Two implanted heart devices used by patients in end-stage heart failure are now under a strict U.S. Food and Drug Administration recall, after being tied to 273 known injuries and 14 deaths, the agency said Tuesday. The HeartMate II and HeartMate 3 are manufactured by Thoratec Corp., a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories. About 14,000 of… read on > read on >
Zepbound, one of the wildly popular weight-loss drugs that millions of Americans now take, eased sleep apnea in obese adults in two company trials, drug maker Eli Lilly announced Wednesday. First approved to treat obesity by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last November, Zepbound’s power was significant: It reduced sleep apnea severity by nearly… read on > read on >
Eating healthy can lower the risk of heart disease in breast cancer survivors, a new study has found. Heart disease is a top cause of death in women who’ve survived breast cancer, likely due to the toxic effects of chemo, radiation and targeted cancer therapy on the heart, researchers said. Breast cancer and heart disease… read on > read on >
Changes in gut bacteria have been linked to a variety of different diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity and inflammatory bowel disease. Now, a new study indicates that gut bacteria also might play a role in a person’s risk of developing heart disease. Certain species of bacteria actively consume cholesterol in the gut, which might… read on > read on >
Cancer-linked ‘forever chemicals’ made news this week, with the Biden Administration vowing to cut levels in the nation’s tap water. New research finds that the chemicals, known as PFAS, can also contaminate the seafood Americans eat. No one is advising that consumers avoid fish and shellfish, the study’s authors stressed. However, their findings point to… read on > read on >
A days-old newborn in Oregon was sickened with salmonella that may have been transmitted from parents who tended infected poultry located 150 miles away, a new report finds. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long warned of the danger of salmonella bacterial illnesses being transmitted from poultry to babies and children. However,… read on > read on >
Oral health might have an impact on heart health, a new study has found. Folks treated for an irregular heart rhythm were more likely to keep a healthy heartbeat if they took steps to manage their gum disease, researchers report. The study involved atrial fibrillation (A-Fib) patients who received catheter ablation, a procedure in which… read on > read on >
Phillips Respironics, the company responsible for the recall of millions of defective sleep apnea machines since 2021, must overhaul its production of the machines before it can resume making them in the United States, federal officials announced Tuesday. Under a settlement reached with the company, Phillips must revamp its manufacturing and quality control systems and… read on > read on >
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it has finalized a first-ever rule that will drastically lower the amount of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” in the nation’s drinking water. “Drinking water contaminated with PFAS has plagued communities across this country for too long,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in an agency news release announcing… read on > read on >
Wegovy, Ozempic and other drugs known as GLP-1 analogues have become wildly popular for controlling diabetes and helping folks lose weight. There were concerns that longer term use of the drugs might raise users’ odds for thyroid cancer, but a Swedish study of more than 435,000 people finds no evidence to support that notion. “Many… read on > read on >
