COVID and Heart Attack in the Young; No Vax for Fungal Infections; Wilderness Trauma
Note that some links may require subscriptions. A possible link between COVID and a spike in heart attacks among young people. (Today) Despite a growing prevalence of fungal infections, vaccine development continues to lag. (NBC News) After a mandatory evacuation, residents of East Palestine, Ohio, were allowed to return home Thursday following a train derailment […]
Researchers link 27 genetic variants to ADHD
Why do some people get ADHD, while others do not? And how early in life or in the womb is the seed of ADHD sown? Researchers from Aarhus University have come closer to answering this question in a large study, which has just been published in the journal Nature Genetics. Together with national and international […]
Why Are My Boobs So Itchy?
Basically, anywhere on your body can sometimes feel itchy, but some places are a little more unsettling than others. If you’ve ever experienced itchiness, or irritation on your breasts or even your nipples, you know the frustration of needing to scratch a place you can’t easily access in public. Unfortunately, there are various reasons and […]
Republican Lawmakers Worry X-Waiver Elimination Could Stir Buprenorphine Diversion
Could dropping the “X-waiver” have unintended consequences? That’s what some House members suggested during a hearing on ways to address the fentanyl crisis, along with other healthcare issues. “Sometimes … medications are dangerous, potentially, and even though we want more access, we still have to stick with science, and make sure the proper individuals, who […]
Is Pain Treated Effectively With Antidepressants?
While some antidepressant drugs were effective for certain pain conditions, most were either ineffective or evidence was inconclusive, a review found. Evidence of efficacy of antidepressants for pain emerged in 11 of 42 comparisons included in an overview of systematic reviews, reported Giovanni Ferreira, PhD, of the University of Sydney, and colleagues. In four of […]
Mass Shooters’ Common Traits; FDA to Let Gay Men Give Blood; Restaurant Health Fee?
Note that some links may require subscriptions. FDA advisors recommended completely phasing out the original monovalent COVID-19 vaccines in favor of the updated bivalent shots, and also weighed in on the agency’s plan for annual COVID-19 boosters. Nearly all mass attackers were male and experienced at least one significant stressor in the past 5 years, […]
GOP State Lawmaker Has Ideas On Women’s Reproductive Issues Because He Knows Cows
A Republican state lawmaker in Idaho is in a world of trouble since he claimed to be some kind of expert on women’s reproductive issues because he has worked with cows. “I’ve milked a few cows, spent most of my time walking behind lines of cows, so if you want some ideas on repro and […]
Most New Drugs Exceeded $200,000; S.C. Abortion Ban Tossed; Sen. Casey’s Cancer
Note that some links may require subscriptions. The median annual price of novel FDA approved drugs exceeded $200,000 in 2022. (Reuters) As COVID tears through Beijing, hospital beds are becoming scarce, and running out at some hospitals. (AP) The South Carolina Supreme Court struck down the state’s 6-week abortion ban, deeming it unconstitutional. (CNBC) Meanwhile, […]
Weakened Diaphragm May Contribute to Long COVID Dyspnea
A weakened diaphragm could be related to the persistent shortness of breath some people experience long after COVID-19 hospitalization, a small study suggested. Whether patients had received ventilation treatment or not, twitch trans-diaphragmatic pressure following posterior cervical magnetic stimulation was significantly impaired in COVID survivors 15 months after hospitalization compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, this […]
Opinion | Should I Debate the Fringe?
Recently, I was asked to debate some people who I would categorize as “COVID misinformation celebrities” in a rather large public forum online. This is a classic dilemma for someone like me. I treat real patients. I do real research. I am faculty at a real (and prestigious) medical school. Should I engage and debunk […]