Patients who test positive for COVID-19 can now get the antiviral pill Paxlovid directly from their pharmacists, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday. The action removes limits that had restricted prescribing authority to health care providers and Test-to-Treat sites. “The FDA recognizes the important role pharmacists have played and continue to play in… read on > read on >
Vitamin D supplements are often touted for their health benefits, from boosting the immune system to guarding against cancer. But as one British man found out, it is possible to get too much of a good thing. Vitamin D overdosing — clinically called hypervitaminosis D — is linked to a range of potentially serious health… read on > read on >
Despite reports that rates of childhood obesity are decreasing, kids seem to be packing on pounds at younger ages. In 1998, just under 73% of children entering kindergarten in 1998 had a normal body mass index (BMI), while 15.1% were overweight, and 12% were obese. However, fast forward 12 years and just 69% of kids… read on > read on >
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday temporarily suspended its ban on e-cigarettes sold by Juul Labs while the company while appeals the agency’s action. The FDA Center for Tobacco Products wrote on Twitter that “the agency has determined that there are scientific issues unique to the Juul application that warrant additional review,” but… read on > read on >
COVID vaccination is highly protective against severe disease in people of all body weights, new British research finds. The study of over 9 million adults found that those who’d received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were strongly protected against hospitalization or death from the disease. And the effectiveness was just as great for obese… read on > read on >
(HealthDay News) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked a recent Listeria outbreak to ice cream made by Florida-based Big Olaf Creamery. One person has died in the outbreak involving 10 states, while 22 have been hospitalized. The agency said that health officials interviewed 17 of those those who got sick… read on > read on >
The obesity epidemic isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and new research delivers even worse news: Most American adults have not only gained more weight, but they gained most of it earlier in life. The statistics were grim: More than half of Americans in the representative sample had gained 5% or more body weight during a… read on > read on >
Less than 7% of U.S. adults are in good cardiometabolic shape, and new research warns the trend is only getting worse. Cardiometabolic health is an umbrella term that includes blood pressure, blood sugar, blood cholesterol, weight and/or the presence of heart disease. “While we know that cardiometabolic health among Americans is a significant problem, we… read on > read on >
(HealthDay News) – Most U.S. children and adults have poor scores for heart health, according to a new assessment tool called “Life’s Essential 8.” Fewer than 30% of 2- to 19-year-olds had high scores for cardiovascular health on the new American Heart Association scoring tool. And their scores got lower with age. Just 14% of… read on > read on >
Vitamin D, the “Sunshine Vitamin,” boosts the immune system and helps prevent cancer, among other health benefits, but a significant number of Black and Hispanic teens have low levels of this nutrient, according to a new study. “This paper calls attention to the need to raise awareness among clinicians regarding social determinants of health and… read on > read on >
