Drugs and Medications News
- Recall: EzriCare Eyedrops Linked to Bacterial Outbreak
February 1, 2023 — A bacterial outbreak linked to eyedrops has caused one death and sickened at least 50 people in 11 states, the CDC says. Some patients have been hospitalized and some are now permanently blind.
- Brain Scans Show Effect of Poverty, Stress on Black Children
February 1, 2023 — Childhood stress can change the brain negatively, according to a new study that says Black children are affected more because they experience more poverty and adversity.
- Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Ovarian, Other Cancers
February 1, 2023 — Eating more ultra-processed food is linked to an increased risk of getting and dying from cancer, particularly ovarian cancer, according to a new study.
- Despite High Spending, U.S. Ranks Last in Health Outcomes: Study
January 31, 2023 — The U.S. spends dramatically more on health care than other high-income nations but has the worst health outcomes on nearly every metric, a new report shows. Despite the high health care spending rate, affordability of health care was the top reason Americans gave for skipping or delaying care.
- New Book Explores Why Trust Is Vital For Doctors, Patients
January 31, 2023 — In How Medicine Works and When It Doesn't, F. Perry Wilson, MD, guides readers through the murky and often treacherous landscape of modern medicine.
- Many Older Adults Are Addicted to Highly Processed Foods: Study
January 31, 2023 — Food addiction may be more common among older adults than addiction to alcohol or tobacco, according to a new study.
- Brains of Obese People Show Changes Similar to Alzheimer’s
January 31, 2023 — The brains of obese people go through changes like those of Alzheimer’s patients, a new study shows. This is the first study that directly compared patterns of brain shrinkage in the two groups.
- Teens Used Pot Less When Pandemic Hit, Study Finds
January 31, 2023 — Teenagers used marijuana less in the first year of the pandemic, a new study shows, while adult use of cannabis, illegal drugs and alcohol stayed the same or increased.
- Surgeon General Says 13-Year-Olds Shouldn't Be on Social Media
January 30, 2023 — The U.S. Surgeon General says 13 years old is too young to begin using social media.
- Flu, RSV on Decline, but COVID Deaths Persist
January 30, 2023 — Respiratory illness levels in the U.S. have declined so much in recent weeks that they are approaching numbers usually seen during non-flu season.
- Biden to End COVID Emergencies in May
January 30, 2023 — Doing so will have many effects, including the end of free vaccines and health services to fight the pandemic. The public health emergency has been renewed every 90 days since it was declared by the Trump administration in January 2020.
- Fauci Q&A: On Masking, Vaccines, and What Keeps Him Up at Night
January 30, 2023 — The adviser to seven presidents reflects on his career, the highs and lows, and offers advice for staying safe 3 years into the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Cardiac Arrest Risk Low for Active Seniors During Sports
January 30, 2023 — Adults ages 65 and over who engage in regular physical activity are at low risk of sports-related sudden cardiac arrest, a new study suggests.
- Gut Microbiome May Control Body Temperature, Study Says
January 30, 2023 — Gut microbiome appears to play a big role in regulating body temperature, both in long-term health and during life-threatening medical situations such as sepsis, according to a study from the University of Michigan.
- Coffee With Milk May Fight Inflammation, Preliminary Research Shows
January 30, 2023 — The combination of polyphenols and amino acids was seen to be twice as effective at fighting inflammation as polyphenol alone, in preliminary research suggesting that coffee with milk could be an anti-inflammatory.
- FDA Proposes Gender-Inclusive Questions for Blood Donor Screenings
January 29, 2023 — The FDA has proposed updating blood donor screening questions to be gender-inclusive, in a long-sought move away from uniform exclusions for gay men and men who have sex with men.
- FDA Withdraws Authorization for COVID Drug Evusheld
January 28, 2023 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 antibody drug Evusheld because the drug is not effective against the Omicron variants now dominating the nation.
- Nearly Half of Americans Don’t Get Enough Physical Activity: CDC
January 27, 2023 — Most American adults are not meeting physical activity guidelines, the CDC said this week.
- U.S. Heart-Related Deaths Jumped During First Year of Pandemic
January 27, 2023 — Cardiovascular-related deaths increased dramatically in 2020, marking the largest single-year increase since 2015 and surpassing the previous record from 2003, according to the 2023 Statistical Update from the American Heart Association.
- Long COVID Affecting More Than One-Third of College Students, Faculty
January 27, 2023 — Almost 36% of students and faculty at George Washington University with a history of COVID-19 reported symptoms consistent with long COVID in a new study.
- FDA Wants New Regulatory Framework for CBD Use
January 27, 2023 — The federal government denied three citizen petitions for guidance on the use of CBD in food and supplements.
- Many People Don’t Get Colonoscopies Even After Positive Stool Test
January 27, 2023 — Nearly half of people with a positive stool test result don’t get a potentially lifesaving, follow-up colonoscopy, according to a new study.
- Climbing Back: One Woman's Triumph After Near-Fatal Injury
January 26, 2023 — After a near-fatal accident left Melissa Strong's fingers a mangled, charred mess, the climber was told her days on the rock were over. Her story is a testament to determination in the face of grievous injury, and the importance of physical activity and mindset in any recovery.
- Bivalent Booster Helps Prevent Symptoms from XBB.1.5: Study
January 26, 2023 — New data for the bivalent COVID-19 booster shot shows that it cuts the risk in half for symptomatic infection from the now predominant Omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5.
- Workers' Compensation Claims Point to Long COVID's Toll
January 26, 2023 — One of New York state’s largest workers' compensation insurers says it paid an average of $17,400 in lost wages and medical costs per person who met its long COVID criteria.
- FDA Panel Backs Shift Toward One-Dose COVID Shot
January 26, 2023 — The FDA's vaccine advisers lent support to the agency's plan to try to simplify future COVID shots, with an aim of having many people get just one uniform dose in the fall.
- Newly Discovered Genetic Disease Is More Common Than Expected
January 25, 2023 — VEXAS syndrome, which causes multiple symptoms, may affect tens of thousands of U.S. men
- FDA Asks Manufacturers to Reduce Lead In Baby Foods
January 25, 2023 — The FDA is asking baby food manufacturers to reduce the amount of lead in products by 25%.
- Ants May Be Able to Detect Cancer, New Experiments Show
January 25, 2023 — New research points to the possibility that ants will someday help diagnose cancer in human beings.
- Belly Bulge Linked to Being Frail Later in Life: Study
January 24, 2023 — Managing belly bulge earlier in life could help prevent becoming medically frail, which is a major health risk for the elderly, according to a new study from Norway.
- Flu, Other Common Viruses Linked to Brain Disease: Study
January 24, 2023 — People hospitalized with viral infections like the flu are more likely to have disorders that degrade the nervous system, like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, later in life, a new analysis shows
- The FDA Wants an Annual COVID Vaccine: What You Need to Know
January 24, 2023 — A national advisory committee is expected to vote Thursday on whether Americans should pivot to an annual COVID-19 shot (like a flu shot) vs. periodic booster shots. WebMD asks health experts your most pressing questions about a possible switch to a yearly shot.
- Healing and Rebuilding Your Life After a Spouse's Suicide
January 24, 2023 — Losing a loved one to suicide is a loss like no other. Unlike other causes of death (like illnesses or accidents), which happen to the person, suicide is an act performed by the person who has chosen death, leaving bereaved survivors with guilt and haunting questions.
- Women Underestimate Link Between Breast Density and Cancer Risk
January 24, 2023 — Dense breast tissue is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer – up to four times higher -- but in a recent study most women didn’t see it as a significant risk compared with other factors.
- 'Tripledemic' Cases Decline in U.S. Hospitals
January 23, 2023 — A 'tripledemic' surge of COVID, flu, and RSV cases peaked before the New Year and is now in decline, according to data released by the CDC.
- Video Game Addiction: Noticing Warning Signs, Getting Help
January 23, 2023 — The majority of youngsters who play video games do so as a form of entertainment, but about 5% to 6% of video game users do so to the point where it interferes with their lives.
- FDA Wants Annual COVID Boosters, Just Like Annual Flu Shots
January 23, 2023 — – U.S. health officials want to simplify the recommended COVID-19 vaccine protocol, making it more like the process for annual flu shots with a single annual shot.
- Opioid Prescriptions From ER Visits Continue To Decline, CDC Says
January 23, 2023 — Significantly fewer patients are being prescribed opioids when being discharged from hospital emergency departments, according to new analysis from the CDC.
- New Mental Health Crisis Hotline Sees Surge in Calls
January 23, 2023 — A national suicide and crisis hotline has been serving many more people since the call-in number switched to 988 last summer.
- Baby Formula Manufacturer Faces Criminal Investigation
January 22, 2023 — The company at the center of last year’s baby formula recall, Abbott Laboratories, is under federal criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Navajo Nation Ends COVID Mask Mandate After Almost 3 Years
January 21, 2023 — The Navajo Nation ended its COVID-19 mask mandate on Friday, almost three years after it was instituted.
- 3D-Printed Tumor Models Could Advance New Cancer Therapies
January 20, 2023 — The emerging technology of 3D bioprinting could help scientists discover new therapies, and doctors more accurately predict the best treatment for each patient.
- USDA Strengthens Rules to Reduce 'Organic Fraud'
January 20, 2023 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has amended its rules to increase oversight and enforcement of the production and sale of organic products in an effort to reduce “organic fraud.”
- First COVID Case in U.S. Diagnosed 3 Years Ago
January 20, 2023 — Friday marks the third anniversary of the first case of COVID-19 diagnosed in the U.S.
- Lessons From a Two-Time Heart Attack Survivor
January 20, 2023 — Channing Muller had her first attack when she was 26 years old. A vegetarian for a decade and a recreational runner, this shocked both her and her doctors.
- Medical Gaslighting: When the Doctor Dismisses Your Concerns
January 20, 2023 — Having one’s symptoms dismissed by a health care professional is sometimes called “medical gaslighting." Here's what to know about it.
- Hospitals Continue to Defy Federal Requirement to Publish Prices
January 20, 2023 — Most hospitals are not fully complying with a 2021 requirement to publish prices, a new analysis shows. The requirement was intended to increase transparency of health care costs and make it possible to shop around for the best prices of medical care.
- New Smell Tech Could Make VR Therapies More Powerful
January 19, 2023 — Medical research on the benefits of smell in virtual reality may start to move faster, thanks to breakthroughs in the entertainment industry.
- Experts Still Don't Agree About How Much Water We Need Daily
January 19, 2023 — While researchers dig deeper into how much water we should have, people should take cues from their bodies.
- Highly Anticipated HIV Vaccine Fails in Large Trial
January 19, 2023 — The only HIV vaccine nearing the completion of testing trials is not effective at preventing HIV, officials announced Wednesday.