You’ve Lost Weight Taking New Obesity Drugs. What Happens if You Stop?

Many patients are eager to discontinue Wegovy or Zepbound when their weight loss plateaus. But doctors say it’s difficult to go cold turkey.

… Dr. David Cummings, a weight-loss specialist at the University of Washington, has been asked this question by many patients. He explains that the makers of the drugs conducted large studies in which people took the drugs and then stopped. “On average, everyone’s weight rapidly returned,” Dr. Cummings said. And, he said, other medical conditions, like elevated blood sugar and lipid levels, return to their previous levels after improving. NYT.

Measles Cases Are Triple What They Were Last Year In The U.S. Doctors Say Vaccines Can Help

Federal health officials are renewing warnings about the growing number of measles cases and encouraging parents to get their children the recommended vaccinations before school starts. Measles outbreaks are up substantially, CDC numbers show. CDC officials say that’s because there was a drop in vaccinations, which they say are the best way to keep communities safe and free from potentially deadly diseases. CBS.

Childhood Vaccinations Will Have Prevented More Than 500 Million Illnesses And 1 Million Deaths In US Since 1994, CDC Report Says 

Routine childhood vaccinations will have prevented hundreds of millions of illnesses, tens of millions of hospitalizations and more than 1 million deaths among people born between 1994 and 2023, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A new report, published Thursday by the CDC, analyzed the benefits of routine childhood immunizations in the United States through the CDC’s Vaccines for Children Program, which launched in 1994. The research also found that the vaccinations saved the country billions of dollars. CNN.

COVID Drops To 10th Leading Cause Of Death In US

Provisional data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) on the top causes of deaths in the United States in 2023 shows COVID-19 dropped to the tenth leading cause of death. In 2022, it was the fourth leading cause of death, meaning deaths from COVID dropped by 68.9% in 1 year. There were 76,446 deaths from COVID-19 in 2021, and 245,614 in 2022. In 2023, the leading causes of death in the United States were heart disease (680,909 deaths), cancer (613,331), and unintentional injury (222,518).CIDRAP.

About 400 Million People Worldwide Have Had Long Covid, Researchers Say

The condition has put significant strain on patients and society — at a global economic cost of about $1 trillion a year, a new report estimates.

… The authors cited studies suggesting that only 7 percent to 10 percent of long Covid patients fully recovered two years after developing long Covid. They added that “some manifestations of long Covid, including heart disease, diabetes, myalgic encephalomyelitis and dysautonomia are chronic conditions that last a lifetime.” NYT.

Peel those apples: washing produce doesn’t remove pesticides, study finds

Another report found pesticide levels posing ‘significant risks’ in 20% of tested fruits and vegetables

… Traditional “fruit-cleaning operations cannot wholly remove pesticides”, the paper states. When using the technique to examine an apple, for instance, the researchers said the “imaging results prove that the pesticides penetrate the peel layer into the pulp layer”. Using the technology they developed, the authors said they found the pesticide contamination diminished when the apple peel was removed along with some of the pulp layer. Guardian.

MDMA Therapy For PTSD Faces Imminent FDA Decision

A decades-long campaign to legalize MDMA as a mainstream medical treatment will reach a climax as soon as Friday, with the Food and Drug Administration poised to decide whether the psychedelic should be approved as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in conjunction with psychotherapy. The regulators face an Aug. 11 deadline to decide whether to sign off on the drug or reject it. The agency could also postpone its decision if it needs more time to review data and investigate claims of irregularities in clinical trials run by Lykos Therapeutics. STAT.

FDA’s ‘Hands-Off Approach’ To Additives May Allow Unsafe Ingredients In Food, Experts Suggest

The Food and Drug Administration’s “hands-off approach” to food additives, including those found in ultraprocessed foods and energy drinks, may allow unsafe ingredients to enter the nation’s food supply, according to the authors of an editorial published Thursday. The paper, in the American Journal of Public Health, comes as lawmakers and public health groups allege that the FDA has failed to take quick action to protect the public from certain additives — including brominated vegetable oil and red dye No. 3 — in food products. NBC.

The world’s priciest drug may save lives. Can kids get it in time? 

Lenmeldy’s $4.25 million price tag raises critical questions about patient access to a growing number of costly gene therapies.

…In less than seven years, the number of single-dose gene therapies approved by the FDA grew from zero to 18, a number that analysts estimate will nearly quintuple by 2032. Such therapies modify a person’s genes to treat or cure disease. The list price for these treatments is projected to reach a total of $35 to $40 billion over the next decade, raising the stakes for drug manufacturers and policymakers to find a model for making these new medications accessible and affordable… WashPost.

Running in America’s worst air: ‘like binging on a carton of cigarettes’

For a writer and runner in Denver, Colorado, the city’s severe air pollution creates a daily dilemma: do something you love, or risk your health?

…Studies have shown air pollution to have a negative effect on athletic performance – both physically and mentally – as well as a number of health risks (such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory issues and even dementia), according to the Environmental Protection Agency and American Lung Association, which recommend limiting outdoor activity when an Air Quality Alert has been announced… Guardian.

Judge To Rule Whether Alabama Can Prosecute People Who Aid Out-Of-State Abortions

A federal judge is expected to soon decide whether Alabama can prosecute health care providers and advocates in the state who help pregnant patients get an abortion elsewhere. Abortion has been almost entirely illegal in the ruby red state since its trigger law took effect following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. It is one of the strictest bans in the country, with no exceptions for rape or incest. TheHill.

Valley Fever Outbreak At California Music Festival Shows Fungus’ Threat

An outbreak of Valley fever among attendees and workers at an outdoor music festival in California’s Central Valley highlights the fungal infection’s mounting threat. Fourteen people who traveled to attend or work at the Lightning in a Bottle Festival in Bakersfield in May have tested positive for Valley fever and developed symptoms, the California Department of Public Health told NBC News on Thursday. At least three of them were hospitalized. NBC.

US States Sue Over Biden Rule Extending Health Insurance To DACA Immigrants

A group of Republican-led states filed a lawsuit on Thursday seeking to block the Biden administration from allowing up to 200,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children to access federally-run health insurance. The 15 states led by the office of Republican Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach say a rule adopted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in May violates a federal law that prohibits giving public benefits to people who lack legal immigration status. Reuters.