Transgender people have double the odds of dying early compared to folks whose identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth (cisgender), a long-term study finds. And the added risk did not decrease over time, according to an analysis of data collected from more than 4,500 transgender people in the Netherlands between 1972 and…  read on >  read on >

People hospitalized for COVID-19, and even some with milder cases, may suffer lasting damage to their kidneys, new research finds. The study of more than 1.7 million patients in the U.S. Veterans Affairs system adds to concerns about the lingering effects of COVID — particularly among people sick enough to need hospitalization. Researchers found that…  read on >  read on >

The prescribing, dispensing and use of ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19 outside of clinical trials must end immediately, the American Medical Association, American Pharmacists Association and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists say. The drug has U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to treat people with infections caused by internal and external parasites, but is…  read on >  read on >

Depression and multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to travel together, new research finds, and when they do the chances of dying during the next decade can be up to five times greater than it is for those with neither condition. Exactly why the combination is so lethal is not fully understood, but several factors may be…  read on >  read on >

When people have knee arthritis, cartilage cushioning the joint progressively breaks down. Now an early study hints at a possible solution: replacing it with cartilage from the nose. Researchers tested the approach in just two patients with knee arthritis, and said much work lies ahead. But the initial findings, published Sept. 1 in Science Translational…  read on >  read on >

As doctors around the world come up against severe cases of COVID-19, some positive news has emerged: New research shows the rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib may help reduce hospitalized COVID patients’ risk of death. Current standard-of-care medications aren’t enough, said study co-author Dr. E. Wesley Ely, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center…  read on >  read on >

Here’s another reason to avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics: Long-term use of these medications could increase your risk of colon cancer, researchers say. “While in many cases antibiotic therapy is necessary and saves lives, in the event of less serious ailments that can be expected to heal anyway, caution should be exercised. Above all to…  read on >  read on >

A four-in-one pill containing “ultra-low doses” of different medications can provide better blood pressure control than standard drug treatment, a new clinical trial from Australia shows. About 80% of people given the “quadpill” achieved a healthy blood pressure of 140/90 within three months and continuing out to a year, compared to 60% of people who…  read on >  read on >