Wildfire smoke expected in Seattle
Smoke from Oregon and eastern Washington wildfires is expected to be in Seattle by early Friday, according to local meteorologists. On Thursday, smoke from eastern Washington could be seen on satellite drifting over the Cascade Mountains . . . a shift in wind direction is predicted to bring several days of smoke from Oregon and California into Western Washington . . . air quality could drop to moderate or worse. Axios.
Heat Deaths of People Without Air Conditioning, Often In Mobile Homes, Underscore Energy Inequity
Advocates say air conditioning is no longer a luxury but a public health and affordability issue. The growing number of people dying without sufficient cooling when outdoor temperatures rise underscores the necessity of air conditioning in areas affected by rising summer temperatures . . . Almost 20% of very-low income families have no air conditioning at all, especially in places like Washington state where they weren’t commonly installed before climate-fueled heat waves grew increasingly stronger, frequent and longer lasting. AP.
Scientists Confirm Bird Flu Is Now Spreading Between Mammals
As health authorities have suspected for some time now, bird flu is consistently being spread between mammals, increasing the risk of sustained outbreaks emerging among humans in the future. ScienceDirect.
Regular Aspirin Use May Help Lower Risk Of Colorectal Cancer, Study Finds, Especially For Those With Unhealthy Lifestyles
Regular aspirin use may keep the oncologist away, at least when it comes to colorectal cancer, according to a new study, and people with unhealthy lifestyles seemed to see the greatest benefit. . . . Those regular users were found to have an 18% lower risk of developing colorectal cancer than non-users. Participants who were determined to have a less-healthy lifestyle had more benefit, particularly if they smoked or if their BMI was higher than 25. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. CNN.
WeightWatchers (WW) To Cut Jobs, Spending As Business Declines
WW International Inc., better known as WeightWatchers, is laying off employees and cutting costs as blockbuster obesity drugs have decimated its business. The New York company is now “investigating” selling compounded versions of weight-loss drugs made by Eli Lilly & Co. and Novo Nordisk A/S, Chief Executive Officer Sima Sistani said on a conference call with analysts Thursday. The company previously said it was “wholeheartedly against this path” on its website earlier this week. Bloomberg.
ACL tears in women: Too many injuries and too little research
In a STAT First Opinion, sports medicine physician Amy West explains that there’s research showing estrogen can contribute to the stretchiness of ligaments like the ACL, and that in the second half of the menstrual cycle, progesterone may reduce the body’s ability to recover from physical activity. STAT.
Many OB-GYNs Aren’t Getting Abortion Training, Government Report FindsObstetrician-gynecologists are seeing more pregnant patients with dangerous medical complications two-plus years after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, while at the same time receiving less training as residents about how to perform abortions, according to a new report. The findings, shared exclusively with NBC News, are the result of a monthslong investigation by Democrats on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. NBCNews.
5 ways to manage hypertension, the ‘silent killer’ disease
Only a quarter of hypertensive American adults have their blood pressure under control.
. . . 1. Get an annual physical exam . . . 2. Take recommended medications. . . . 3. Identify easier-to-implement lifestyle changes. . . . 4. Self-monitor your blood pressure. . . . 5. Treat related issues. WashingtonPost.
Outbreak of Oropouche virus in Brazil should be a ‘wake-up call’, say experts
The disease, spread by midges and mosquitoes, has been linked to two deaths as cases surge in previously unaffected areas
The deaths of two young women, miscarriages and birth defects in Brazil have been linked to Oropouchevirus, a little-known disease spread by midges and mosquitoes. A surge in cases has been recorded in the country this year – 7,284, up from 832 in 2023. Many have been recorded in areas that have not previously seen the virus. A total of 8,078 cases had been confirmed in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Cubaby the end of July, with doctors in the region urged to be vigilant. The climate emergency is likely to be driving the insects that spread the virus to new areas, experts warned, while genetic changes in Oropouche itself may play a role. Guardian.
WHO Warns Of Increase In Hypervirulent, Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella Strains
The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning countries about increasing reports of hypervirulent and multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp). … In contrast to “classic” K pneumoniae, an opportunistic pathogen that is a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections and tends to cause infections in vulnerable, immunocompromised hospitalized patients, hvKp strains can cause severe invasive infections in healthy individuals that develop quickly and spread to various body sites. Infections caused by hvKp strains have been associated with high morbidity and mortality. CIDRAP.
Robin Warren, pathologist who rewrote the science on ulcers, dies at 87
The long-held medical view was that stress caused ulcers. Dr. Warren and fellow Australian Barry Marshall, who shared a Nobel Prize, showed it was a bacteria.
. . . Until the studies by Dr. Warren and Marshall, the medical consensus was that ulcers and other gastric troubles were often attributed to stress or lifestyle choices such as eating spicy foods or drinking alcohol. . . . They dubbed it Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori: “helico,” as in helicopter, for its spiral shape, and “pylori” for the pylorus valve at the bottom of the stomach. WashingtonPost.
Forget Cutting Sugar—New Tech Makes It Healthier Instead
A guilt-free chocolate bar, full of sugar, could someday land at a supermarket near you. The chocolate would look and taste normal and contain the same amount of sugar. But an enzyme, encased in an edible substance and added to the bar, would reduce how much sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, and even turn it into a fiber that is good for your gut. WSJ.
