Health News

How to lower your risk of breast cancer

Everyone has breast tissue, and everyone has some risk of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. And even though you can’t change risk factors like your age or family history, you can still lower your risk.

Health Insurance, Health Policy, Mental Health

Insurers often shortchange mental health care coverage, despite a federal law

The Biden administration is pushing insurers and state regulators to improve mental health care coverage. The move comes as overdose deaths rise and youth mental health problems grow more rampant, disproportionately affecting communities of color. Inflation and a shortage of mental health care providers, including psychiatrists and specialists who treat adolescents, further hinder access to care.

Health Insurance, Medicare

Medicare enrollment begins October 15

Did you know you have choices in your Medicare prescription drug and health coverage? Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) is your chance to think about what matters most to you. Plans can change from year to year, and your health needs may change, too. So it’s important to know your options.

Allergies, Antibiotics, Drugs

Most people who think they are allergic to penicillin aren’t

About 6% of people in the UK are wrongly labelled on their medical records as being allergic to penicillin. This figure is concerning because being labelled as allergic to this class of highly effective antibiotics is associated with an extra six deaths per 1,000 patients a year after being treated for an infection. If patients received the right antibiotic for their infection, many lives could be saved.

Biotechnology, Vaccines

Nobel prize in medicine awarded to mRNA pioneers – here’s how their discovery was integral to COVID vaccine development

Dr Katalin Karikó and Dr Drew Weissmanhave been awarded the Nobel Prize for their discoveries into mRNA biology. The pair were the first to discover a way of modifying mRNA that allowed it to successfully be delivered to cells and replicated by them. Their discovery was not only integral to COVID-19 vaccine development, but may also lead to the development of many other therapies – such as vaccines for cancer.