Twenty years on from the terrible event itself, weight loss may reduce the risk of lung disease among 9/11 first responders, a new study suggests. “Our findings should reassure World Trade Center first responders that there are steps they can take to protect their lungs even decades after exposure,” said co-lead author Dr. Sophia Kwon.… read on > read on >
All Food:
Hen Hazard: Salmonella a Threat From Backyard Chickens
It’s still not OK to kiss your chickens or your ducklings — you could catch a salmonella infection from barnyard birds. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has offered that warning before, and now an agriculture expert reminds backyard farmers that it’s better to have a less hands-on approach with their feathered friends.… read on > read on >
Top Federal Health Officials Ask White House to Scale Back on COVID Boosters
Top U.S. health officials have reportedly warned the White House to curtail its plans to offer COVID-19 booster shots to Americans later this month. Leaders of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both told White House pandemic coordinator Jeffrey Zients in a meeting Tuesday that their… read on > read on >
Stop Use of Ivermectin for COVID-19: AMA, Pharmacist Groups
The prescribing, dispensing and use of ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19 outside of clinical trials must end immediately, the American Medical Association, American Pharmacists Association and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists say. The drug has U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to treat people with infections caused by internal and external parasites, but is… read on > read on >
Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Might Help Save Hospitalized COVID Patients
As doctors around the world come up against severe cases of COVID-19, some positive news has emerged: New research shows the rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib may help reduce hospitalized COVID patients’ risk of death. Current standard-of-care medications aren’t enough, said study co-author Dr. E. Wesley Ely, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center… read on > read on >
4-in-1 Blood Pressure Pill Could Improve Outcomes
A four-in-one pill containing “ultra-low doses” of different medications can provide better blood pressure control than standard drug treatment, a new clinical trial from Australia shows. About 80% of people given the “quadpill” achieved a healthy blood pressure of 140/90 within three months and continuing out to a year, compared to 60% of people who… read on > read on >
Two Top Officials in FDA’s Vaccine Review Office to Retire
Two senior leaders in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine review office are stepping down, but their departures won’t slow efforts to combat the pandemic, the agency said Tuesday. “We are confident in the expertise and ability of our staff to continue our critical public health work, including evaluating COVID-19 vaccines,” FDA spokesperson Stephanie… read on > read on >
One Key Factor Drives Weight Gain in College
College students often put on weight during their freshman year, and a lack of structured exercise may be largely to blame, a new study suggests. Weight gain is so common among first-year college students that it has spawned the phrase “the freshman 15” — though that figure is something of a myth. More often, studies… read on > read on >
Cutting Sugar in Packaged Foods Would Keep Millions of Americans From Illness: Report
WEDNESDAY, Sept.1, 2021Sugar is killing Americans in droves, according to researchers who found that reducing the sweetener in packaged foods and beverages could prevent more than 2 million strokes, heart attacks and cardiac arrests. Less sugary packaged foods and drinks would also curb nearly a half-million heart-related deaths and an even greater number of diabetes… read on > read on >
Kids Piled on Extra Pounds During Pandemic
New research confirms the pandemic has not been good for the waistlines of children. During lockdowns, American kids gained more weight than before the pandemic, and the number who became obese also increased, researchers report. “This increased weight gain occurred in all youth between 5 and 17 years, but was particularly evident in children ages… read on > read on >