The antiviral pill Paxlovid not only reduces hospitalization and death after catching COVID-19: New research shows it also cuts the chances of long COVID by roughly 25%. The drug, which combines a newer antiviral called nirmatrelvir with an older medication known as ritonavir, delivered that added bonus to patients, at least the mostly older white…  read on >  read on >

THURSDAY, Nov. 3, 2022 (HealthDay News) – A weight-loss drug approved for adults may soon become an option for teens struggling with obesity. Young people who received the drug Wegovy (semaglutide) were able to lose an average of 14.7% of their starting body weight in a new clinical trial. More than 40% of the youths…  read on >  read on >

Years of litigation over the opioid epidemic could end soon, as the national pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens announced Wednesday that each company has agreed to a nearly $5 billion settlement. While neither of the companies admitted wrongdoing, the settlements are part of the fight over the drug industry’s role in the epidemic that has…  read on >  read on >

Obesity is never healthy, and that may be especially true for people who also develop multiple sclerosis. Obese people with MS are likely to see the disability linked to the disease rapidly worsen, said German researchers who followed more than 1,000 patients in a new study. Weight loss, they suggested, might help slow the progression…  read on >  read on >

MONDAY, Oct. 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) – It could be harder to fill a prescription for the widely used antibiotic amoxicillin because of a shortage that appears to be linked to an ongoing surge in RSV infections across the United States. Supplies of amoxicillin oral solution, which is typically used in children, are low, the…  read on >  read on >

Intermittent fasting has taken off as a way to lose weight without having to limit types of a food a person eats. But there was little research on how eating only during a few hours of the day and then only drinking water might affect female reproductive hormones. A new study shows that while hormones…  read on >  read on >

People at risk for developing diabetes could help themselves now by eating fewer carbs, according to new research. While low-carb diets are a common next step for someone diagnosed with the disease, people who are prediabetic or with diabetes not treated with medication don’t need to wait to cut back and see benefits to their…  read on >  read on >