President Joe Biden promised cheaper prescription drugs for all Americans on Monday as his social agenda legislation winds its way through Congress. Biden tried to shift Americans’ focus to pocketbook provisions overlooked in his $2 trillion legislation, which deals with everything from climate to family life and taxes. The legislation has passed the House and… read on > read on >
The United States announced Monday that it will pour $400 million into a new program that should help other countries speed vaccines to their citizens. Called the Initiative for Global Vaccine Access, the U.S. Agency for International Development said in a statement the program would “enhance international coordination” to help countries “overcome vaccine access barriers.”… read on > read on >
The best available treatment for COVID-19 infection just got a lot easier to administer to more people, potentially saving more lives in the process, a new study claims. Monoclonal antibodies have been shown to dramatically reduce risk of hospitalization and death if given within five days of developing symptoms of COVID. However, there’s a big… read on > read on >
Traits particular to certain dog breeds — the distinctive spots of a dalmatian or the stubby legs of a dachshund — are often achieved through inbreeding. But most breeds are now highly inbred, increasing a dog’s risk of health problems, a new study confirms. “It’s amazing how inbreeding seems to matter to health,” study leader… read on > read on >
Genetic testing can help guide management and treatment of unexplained epilepsy in children, new research suggests. “A genetic diagnosis impacted medical management for nearly three out of four children in our study,” said study author Dr. Isabel Haviland. She’s a postdoctoral research fellow in neurology/neurobiology at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. In the… read on > read on >
Starting college can be a time of fun, new experiences and growth. Yet it can also be a rough transition for many students who struggle with mental health issues. A new study from researchers in the United Kingdom and Canada found about one-third of first-year students have or develop moderate to severe anxiety or depression.… read on > read on >
Tony Head was depressed and fearing death from stage 4 prostate cancer when, as part of a supervised scientific trial, he took a large dose of the psychedelic agent in “magic mushrooms,” psilocybin. Head donned a mask and headphones to shut out the world around him, and had an experience that changed the course of… read on > read on >
U.S. pharmacies are struggling to keep up with Americans’ demand for coronavirus vaccines and tests, and the pressure could intensify as antiviral pills to treat COVID-19 are approved by federal regulators. “There’s crazy increased demand on pharmacies right now,” Theresa Tolle, an independent pharmacist whose store in Sebastian, Fla., has seen COVID-19 vaccine demand quadruple… read on > read on >
Checking older adults’ resting heart rate could help identify those who are more likely to experience a decline in mental function, a Swedish study suggests. The researchers found that a high resting heart rate was associated with a greater risk of dementia. “We believe it would be valuable to explore if resting heart rate could… read on > read on >
New research offers fresh proof that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed cancer diagnoses in the United States, increasing patients’ risk for poor outcomes. For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 9 million patients at over 1,200 Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities. Procedures to diagnose cancer were used less often and there were fewer new… read on > read on >
