their families suffer even more dramatic aftereffects, the Harvard-associated researchers found.… read on > read on >
