Health

GLP-1 drugs have been shown to have benefits beyond weight loss, such as reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, improving outcomes in heart failure, and improving liver health, even in people who don't lose weight.

US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has approved changes to the rules governing the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, broadening its scope to include vaccine safety research, cumulative effects of vaccines, and novel vaccine platforms.

Eating a high-quality plant-rich diet that includes whole grains, vegetables and fruits may prevent cognitive impairment, even when people start that diet in their late 50s and 60s, according to a new study.

Colorectal cancer is increasing in every racial and ethnic group in the US, and 1 in 5 new cases now occurs in patients aged 50 or younger, with Black Americans being disproportionately affected.

Colorado has passed the first law in the US banning arrests based solely on colorimetric drug tests, which have a high false positive rate and can lead to innocent people being arrested and jailed.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has added microplastics, pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and byproducts of disinfectants to the Contaminant Candidate List, which is a list of potential contaminants in public water systems that are not currently regulated, and has also announced a $144 million effort to better measure, understand and remove microplastics from human blood, tissues and organs.

Health and government organizations have spent millions of dollars on advertising that appeared on websites that regularly promote health misinformation, according to a new study by Yale University.

A study presented at the American College of Cardiology conference found that a tailored Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, combined with guidance from a dietitian, can help Black and Hispanic adults with high blood pressure see significant reductions in their blood pressure.

The FDA has approved Eli Lilly's Foundayo, the second GLP-1 pill for weight loss, which can be taken at any time of day and without food and water restrictions, and will cost between $149 and $349 a month out of pocket.

Efforts to reduce unnecessary medical testing have led some hospitals to scale back the use of a decades-old inflammation test known as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or ESR. But new research suggests that the decision may come with unexpected clinical and financial trade-offs.