Six former U.S. surgeons general and other health experts have raised alarms about Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s disregard for evidence-based science, particularly regarding vaccines, warning that his policies threaten the nation's health. The controversy includes concerns over vaccine schedule changes, undermining vaccine recommendations, and the safety of CDC staff amid political tensions.
Medical experts strongly refute claims by Donald Trump linking Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism, emphasizing that credible scientific evidence shows no such connection and that Tylenol remains safe for pregnant women when used as directed.
The article criticizes the classification of obesity as a disease by medical experts and the promotion of weight loss drugs by figures like Oprah. It argues that obesity is not a disease but a result of poor lifestyle choices, and questions the motives behind the classification. The author highlights the potential conflicts of interest in promoting weight loss drugs and accuses medical associations of perpetuating a scam to sell expensive medications.
An 89-year-old man died from a vitamin D overdose, prompting medical experts to warn about the potential dangers of high-dose supplements. The coroner's report revealed that the man had been taking excessive amounts of vitamin D for nine months, leading to hypercalcemia, cardiac, and kidney failure. The coroner criticized the lack of overdose warnings on supplement packaging, and both the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health and Social Care have pledged to review the findings. The Mayo Clinic recommends daily maximums for different age groups and warns that excessive vitamin D intake can lead to harmful symptoms and overdose.
Stomach cancer, a rare form of cancer that mostly affects older individuals, often goes undiagnosed until late stages due to its lack of early symptoms. Medical experts emphasize the importance of being aware of warning signs such as loss of appetite, weight loss, and weakness, and recommend screening for individuals with reflux or ulcer disease. While the disease is often diagnosed late, early detection can significantly improve the chances of curing it, especially through the treatment of conditions like H-pilori.
The World's Best Hospitals 2024 ranking lists the top hospitals in 30 countries, determined by a global board of medical experts using a methodology that includes peer recommendations, patient satisfaction, hospital quality metrics, and PROMs implementation. The ranking, conducted by Statista in partnership with the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement, aims to recognize general hospitals based on publicly available data and expert recommendations. The top global hospitals were determined by the number of international recommendations received in the survey and their national rank, with the U.S. having the most hospitals awarded. The ranking is a reflection of the last calendar year and should be considered alongside other available information about hospitals.
A new study in Science has found evidence of high inflammation in patients with long COVID symptoms, shedding light on the ongoing impact of the condition. The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has called for more research and urgency in understanding and treating long COVID, as medical experts testified about the significant burden of the condition, which can last for months or years. While the cause of long COVID remains unclear, the study's findings may lead to new diagnostic solutions for the syndrome, which currently has no known cure or FDA-approved treatments.
Half of the World Health Organization's transgender health policy committee members lack medical backgrounds, with most being gender activists. Controversial views on puberty blockers and transitioning have sparked concerns about a potential "trans bias" influencing the WHO's influential recommendations. The panel's composition, including activists, lawyers, and a few medical doctors, has raised questions about conflicts of interest and the balance of perspectives. The guidelines being formulated will shape how countries treat gender dysphoria, with some advocating for controversial treatments for children as young as 13.
During the third GOP presidential debate, Vivek Ramaswamy claimed that Ohio's new abortion amendment allows abortion up until the moment of birth without parental consent. However, the amendment does not change Ohio's existing parental notification and consent law, which still requires minors to have parental permission or a judicial exception for an abortion. The law would have to be challenged in court and struck down by the conservative majority state Supreme Court to be overturned. Medical experts also dispute the claim of abortions "until the moment of birth," as terminations later in pregnancy involve medication that induces early birth, which is different from surgical abortion.
Medical experts are urging people to get their flu shot and COVID booster ahead of the fall season, as the combination of both vaccines can help protect against respiratory illnesses. With the flu season approaching and the ongoing threat of COVID-19, health professionals emphasize the importance of vaccination to reduce the risk of severe illness and hospitalization.
Medical experts provide recommendations to prevent swamp crotch, or excessive crotch sweat, during the summer. Suggestions include wearing breathable fabrics like cotton and linen, changing out of sweaty clothes as soon as possible, using anti-fungal powders or antiperspirants specifically designed for the genital area, and consulting a doctor for prescription medications if necessary.
Republican politicians promoting legislation to restrict gender-affirming care for minors have turned to a handful of controversial doctors, all of whom have ties to rightwing groups and little experience treating transgender patients. These doctors have collectively testified in dozens of lawsuits related to trans rights and have connections to organizations that oppose gender transition on religious or moral grounds. Despite the medical consensus about the safety and efficacy of gender-affirming care, their views have contributed to the growing opposition across the US to youth access to such care.
Oral sex is causing an "epidemic" of throat cancer, which is now more common than cervical cancer in the US and the UK, according to medical experts. A new study claims that this has prompted a large rise in a specific type of throat cancer called oropharyngeal cancer, which affects the area of the tonsils and back of the throat. The main cause of this cancer is human papillomavirus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted. People with multiple oral sex partners are up almost nine times more likely to develop the cancer.
A group of medical experts, including infectious disease specialists, have called for the removal of mask requirements in health care facilities, citing the substantial population-level immunity, durable protection against severe disease, and less virulent variants. The small benefits of continuing to require masks don’t justify the costs, they said. Instead, health care settings should follow "Standard Precautions and Transmission-Based Precautions," as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The physicians also called for "focused research" to "ensure requirements are not maintained longer than necessary and are reinstated when needed."
