In the first 90 days after the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted in January, the caseload at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s emergency room looked different from the norm.

There were 46% more visits for heart attacks than typically occured during the same time period over the previous seven years. Visits for respiratory illnesses increased 24%. And unusual blood test results increased 118%.

These findings were reported in a new study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study, part of a research project documenting the fires’ long-term health effects, joins several recent papers documenting the disasters’ physical toll.

Food and Drug Administration’s approval hands drugmaker Novo Nordisk an edge in the race to market an obesity pill

US regulators on Monday gave the green light to a pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, the first daily oral medication to treat obesity.

The US Food and Drug Administration’s approval handed drugmaker Novo Nordisk an edge over rival Eli Lilly in the race to market an obesity pill. Lilly’s oral drug, orforglipron, is still under review.

Both pills are GLP-1 drugs that work like widely used injectables to mimic a natural hormone that controls appetite and feelings of fullness.

Cost-effective ways exist to improve your indoor air quality that will reduce your COVID and flu risk, lower your cancer and lung disease risk, and eliminate headaches and sleepiness caused by poor ventilation.

When the researchers conducted spatial learning and memory tests using the Barnes maze, the aspartame mice at four months consistently moved more slowly and covered less distance during training than animals in the control group. They also took nearly twice as long on average to locate the target escape hole, showing impaired memory recall (however, this was inconsistent and not seen as statistically meaningful). By eight months, performance gaps widened even further, with two out of six aspartame-treated mice failing to complete the task at all.

It makes you dumb, unfit and fat (around the organs).

Scientists have issued an urgent warning that some of the synthetic chemicals that help underpin the current food system are driving increased rates of cancer, neurodevelopmental conditions and infertility, while degrading the foundations of global agriculture.

The health burden from phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides and Pfas “forever chemicals” amounts to up to $2.2tn a year – roughly as much as the profits of the world’s 100 largest publicly listed companies, according to the report published on Wednesday.

A 37-year-old mother of 3 was awarded $65.5 million by a Minnesota jury which concluded that Johnson & Johnson's talcum products contributed to her cancer diagnosis.

A Minnesota jury awarded $65.5 million on Friday to a mother of three who claimed talcum products made by Johnson & Johnson exposed her to asbestos and contributed to her developing cancer in the lining of her lungs.

Jurors determined that plaintiff Anna Jean Houghton Carley, 37, should be compensated by Johnson & Johnson after using its baby powder throughout her childhood and later developing mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused primarily by exposure to the carcinogen asbestos.

Johnson & Johnson said it would appeal the verdict.

So I got a septoplasty on the 11th and recovery has had some ups and downs but has overall been ok. I was wondering, however, how long after this surgery it is it ok to exercise? I am a college XC and track athlete and running is important to me.

My doctor didn’t give me a specific time frame, but online I heard it is anywhere from 1-6 weeks. I will be 11 days post surgery tomorrow and am hoping to do some light jogging (about 35% of my usual speed).

My recovery so far has been mixed, the first few days were awful, where as the last few have been ok. I’ve struggled greatly with the discomfort and blood tinged mucus in my throat, but other than that have felt good. My eating was ok, I’ve eaten mostly soft foods but occasionally have had something risky (chips, really hot and cold foods, etc). My hydration, however has been excellent, as I have mostly drank water and the adequate amount (especially when the mucus was bad lol). I have done a small bit of physical activity in the last 10 days, mostly just walking my dog and occasionally jogging in place or in circles.

My follow up appointment went well, my doctor said that the septum was healing fine and there was no infection. She did mention there was a small amount of blood clotting though.

Has anyone else had a similar concern or know the recommended amount of time to wait before exercising?

UN body to study possibility of integrating centuries-old practices into mainstream healthcare

From herbalists in Africa gathering plants to use as poultices to acupuncturists in China using needles to cure migraines, or Indian yogis practising meditation, traditional remedies have increasingly being shown to work, and deserve more attention and research, according to a World Health Organization official.

A historical lack of evidence, which has seen traditional practices dismissed by many, could change with more investment and the use of modern technology, according to Dr Shyama Kuruvilla, who leads the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre.

Earlier this year, countries agreed the WHO should adopt a new global traditional medicines strategy for the next decade that “seeks to harness the potential contribution of TCIM [traditional, complementary and integrative medicine] to health and wellbeing based on evidence”.

Children’s Health Defense using familiar playbook to defend health secretary as it downplays dangers of disease and exaggerate risks of vaccines, public health experts say

The non-profit group that Robert F Kennedy Jr built into a giant of the anti-vaccine movement is defending its old boss even as the US health secretary presides over the worst year for measles in more than 30 years.

Three people have died and 1,958 people have been reported infected with measles in the US this year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In South Carolina, 224 people are in quarantine amid an outbreak that has sickened 144 people. Most are unvaccinated children.

Children’s Health Defense, or CHD, which Kennedy led from 2015 to 2024, produces a daily stream of articles and videos stoking fear about vaccines and falsely suggesting that the risks associated with vaccine-preventable diseases are exaggerated.

Study finds dropping an expletive can raise confidence and help people push harder during physically demanding tasks

It may not be in keeping with the festive spirit, but if you find yourself dropping the F-word while wrestling a Christmas tree up a flight of stairs, scientists say you could be on to something. A study has found that swearing can enhance physical performance by lowering inhibitions and pushing the brain into a “flow state”.

“In many situations, people hold themselves back – consciously or unconsciously – from using their full strength,” said Dr Richard Stephens, a psychologist at Keele University who led the research. “Swearing is an easily available way to help yourself feel focused, confident and less distracted, and go for it a little more.”

Previous research found that swearing could increase strength and pain tolerance in tests where participants repeated swearwords while pushing themselves to the limit, such as cycling at maximum effort or holding a hand in icy water. Researchers initially hypothesised that swearing triggered a “fight or flight” response but found no supporting evidence, such as an increased heart rate.

Use information from your prescription label to locate the factory and see if the plant has a history of inspection violations.

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41368891/

Cuts, which affect projects focused on issues including early identification of autism, made without prior notice to AAP

The US department of health and human services (HHS) has terminated several multi-million-dollar grants to the American Academy of Pediatrics following the association’s criticisms of health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s policies.

The funding cuts, which affect projects focused on issues including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and early identification of autism, were first reported by the Washington Post and made without prior notice to the AAP.

In a statement to the Guardian, AAP CEO, Mark Del Monte, said: “AAP learned this week that seven grants to AAP under the US Department of Health and Human Services are being terminated.

“This vital work spanned multiple child health priorities, including reducing sudden infant death, rural access to health care, mental health, adolescent health, supporting children with birth defects, early identification of autism, and prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, among other topics.”

Americans told ‘time to get vaccinated is now’ as concerning mutation of influenza virus circulates in US

Officials are urging doctors to vaccinate their patients and provide flu antivirals after deaths among children reached record highs and as a concerning mutation of the virus circulates in the US.

“Influenza activity is increasing in the US. The time to get vaccinated for this season is now,” Timothy Uyeki, the chief medical officer of the influenza division at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in a call with clinicians last week.

The message comes amid diminishing access to and flourishing rumors about vaccines under Robert F Kennedy Jr, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, who has made false claims about the ineffectiveness of flu vaccines and overseen limitations on routine vaccines.

The company says it is protecting nursing home residents by curbing unnecessary hospital transfers. Whistleblowers allege cost-cutting tactics have endangered the elderly

American healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group helped delay or deny them critical hospital care, two pending lawsuits and a complaint to state authorities have alleged.

The three cases involve a UnitedHealth partnership initiative that places medical staff from the company’s direct care unit, Optum, inside nursing homes to care for residents insured by the company’s insurance arm.

UnitedHealth says one of the initiative’s goals is to protect patients by reducing unnecessary hospital admissions. Those are admissions the insurance giant would otherwise have to pay for.

People who regularly ate higher-fat cheese and cream had a lower risk of developing dementia over 25 years, while low-fat dairy and other dairy foods showed no clear association, according to a new study.

Those who consumed 50 grams per day or more of high-fat cheese daily – roughly a third of a cup – had a lower overall risk of dementia, vascular dementia, a form of cognitive decline caused by impaired blood flow to the brain, according to the 25-year Swedish study of nearly 28,000 people published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

People who averaged at least 20 grams of high-fat cream – about one and a half tablespoons – also showed a lower dementia risk, the study indicated.

Change marks an abrupt end to 30 years of established medical guidance and follows vote earlier this month

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday ended a long-standing recommendation that all US newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine.

The agency’s move follows a vote from health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine advisory panel that a birth dose should only be given to newborns whose mothers test positive for hepatitis B or whose status is unknown.

The CDC will now advise parents to consult a healthcare provider to decide whether infants born to hepatitis B-negative mothers should get the vaccine, including the birth dose.