More older folks are winding up on liver transplant waiting lists than ever before, as obesity and alcoholism supersede hepatitis C as the main cause of liver failure in the United States. The percentage of liver transplant candidates aged 65 or older rose from 9% in the early 2000s to 23% by 2020, researchers found.… read on > read on >
Pfizer announced Tuesday that it has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the emergency use of its new antiviral pill in people at high risk for severe COVID-19. “With more than 5 million deaths and countless lives impacted by this devastating disease globally, there is an urgent need for life-saving treatment options.… read on > read on >
For decades, doctors have struggled with the fact that the benefit of any blood-thinning pill came with the added risk of excess bleeding. Now, an experimental anti-clotting pill called milvexian has been found to be effective in patients who had knee replacement surgery — without adding any excess risk for bleeding. The study focused on… read on > read on >
Ten new illnesses in a salmonella outbreak linked to recalled salami sticks bring the total number to 31, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Two more states have reported cases, increasing the number of affected states to 10. There have been six hospitalizations, but no deaths, the CDC said in a statement.… read on > read on >
Ten people in seven states have been sickened in an E. coli outbreak linked to baby spinach, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. The agency said people should not eat, sell or serve Josie’s Organics prepackaged baby spinach that has a “best by” date of 10/23/2021 and was sold nationwide. Cases… read on > read on >
Many women dread having to give up coffee during their pregnancy, but new research suggests that consuming a little caffeine while expecting might not necessarily be a bad thing. “While we were not able to study the association of consumption above the recommended limit, we now know that low-to-moderate caffeine is not associated with an… read on > read on >
MONDAY, Nov. 15, 2021 Certain commonly prescribed antidepressants appear to substantially lower the risk of dying among seriously ill COVID-19 patients, a large new study indicates. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are among the most widely prescribed drugs for the treatment of depression. They include drugs like Lexapro (escitalopram), Paxil (paroxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline). “We… read on > read on >
A new and expensive Alzheimer’s drug called Aduhelm is responsible for about half of the $21.60 increase in monthly premiums for Medicare’s Part B outpatient program in 2022, Medicare officials report. The new premium will be $170.10 a month, and the $21.60 boost is the biggest increase ever in dollar amount, but not in percentage… read on > read on >
Your daily cup of joe might be a quick pick-me-up, but it comes with a mixed bag of good and not-so-good effects on your health, a new study reports. Drinking coffee helps people stay more active, but it also significantly robs some of sleep, researchers say. And while java doesn’t seem to cause irregular rhythms… read on > read on >
Despite concerns about his close ties to the drug industry, President Joe Biden is expected on Friday to nominate Dr. Robert Califf, former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to lead the agency once more. Califf, who served during the last year of the Obama administration, has long been a consultant to drug… read on > read on >
