What a worrywort. Rhode Island pharmacist Ethan Melillo is calling St. John’s wort — an herbal supplement with roots in ancient Greece that’s now used to treat mild to moderate depression — “the worst supplement to take if you are on other medications.” “Honestly, if someone tells you to take this, I think they really … Read more
A type of drug being developed to combat cancer could be repurposed to treat Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages, new research finds. Blocking an enzyme called indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) can rescue memory and brain function in models that mimic Alzheimer’s, Penn State researchers say. IDO1 inhibitors have already shown promise in the fight against … Read more
A new study substantiates the link between untreated high blood pressure and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease for adults 60 and older. The research, published Wednesday in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, is a review of 14 international studies involving 31,250 people. Participants, who were 72 years … Read more
One of Kentucky’s cities has become the largest Ozempic hotspot in the US, despite being branded as a Hollywood weight loss wonder. Bowling Green, just an hour north of Nashville, Tennessee, has seen the highest prescription rates in the nation for the diabetes treatment, which has turned into a method to shed unwanted weight, Bloomberg … Read more
Just two aspirin a week may help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in adults living unhealthy lifestyles, new research from Mass General Brigham finds. Nearly 108,000 health professionals were included in the study — most were around 50 years old. Researchers recorded their aspirin intake and assigned them a lifestyle score based on their … Read more
Don’t get caught tryin’ to wing it at 30,000 feet. Summer is peak travel season, and Dr. Sasha Haddad, an LA-based family practitioner, has taken to TikTok to share her list of essential medical travel supplies — as well as the knowledge that it’s better to have it and not need it than to need … Read more
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Twice-yearly shots used to treat AIDS were 100% effective in preventing new infections in women, according to study results published Wednesday. There were no infections in the young women and girls that got the shots in a study of about 5,000 in South Africa and Uganda, researchers reported. In … Read more
Ozempic has been hailed as a game-changing weight loss wonder drug, but its superpowers seem to extend well beyond treating Type 2 diabetes. Canadian endocrinologist Daniel J. Drucker — a diabetes treatment pioneer whose work paved the way for Ozempic — is sharing what’s next for this class of drugs that mimic the GLP-1 hormone, … Read more
Spot-on advice? Dr. Sasha Haddad is sharing three hacks she’s learned since becoming a family medicine physician, including how to prevent acne after a sweaty workout session. In a 10-second TikTok set to “Fireball” by Pitbull, Haddad recommends spraying hypochlorous acid on your face after going to the gym, treating sunburns with cicaplast balm and … Read more
A winner has emerged in the ongoing battle of the bulge: Mounjaro. Overweight or obese adults are three times more likely to shed 15% of their body weight on Mounjaro than Ozempic, according to a study published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. “To our knowledge, this study represents the first clinical comparative effectiveness … Read more
Whether to maintain a beach body or work up a sweat to be better in the sack, many of us will be hitting the gym this summer. Now, Melanie McNeal — the physical and occupational therapy manager at the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas — is sharing how to keep yourself and others healthy in … Read more
Lexapro, Paxil and Cymbalta carry a higher risk of packing on pounds than Zoloft, while Wellbutrin users are less likely to gain weight, according to a new study of eight popular antidepressants. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute (HPHCI) researchers analyzed the weights of more than 183,000 adult antidepressant users six months, a year and two … Read more
Millions of older Americans are taking a daily dose of aspirin to lower their risk of having a heart attack or stroke for the first time — even though they shouldn’t, a new study finds. Nearly a third of adults 60 and older who don’t have cardiovascular disease took aspirin in 2021, according to findings … Read more
The heat is on. With temperatures expected to soar above the 90s across much of the eastern US this week, millions are preparing to beat the heat. Experts are urging those who take certain medications, including those used to treat high blood pressure, allergies, and mental health conditions, to take extra precautions. Temps will begin … Read more
Outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday voted unanimously that the benefits of Eli Lilly’s (LLY.N), opens new tab experimental Alzheimer’s treatment donanemab outweighed its risks, and agreed that trial data showed it was effective in patients with an early stage of the memory-robbing disease. The vote clears the way for a final … Read more
There’s Ozempic finger, Ozempic breasts, Ozempic face, Ozempic butt … and now, Ozempic tongue? Semaglutide — a popular weekly injection used for diabetes and weight loss — changes the taste sensitivity, the taste perception, and the brain’s response to sweet tastes in women with obesity, new research presented Saturday finds. “People with obesity often perceive tastes less ‘intensely,’ … Read more
It’s a bone-a fide discovery. An international team of researchers says it has found evidence of ancient Egyptians performing experimental treatments or medical explorations of human cancer more than 4,000 years ago. “This is an extraordinary new perspective in our understanding of the history of medicine,” said Edgard Camarós, a paleopathologist at the University of … Read more
They dropped the weight, so they’re dropping their weight-loss drug. Most people taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy do not stay on their prescribed treatment for a minimum of 12 weeks — more than 30% of patients ditch it after just four weeks, a new report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association finds. … Read more
What was he smoking? A health guru claimed puffing on cigarettes is linked to longer living — but now he’s trying to extinguish the controversy. “The men in Sardinia have a seven year longer lifespan than the women because they’re smokers. That’s what brings them up,” Dr. Steven Gundry, a former cardiac surgeon and contributor … Read more
Ozempic 2.0? Researchers say they have found a novel use for GLP-1 — the hormone the body naturally produces after eating. Medications like Ozempic mimic GLP-1 to make people feel full, reducing their cravings. This new therapy has GLP-1 acting like a “Trojan horse” that smuggles special molecules directly to the brain’s appetite-control center. In … Read more