Nearly 235,000 pounds of fully cooked ham and pepperoni products were recalled by Michigan-based Alexander & Hornung on Sunday due to possible listeria contamination. There are no confirmed reports of illness associated with the products that were sold across the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).…  read on >  read on >

Viagra, a drug long used to treat erectile dysfunction, may double as a potential weapon against Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests. Looking at data on more than 7 million Americans, researchers found that those taking the drug were 69% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s, when compared to non-users. Then, in lab experiments, the investigators…  read on >  read on >

Planning ahead will reduce the risk of allergies and asthma interfering with your holiday plans, an expert says. “In addition to concerns about COVID-19, those with allergies and asthma sometimes have an added layer of anxiety because they need to always be thinking about allergy and asthma triggers that can cause serious symptoms,” said Dr.…  read on >  read on >

A rare gene variant discovered among Amish people may help lower “bad” cholesterol and protect against heart disease, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among nearly 7,000 Amish people, the gene variant was tied to reductions in both LDL cholesterol and fibrinogen — a protein that is a marker of inflammation and linked to…  read on >  read on >

Nearly 13 million U.S. adults a year skip or delay filling needed prescriptions due to high price tags, new research shows. This figure includes more than 2.3 million Medicare beneficiaries and 3.8 million privately insured working-age adults who didn’t get needed medications each year in 2018 and 2019 because of cost, according to a nationally…  read on >  read on >

People who are prescribed opioid painkillers after receiving a heart pacemaker or defibrillator may be at risk for opioid abuse — and the higher the initial dose, the greater the risk, according to a new study. “The significance of this study is to make other electrophysiologists aware that even a low-risk procedure like a pacemaker…  read on >  read on >

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Tuesday voted narrowly to recommend emergency use of Merck’s new antiviral pill to help prevent severe COVID-19 in high-risk patients. By a 13-10 count, the panelists recommended molnupiravir for use by older COVID-19 patients or those who have medical conditions that make them especially susceptible to…  read on >  read on >