CVS and Walgreens announced Friday that they will start dispensing the abortion pill mifepristone this month. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has certified the nation’s two largest pharmacy chains to dispense mifepristone, and they plan to make the medication available first in states where abortion is legal. The chains will not dispense the medication…  read on >  read on >

An outbreak of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) across Europe and North America made headlines in 2022.   According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 2022 outbreak of mpox (formerly called monkeypox) in the United States involved 31,698 known cases and 56 deaths. Globally, the outbreak involved almost 93,500 cases. Mpox…  read on >  read on >

Although the pandemic has ended, staffing shortages and employee burnout still plague U.S. nursing homes, a new government report finds. But the problems didn’t end there: The report, issued Thursday by the Inspector General’s Office at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, showed that infection-control procedures were still sorely lacking at many facilities.…  read on >  read on >

Vaping and skipped meals appear to be the main causes of frequent headaches among teens, a new study says. Teens who ate breakfast and dinner with their family had a lower risk of frequent headaches than those who regularly missed meals, researchers report Feb. 28 in the journal Neurology. Meanwhile, vaping also was associated with…  read on >  read on >

A bicycle built for two could be a positive prescription for Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers, a small, preliminary study says. Parkinson’s patients had better overall quality of life, improved mobility, and faster walking speed after sharing regular rides on a stationary tandem bike with a care partner, researchers plan to report at the annual…  read on >  read on >

Bird flu has mutated to spread more easily between birds and marine mammals, increasing the potential risk to humans, a new study warns. Four sea lions, one fur seal and a tern found dead in Argentina all tested positive for the avian influenza virus H5N1, researchers report. Further, genetic analysis revealed that the virus was…  read on >  read on >

Once considered harmless by doctors, calcium crystal deposits in the knee joint actually can contribute to worsening arthritis, a new study warns. CT scans have revealed that calcium crystals in the knee can promote joint damage, wearing away the cartilage that keeps bones from rubbing together, researchers reported recently in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology.…  read on >  read on >

Rodeo riders might make it all look easy, but they’re actually participating in one of the most strenuous sports around, experts say. As such, folks participating in rodeo need to take steps to protect themselves, just as other athletes do, said Dr. Omar Atassi, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine…  read on >  read on >