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 >

In a survey of parents in metro Chicago, nearly half of Black parents (48%) said they were reluctant to have their kids vaccinated against COVID-19, researchers say. That’s significantly higher than the 33% of Hispanic parents and 26% of white parents who expressed vaccine hesitancy, the findings showed. “As vaccines are becoming available to younger…  read on >  read on >

Pregnant women who receive an epidural to ease their pain during labor aren’t any more likely than others to have kids with autism, two new studies show. Earlier research suggested this practice may increase autism risk in offspring, but the pair of studies should put this concern to rest for good, experts say. “Parents can…  read on >  read on >

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — For people with heart disease and stroke, COVID-19 vaccines offer protection against the life-threatening disease caused by the coronavirus, and a booster dose could bolster that protection, health experts said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which sets policy on vaccine use, recommended Pfizer booster…  read on >  read on >

People buying pills that look like prescription opioid painkillers or stimulants who are not buying them from a licensed pharmacy may be buying a lethal drug, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration warned this week. This was the first public safety alert the DEA has issued in six years, CNN reported. Many of these counterfeit pills…  read on >  read on >

As millions of Americans sign up to get their Pfizer booster shot, a new government report delivers reassuring news about its expected side effects. The study, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, evaluated the experiences of individuals who were able to get third doses starting in mid-August because they…  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 >