The diabetes and weight-loss drug Ozempic does not appear to harm a developing fetus when taken by pregnant women, a new study reports. Researchers found no elevated risk of birth defects among newborns of women who took medications to control their type 2 diabetes, compared with those who took insulin. During the decade-long study, researchers…  read on >  read on >

Folks who take the blockbuster weight-loss med tirzepatide (Zepbound) may regain much of the weight they lost soon after discontinuing it, new research shows. A trial funded by Eli Lilly, the injected drug’s maker, found that “in patients with obesity or overweight, withdrawing tirzepatide led to substantial regain of weight.” On the other hand, continuing…  read on >  read on >

Loss of the “happiness” brain hormone serotonin might play a role in the decline of brain function as a person ages, a new study reports. People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) had up to 25% lower levels of serotonin than healthy people in key regions of the brain associated with memory, problem-solving and emotion, researchers…  read on >  read on >

Sore throats are commonplace during cold and flu season, but luckily there are lots of home remedies that can help ease your misery, doctors say. These remedies “aren’t quick fixes for an illness,” but they can help ease discomfort, said Dr. Heidi Hutchison, a family practice physician at Penn State Health Medical Group – East…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved two milestone gene therapies for sickle cell disease, including the first treatment ever approved that uses gene-editing technology. Casgevy, developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals of Boston and CRISPR Therapeutics of Switzerland, is the first medicine available in the United States to treat a genetic disease using the…  read on >  read on >

FRIDAY, Dec. 8, 2023 (Healthday News) — A salmonella outbreak tied to tainted cantaloupes keeps expanding, with cases doubling since the last tally, U.S. health officials reported Thursday. “Since the last update [on] November 30, 2023, an additional 113 people infected with this outbreak strain of salmonella have been reported from four additional states, resulting in a…  read on >  read on >