Troubling but perhaps predictable news is traveling from a vanity trend-setting capital of this country: Hollywood stars have made the taking of a relatively new prescription drug, targeted for the treatment of diabetes, into a fad. The injectable drug semaglutide, whose brand name is Ozempic, has become a must-have among A-listers because of one of its….
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Appellate judges zero in on corporate twists of bankruptcy shield
Federal appeals judges have expressed skepticism about the scheming by Big Pharma and other big corporations to twist U.S. bankruptcy laws to let wealthy, powerful defendants shield themselves from major claims of harms filed by plaintiffs seeking justice in civil courts. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia has been asked….
Continue ReadingSome sensible guidance on exercise, diet, sleep and weight gain
We’re barraged by so much health hokum that it’s a relief when common-sense reminders come along about crucial wellness concerns like exercise, diet, and sleep. Timely information on these issues has been reported by the Washington Post (here on movement myths and here on sleep and weight), the Athletic on a soccer nutritionist’s insights on….
Continue ReadingIt’s past time for Congress to reconsider propriety of FDA ‘user fees’
Members of Congress, as usual, are racing to meet a deadline: This time, to determine the funding for the federal Food and Drug Administration, an agency with some of the most consequential responsibilities affecting Americans’ health. In their furious political and financial machinations, though, lawmakers aren’t asking the tough, critical question about the FDA’s leading….
Continue ReadingStrike by 15,000 in Minnesota a clear sign of growing crisis in nursing
The coronavirus pandemic has not only caused sustained damage to the U.S. health workforce, it also apparently has accelerated a looming crisis in nursing care, as has been shown by a three-day strike by 15,000 private-sector nurses in Minnesota. Theirs was the largest such walkout by nurses and it sought to underscore how pay inequities,….
Continue ReadingTwo U.S. regulatory agencies rip nursing homes for sketchy debt collection
Two federal regulatory agencies have rebuked nursing homes and their debt collectors, warning them that they may be breaking the law with sketchy efforts to make loved ones and friends pay for the care of sick, injured, and debilitated residents in long-term facilities. Bottom line: A lot of the forms that you may sign for….
Continue ReadingWhen Big Pharma opens its big checkbook, life-saving disclosures vanish
Big Pharma loves to blast away at opposition lawyers and their clients, criticizing them for seeking justice in the civil system over claims of significant harms. But, c’mon, man, as a certain top political leader likes to say to express his flabbergasted skepticism. Wealthy corporations and their counsel marshal enormous, costly legal resources to bully,….
Continue ReadingU.S. judge cites religious freedoms in striking down insurance coverage for HIV drugs
While increasing numbers of Americans tell pollsters that they are forgoing religion and seeing its practice diminish in importance in their lives, those with religious fervor are finding a federal judiciary willing to delve into the complexity of faith and medicine in deeply polarizing ways. The looming midterm elections, pollsters say, already have been upended….
Continue ReadingWhite House conference, first in 50 years, will focus on diet and nutrition
The Biden Administration this month will tackle one of the major, persistent challenges that perplexes and damages the health and well-being of most regular folks: what they eat, as well as their regular sources of food. The scheduled Sept. 28 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health will be only the second of its kind….
Continue ReadingMedicine struggles with hype, disinformation, and miscommunication
The quality of medical-scientific information is strained — and patients should know this, be warned, and watch for ways to protect themselves from bungled communication, bluster, hype, misinformation, and disinformation. Although regular folks may have unprecedented access via the internet to resources on medical services and developments, a trio of recent news articles underscore the….
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