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☆ A Covid-19 memorial website, The WhoWeLost Project, offers pandemic mourners a digital safe space
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Ashley Williams | Ashley R. Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

A year ago, the World Health Organization declared an end to Covid-19 as a global public health emergency. On the fourth anniversary of Settle’s death – and driven by a need to mourn – Koenig wrote about his former partner on the Covid-19 remembrance website WhoWeLost. Greenwald expanded the website nationally after a 2021 story on the website from an NPR affiliate garnered widespread praise. “I think the need for the site, in a way, is larger because less people are paying attention (to Covid-19),” Greenwald told CNN. They can write those stories down here.”New York City resident Wiandy Santiago’s 65-year-old brother Wilmard Santiago died of Covid-19 in April 2020, a week after being placed on a ventilator.

Persons: Jody Settle, Ed Koenig, Settle’s, Willie Nelson’s, ”, Koenig, – Koenig, Martha Greenwald, “, ” Greenwald, Greenwald, Kentuckians, Kent Nishimura, Wilmard Santiago, ” Wiandy Santiago, Alberto Locascio, doesn’t, ” Santiago, she’s, –, Wilmard, Locascio’s, Nicholas, She’s, Sarah Wagner, Covid, ” Koenig, Poynter, ’ ” Greenwald, Spencer Platt, “ We’re, ” Paige Gavin, that’s, ” Wagner, WhoWeLost, “ Covid Organizations: CNN, New York City, Settle, World Health Organization, United, NPR, Los Angeles Times, American Psychiatric Association, York City, Wiandy, Yankees, George Washington University, Getty Locations: Irish, New York, United States, Covid, Kentucky, New Jersey, Louisville , Kentucky, Washington, Washington ,, United Kingdom, ”, York, Bronx, New

☆ Ozempic and Wegovy Have Health Benefits Beyond Weight Loss - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Last year was called the year of Ozempic, though it was also a year of Ozempic backlash and Ozempic shortages, which could persist for years. Even so, we appear very far from a peak for GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy, which are powered by a molecule called semaglutide, and Mounjaro, which uses its cousin tirzepatide. It seems possible to imagine a future in which almost everyone is taking some variety of GLP-1 drug, and with a pretty good reason to do so. Patients on Ozempic and Wegovy can lose 15 to 20 percent or more of their weight in a little over a year, and if they stay on the drugs, the weight tends to stay off. Semaglutide has been shown to eliminate or reduce the need for insulin among those with recent-onset Type 1 diabetes.

Persons: tirzepatide, Wegovy, we’ve, Semaglutide Locations: Alzheimer’s

☆ Treating ADHD patients with medication linked to lower risk of death overall, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

And prescriptions for ADHD medications surged during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially among young adults and women. Treatment with ADHD medication especially reduced the risk of death from “unnatural” causes, including accidental injury, suicide and accidental poisoning such as drug overdose. While ADHD medications are relatively short-acting, experts say it’s important to consider the broader outcomes along with the immediate benefits. When it comes to “natural” causes of death such as medical conditions, however, the new study found that medication did not significantly affect mortality among ADHD patients. For these reasons, the link identified between treatment with medication and reduced mortality risk cannot be considered a direct cause-and-effect.

Persons: “, ”, John Mitchell, ” Mitchell, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” CNN’s Kristen Rogers Organizations: CNN, New, Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, CNN Health Locations: Sweden, United States

☆ Opinion: Ozempic and similar drugs mean nothing for patients who can’t access them
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Opinion Jody Dushay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

We discussed that for many people, the most powerful tools for medical weight management are the glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP1) agonists. As of 2024, insurance, not body weight or BMI, has become the most important vital sign for doctors who see patients for medical weight management. They really did transform a fairly barren landscape of pharmacotherapeutic options for medical weight management that lasted several decades. Weight loss is on average about 15% with Wegovy and 22% with Zepbound, with super responders losing more than 25% of their body weight. By comparison, other medications that are FDA-approved for weight loss, including Qsymia and Contrave, are combinations of much older drugs.

Persons: Jody Dushay, MMSc, Beth, I’ve, Stanley, —, cravings Organizations: Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical, CNN, Insurance, FDA, Medicare Locations: Boston, prediabetes

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Extreme heat and wildfire smoke are independently harmful to the human body, but together their impact on cardiovascular and respiratory systems is more dangerous and affects some communities more than others. A study published Friday in the journal Science Advances said climate change is increasing the frequency of both hazards, particularly in California. The authors found that the combined harm of extreme heat and inhalation of wildfire smoke increased hospitalizations and disproportionately impacted low-income communities and Latino, Black, Asian and other racially marginalized residents. Homes and work places with air conditioning and neighborhoods with tree canopy cover are better protected from extreme heat, and some buildings filter smoke from wildfires and insulate heat more efficiently. “For a variety of reason, they tend to feel climate change much worse than other non-underserved communities, and I think it's really important to highlight this social injustice aspect of climate change,” said the emergency physician and fellow at the Harvard T.H.

Persons: ”, Tarik Benmarhnia, Benmarhnia, Christopher T, Minson, it’s, Catharina Giudice Organizations: ANGELES, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, UC San Diego, University of Oregon, Environmental Protection Agency, University of Southern, Harvard, of Public Health, National Weather Service, Associated Press, Walton Family Foundation, AP Locations: California, San Diego, United States, Oregon, Washington, Canada, British Columbia, Central Valley, Central, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Chan

A faster and more effective rollout of the first COVID-19 booster shot authorized in 2021 would have saved more than 29,000 lives in the U.S., according to a new study. regulatory caution, in the middle of a pandemic, thus had a large, avoidable cost.”Still, they estimated that the first round of booster shots in the U.S. saved 42,000 lives. Israel was the first country to authorize a COVID-19 booster in July 2021. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 81% of the U.S. population received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, uptake decreased with every subsequent shot authorized. Just 16% of adults have gotten the latest shot, which health officials have said is not enough.

Persons: ”, Israel Organizations: Health Affairs, U.S, Centers for Disease Control Locations: U.S, Israel

☆ There's a new entry into the weight loss drug boom. Here's the outlook for the stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

AstraZeneca is the latest player to enter the weight loss drug arena, a market which some analysts have forecasted could reach $100 billion by 2030 . The GLP-1 drug market is currently dominated by two players: Novo Nordisk , which sells Type 2 diabetes treatment Ozempic and weight loss medication Wegovy, and Eli Lilly , which sells Mounjaro as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Lilly just had the weight loss version of its drug, Zepbound , approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It's still early days for AstraZeneca's ECC5004 drug, which is being assessed in a U.S.-based phase 1 trial involving patients with Type 2 diabetes. He currently rates AstraZeneca stock as overweight.

Persons: Eccogene, Wegovy, Eli Lilly, Lilly, It's, Colin White, James Gordon, Morgan Stanley, Mark Purcell, AstraZeneca's Farxiga, Purcell, Michael Bloom, Christina Cheddar, Berk Organizations: AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control, UBS, Wall Street, JPMorgan Locations: U.S

☆ Why this landmark cardiac study means a bigger market for Lilly's blockbuster weight loss drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A landmark study of the cardiovascular benefits of weight loss drug Wegovy is being seen as a pivotal step toward broadening access to these drugs. The drug, also known as tirzepatide, is expected to be approved for weight loss by the Food and Drug Administration by year-end. Notably, Medicare does reimburse obese patients for weight loss surgery, but Mounjaro has been able to help patients realize an average weight loss that approaches the typical success of bariatric procedures. If CMS is able to reimburse patients for weight loss treatment that would significantly increase access, boosting sales. "This is the first time a weight [loss] medicinal intervention has shown to have cardiovascular risk reduction.

Persons: enrollees, Eli Lilly, Lilly, Akash Tewari, NVO, Tewari, Wells, Mounjaro, Mohit Bansal, Robert Califf, Goldman Sachs, Chris Shibutani, Shibutani, Goldman, Refinitiv, Morgan Stanley, comorbidities, Bansal Organizations: Nordisk's Ozempic, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, Jefferies, Medicare, Services, GLP, STAT, Goldman, Lilly, Novo Nordisk, BMI, Novo Locations: U.S, GLP, Tuesday's

☆ Hearing aids may reduce your risk of dementia by half, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —For people facing a greater threat of cognitive decline, getting hearing aids could cut your risk in half, according to a new study. Over the past decade, research has established that hearing loss is one of the biggest risk factors for developing dementia, but it wasn’t clear whether intervening with hearing aids would reduce the risk, he added. In the total group, hearing aids did not appear to reduce cognitive decline, the study said. Why hearing loss may increase dementia riskEveryone’s hearing declines with age, Lin said. In those cases, lower cost over-the-counter hearing aids — available without a prescription — may be a good option.

Persons: ”, Frank Lin, Lin, Thomas Holland, Holland, couldn’t, that’s, ” Lin, “, Benjamin Tan, Dean’s, Tan, ” Holland Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Rush Institute for Health Aging, Loo Lin, of Medicine, National University of Singapore Locations: United States

☆ AI-Targeted Internet Advertisements Fueling Looming Addiction Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Albert Fox Cahn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

A new breed of direct-to-consumer services is aggressively using targeted ads to sell habit-forming medications. In short, AI and surveillance capitalism, which empower today's targeted ads, have joined forces with the deadly OxyContin playbook. As the Journal reported, after ADHD medications grew to 20% of the VC-funded company's business, driving a $4.8 billion valuation, things came crashing to earth. We as a society may have come to accept being stalked by targeted ads, but consequences are much graver when the product itself is a danger. But above all, we need rules that ban targeted ads for drugs that can get patients hooked.

Persons: Taylor Swift, they're, haven't, Van Zee, OxyContin, prescribers, Dr, David Sack, Anthony Yeung, recreationally, Yann Poncin, shih, Ryan Haight, Ryan Haight Act's, Albert Fox Cahn Organizations: Circle, Purdue, American, of Public Health, Sackler family's pharma, Physicians, Yale School of Medicine, Bloomberg, Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Health, Human Services, Ryan, Twitter, FDA Locations: Canadian, California, United States, New Zealand, New York

☆ Being overweight not linked to dying early, study says, but questions remain
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Being overweight as defined by the body mass index rating scale is not linked to an increase in death when considered separately from other health issues, a new study found. “The use of the word ‘overweight’ is misleading here, as it excludes anyone with a BMI above 30. “This paper found an unequivocal association between BMI and mortality, before and after adjustment for risk factors,” said Leurent, who was not involved in the study. Being overweight may not lead to an early death, but may add to the risk of chronic disease, experts say. While the study did control for smoking and a variety of other diseases linked to early death, that information was only gathered once for each person in the survey.

Persons: ”, Aayush, Rutgers Robert Wood, ’, Baptiste Leurent, Leurent, Robert H, Shmerling, “, Soko, Visaria, Naveed Sattar, ” Sattar, Tom Sanders, Beth, they’ve, It’s, ” Visaria, it’s, University of Glasgow’s Sattar Organizations: CNN, BMI, US Centers for Disease Control, Rutgers, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University College London, Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, Rutgers School of Public Health, University of Glasgow, King’s College London, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical, “, American Heart Association, American Medical Association, University of Glasgow’s Locations: New Brunswick , New Jersey, Boston, Scotland, “

☆ The options for weight loss treatment are about to explode. These are the companies investors need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Wegovy was approved as an obesity treatment in June 2021 , but Ozempic, a Type 2 diabetes treatment, has been used off-label for weight loss. Mounjaro uses GLP-1 and gastric inhibitory polypeptide, or GIP, to help patients lose weight. Eli Lilly's oral drug, orforglipron, has an even better profile . They also could be helpful in assisting patients in maintaining weight loss after they've used the injectable versions, he said. Some have highlighted that oral drugs also may be more manageable for patients who can't handle the idea of giving themselves a once-a-week injection.

Persons: Eli Lilly, we're, Jonathan Wolleben, Wegovy, Lilly's tirzepatide, It's, Mounjaro, Wolleben, Eli Lilly's tirzepatide, Lilly, —, Novo, Eli, it's, they've, FactSet, Altimmune's pemvidutide, Morgan Stanley, Mark Purcell, Purcell, Graig Suvannavejh, Suvannavejh, Roth, Dylan Dupuis, Dupuis, Trung Huynh, Goldman Sachs, Chris Shibutani, Shibutani Organizations: Novo Nordisk, JMP Securities, Citizens Company, Nordisk's Ozempic, Food and Drug Administration, Nordisk, Novo, Zealand Pharma, Shandong Suncadia, GSBR, Biosciences, Fujian Shengdi Pharmaceutical, Mizuho Securities, Terns Pharmaceuticals, American Diabetes Association, Viking Therapeutics, Pfizer, Credit Suisse, AstraZeneca, Therapeutics, Medicare, Medicaid, CNBC Pro's Locations: Danish, Shandong, Fujian, Viking

☆ Novo Nordisk: trial data of oral weight-loss drug comparable to Wegovy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Louise Rasmussen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The results are another boost for Novo Nordisk whose weekly Wegovy injection has transformed the weight-loss market since its U.S. launch in June 2021, capturing the attention of patients, investors and even celebrities worldwide. The Danish drugmaker said in a statement that the headline results were statistically significant and showed superior weight loss when compared to a placebo. A global launch of the oral 50 milligram (mg) semaglutide drug is contingent on portfolio prioritisations and manufacturing capacity, the company added without giving further details. The results are comparable to the company's Wegovy injection, said Martin Holst Lange, head of development at Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk has had supply issues and struggled to keep up with soaring U.S. demand for Wegovy.

☆ Obesity is a chronic disease. It's why treating it will be so profitable unless payers push back
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Lilly manufactures tirzepatide, which is sold under the brand name Mounjaro as a type 2 diabetes treatment. It's the chronic nature of obesity that will make these drugs so profitable, analysts have said. Huynh increased his target due to higher expectations for Mounjaro sales this year. Huynh boosted his prediction for the drug's sales this year to $3.7 billion from an prior estimate of $2.7 billion. "$48 billion is a monster number," Holz said, referring to an annual sales estimate that Bank of America has floated for future Mounjaro sales.

☆ Dr. Fauci Looks Back: ‘Something Clearly Went Wrong’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +55 min

Dr. Fauci Looks Back: ‘Something Clearly Went Wrong’ In his most extensive interview yet, Anthony Fauci wrestles with the hard lessons of the pandemic — and the decisions that will define his legacy. But when people say, “Fauci shut down the economy” — it wasn’t Fauci. But somehow or other, the general public didn’t get that feeling that the vulnerable are really, really heavily weighted toward the elderly. We also had a public-health system that we thought was really, really good. But it was really, really antiquated.

☆ I'm a plastic surgeon who does Brazilian butt lifts. BBLs are my most popular procedure, but some people shouldn't have it done.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Dr. John Paul Tutela has offered Brazilian butt lift surgery since he started his practice in 2014. I started offering the BBL procedure as soon as I opened my practice and it continues to grow in popularity. Getting a Brazilian butt lift requires pretty aggressive liposuction to help sculpt the body's shape. I'd never tell this category of people to gain weight for the surgery, I'd just recommend they don't do it. What is the recovery time for a Brazilian butt lift?

☆ U.S. experts recommend weight-loss drugs for obese children
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Bhanvi Satija | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Metformin has been used off label to achieve weight loss in children. Of the 27 randomized trials of metformin for weight loss in children reviewed by the guidelines panel, 74% showed some positive effect of the medication. Wegovy last month won U.S. approval for chronic weight management in children ages 12 and older. For children ages 2 to 12 years, AAP said there was not currently enough evidence to recommend use of these medications. They also include recommendations for diagnosing obesity annually in children ages 6 years and older, through checks on BMI, and practices such as motivational interviewing.

These psychiatric drugs are regulated by the federal government as controlled substances that have high potential for abuse and addiction but are not opioids. The impact on independent pharmacies' prescriptions of psychiatric drugs from the widening crackdown on opioids has not been previously reported. It is dedicated to mitigating the abuse of controlled substances without interfering in good-faith clinical decisions made by doctors, she said. "Pharmaceutical distributors must walk a legal and ethical tightrope between providing access to necessary medications and acting to prevent diversion of controlled substances," Esposito said in a written statement. The FDA, the HHS agency that administers the list of controlled substances, did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ 'Jeopardy!' champ Amy Schneider testifies against Ohio transgender care ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

champion Amy Schneider testified before an Ohio House of Representatives committee meeting Wednesday against a bill that would restrict gender-affirming medical care for minors. After receiving gender-affirming care, "for the first time in my life, that alarm went silent, and I knew peace and quiet for the first time." Rep. Latyna Humphrey, a Democrat, asked Schneider if she has ever regretted receiving gender-affirming care or experienced suicidal thoughts after her transition. “We’ve made quite a few concessions, and that’s to bring this to a middle ground,” Click said of the substitute bill. Four states — Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee — passed laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors.

☆ Eli Lilly is still best long-term growth story in large cap pharma despite messy quarter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Eli Lilly (LLY) reported a noisy third-quarter before the opening bell Thursday, but the numbers did not change our thesis in what we think is the best long-term growth story in large cap pharma. On the bottom line, Eli Lilly grew its adjusted earnings-per-share by 12% to $1.98, beating the consensus forecast of $1.92, according to Refinitiv. Bottom line Another messy quarter for Eli Lilly but one that has little impact on what we believe is still a compelling story. Verzenio revenue of $618 million beat estimates of $615 million Jardiance revenue of $573 million beat estimates of $495 million Taltz revenue of $679 million missed estimates of $682 million Retevmo revenue of $40.5 million missed estimates of $52 million. This Tuesday, July 17, 2012, photo shows the Eli Lilly corporate headquarters in Indianapolis.

☆ New York governor signs bill expanding assistance for LGBTQ seniors
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Access to physical and mental health care, free or discounted meal deliveries, caregivers and other forms of support are now easier for LGBTQ seniors in New York state to get. The legislation requires the state’s Office for the Aging to consider gender identity and expression, sexual orientation and HIV status when it calculates which seniors need the most help. “This legislation is an important step in addressing those inequities while helping ensure LGBTQ older New Yorkers receive the same respect and support as anyone else in the state,” Hochul, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday. To address the disparities,Massachusetts, California and a number of other states have enacted laws in recent years expanding their interpretations of those with the “greatest social need” to include LGBTQ seniors and elders living with HIV. Tax said SAGE, which runs LGBTQ senior centers in New York City, has long been fighting for the change in New York.

☆ Fact Check-COVID-19 vaccines not linked to 8,200% increase in child deaths in past year, as claimed in online video
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

COVID-19 vaccines have not caused an 8,200% increase in child deaths between 2021 and 2022, as has been claimed in a video posted on social media. That figure “completely misrepresents data”, according to a UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) spokesperson. During a five-minute speech, he claimed (at 1:34): “There is an 8,200% death increase in our children this year. So, from 2021 to 2022 there was an 8,200% death increase in our children. However, the claim in the video “completely misinterprets the data”, an ONS spokesperson told Reuters via email.

☆ Covid leads to long Covid, in governments as well as people
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Brian Michael Jenkins | Brian Michael Jenkins Is An Army Combat Veteran Who Currently Serves As Senior Adviser To The President Of The Nonprofit | Nonpartisan Rand Corporation. His Latest Book Is | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

Unlike previous pandemics, however, Covid didn’t see the same offsets in unifying sentiment. There were many explanations for this, including underreporting of Covid deaths in many countries, but the optics were not good. Democratic governments imposed controls that intruded into ordinarily personal space, while authoritarian governments exploited the pandemic to tighten their control. The decline in Covid numbers, if it holds, will not reverse these developments after the November elections. Just as we may talk about societal comorbidity, societies may suffer from long Covid — an impaired functioning of democracy that may persist long after the contagion survives.

☆ Is Biden correct that the pandemic is over? Not exactly.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Denis Nash | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

During a CBS “60 Minutes” interview that aired on Sunday, President Joe Biden said the SARS CoV-2 pandemic was over. If Biden was referring to the emergency phase of the pandemic being over, his statement is in some ways correct — at least for now. If Biden was referring to the emergency phase of the pandemic being over, his statement is in some ways correct — at least for now. The U.K.’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) has had a model long Covid surveillance system in place since February 2021. Displaying long Covid metrics and related trends on the Covid Data Tracker would be helpful.

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