Drugs and Medications News
- FDA Considers Two Drugmakers for First RSV Vaccine
February 28, 2023 — An FDA advisory panel is considering two drugmakers to make the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. Pfizer and GSK seek to lead the market that could be worth between $5 billion and $10 billion.
- How Doctors Can Care for Women Better
February 27, 2023 — A recent movement in medicine is pushing doctors to better understand how female patients are different from male patients.
- How Your Brain Helps You Cruise Through a Crowd
February 27, 2023 — The brain’s grid cells help us track other people’s movements, scientists report. This could shed light on why some become disoriented in crowds.
- Exercise Is Top Treatment for Depression, Anxiety: Study
February 27, 2023 — Exercise can be more effective than therapy or medication when treating depression and anxiety, according to researchers in Australia.
- Drug-Resistant Stomach Bug Infections on the Rise: CDC
February 27, 2023 — Health officials are warning that an increase in the drug-resistant form of the bacteria shigella is a “serious public health threat.”
- Extra 20 Minutes of Daily Exercise Cuts Hospitalization Risk: Study
February 27, 2023 — An extra 20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per day helps keep middle-aged and older people out of the hospital for serious medical conditions, a study published in JAMA Open Network says.
- Controlled Substance Prescriptions to be Limited Using Telehealth
February 26, 2023 — The DEA plans to make changes to the prescribing criteria for ADHD medications and highly addictive drugs like opioids, the agency announced.
- FDA Authorizes First At-Home Combo Test for COVID and Flu
February 25, 2023 — The Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization for the at-home test Lucira as the first over-the-counter, test that detects both COVID-19 and influenza.
- ‘Forever Chemicals’ Disrupt Biological Processes in Children: Study
February 24, 2023 — Exposure to “forever chemicals” widely used in consumer products disrupts important biological processes in children and young adults, a new study says.
- Ultrasound Reduces Involuntary Movements of Parkinson’s Disease
February 24, 2023 — In a clinical trial, a procedure using ultrasound and requiring no incisions successfully reduced a side effect of Parkinson’s treatments known as dyskinesia, which is an involuntary movement of the body. The ultrasound also improved motor impairment in people with Parkinson’s disease.
- Weather Report: Cold, Then Hot, With Chance of a Runny Nose
February 24, 2023 — Recent extreme swings in temperature and weather across the U.S. can trigger health issues for many people, such as allergies, infections, or worsened heart conditions.
- Premenstrual Exacerbation: When Your Period Can Be Life-Threatening
February 24, 2023 — What to know about premenstrual exacerbation.
- Irregular Sleep Tied to Increased Heart Disease Risk
February 24, 2023 — Irregular sleep, such as sleeping for an inconsistent number of hours each night or falling asleep at different times, may increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries, among adults over age 45, a new study suggests.
- FDA Says Plant-Based Drinks Can Still Be Called ‘Milk’
February 23, 2023 — Plant-based beverages can continue to be called “milk,” according to newly proposed guidelines from the FDA.
- This Season’s Flu Shot Cut Hospitalization Risk in Half
February 23, 2023 — The flu vaccine has been highly effective this year, the CDC says, despite flu season getting off to one of the earliest and strongest starts on record.
- Vaccination Reduces Post-COVID Heart Attack, Stroke Risk
February 23, 2023 — In the largest and most diverse analysis to date, researchers have found that the risk of post-COVID heart attack or stroke was reduced by 41% in people who are fully vaccinated.
- Links Found That Tie Encephalitis to Potential Suicide Risks
February 23, 2023 — In some cases, encephalitis, which can be difficult to diagnose, can lead to mental health issues, including thoughts of self-harm and suicide.
- FDA Broadens Warning on Potentially Contaminated Eye Products
February 22, 2023 — The agency says Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Eye Ointment may be contaminated with bacteria.
- Despite Progress, Black Americans See Heart Health Disparities
February 22, 2023 — Increased rates of heart failure and stroke disproportionately affect Black Americans, even though overall rates of coronary heart disease are not significantly different than those found in non-Hispanic white peers.
- Q&A: Maybe Kids Don’t Need to Lose Weight
February 22, 2023 — New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatricians on childhood obesity have been well received by many. But some experts question whether the recommendations might have unexpected consequences.
- Midday Exercise More Beneficial Than Morning Workouts: Study
February 22, 2023 — People who engaged in midday exercise lowered their risk of premature death more than people who exercised in the morning or in the evening, a new study shows.
- 1 in 5 Kids at Risk for Eating Disorder: Study
February 22, 2023 — More than 1 in 5 children worldwide are at risk of developing an eating disorder such as bulimia, anorexia, or binge eating, a new analysis suggests.
- Psoriasis Drug Shows Promise for Problem Drinkers, Study Shows
February 22, 2023 — Researchers have discovered that a medicine used to treat itchy skin can help control Alcohol Use Disorders, according to a new study.
- Kids’ Fever Meds Are Often Overused: Poll
February 21, 2023 — Many parents are giving children fever-reducing medication when it’s not recommended, a new poll shows.
- Prison Deaths Rose Almost 50% When Pandemic Hit, Report Shows
February 21, 2023 — Deaths among prison inmates soared almost 50% in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to newly available data.
- Man in Germany Cured of HIV With Stem Cells
February 21, 2023 — A 53-year-old man in Germany has been declared cured of HIV.
- Former President Jimmy Carter, 98, Enters Hospice Care
February 19, 2023 — Former President Jimmy Carter will forgo further hospital care and will enter hospice care at his home in Georgia, the Carter Center in Atlanta announced.
- Pfizer COVID Vaccine Effective In Young Children, Study Shows
February 18, 2023 — A new study shows the Pfizer vaccine is safe and highly effective against COVID-19 in children as young as 6 months old.
- COVID Infection Provides Immunity Equal to Vaccination: Study
February 17, 2023 — The natural immunity provided by COVID-19 infection protects a person against severe illness on a par with two doses of mRNA vaccine, a study published in The Lancet says.
- Celery Seed-Derived Medicine May Improve Stroke Outcomes
February 17, 2023 — Butylphthalide, a new medication that comes from celery seed, could improve outcomes after a clot-caused stroke when given in addition to prompt treatment for the clot, according to a new study.
- COVID vs. Flu: Which Is Deadlier?
February 17, 2023 — COVID-19 remains deadlier than influenza in severe cases requiring hospitalization. People hospitalized with Omicron COVID-19 infections were 54% more likely to die, compared to people hospitalized with the flu.
- New Cancer Screen, Same Issues: Can New Test Be Trusted?
February 17, 2023 — A cancer screening program in Arizona that offers the Galleri blood test to first responders provides some insights on how well the test can catch cancers in this high-risk group.
- Older Breast Cancer Patients Can Choose To Skip Radiation: Study
February 16, 2023 — Older breast cancer patients can consider skipping weeks of grueling radiation therapy after lumpectomy surgery, a new study suggests.
- Gut Check: The Real Reason You Avoid That At-Home Stool Test
February 16, 2023 — Adopting “defensive” behaviors could be a key barrier keeping people from recommended colorectal cancer tests, especially among men and those with lower socioeconomic status.
- Finding Comfort and Meaning After a Child’s Suicide
February 16, 2023 — In 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death in youngsters and young adults (ages 10 to 34) and the 12th leading cause of death in the U.S..
- Moderna Pledges No Out-of-Pocket Costs for COVID Vaccines
February 16, 2023 — Moderna will join Pfizer in making its COVID-19 vaccine available for free once government coverage ends later this year, the company announced Wednesday.
- Bird Flu Is Infecting More Mammals. What Does That Mean for Us?
February 16, 2023 — The bird flu currently poses a low risk to the public, but experts worry that the virus could gain mutations that help it more easily spread among humans.
- Bruce Willis Now Diagnosed With Dementia, Family Says
February 16, 2023 — Bruce Willis, who rose to stardom in the 1980s on the TV series “Moonlighting” and in movies such as “Die Hard,” has frontotemporal dementia, the actor’s family announced in a statement Thursday.
- Vaccination Could Reduce Risk of Long COVID, Study Shows
February 15, 2023 — A study focusing on fatigue and other long COVID symptoms saw some differences in severity of symptoms based on COVID variants, but these differences became insignificant when researchers accounted for vaccination status. The lead researcher says this discovery suggests that vaccinations may lower the risk of long COVID.
- Is $3.5 Million a Fair Price for a Lifesaving Gene Therapy?
February 15, 2023 — Here's why gene therapies are the most expensive drugs in the world —and how these groundbreaking treatments could severely strain our health care system.
- Fentanyl Test Strips Are Saving Lives, but They're Just the Start
February 15, 2023 — The strips are simple to use and effective. When dipped in water that contains dissolved drug residue, the strips indicate immediately whether trace elements are contained in a substance, such as heroin, cocaine, or ecstasy.
- Paxlovid Doesn’t Increase Risk of Rebound COVID Infection: Study
February 15, 2023 — People who took the antiviral Paxlovid to treat COVID-19 infections were not more likely to get back-to-back bouts of the virus, a new study shows.
- Low Blood Pressure After COVID-19: Why It Matters
February 15, 2023 — A lesser-known concern when recovering from COVID-19 is low blood pressure. Here's what to know.
- A Pill Could Help Tame Binge Drinking, Study Shows
February 15, 2023 — A medicine used to treat people with severe alcohol disorders could also be helpful for others against binge drinking, a study says.
- Heart Disease, Stroke Linked To Specific Kinds of Sugars: Study
February 14, 2023 — It’s not necessarily the amount of sugar you eat that can hurt your heart, it’s the kind of sugar you eat that can lead to heart disease, a new study suggests.
- Should You Skip Dark Chocolate This Valentine's Day?
February 14, 2023 — Consumer Reports announced they'd tested 28 different dark chocolate bars -- and found lead and cadmium in every one of them.
- What's Behind Rise in Girls' Report of Sadness, Sexual Violence?
February 14, 2023 — Minority youth, as well as teens identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning also frequently reported sadness, suicide risk, and sexual assault.
- COVID Vaccination Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes After Infection
February 14, 2023 — Vaccination appears to reduce the heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes after a COVID-19 infection, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open.
- Cutting Calories Could Slow the Pace of Aging: Study
February 14, 2023 — Cutting calories by 25% slowed down the pace of aging in young and middle-aged adults by a few percentage points, compared to people who continued eating normally, new research reveals. This first-of-its-kind study in humans adds to evidence from animal studies that the rate of aging can be changed.
- Eyedrops Could Prevent Nearsightedness in Kids
February 14, 2023 — Atropine drops are used to relax eye muscles and dilate the pupils. Using a low concentration could prevent myopia, or nearsightedness, in children, says the research in the Journal of the American Medical Association.