Opinion: What Does John Fetterman’s Mental Health Say About America
On Monday, the office of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) released a statement saying that he was “doing well,” was working with doctors and “remains on the path to recovery.” Fetterman checked himself in to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Feb. 16 to be treated for clinical depression. Months earlier, the 53-year-old had suffered […]
Abortion Pill Fight Heats Up; Cancer Screening Still in a Slump; 5 Good Sleep Habits
Note that some links may require subscriptions. A lawsuit challenging FDA approval of the abortion drug mifepristone (Mifeprex) has the potential to undermine the entire drug approval process in the U.S. (STAT) Could you repeat that? Health authorities said China’s COVID epidemic is “basically over” but “not yet ended.” (Reuters) Too many people who are […]
Leptin helps hungry mice choose sex over food
To eat or to mate — that is the question (and the answer is: moderately hungry mice choose to mate). Researchers publishing in the journal Cell Metabolism on Thursday February 23 show that hungry mice prioritize interacting with members of the opposite sex over eating and drinking when their brains are stimulated with leptin, an […]
Can Coke ‘Enhance’ Men? Why Nurses Quit; Fetus Illegally Detained, Lawyer Says
Note that some links may require subscriptions. Do things grow better with Coke? Chinese researchers found that male mice who drank either Coke or Pepsi ended up with larger testicles than a control group of mice who drank tap water. (Daily Mail) Infant formula maker Reckitt said it is recalling 145,000 cans of its Enfamil […]
Doxycycline Fails to Protect Women Against STIs
SEATTLE — Researchers were scratching their heads over findings that doxycycline prophylaxis failed to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among African cisgender women, unlike its success among men who have sex with men. In a trial conducted among 449 women in Kenya who were taking daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection, 50 of […]
Opinion | ‘It’s a Wonderful Thing That We Did Today’: What We Heard This Week
“I think it’s a wonderful thing that we did today.” — FDA advisor Michael Sprintz, DO, of the Sprintz Center for Pain in Texas, after recommending the agency approve an over-the-counter naloxone (Narcan) product for reversing opioid overdoses. “It’s oftentimes hit or miss, and you have to be very nimble.” — Phil Ayers, PharmD, president-elect […]
John Fetterman’s Candor About His Depression Is A Revelation
When Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) revealed Thursday that he’d checked himself into the hospital to receive treatment for clinical depression, his office provided a simple, straightforward explanation: Pennsylvania’s newly elected Democrat is ill and needs medical care before returning to work. The statement wasn’t dissimilar to those others lawmakers have put out when they’re sick […]
Why Are ORs So Cold? (It’s Not What You Thought)
[embedded content] Why are operating rooms (ORs) so cold, and why is that so annoying to anesthesiologists? In the video above, Max Feinstein, MD, explains why ORs are cold, and what measures are taken to protect patients against problems associated with low temperatures. Following is a transcript (note errors are possible): Feinstein: My name is […]
12 Sneaky Causes Of Heart Palpitations That Aren’t Stress Or Caffeine
The way we describe how someone makes us feel — that they make our heart flutter or skip a beat — is a cutesy phenomenon, in theory. But when heart palpitations strike for real, it can be an alarming experience. “Palpitations are the sensation of a fluttering, pounding, irregular heartbeat or rapid heart rate,” said […]
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 […]