The agency issued a final rule that took years to complete and opens the door to cheaper, more accessible devices without a prescription or medical exam.
Tag Archives: your-feed-healthcare
The Forgotten Virus: Zika Families and Researchers Struggle for Support
Some babies born with devastating birth defects from the mosquito-borne illness are 7 now, but Covid turned the world’s attention away.
Allergan Reaches Tentative $2.37 Billion Deal to Settle Opioid Suits
If finalized, the agreement, along with a companion deal reached by Teva earlier this week, would send as much as $6.6 billion to communities harmed by the opioid epidemic.
England Overhauls Medical Care for Transgender Youth
The National Health Service is closing England’s sole youth gender clinic, which had been criticized for long wait times and inadequate services.
In Rural America, Covid Hits Black and Hispanic People Hardest
At the peak of the Omicron wave, Covid killed Black Americans in rural areas at a rate roughly 34 percent higher than it did white people.
Few Parents Intend to Have Very Young Children Vaccinated Against Covid
In a new survey, 43 percent of parents of children ages 6 months through 4 years said they would refuse the shots for their kids. An additional 27 percent were uncertain.
Soaring Overdose Rates in the Pandemic Reflected Widening Racial Disparities
A new federal report found that fatal overdoses jumped 44 percent among Black people, twice the increase among white people, from 2019 to the end of 2020.
After New Abortion Laws, Some Patients Have Trouble Obtaining Miscarriage Treatment
Surgical procedures and medication for miscarriages are identical to those for abortion, and some patients report delayed or denied miscarriage care because doctors and pharmacists fear running afoul of abortion bans.
Drug-Resistant Infections in Hospitals Soared During the Pandemic, C.D.C. Says
A new report says the havoc wrought by the coronavirus reversed gains made by health care facilities to combat deadly pathogens.
Drug Distributors Cleared of Blame for Opioids Crisis in W. Va. County
Often described as ground zero for the epidemic, the communities of Cabell County and Huntington, W. Va., had opted out of a settlement and lost their case at trial.
Updated Covid Shots Are Coming. Will They Be Too Late?
The government has greenlit new vaccines to defend against the latest Omicron variants. But the shots won’t arrive until the fall, and cases are rising now.
When Abortion Pills Were Banned in Brazil, Women Turned to Drug Traffickers
With Roe v. Wade overturned, states banning abortion are looking to prevent the distribution of abortion medication. Brazil shows the possible consequences.
Abortion Pills Take the Spotlight as States Impose Abortion Bans
Demand for medication abortion is surging, setting the stage for new legal battles.
F.D.A. Set to Propose Lower Nicotine Levels in Cigarettes
The move would be an effort to further wean Americans from addictive tobacco products and reduce smoking-related illnesses.
Covid Cases Surge, but Deaths Stay Near Lows
Most Americans now carry some immune protection, experts said, whether from vaccines, infection or both.
Abortions Increase in the U.S., Reversing a 30-Year Decline, Report Finds
A new survey of the nation’s abortion providers found increases in every region of the country from 2017 to 2020.
Growing Numbers of Girls Resist Genital Cutting in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is one of a few countries in sub-Saharan Africa that have not banned cutting. Now, young women are defying mothers and grandmothers by refusing to undergo the procedure.
Report Reveals Sharp Rise in Transgender Young People in the U.S.
New estimates based on C.D.C. health surveys point to a stark generational shift in the growth of the transgender population of the United States.
The New Abortion Bans: Almost No Exceptions for Rape, Incest or Health
Most of the state abortion prohibitions that would go into effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned do not contain carve-outs that were once widely supported by abortion opponents.
Outcry Over High School Clinic Exposes Deep Divisions on Mental Health
American teenagers are reporting severe levels of anxiety and depression. But when Connecticut moved to expand mental health services in schools, it ran into fierce opposition in one town.
Seeking Pills, Young People Head to Social Media, With Deadly Results
The soaring drug fatalities in the U.S. are being fueled partly by fentanyl-tainted pills bought by teenagers and young adults on Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and other social media apps.
Over 75 Percent of Long Covid Patients Were Not Hospitalized for Initial Illness, Study Finds
Researchers analyzed the largest database of private insurance claims in the United States in the first four months after a diagnostic code for long Covid was created.
F.D.A. and Abbott Reach Agreement on Baby Formula to Try to Ease Shortage
The company said if the agency approved reopening the plant, production could resume and store shelves would be restocked within several weeks.
Abortion Pills Will Be the Next Battleground in a Post-Roe America
Medication abortion allows patients to terminate early pregnancies at home. Some states are moving to limit it, while others are working to expand access.
F.D.A. Moves to Ban Sales of Menthol Cigarettes
Public health experts say the proposal could save hundreds of thousands of lives, especially among Black smokers — 85 percent of whom use menthol products.
Do Vaccines Protect Against Long Covid?
Maybe, according to a growing number of studies, but there’s not yet a definitive answer.
Mask Ruling Underscores Deep Split in Attitudes
Many readers of The Times said a judge’s decision to strike down the mask mandate on public transportation was “political” and “outrageous.” Others called it a relief.
Study Raises Questions About Popular Genetic Test for ‘Abnormal’ Embryos
The test leads people undergoing in vitro fertilization to discard thousands of embryos each year. The new research found implanting some “abnormal” embryos resulted in healthy live births.
A New Covid Breath Test Holds Promise, but Wide Use May Still Be Far Off
The F.D.A. authorized a breath-based test made by a small Texas company, which said it hoped that mobile sites could use the device.
Inside a Campaign to Get Medicare Coverage for a New Alzheimer’s Drug
The Alzheimer’s Association has pushed relentlessly to get broad access to Aduhelm, despite safety risks and uncertain evidence that it helps patients.
Many Teens Report Emotional and Physical Abuse by Parents During Lockdown
New data on teen mental health during the pandemic suggests that for many, home life was full of stressors like job loss, hunger and even violence.
New ALS Treatment, AMX0035, Lacks Evidence of Benefit, FDA Panel Finds
With a 6-4 vote, the group of independent advisers to the agency narrowly concluded that results from another clinical trial are needed to assess whether the therapy, called AMX0035, can help patients.
Cancer Patients Are at High Risk of Depression and Suicide, Studies Find
Two new studies of millions of people around the world suggest that doctors should be thinking more about cancer patients’ mental health, experts said.
Sinovac Booster Gives Elderly Stronger Protection Against Omicron, Study Finds
Given the surge of Omicron cases in Asia, the new research lends urgency to vaccination campaigns in China and Hong Kong.
Pfizer Recalls Some Blood Pressure Drugs, Citing Cancer Risk
The move follows recalls of other medications found to have higher levels of potential carcinogens.
How Long Should It Take to Grieve? Psychiatry Has Come Up With an Answer.
The latest edition of the DSM-5, sometimes known as “psychiatry’s bible,” includes a controversial new diagnosis: prolonged grief disorder.
Meet the Underdog of Senior Care
The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, funded by Medicare and Medicaid, has quietly succeeded in enabling some older Americans to age in place.
The Synthetic Nicotine Loophole Fueling a Return to Teenage Vaping
Sales are rising of flavored e-cigarettes using synthetic nicotine that evades regulatory oversight, a gap that lawmakers are now trying to close.
Covid May Cause Changes in the Brain, New Study Finds
Brain scans before and after infection showed more loss of gray matter and tissue damage, mostly in areas related to smell, in people who had Covid than in those who did not.
Sacklers and Purdue Reach Settlement as Opioids Crisis Continues
The agreement brought holdout states on board, and would settle thousands of lawsuits over the company’s and family’s roles in the opioid epidemic. The Sacklers agreed to pay an extra billion dollars.
For Older Americans, Some Positive Health News
Three recent developments — incremental and undramatic but encouraging — are likely to improve the lives and health of seniors.
Pfizer Shot Is Far Less Effective in 5- to 11-Year-Olds Than in Older Kids, New Data Show
While protection against hospitalization is still strong, the vaccine offered almost no protection against infection, even just a month after full vaccination.
A Medical Mystery Posed by Blurred Lanes
As I was driving during a cross-country road trip, my vision became wobbly. An extensive search for a specialist followed.
F.D.A. Grants the First Condom Approval for Anal Sex
Though public health experts have long advised the use of condoms for anal sex to protect against H.I.V. and other infections, regulators did not have enough data to allow marketing for that use.
Got a Covid Booster? You Probably Won’t Need Another for a Long Time
A flurry of new studies suggest that several parts of the immune system can mount a sustained, potent response to any coronavirus variant.
The C.D.C. Isn’t Publishing Large Portions of the Covid Data It Collects
The agency has withheld critical data on boosters, hospitalizations and, until recently, wastewater analyses.
Doctors Are More Likely to Describe Black Patients as Uncooperative, Studies Find
Patients with diabetes are also more likely to be described as “noncompliant,” according to large studies of medical records.
Senate Confirms Califf as F.D.A. Chief in Tight Vote
The narrow 50-46 decision underscored the divisions on both sides of the aisle over agency policies on opioids and abortion medications and his ties to the drug industry.
Bob Saget’s Autopsy Report Describes Severe Skull Fractures
Such an extensive head injury would likely have left the actor confused, if not unconscious, experts said.
FDA Panel Rejects Lilly’s Cancer Drug Tested Only in China
The panel debated whether overseas trials could be applied to a more diverse U.S. population. The decision may affect other Chinese drug trials, and spotlights the high cost of immunotherapy.