Category: Drugs
With more Americans able to access legalized marijuana, fewer are picking up prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications – new research
Marijuana access introduces an alternative treatment to traditional prescription medication that may provide easier access for some patients.
Stimulant Users Are Caught in Fatal ‘Fourth Wave’ of Opioid Epidemic
The first wave of the long-running and devastating opioid epidemic began in the United States with the abuse of prescription painkillers in the early 2000s. The second wave involved an increase in heroin use, starting around 2010. The third wave began when powerful synthetic opioids such as fentanyl started appearing in the supply around 2015. Now experts are observing a fourth phase of the deadly epidemic.
Hallucinogens approved for treating psychiatric disorders: what does the science say?
Hallucinogens are now being presented as a breakthrough in the treatment of severe psychiatric disorders, such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, sometimes in combination with psychotherapy).
Despite being presented as innovations, the therapeutic potential of psychedelics is not a new discovery. In the 1960s and 70s, these substances were explored for medical use but quickly fell out of favour due to regulatory restrictions.
Now, in 2024, the question remains: Are psychedelics genuinely effective for treating psychiatric disorders?
Weight loss drugs help with fat loss – but they cause bone and muscle loss too
GLP-1-based drugs such as semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) work by helping people to feel less hungry. This results in them eating less – leading to weight loss.
Studies show that these drugs are very effective in helping people lose weight. In clinical trials of people with obesity, these drugs lead to a weight loss of up to 20% body weight in some instances.
But it’s important to note that not all the weight lost is fat. Research shows that up to one-third of this weight loss is so-called “non-fat mass” – this includes muscle and bone mass.
Getting an IUD? Here’s what to know
IUDs are becoming one of the most popular forms of birth control for all ages
Measles cases surge worldwide, infecting 10.3 million people in 2023
An estimated 107,500 people, mostly children younger than 5 years of age, died due to measles in 2023.
Scientists Fear What’s Next for Public Health if RFK Jr. Is Allowed To ‘Go Wild’
Should Kennedy win Senate confirmation, his critics say a radical antiestablishment medical movement with roots in past centuries would take power, threatening the achievements of a science-based public health order painstakingly built since World War II.
New study suggests weight loss drugs like Ozempic could help with knee pain. Here’s why there may be a link
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has suggested semaglutide can improve knee pain in people with obesity and osteoarthritis. So what did this study find, and how could semaglutide and osteoarthritis pain be linked?
Bird flu detected in pigs – here’s why virologists are concerned
We don’t yet know if the pig was actually infected or if it had just snuffled up some contaminated material from the birds. At the moment, this particular outbreak doesn’t seem to have spread into any other pigs.
CDC Recommends Second Dose of 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccine for People 65 Years and Older and for People Who are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised
The recommendation acknowledges the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults and those who are immunocompromised, along with the currently available data on vaccine effectiveness and year-round circulation of COVID-19.
Health News Headlins
Weight-loss drugs for stroke prevention – Harris’ “At-home Medicare” proposal – Infant deaths have risen after Dobbs – Pink Cocaine
Do IUDs cause breast cancer? Here’s what the evidence says
For every 10,000 women, this study suggests we might see an extra 14 cases of breast cancer after up to five years of use, 29 cases after 5–10 years use, and 71 cases after 10–15 years use. In “absolute” terms – as a proportion of all the IUD users – all of these risk increases are comfortably under 1%.
Buyer beware: Off-brand Ozempic, Zepbound and other weight loss products carry undisclosed risks for consumers
The dietary supplement market has sought to cash in on the GLP-1 demand with pills, teas, extracts and all manner of other products that claim to produce similar effects as the brand names at a much lower price.
Fentanyl 101
As little as 2 mg of fentanyl (which can fit on the tip of a pencil) can be enough to kill the average American. People can also unknowingly consume fentanyl when it is mixed into or sold as other drugs, including heroin, cocaine, or counterfeit pills.
Jaw Problems Linked to Bone-Modifying Drugs Not as Rare as Once Thought
Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) can cause parts of the jawbone to breakdown and die.