March 3, 2025
March 3, 2025
Psychedelic drug studies face a potent source of bias: the ‘trip’
(Science) – Innovative trial designs aim to separate participant expectations from drug effects This “functional unblinding” is not unique to psychedelics, but it’s especially pronounced in this drug class. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expressed concern about … Read More
March 3, 2025
Out-of-balance bacteria is linked to multiple sclerosis − the ratio can predict severity of disease
(The Conversation) – Scientists have long suspected that gut bacteria may influence a person’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis. But studies so far have had inconsistent findings. To address these inconsistencies, my colleagues and I used what researchers call a … Read More
March 3, 2025
As measles outbreak grows, HHS secretary says vaccination is a personal decision that can protect individuals and communities
(CNN) – As a measles outbreak in Texas has grown to nearly 150 cases, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in an opinion piece on Fox News on Sunday that parents should consult with health-care … Read More
March 3, 2025
States Facing Doctor Shortages Ease Licensing Rules for Foreign-Trained Physicians
(KFF Health News) – A growing number of states have made it easier for doctors who trained in other countries to get medical licenses, a shift supporters say could ease physician shortages in rural areas. The changes involve residency programs … Read More
March 3, 2025
DR Congo conflict: 500 mpox patients flee clinics after rebel looting
(BBC) – More than 500 mpox patients have fled clinics in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo over the last month amid the current conflict. Officials at Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), a leading health agency on … Read More
March 3, 2025
Mystery disease in Congo may be from poisoned water source, WHO says. Here’s what to know.
(CBS News) – A mystery illness that has caused dozens of deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo appears to from a “poisoning of a water source,” according to the World Health Organization. The WHO’s head of emergencies Mike Ryan … Read More
March 3, 2025
Prolific blood donor who saved 2.4 million babies dies at 88
(NBC News) – An Australian man credited with saving more than 2 million babies through decades of regular blood and plasma donations has died at age 88. James Harrison, whose blood contained a rare antibody, died in his sleep Feb. … Read More
March 3, 2025
Former NIH director Francis Collins retires
(Axios) – Former National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins unexpectedly retired on Friday, writing in a statement that employees of the government’s biomedical research institution “deserve the utmost respect and support of all Americans.” Why it matters: The noted … Read More
March 3, 2025
High maternity costs hit Black and Hispanic patients hardest: study
(Axios) – Black and Hispanic people paid more in out-of-pocket costs for maternal care than Asian and white people with the same commercial insurance, a new study published in JAMA Health Forum found. Why it matters: Black mothers in the … Read More
March 3, 2025
Texas Official Warns Against ‘Measles Parties’ Amid Growing Outbreak
(Wired) – A Texas health authority is warning against “measles parties” as the outbreak in West Texas grew to at least 146 cases, with 20 hospitalized and one unvaccinated school-age child dead. The outbreak continues to be mainly in unvaccinated … Read More
February 28, 2025
Oura Ring Just Made a Major Upgrade for Women’s Health. Here’s What’s New
(CNet) – With a pregnancy study and a smarter cycle-tracking approach, Oura is delivering more accurate health insights If you track your health with wearable tech, you’ll know that pregnancy and menstrual cycles have long been limited in the insights … Read More
February 28, 2025
Detroit woman suing police, claiming faulty facial recognition technology led to unjust arrest
(NBC News) – Faulty use of facial recognition technology led to the unjust arrest of a Detroit woman, she said in a federal lawsuit, claiming police failed to ask basic questions that could’ve cleared her on the spot. LaDonna Crutchfield, … Read More
February 28, 2025
New Treatments Give Hope to Patients With One of the Deadliest Cancers
(Wall Street Journal) – Half of all pancreatic cancer patients live less than a year after diagnosis. But researchers say there is potential for change. Researchers estimate by 2030 that deaths will overtake those for colorectal cancer, as other cancers … Read More
February 28, 2025
The US May Start Vaccinating Chickens Against Bird Flu
(Wired) – As part of a new $1 billion plan to address bird flu in poultry and lower egg prices across the country, US secretary of agriculture Brooke Rollins announced Wednesday that the Department of Agriculture is considering vaccinating chickens … Read More
February 28, 2025
OpenAI Launches GPT-4.5 for ChatGPT—It’s Huge and Compute-Intensive
(Wired) – GPT-4.5 is here, and OpenAI’s newest generative AI model is bigger and more compute-intensive than ever—it’s supposedly also better at understanding what ChatGPT users mean with their prompts. Users who want to be part of the first wave … Read More
February 28, 2025
Pig organs in people: The future of cross-species transplants
(Knowable Magazine) – Can genetically modified animals help ease the shortage of organs? After years of research into xenotransplantation, the field is at a turning point — yet risks and ethical issues remain. Over the past few years, a handful … Read More
February 28, 2025
Rose Girone, Oldest Holocaust Survivor, Dies at 113
(New York Times) – She fled Nazi Germany in 1939 with her husband and baby only to be forced into a Jewish ghetto in Shanghai. Still, she would often say, “Aren’t we lucky?” Ms. Girone was believed to be the … Read More
February 28, 2025
U.S. Terminates Funding for Polio, H.I.V., Malaria and Nutrition Programs Around the World
(New York Times) – “This award is being terminated for convenience and the interest of the U.S. government,” they began. The terse notes ended funding for some 5,800 projects that had been financed by the United States Agency for International … Read More
February 27, 2025
Antiaging pill for dogs clears key FDA hurdle
(Washington Post via MSN) – Dog owners do many things to keep their companions happy and healthy. They could soon add an antiaging pill to their pooch’s regimen of walks, vet visits and belly rubs. Loyal, a biotech start-up based … Read More
February 27, 2025
Organ Transplant System ‘in Chaos’ as Waiting Lists Are Ignored
(New York Times) – The sickest patients are supposed to get priority for lifesaving transplants. But more and more, they are being skipped over. For decades, fairness has been the guiding principle of the American organ transplant system. Its bedrock, … Read More
February 27, 2025
‘They forced me to stand for hours in the cold, arms raised and shackled’: eight Gaza doctors on their Israeli prison ordeal
(The Guardian) – Senior doctors and surgeons describe the torture, starvation, humiliation and denial of medical care they endured while being held without charge Many days I was tied to a chair in the interrogation room for maybe 15 hours. … Read More
February 27, 2025
Google Pixel Watch 3 can detect loss of pulse and call 911
(Mashable) – Google has secured FDA clearance for its first-to-market pulse detection feature intended to aid smartwatch wearers who may experience isolated medical emergencies. Powered by an AI-based algorithm and a device “multipath heart rate sensor,” the smartwatch can detect … Read More
February 27, 2025
U.S. will spend up to $1 billion to combat bird flu, USDA secretary says
(NBC News) – The virus has also infected nearly 1,000 dairy herds and almost 70 people, including one death, since early 2024. The USDA will spend up to $500 million to provide free biosecurity audits to farms and $400 million … Read More
February 27, 2025
Humanoid Robots Finally Get Real Jobs
(Wall Street Journal) – While their jobs may be straightforward and menial, these “Digit” robots are a direct replacement for the humans who would otherwise be doing this work. They are also a flexible bridge between the other less versatile automated … Read More
