A new guidance issued jointly by groups representing U.S. surgeons, anesthesiologists and gastroenterologists affirms that most people taking popular GLP-1 weight-loss meds can keep taking them in the weeks before a surgery. Concerns had arisen because the drugs, which include semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound), liraglutide (Saxenda) and dulaglutide (Trulicity), can… read on > read on >
When a black cat named Pepper dropped a dead mouse on the carpet at his owner’s feet on a day back in May 2021, neither of them knew then that it would alert scientists to the arrival of an exotic virus to the United States. Pepper is a skilled hunter who regularly leaves “gifts” for… read on > read on >
The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have created a nation of homebodies in the United States, a new study finds. People are spending nearly an hour less each day doing activities outside the home, researchers reported Oct. 31 in the Journal of the American Planning Association. In essence, not going out has become the “new normal”… read on > read on >
A person battling multiple sclerosis spent an average of $750 in out-of-pocket fees on medicines in 2012, but by 2021 that same patient spent $2,378 annually, a new report finds. Out-of-pocket costs for drugs for neurologic diseases such as MS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease are climbing sharply, according to research led by Amanda Gusovsky, of… read on > read on >
Sugar overload is a real danger on Halloween, as piles of candy prove a powerful temptation to both Trick-or-Treaters and the folks handing out the goodies. Too many sweet treats can instigate a blood sugar spike followed by a hard crash, causing folks to become irritable and experience symptoms like dizziness, upset stomach, tiredness and… read on > read on >
Scans using lasers and ultrasound can pick up signs of a malaria infection through the skin, without the need for a blood draw, Yale researchers report. The technology, called Cytophone, could be a real boon for developing countries where access to labs for blood tests isn’t always available. According to a Yale news release, the… read on > read on >
Onions spread on McDonald’s Quarter Pounders are the definite source of an outbreak of E. coli illness that’s now affected 90 people nationwide, new evidence from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. “Epidemiologic and traceback information show that fresh, slivered onions are the likely source of illness in this outbreak,” the CDC… read on > read on >
Big surges in new autism diagnoses among young adults, as well a rise in diagnoses for girls and young women, have driven a near-tripling of U.S. autism cases in just over a decade, researchers report. Data on over 12 million patients enrolled in major U.S. health care systems found that between 2011 and 2022 the… read on > read on >
A lack of health insurance coverage raises the risk that cancers among Black and Hispanic Americans will be caught too late, a new study suggests. Being uninsured accounts for a significant proportion of racial and ethnic disparities in cancers that are only detected at a later, more life-threatening stage, researchers found. “Securing health insurance for… read on > read on >
Half of young Americans between the ages of 12 and 17 spend at least four hours each day on their smartphones, computers or televisions, a new survey shows. “As technology has become more integrated into teenagers’ lives, the time spent in front of screens has continued to rise in the United States,” noted a team… read on > read on >
