People newly infected with COVID-19 might soon have access to what essentially is Tamiflu for the novel coronavirus, a breakthrough that experts say would drastically alter the course of the ongoing pandemic. At least three contenders are vying to become the first antiviral pill that specifically targets COVID-19, according to reports from drug manufacturers. Such… read on > read on >
Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. said Friday that it will seek federal approval for emergency use of its new antiviral pill molnupiravir, after a clinical trial showed the drug halved the risk of hospitalization or death when given to high-risk people shortly after infection with COVID-19. The new medication is just one of several antiviral… read on > read on >
It turns out that the pandemic has reaped one unexpected benefit: As teens were kept home more often, their use of electronic cigarettes dropped by nearly 40%, a new report finds. U.S. health officials said these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, but the decrease in vaping in 2021 is probably real… read on > read on >
Trying to slim down? Diet drinks aren’t likely to help, researchers warn. And those containing the artificial sweetener sucralose may even increase food cravings and appetite in women and people who are obese, according to a University of Southern California study. “There is controversy surrounding the use of artificial sweeteners because a lot of people… read on >
Despite the troubling findings of a congressional report released earlier this year on toxins in baby foods, a new report finds even more manufacturers are selling baby foods that contain potentially unsafe levels of heavy metals. The toxins in question include dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, among others. “No level of toxic… read on > read on >
It’s no secret that excess weight is bad for the heart. But a new study suggests that obese people who lose a substantial amount of weight may reverse the related cardiovascular risks. Researchers found the odds for high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol were similar in formerly obese Americans who were now at a healthy… read on > read on >
A drug previously approved for multiple sclerosis also can treat inflammatory bowel disease in some patients, a new clinical trial reports. The medication, ozanimod (Zeposia), proved effective in helping patients with ulcerative colitis, sending many into full remission, according to results being published Sept. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Ulcerative colitis is… read on > read on >
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) – – The MIND diet may help older people ward off Alzheimer’s disease, a new study finds. Developed by the late Martha Clare Morris, who was a Rush University nutritional epidemiologist, and her colleagues, the MIND diet is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets. People in the… read on > read on >
Pregnant women at risk for a serious high blood pressure disorder called preeclampsia should take low-dose aspirin after their first trimester, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The recommendation, announced Sept. 28, updates and is consistent with the task force’s 2014 stance. Marked by a sudden spike in blood pressure, protein in… read on > read on >
A drug widely used to treat osteoporosis might reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. Taking the drug alendronate (Fosamax) for at least eight years could potentially reduce a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes by more than half, compared to people never prescribed the drug, according to findings presented Sunday… read on > read on >
