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DOJ pulls support for transgender Georgia prisoner
ATLANTA — The U.S. Department of Justice has pulled its support for a transgender Georgia prisoner to receive state-funded gender-affirming surgery, criticizing former President Joe Biden’s administration for what it says was favoring politics over the law.
On Friday, the DOJ withdrew its statement of interest in the prisoner’s lawsuit ...Read more

Greater share of US losing faith in health guidance, poll says
WASHINGTON — About 44% of U.S. adults say they expect to lose trust in government health recommendations over the next four years because of federal leadership changes, according to a poll published Tuesday from Harvard University and the de Beaumont Foundation.
Researchers asked 3,343 adults online and on the phone about their reaction to ...Read more

Trump administration retreats from 100% withholding on Social Security clawbacks
The Social Security Administration is backing off a plan it announced in March to withhold 100% of many beneficiaries’ monthly payments to claw back money the government had allegedly overpaid them.
Instead, the agency will default to withholding 50% of old-age, survivors, and disability insurance benefits, the agency said in an “emergency ...Read more

RFK Jr. exaggerates share of autistic population with severe limitations
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attracted notice — and in some quarters, outrage — for remarks about autism, a topic he’s clashed with scientists about for years.
Kennedy held an April 16 press conference pegged to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that found the prevalence of autism ...Read more

Diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age 44, a reporter shared his battle with viewers. Now, he's at a turning point
CHICAGO — Almost exactly a year after he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, WGN-TV reporter Mike Lowe’s cell phone pinged as he drove to work early last week.
It was a message from his doctor — the results of his latest colonoscopy, a test meant to show whether six weeks of radiation and four months of chemotherapy had worked. The ...Read more
Are you misusing your ADHD meds?
Around 16 to 20 million U.S. adults are taking prescription stimulants for ADHD -- and about 4 million of them are either misusing their Rx or have what's called prescription stimulant use disorder (PSUD), according to a new study in JAMA Psychiatry.
About three-quarters of the folks who are struggling with serious abuse of ADHD medication are ...Read more
'Reasonable' A1C Levels Might Differ Based On The Patient
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 71-year-old male with Type 2 diabetes. My last A1C test showed a value of 7.8%. I have been taking Mounjaro weekly, which lowered my weight by about 20 pounds and my A1C level by about 0.5%. I also take diltiazem for hypertension, a statin, and one metformin pill per day. I read an article in the newspaper stating that ...Read more
Homeopathy for Creativity: Natural Supplements to Boost Your Artistic Flow
• Anacardium: Anacardium, derived from the marking nut, is a homeopathic remedy that may help stimulate creativity and enhance concentration. It can be beneficial for individuals experiencing mental blocks or self-doubt that hinder their creative expression.
• Kali Bromatum: Kali Bromatum, prepared from potassium bromide, is a ...Read more

Information of more than 9,000 people potentially exposed in Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois data breach
The personal information of more than 9,300 people may have been exposed in a recent data breach at health insurer Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, according to the company.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois became aware of the problem in February, according to a notice posted on the health insurer’s website. An unauthorized ...Read more

What 'Fertilization President' Trump can learn from state efforts to expand IVF access
For nearly three agonizing years, Mariah Freschi and her husband have been trying to have a second baby. The California mother recently underwent surgery to remove her blocked fallopian tubes, leaving in vitro fertilization as her only option to get pregnant. But the cost quoted by her Sacramento-area clinic was $25,000 — out of reach for ...Read more

Medicaid cuts may disproportionately affect Black, Latino doctors and their patients
Los Angeles pediatrician and urgent care specialist Dr. Ilan Shapiro worries for his chronically ill patients as he watches Congress weigh significant cuts to Medicaid.
He thinks of a boy who, before finding Shapiro’s clinic, was in and out of emergency rooms and intensive care units because of severe asthma attacks, instead of competing in ...Read more

Families have to find their own livers because of organ donor shortfall
Christine and Joey Gibson are trying everything to get their infant son a new liver: traveling to three different states to list him with transplant centers, begging on social media and even offering a piece of Joey’s liver in a swap if a compatible donor has someone in their life who needs an organ.
The waitlist for a liver from a deceased ...Read more

Ask the Pediatrician: How online gambling hurts teens and what you can do about it
Not long ago, teens had only a handful of ways to be exposed to gambling. Some might see a caregiver buy lottery tickets, others might watch a family member join fantasy sports leagues and some might encounter gambling on a family trip. Gambling was a behavior that had clear boundaries around it as "adults only."
But online gambling has ...Read more

A Chicago hospital bows to federal pressure on trans care for teens
He’s 17 and lives in the Chicago suburbs. He loves theater and recently helped direct a play at his high school. He takes competitive AP courses and is working on his Eagle Scout project.
And he’s been on a journey for four years.
Once a week, the transgender teen injects testosterone into his body. He’s had his eggs frozen in case he ...Read more

Plaque buildup in the necks of stroke survivors may be loaded with microplastics
Tiny pieces of plastic are infiltrating the large arteries in the neck that carry blood from the heart to the head, with the highest amounts found in fatty buildup in the arteries of stroke survivors, a small study suggests.
The concentration of so-called micronanoplastics in carotid arteries was 51 times higher in plaque from people who'd had ...Read more
Older and stronger
Wouldn't it be great if as you got older your muscles got more and more resistant to damage? Well, listen up.
Research published in the Journal Aging and Physical Activity found that older adults don't experience greater muscle damage, soreness or function loss after exercise than younger exercisers do -- and in some instances, they have less ...Read more
Homeopathy for Test Anxiety: Natural Supplements to Promote Calmness and Focus
• Argentum Nitricum: Argentum Nitricum, derived from silver nitrate, is a homeopathic remedy that may help alleviate test anxiety. It can be beneficial for individuals who experience nervousness, anticipatory anxiety, and fear of failure before exams.
• Gelsemium: Gelsemium, prepared from the yellow jasmine plant, is a homeopathic ...Read more
Homeopathy for Memory Enhancement: Natural Supplements to Boost Cognitive Function
• Bacopa Monnieri: Bacopa Monnieri, also known as Brahmi, is a herb commonly used in homeopathy to enhance memory and cognitive function. It may help improve learning abilities, concentration, and retention of information.
• Phosphorus: Phosphorus is a homeopathic remedy derived from the chemical element phosphorus. It is believed ...Read more
Homeopathy for Public Speaking Anxiety: Natural Supplements to Boost Confidence
• Gelsemium: Gelsemium, derived from the yellow jasmine plant, is a homeopathic remedy that may help reduce nervousness and stage fright associated with public speaking. It can be beneficial for individuals who experience trembling, weakness, and anticipatory anxiety before speaking in front of an audience.
• Argentum Nitricum: ...Read more

Following Atlanta hospital's decision, transgender rights advocates brace for more providers to suspend care for children
ATLANTA — Advocates for transgender children worried a recent decision by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to stop offering gender-affirming care may start a trend among the state’s providers, while advocates on the other side say they hope it does.
Children’s Healthcare is no longer allowing their providers to prescribe treatments to ...Read more
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