In a three-day hearing that began Monday, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee will give the maker of a drug meant to prevent premature births a chance to show why its drug should not be pulled off the market. FDA officials have said they want to withdraw the medication, Makena, because of lack… read on > read on >
All Food:
You Can Now Buy Hearing Aids Over-the-Counter. Experts Offer Tips for Consumers
It’s official: Older Americans with hearing loss can now stroll into a big box store or pharmacy — or just visit a website — and buy hearing aids without a prescription. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved this new class of over-the-counter hearing aids in order to lower prices and improve their availability.… read on > read on >
Abbott Announces Recall of Infant Formula Over Defective Caps
Abbott Inc. has announced that it is again recalling some of its infant formula products, though the company said this latest recall is small and should not significantly impact nationwide supply. This recall was triggered by the fact that some bottles may have defective caps that could lead to the product spoiling, which could lead… read on > read on >
COVID Drug Paxlovid Might Interact With Heart Meds
The COVID-19 antiviral Paxlovid has been a game-changer in the global pandemic, shielding high-risk patients from the coronavirus’ most devastating effects. But Paxlovid can itself pose a risk for people taking widely prescribed heart medications to lower cholesterol, prevent blood clots or manage irregular heartbeat, a new paper warns. Some heart patients might need to… read on > read on >
FDA Says ADHD Med Adderall Is in Short Supply
People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy may rely on the drug Adderall, but it is in short supply, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday. The Adderall and Adderall IR shortage is due to intermittent manufacturing delays at Teva, one of the companies that produces the medication. While other companies continue to produce… read on > read on >
Study Casts Doubt on Mediterranean Diet’s Benefit to Brain
A healthy diet might not protect you from dementia as some have suggested, according to a new Swedish study. The Mediterranean diet — which includes lots of vegetables, fruits, fish and healthy fats and little dairy or meat — has been touted as brain-protective. But Swedish researchers now say it appears not to be. Others,… read on > read on >
FDA Approves New Bivalent COVID Booster for Use in Children
The new bivalent COVID-19 booster is now approved for children as young as 5 years old, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday. The bivalent booster shot includes one part that protects against the original strain of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and another part that targets the highly transmissible Omicron strain. Moderna’s bivalent vaccine is… read on > read on >
A Teen Girl’s Diet Could Impact Her Odds for Menstrual Pain
While working on a senior research project as part of her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University, Serah Sannoh decided to analyze peer-reviewed studies on diet and menstrual period pain, partly because of her own struggles with the issue. What did she find? Sannoh reported in her new study that her research showed foods high in… read on > read on >
Years of Diabetes Could Speed Onset of Menopause
The earlier a woman is diagnosed with diabetes, the sooner she may enter menopause, new research shows. Rates of diabetes have grown steadily, so researchers wanted to understand the long-term implications of premenopausal diabetes on women’s reproductive health. Their study of more than 11,000 women found that being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes before age… read on > read on >
Knee, Shoulder Surgeries Without Opioids? It’s Possible, Study Finds
While politicians and health officials seek solutions to an opioid epidemic that kills tens of thousands every year, doctors who prescribe the pain medications are seeking alternatives for their patients. New research suggests one way to handle pain for minimally invasive knee or shoulder surgery could be as simple as combining three common medications: the… read on > read on >