Category: chronic disease
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STAT+: Omada reports first profitable quarter as it seizes broad GLP-1 opportunity
STAT+: Omada reports first profitable quarter as it seizes broad GLP-1 opportunity Digital chronic care company Omada reported a quarterly profit for the first time since going public less than a year ago, the company revealed while announcing its full year 2025 earnings Thursday. Omada also provided earnings guidance for 2026, suggesting the company will…
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Surgeon general nominee and senator face off over vaccines and ‘shared decision-making’
Surgeon general nominee and senator face off over vaccines and ‘shared decision-making’ An eight-minute exchange at the end of Casey Means’ two-hour confirmation hearing captured the potential and the predicament the MAHA movement has created for itself. Means, an entrepreneurial wellness influencer with a medical degree from Stanford, appeared on Wednesday at the Senate health…
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STAT+: Kennedy says he’ll act on legal challenge to ultra-processed foods
STAT+: Kennedy says he’ll act on legal challenge to ultra-processed foods Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the starting gun in a challenge to the food industry on Sunday, announcing on CBS’ “60 Minutes” that he plans to act on a plan outlined by former Food and Drug Administration chief David Kessler to overhaul…
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We tested the government’s official new AI nutrition tool: Grok
We tested the government’s official new AI nutrition tool: Grok How trustworthy is the new U.S. food pyramid? It’s a mixed bag, according to the government website devoted to that pyramid. Kyle Diamantas, head of the Human Foods Program at the Food and Drug Administration, alerted the public this week to a generative artificial intelligence…
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STAT+: FDA officials push for long-term monitoring of autoimmune patients receiving CAR-T therapy
STAT+: FDA officials push for long-term monitoring of autoimmune patients receiving CAR-T therapy Food and Drug Administration officials are advising drug developers to study the long-term effects of using CAR-T to treat patients with autoimmune conditions, out of concern the therapies could cause cancer or fertility issues. The recommendations were outlined in an op-ed published…
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Dietary guidelines declare war on processed foods and sugar, encourage more protein and dairy
Dietary guidelines declare war on processed foods and sugar, encourage more protein and dairy The Trump administration on Wednesday issued a long-promised revamp of national dietary guidelines, urging Americans to eat more protein and less added sugar and, for the first time, discouraging consumption of highly processed foods. The guidelines, despite widespread expectations, do not…
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New vaccine schedule adds near- and long-term risks for children, experts warn
New vaccine schedule adds near- and long-term risks for children, experts warn WASHINGTON — When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assumed the role of health secretary almost one year ago, he said he had one overriding goal: to improve children’s health. But Kennedy’s sudden, unilateral, and sweeping change to the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule, announced Monday,…
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In 2026, Kennedy’s MAHA vision gets put to the test. Here are 3 issues to watch
In 2026, Kennedy’s MAHA vision gets put to the test. Here are 3 issues to watch In many ways, it’s been a banner year for chronic disease. America’s enduring ailments became a central theme of the Trump administration, with health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wielding his influence over the president. Trump created a commission…
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Free pass or failing grade for saturated fats? Review sets off scientific and political debate
Free pass or failing grade for saturated fats? Review sets off scientific and political debate Saturated fats are having a moment, one that has ensnared researchers in a political debate they never intended to enter. A new systematic review of 17 randomized clinical trials found that reducing intake of saturated fats reduced the chance of serious cardiovascular…
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As vaccine panel prepares hepatitis B review, CDC and industry experts are excluded
As vaccine panel prepares hepatitis B review, CDC and industry experts are excluded WASHINGTON — The federal government’s vaccine advisory panel is scheduled to review the hepatitis B vaccine this week. But experts on the shot — both in and outside of the government — told STAT they’ve been shut out of the process. Makers…
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STAT+: FDA approves Otsuka kidney disease therapy
STAT+: FDA approves Otsuka kidney disease therapy The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the first drug from an emerging class of medicines for patients with chronic, autoimmune kidney disease, according to a notice on the agency’s website. The new drug, called Voyxact, is made by Otsuka, the Japanese pharmaceutical company. U.S. regulators cleared…
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STAT+: Trump administration lists 16 new CDC initiatives, from hepatitis B testing to bolstering workforce
STAT+: Trump administration lists 16 new CDC initiatives, from hepatitis B testing to bolstering workforce WASHINGTON — Trump administration officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laid out 16 strategic initiatives this week, many of them bolstering health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s priorities, according to an internal agency memo obtained by STAT.…
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New AHA leader sees AI as way to address cardiology’s blind spot: women
New AHA leader sees AI as way to address cardiology’s blind spot: women NEW ORLEANS — Stacey Rosen is a cardiologist who has been coming to American Heart Association meetings for 30 years. Executive director of Northwell’s Katz Institute for Women’s Health, she is also senior vice president of Women’s Health at Northwell, a professor…
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STAT+: Cassidy drops into Liver Meeting to talk of shutdown, insurance overhaul and vaccines
STAT+: Cassidy drops into Liver Meeting to talk of shutdown, insurance overhaul and vaccines WASHINGTON — On day 39 of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he is still working toward finding bipartisan compromise on health care costs. In a surprise appearance Saturday at the annual American Association for…
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STAT+: Francis Collins issues call to action at Liver Meeting
STAT+: Francis Collins issues call to action at Liver Meeting Francis Collins, the former NIH director, tells liver researcher that the partisanship that has pervaded science “is really a dangerous sign for the future of our society.” Isabella Cueto and Katherine MacPhail Go to statnews
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STAT+: Merck’s pill to reduce cholesterol on top of statins matches results from injectables
STAT+: Merck’s pill to reduce cholesterol on top of statins matches results from injectables NEW ORLEANS — A pill designed to further lower cholesterol in people already on statins but at risk of a serious cardiovascular event — their first or a recurrence — reduced LDL cholesterol by up to 60%, a new late-stage trial…
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STAT+: Amgen’s cholesterol shot prevented first heart attacks and strokes, more detailed data affirm
STAT+: Amgen’s cholesterol shot prevented first heart attacks and strokes, more detailed data affirm NEW ORLEANS — A cholesterol-lowering injection that’s been on the market for nearly a decade has now shown its power to cut cardiovascular events in people considered at high risk but who haven’t yet suffered a heart attack or stroke. A…
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STAT+: UnitedHealthcare drops remote monitoring coverage in defiance of Medicare policies
STAT+: UnitedHealthcare drops remote monitoring coverage in defiance of Medicare policies Beginning in January, UnitedHealthcare will no longer pay physicians to remotely monitor the data that patients collect at home about chronic conditions like hypertension. The updated medical policies for both Medicare and commercial health plans from the country’s largest insurer were posted in September…
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STAT+: Seven burning questions about Trump’s big deal for cheaper weight loss drugs
STAT+: Seven burning questions about Trump’s big deal for cheaper weight loss drugs WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s deal to expand access to and lower the cost of weight loss drugs has left industry leaders, public health experts, and patients with a host of open questions. The administration’s agreements with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk…
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STAT+: Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly
STAT+: Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is nearing deals with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the prices of their weight loss drugs and expand access to them, people familiar with the talks told STAT. The companies have been close to…
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When SNAP benefits run out, ‘people can die,’ say health experts
When SNAP benefits run out, ‘people can die,’ say health experts Millions of Americans are set to lose access to food benefits starting Saturday because of the government shutdown, with at least 25 states telling recipients they won’t receive checks for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in November. Health care experts warn that families…
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STAT+: For heart health, physical activity favors women
STAT+: For heart health, physical activity favors women When it comes to reaping heart health benefits from physical activity, women saw bigger drops than men in their risk of developing coronary heart disease when they followed or exceeded weekly exercise recommendations. And as a new study published Monday in Nature Cardiovascular Research reports, they needed…
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CDC team running top survey on health and nutrition is laid off
CDC team running top survey on health and nutrition is laid off Protecting the nation’s public health demands data, whether it be new measles cases, a surge in ER visits, or shifting patterns in obesity. The most recent job cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention threaten the mostly unseen foundation of that…
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Opinion: Drug developers shouldn’t shortchange the autoimmune community
Opinion: Drug developers shouldn’t shortchange the autoimmune community My teenage years were ravaged by severe autoimmune disease. In that era, the burdens of treatment for Crohn’s disease rivaled the misery of the affliction. My illness brought searing stomach pain, fatigue, and fistulas. The steroids my physician prescribed caused breakouts of cystic acne all over my…
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Warning: Serious cardiovascular events don’t come out of the blue
Warning: Serious cardiovascular events don’t come out of the blue Heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes don’t come out of nowhere, a new study concludes. The first time they strike, patients, clinicians, and researchers might think there were no red flags. But a prospective cohort study reports that more than 99% of people who experienced…
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Fear and politics pervade Kennedy’s CDC, former leaders testify
Fear and politics pervade Kennedy’s CDC, former leaders testify The nation’s top health agency is not well, according to a portrait that emerged in testimony Wednesday by two of its former leaders. Susan Monarez, abruptly fired 29 days into her tenure as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Debra Houry, who…
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STAT+: Surgeon general nominee Casey Means discloses financial ties to supplement industry
STAT+: Surgeon general nominee Casey Means discloses financial ties to supplement industry WASHINGTON — New financial disclosures from surgeon general nominee Casey Means show that she’s made hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting supplements and other health and wellness products, details likely to invite new scrutiny about potential conflicts of interest for the author and…
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Risk of dying from chronic disease in the U.S. declined, but there are caveats, study says
Risk of dying from chronic disease in the U.S. declined, but there are caveats, study says The popular sentiment that Americans’ health is on a hellish downward spiral may not be true — or at least not entirely — according to a new study of global death data. From 2010 to 2019, the risk of…
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Opinion: RFK Jr. ally’s ‘smoking gun’ study on vaccines and chronic illness is fundamentally flawed
Opinion: RFK Jr. ally’s ‘smoking gun’ study on vaccines and chronic illness is fundamentally flawed On Tuesday, Aaron Siri, personal lawyer and close adviser to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., presented his “smoking gun” at a Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hearing on vaccine science. Siri, who has represented Kennedy in multiple lawsuits against federal health…
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7 burning questions for RFK Jr. as he faces senators on CDC turmoil and more
7 burning questions for RFK Jr. as he faces senators on CDC turmoil and more WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to testify before Congress on Thursday as he continues to face a political firestorm that might determine his future in the Trump administration. Senators will have an opportunity to grill…
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STAT+: Alnylam’s hypertension treatment did not significantly lower blood pressure in mid-stage study
STAT+: Alnylam’s hypertension treatment did not significantly lower blood pressure in mid-stage study An investigational therapy from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals did not significantly lower blood pressure in a key Phase 2 trial, raising questions about the benefit of the twice-a-year treatment as it enters late-stage testing. Among high-risk patients already taking at least two common hypertension…
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What updated thresholds for statin use could mean for patients
What updated thresholds for statin use could mean for patients It’s a math problem with life-and-death consequences. When a new and improved model for estimating the risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease emerged in November 2023, the calculator won raves for drawing on a larger, more contemporary, and more diverse population of Americans than its…
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STAT+: How Trump may use Democrats’ drug-price negotiation law
STAT+: How Trump may use Democrats’ drug-price negotiation law You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’m happy to report that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver did a segment on…
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Draft of major MAHA report calls for more education, less regulation — and offers few policies
Draft of major MAHA report calls for more education, less regulation — and offers few policies WASHINGTON — A much-awaited game plan for how the Trump administration will make Americans healthier largely steers clear of policy recommendations, instead calling for more research on nutrition, agricultural chemicals, and “potential benefits of select high-quality supplements,” among other…
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Lowering blood pressure reduces dementia risk, new guideline affirms
Lowering blood pressure reduces dementia risk, new guideline affirms A study in rural China demonstrating the power of intensive blood pressure control clinched the deal. The large, cluster-randomized controlled trial convincingly demonstrated that well-controlled blood pressure — below 130/80 mm Hg — lowered the risk of dementia by 15% and cognitive impairment by 16%. That was…
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STAT+: Insmed’s lung disease drug approved in the U.S.
STAT+: Insmed’s lung disease drug approved in the U.S. Insmed on Tuesday received Food and Drug Administration clearance for the first treatment for a chronic lung disease, opening the biotech up to what could be a multibillion-dollar product. Insmed will sell the daily pill, brensocatib, under the brand name Brinsupri for bronchiectasis. The approval comes…
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STAT+: Preventive care panel could be restructured ‘imminently’ as RFK Jr. vets new members
STAT+: Preventive care panel could be restructured ‘imminently’ as RFK Jr. vets new members WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could “imminently” overhaul a key federal advisory panel that recommends which preventive services insurers must pay for, according to a person familiar with the plans. The person said that federal health officials are…
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Why MAHA’s push on Coca-Cola and ice cream is ‘nutritionally hilarious’
Why MAHA’s push on Coca-Cola and ice cream is ‘nutritionally hilarious’ Pop quiz: What’s Coca-Cola with cane sugar and ice cream made with natural dyes? Answer: Coca-Cola and ice cream. Getting Coca-Cola to use cane sugar rather than corn syrup and ice cream manufacturers to stop their use of synthetic dyes are the latest achievements…
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Trump administration cuts undocumented immigrants’ access to range of federally funded programs
Trump administration cuts undocumented immigrants’ access to range of federally funded programs WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday announced it would further curtail undocumented immigrants’ access to federally funded programs, including health care clinics, early childhood education, and nutritional support. The decision reverses a federal practice that has been in place for decades, and is…
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Nearly 1 in 3 teens have prediabetes, CDC finds, in ‘wake-up call’
Nearly 1 in 3 teens have prediabetes, CDC finds, in ‘wake-up call’ About 1 in 3 young people who are 12 to 17 years old have prediabetes, new national data show, putting them at risk not just for type 2 diabetes but also for heart disease and stroke. Developing chronic diseases early in life also…
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STAT+: Cogent Biosciences drug improves symptoms of chronic immune disorder, study results show
STAT+: Cogent Biosciences drug improves symptoms of chronic immune disorder, study results show Cogent Biosciences said Monday that its experimental drug reduced the symptoms of a chronic immune disorder called indolent systemic mastocytosis. The results mean the drug achieved the goals of a Phase 3 study, but a comparison to a rival treatment from Blueprint…
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STAT+: HHS to continue funding cancer prevention, tracking work in states after uncertainty
STAT+: HHS to continue funding cancer prevention, tracking work in states after uncertainty WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services will renew funding to states for cancer prevention and tracking efforts, alleviating anxieties among local officials about the future of their work. Over 50 notices had gone out as of Monday, an HHS spokesperson…
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STAT+: New study challenges understanding of how age, chronic diseases and inflammation are linked
STAT+: New study challenges understanding of how age, chronic diseases and inflammation are linked Reducing inflammation has become all the rage lately, with many medical experts pointing to anti-inflammatory diets and other lifestyle changes as ways people can reduce their risk of chronic disease as they age. But a new study suggests that inflammation’s effects…
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STAT+: GLP-1 drug helped type 1 diabetes patients keep healthy glucose levels and lose weight
STAT+: GLP-1 drug helped type 1 diabetes patients keep healthy glucose levels and lose weight Obesity drugs were first approved to treat type 2 diabetes, but there’s a growing movement to test them in type 1 diabetes, too. Research presented Monday at a large diabetes meeting showed some promise for this approach. Patients who took…
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STAT+: Off-the-shelf stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes continues to show positive results
STAT+: Off-the-shelf stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes continues to show positive results Twelve people with type 1 diabetes who received an investigational off-the-shelf stem cell therapy were able to produce their own insulin and keep healthy blood glucose levels for at least one year, Vertex Pharmaceuticals said Friday. After three months, none of…
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s chronic disease agency would eliminate or reduce funding for some prevention programs
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s chronic disease agency would eliminate or reduce funding for some prevention programs Budget documents released by the Trump administration Friday provide the first clear indication of the priorities of a proposed new agency focused on preventing chronic disease. The Administration for a Healthy America would absorb multiple federal agencies and existing programs,…
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STAT+: As Omada goes public, executives reflect on why profits are elusive in digital health
STAT+: As Omada goes public, executives reflect on why profits are elusive in digital health Fourteen years after launching to help make a dent in the United States’ swelling chronic disease problem, Omada Health went public on Friday, raising $150 million at just over a $1 billion valuation. Before going public, Omada raised $450 million…
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GLP-1 drugs may be linked to elevated risk of serious eye disease, study finds
GLP-1 drugs may be linked to elevated risk of serious eye disease, study finds People with diabetes who were taking GLP-1 drugs had a low but elevated risk of an age-related eye disease that can sometimes lead to blindness, a new observational study concludes, adding to a short list of concerns about eye health in…
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STAT+: Taurine, a darling of longevity seekers, is found to be unreliable biomarker for aging
STAT+: Taurine, a darling of longevity seekers, is found to be unreliable biomarker for aging Vijay Yadav warned people not to start downing taurine — an amino acid abundant in plants, animals and some energy drinks — just because his mice and monkey study suggested it might be an elixir for long life. But that…
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White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.’s MAHA report
White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.’s MAHA report WASHINGTON — The White House will fix errors in a much-anticipated federal government report spearheaded by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which decried America’s food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs. Kennedy’s wide-ranging “Make America Healthy Again” report, released last week, cited hundreds of…
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STAT+: MAHA has a new think tank. The Trump administration is listening
STAT+: MAHA has a new think tank. The Trump administration is listening The Make America Healthy Again movement is coalescing around a new effort to turn its goals into federal policy. The Trump administration is listening. The MAHA Institute, a policy center launched Thursday, is pushing to change the American health and food systems: from…
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STAT+: Trump nominates Casey Means, entrepreneurial doctor and MAHA leader, for surgeon general
STAT+: Trump nominates Casey Means, entrepreneurial doctor and MAHA leader, for surgeon general The health entrepreneur and “Make America Healthy Again” leader Casey Means has been nominated to be the U.S. surgeon general after President Trump pulled his prior nominee suddenly on Wednesday. Means, an M.D. and author who runs a holistic wellness blog and…
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Rural health study is told it’s losing federal funds, and other major heart studies are worried
Rural health study is told it’s losing federal funds, and other major heart studies are worried Vasan Ramachandran is baffled. A cardiologist and veteran of the famed Framingham Heart Study, he is struggling to understand why a similar study he brought to life in 10 rural counties across four Southern states is facing elimination. The…
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Studies zoom in on clues to why Lyme disease persists and which antibiotic to prescribe
Studies zoom in on clues to why Lyme disease persists and which antibiotic to prescribe It starts with the ticks. These insects infect people with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, microbes that are complicated to study, difficult to detect when they cause illness, and challenging to treat so they don’t linger in the human…
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STAT+: Former Trump official warns president he’s at risk of ruining his legacy on ending HIV
STAT+: Former Trump official warns president he’s at risk of ruining his legacy on ending HIV WASHINGTON — The health official who helped convince President Trump during his first term that it’s possible to end the HIV epidemic in the United States is now imploring the president to stay the course, as funding cuts threaten…
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Food companies agree to phase out synthetic dyes, handing MAHA a victory
Food companies agree to phase out synthetic dyes, handing MAHA a victory Food manufacturers will phase out eight synthetic dyes from all U.S. products by the end of 2026, the federal government announced today in a move that reflects the growing reach of the Make America Healthy Again movement. Decrying the “toxic soup of synthetic…
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‘The same Bobby Kennedy’: How RFK Jr.’s vaccine criticism came rushing back
‘The same Bobby Kennedy’: How RFK Jr.’s vaccine criticism came rushing back WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downplayed his past criticism of vaccines as he sought to become the nation’s health secretary. Now, just two months after winning confirmation, he’s frequently returning to rhetoric from his time as perhaps the most prominent vaccine critic…
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STAT+: Trump to end federal funding of certain non-medical services in Medicaid
STAT+: Trump to end federal funding of certain non-medical services in Medicaid WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Thursday that it will no longer help states fund non-medical services that often are aimed at improving housing and nutrition for people in the Medicaid program. The change is a departure from the Biden administration’s efforts to…