Biden Administration Targets Trump-Era Exemptions to Birth Control Coverage
In an attempt to expand access to birth control under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Biden administration took aim at moral and religious exemptions in a proposed rule released on Monday. “Now more than ever, access to and coverage of birth control is critical as the Biden-Harris Administration works to help ensure women everywhere […]
Alzheimer’s Drug Lecanemab Wins FDA Approval
Lecanemab (Leqembi) was approved under the accelerated approval pathway to treat Alzheimer’s disease, the FDA announced on Friday. The anti-amyloid should be started only in patients with mild cognitive impairment or who are at the mild dementia stage of Alzheimer’s disease, the population studied in clinical trials, the agency noted, and the drug label indicates […]
U.S. Task Force Recommends All Adults Under 65 Be Screened For Anxiety
A U.S. advisory group of medical experts recommended all patients under the age of 65 be screened for anxiety for the first time, a major effort that hopes to expand mental health care as the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to climb. The group, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, released its draft recommendation […]
Cancers in adults under 50 on the rise globally: Researchers identify risks factors and trends behind an increasing incidence of early-onset cancers around the world
Over recent decades, more and more adults under the age of 50 are developing cancer. A study conducted by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital reveals that the incidence of early onset cancers (those diagnosed before age 50), including cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, liver, and pancreas among others, has dramatically increased around […]
Young Adults With NSCLC More Apt to Get Advanced Disease Diagnosis
VIENNA — Younger adults (ages under 50) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were significantly more likely than older adults to be diagnosed with advanced disease, a researcher said here. In 2018, 5 years after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended low-dose CT lung cancer screening (LCS) for people over age 55 — lowered […]
Federal Court Judge Mulls Challenge to ACA Preventive Care Mandates
The fate of preventive care services covered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) now lies in the hands of a conservative Texas federal court judge who once tried to strike down the entire ACA. Judge Reed O’Connor, who once declared the ACA to be unconstitutional — a ruling that was later invalidated by the Supreme […]
Can we save more lives if we let resistant bacteria live?
Antibiotic resistance is a ticking bomb under public health. WHO predicts that in 2050 more people will die from infections than from cancer — and we are talking about infections that we today consider harmless; infections that occur in a cut or wound — or perhaps cystitis. The reason is that bacteria are masters at […]
COVID mRNA Vaccines Safe, Effective for Babies and Toddlers, Says FDA Staff
Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccines proved safe and effective for kids under 5 years of age, paving the way for immunization of the only age group still awaiting access, according to FDA briefing documents released ahead of 2 days of advisory meetings. On Tuesday, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will meet […]
MRSA Infection: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Contagious, Pictures & Superbug
Is MRSA Contagious? MRSA is very contagious under certain circumstances (when skin alterations or damage are present); spread occurs through person-to-person contact with a skin infection or even indirect contact, such as contact with a MRSA-infected person’s clothing or towels or even from benches in gyms. All MRSA needs to establish itself is a small […]
One-Word Change in Prostate Cancer Guideline Has Some Urologists in Arms
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is under fire for removing active surveillance’s (AS) “preferred” status in its low-risk prostate cancer guidelines. AS has been listed as preferred since 2019, and the change puts it on par with radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy in this patient population. Edward “Ted” Schaeffer, MD, PhD, chairman of the […]