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☆ America’s gun epidemic is deadlier than ever, and there are vast disparities in who’s dying
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The researchers found that firearm mortality rates increased for most demographic groups in recent years – especially during the pandemic – and vast disparities persisted. With infant mortality in the United States, when you look at Black infants versus White infants, there’s over a two-fold (difference in) mortality rate. There are two key factors driving community gun violence, says Jonathan Jay, an assistant professor at Boston University School of Public Health: disadvantage at the neighborhood level and exposure to gun violence at the individual level. “Gun violence is most likely in spaces that show signs of physical disinvestment. The gun suicide rate increased 10% while the non-gun suicide rate decreased by 8%, and the gun homicide rate increased 45% while the non-gun homicide rate increased only 6%.

☆ Community health groups that played crucial role during Covid-19 pandemic say they’re being left out of government funding
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Elizabeth Cohen Lauren Mascarenhas | Elizabeth Cohen | Lauren Mascarenhas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“A lot of times, the funding streams have names that say ‘community,’ ‘community-based organizations’ or ‘community health workers,’ but the funding often goes to states and doesn’t end up helping at a grass-roots level,” said Denise Smith, executive director of the National Association of Community Health Workers. “HRSA strongly values the critical role that community health workers play – and can increasingly play – in supporting the health and well-being of communities. “Community health workers are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of the community they serve. The group’s promotores de salud, or community health workers, encouraged vaccination and set up a hotline to distribute accurate information about the virus. “Grantees will be able to hire community health workers, as needed and appropriate,” said Nordlund, the CDC spokesperson.

☆ Improve memory as you age by eating more flavonols, study says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Eating more flavonols, antioxidants found in many vegetables, fruits, tea and wine, may slow your rate of memory loss, a new study finds. The cognitive score of people in the study who ate the most flavonols declined 0.4 units per decade more slowly than those who ate the fewest flavonols. One of the most common flavonols, quercetin, has shown promise in reducing the onset of colorectal cancer and other cancers, according to studies. (For comparison, the average flavonol intake in US adults is about 16 to 20 milligrams per day, according to the study.) The study looked at the impact of the four major flavonols — kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin and isorhamnetin — on the rate of cognitive decline over the seven years.

☆ Fauci shares lessons from pandemic, criticism of China’s zero-Covid policy ahead of his departure from government
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Katherine Dillinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Covid-19 pandemic has carried a key lesson for public health officials, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday: When talking to Americans, be clear that science is often a moving target. “Hopefully, we could have been more on top of appreciating the dynamic nature of how things change, thinking that it wasn’t aerosol spread in the beginning, and then you find out it is aerosol spread. Experts agree that the virus almost certainly jumped into humans from an animal market in China but that they may never know for sure. “It’s possible that there was a lab leak,” Fauci said. Fauci criticized China’s controversial zero-Covid policy, saying shutdowns “should always be a temporary phenomenon, not a long-range strategy,” and should be done with an end point in mind, such as buying time to secure PPE or provide vaccinations.

☆ Omicron BQ Covid variants that threaten people with compromised immune systems are now dominant in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A person receives a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., December 22, 2021. The omicron BQ coronavirus subvariants have risen to dominance in the U.S. as people gather and travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, putting people with compromised immune systems at increased risk. The omicron BA.5 subvariant, once dominant, now makes up only a fifth of new Covid cases. The BQ subvariants are more immune evasive and likely resistant to key antibody medications, such as Evusheld and bebtelovimab, used by people with compromised immune systems, according to the National Institutes of Health. President Joe Biden, in an October speech, told people with compromised immune systems that they should consult with their physicians and take extra precautions this winter.

☆ Daylight Saving Time debate sheds light on growing racial inequities in sleep health
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Sleep Research Society and other medical groups have advocated for ending the practice, calling for the adoption of a permanent standard time that would not involve shifting forward each spring and falling back each autumn. She authored a paper, published in September in the journal Sleep, detailing the potential health benefits of adopting a permanent standard time. Now, some sleep researchers worry about the potential effects that continuing to change standard time twice each year may have on sleep health inequities. “Fortunately, sleep health is largely modifiable.”As for the inequities seen in sleep health, it’s not that White adults don’t also experience a lack of sleep and its health consequences – but people of color appear to disproportionately experience them more, and that’s believed to be largely due to social systems in the United States. Improving sleep health has been a national objective in the federal government’s past two Healthy People programs, noted Caraballo-Cordovez, who is not involved in the programs.

WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. health official celebrated and vilified as the face of the country's COVID-19 pandemic response, used his final White House briefing on Tuesday to denounce division and promote vaccines. True to form, Fauci used his final press briefing to strongly encourage Americans to get COVID vaccines and booster shots, and touted the effectiveness of masks, all of which became partisan totems in the United States. NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci joins White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S. November 22, 2022. He made his first appearance at the White House press briefing in 2001, according to the broadcaster C-SPAN. Democrats accused Trump of presiding over a disjointed response to the pandemic and of disregarding advice from public health experts including Fauci.

☆ Fauci says he never imagined Covid would kill a million Americans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday reflected on the U.S. response to the Covid-19 pandemic in what was likely his last public briefing as the nation's top infectious disease expert. Nearly three years after Covid-19 first arrived on America's shores, Fauci said he never imagined the pandemic would last so long and take so many lives. "I did not imagine and I don't think any of my colleagues imagined that we would see a three-year saga of suffering and death and a million Americans losing their lives," Fauci, 81, told reporters during a Covid update at the White House. Fauci is stepping down in December as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases after nearly 40 years at the helm, and as White House chief medical advisor. He said the most disturbing feature of Covid was the evolution of multiple variants over time.

For decades doctors have been telling their patients that high levels of HDL, otherwise known as “good cholesterol,” could protect them from heart disease. But a new study suggests that having a lot of so-called good cholesterol doesn’t mean a lower risk of heart attacks. The new findings surprised the researchers, who originally designed their study to understand how cholesterol levels in Black and white middle-aged adults without heart disease affected their future risks. Previous research on "good" cholesterol and heart disease consisted of mostly white adults. Low HDL levels were associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease in white participants, but not Black participants.

☆ Study suggests that HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol is less beneficial than previously thought, especially for Black adults
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Also, higher levels of HDL cholesterol were not found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease for either group. “It’s been well accepted that low HDL cholesterol levels are detrimental, regardless of race. The researchers found that high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides “modestly” predicted heart disease risk among both Black and White adults. But they suggest that more work is needed to understand what’s driving the racial differences in the link between HDL and heart disease risk. And in the meantime, current clinical assessments for heart disease risk “may misclassify risk in Black adults, potentially hindering optimal cardiovascular disease prevention and management programs for this group,” they wrote.

☆ Predictive value of 'good' cholesterol level varies by race, U.S. study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In contradiction to what has generally been assumed, low HDL levels did not confer any higher risk of heart disease in Black people, researchers said. Among white people, however, those with HDL levels below 40 milligrams per deciliter had a 22% higher risk for coronary heart disease compared with those whose HDL levels were higher. High HDL levels (above 60 mg/dL), which are thought to be protective, were not linked with lower coronary heart disease risks in either race, researchers found. Participants of both races were similar in age, cholesterol levels, and other heart disease risk factors, the researchers said. The early studies that shaped perceptions about healthy cholesterol levels overwhelmingly involved white American participants, Pamir said.

☆ They were diagnosed with uterine cancer and tumors. Now they're suing the makers of chemical hair straighteners.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Janelle Griffith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Three years ago, Rhonda Terrell was diagnosed with an aggressive form of uterine cancer that has since spread to her abdomen and liver. “And I want to hold them accountable because I have granddaughters.”Bernadette Gordon, who used chemical relaxers from around 1983 to 2015, believes they caused her to develop breast and uterine cancer. In 2021, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer and underwent a hysterectomy, followed by six months of chemotherapy and radiation. There was never anything on the products' packaging, they said and their lawsuits allege, indicating that normal use of the products could cause them to develop uterine fibroids or breast or uterine cancer. “This study is the first to show a possible link between frequent use of hair straightening products and uterine cancer,” she said.

CNN —A biologic therapy that delays the onset of type 1 diabetes received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday. The most common side effects reported in the trial participants were low white blood cells and lymph cells, rash and headache. Without insulin, blood sugar can build up in the bloodstream and break down the body’s own fat and muscle. With Tzield, doctors would screen individual family members of people with type 1 diabetes to see whether they have those specific antibodies. As of 2019, about 1.9 million people have type 1 diabetes in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association, including 244,000 children and adolescents.

☆ Omicron BQ variants resistant to antibody treatments are quickly becoming dominant in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Omicron subvariants resistant to key antibody treatments will soon make up a majority of new Covid infections in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many people with moderate or severely compromised immune systems take an antibody cocktail called Evusheld to protect them from severe disease. This leaves people with compromised immune systems increasingly vulnerable as these subvariants become dominant. White House Covid response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha has blamed Congress for failing to pass additional funding for the nation's pandemic response. President Joe Biden last month altered people with compromised immune systems that they face a special threat from Covid this winter.

☆ As Covid cases tick up, here are latest CDC guidelines for testing and isolation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Aria Bendix | Aria Bendix Is The Breaking Health Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about masking, testing and isolation haven't changed much since the CDC last updated its recommendations in August. When to wear a maskSince February, the CDC has based masking guidelines on three metrics: new Covid cases, hospital capacity and hospital admissions. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that people with a known exposure who test negative take a second test 48 hours later. for at least five days after your positive test (details about when to leave isolation can be found below). If you continue to test positive beyond day 10, the CDC recommends you continue masking.

☆ Long Covid: Paxlovid reduces risk of long Covid, Veterans Affairs study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Jamie Gumbrecht | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Paxlovid, the antiviral pill that reduces the risk of hospitalization and death from Covid-19, also reduces the risk of long Covid, according to a new study by researchers at the US Department of Veterans Affairs. That corresponded to 2.3 fewer cases of long Covid conditions per 100 people three months after their diagnosis. In the analysis, there wasn’t a statistically significant link between taking Paxlovid and risk of two long Covid conditions: cough and new diabetes diagnosis. The analysis captured Paxlovid use only through the VA system and considered only 12 long Covid conditions, although many people with long Covid describe a wide variety of symptoms. The National Institutes of Health said last month it would launch a study of Paxlovid as a treatment for patients already experiencing long Covid.

☆ FDA advises parents not to use infant head shaping pillows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Parents should not use infant head shaping pillows to change a baby’s head shape or symmetry, the Food and Drug Administration advised on Thursday. Head shaping pillows typically look like a small mat that slopes downward in the middle to an indent or hole designed to cradle the back of an infant’s head. Not all such pillows are labeled as "head shaping" — some are called baby head support pillows, head cushions, flat head pillows, or anti-flat head pillows. According to the FDA, marketing claims for head shaping pillows commonly suggest that they can improve an infant’s head shape and symmetry or prevent or treat flat head syndrome. The FDA also urged health care providers to discourage the use of infant head shaping pillows and to educate parents on the risks associated with them.

☆ Don’t use infant head shaping pillows, FDA warns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Raenu Charles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“The FDA is not aware of any demonstrated benefit with the use of infant head shaping pillows for any medical purpose,” the agency said in a statement. “If you own an infant head shaping pillow, throw it away; do not donate or give it to anyone else,” the agency said. For health care providers, the FDA recommends they discourage the use of infant head shaping pillows, and ensure that patients understand the risk of infant death with use. Infant head shaping pillows are easily available, and found at many major infant retailers according to Dr. Sarah Schaffer, pediatrician at the National Children’s Hospital. “Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), which includes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is the leading cause of injury death in infancy,” said the American Academy of Pediatrics on their website.

☆ New RSV vaccines may soon put an end to rough seasons
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The monoclonal antibody, Synagis, is given monthly during RSV season to protect preemies and other high-risk babies. In the failed RSV vaccine trial, the chemical the researchers used to deactivate the virus denatured its proteins – essentially flattening them. Four companies have RSV vaccines for adults in the final phases of human trials: Pfizer and GSK are testing vaccines for pregnant women as well as seniors. Janssen, Pfizer and GSK each appear effective at preventing infections in adults for the first RSV season after the vaccine. The vaccines for pregnant women are meant to get newborns through their first RSV season.

The trial over Arkansas’ ban on gender-affirming care for trans children recently began. As vulnerable children await to hear if their bodily autonomy will be stripped away, we should remember that cisgender children seek gender-affirming care with relatively little social stigma attached. The care that I received is just one small example of the gender-affirming care that cisgender folks receive regularly. The care that I received is just one small example of the gender-affirming care that cisgender folks receive regularly. And a recent viral interview between Jon Stewart and Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge about her state’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth points to a large part of the problem.

☆ Opinion | Science Has a Nasty Photoshopping Problem
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Elisabeth Bik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

One evening in January 2014, I sat at my computer at home, sifting through scientific papers. Manipulated imagery in scientific papers can look ordinary at first glance. However, this ability, combined with my — what some might call obsessive — personality, helped me when hunting duplications in scientific images by eye. So when a scientist’s research shows a negative result, cheating can be tempting. Legitimate criticism of scientific research should receive legal protection.

☆ Omicron subvariants resistant to key antibody treatments are increasing every week in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Two omicron subvariants that are resistant to key antibody treatments are on the rise in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It now represents about 50% of infections in the U.S., down from 60% the week prior, according to the data. President Joe Biden this week cautioned people with compromised immune systems that they were particularly at risk this winter because antibody treatments are not effective against emerging subvariants. Jha has said the boosters should offer better protection than the old shots because these subvariants are descended from BA.5, which is contained in the updated vaccines. "It is reasonable to expect based on what we know about immunology and the science of this virus that these new vaccines will provide better protection against infection, better protection against transmission and ongoing and better protection against serious illness," Jha told reporters in September.

☆ Omicron subvariants are resistant to key antibody treatments, putting people with weak immune systems at risk of Covid
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Emerging omicron subvariants are resistant to key antibody treatments for HIV patients, kidney transplant recipients and other immunocompromised people, making them particularly vulnerable to Covid this winter, the White House warned this week. While this may be true for the general population, it is not the case for people with weak immune systems. Evusheld is an antibody cocktail authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent Covid in people ages 12 and older who have moderately or severely compromised immune systems. Evusheld, made by AstraZeneca , has helped fill a gap in protection for those with weak immune systems who cannot mount a strong response to the vaccines. Jha acknowledged at the White House on Tuesday that the U.S. has dwindling treatment and prevention options for people with weak immune systems as Covid evolves.

☆ U.S. government to test Pfizer's Paxlovid for long COVID
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

According to details of the study, posted on Clinicaltrials.gov, the randomized, placebo-controlled trial will test Pfizer's treatment or a placebo in 1,700 volunteers aged 18 and older. The trial will investigate a leading theory of the cause of long COVID, which holds that fragments of the virus persist in the tissues of some individuals, causing prolonged symptoms. Patients in several case studies have reported improvements in their symptoms after taking Pfizer's antiviral treatment, and several physicians have called for the drug to be studied in a large, scientifically rigorous study in patients with long COVID. Estimates of long COVID prevalence range from 5 to 50% of people who have had a COVID-19 infection. It affects people who have had both mild and severe COVID-19, including children, and can be severe enough to keep people out of work.

It’s the first time in 50 years that a federal grant has been given to study a psychedelic drug as a possible treatment. The study, a randomized controlled trial expected to start later this year, will investigate whether psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms,” can help people quit smoking tobacco. Hopkins researchers will lead the trial, which will be done in collaboration with researchers at NYU Langone Health and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In a study published in August, researchers found that psilocybin helped drinkers reduce alcohol cravings. Typically in studies using psychedelics, participants receive the drug during a monitored session with a therapist, which can last hours.

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