Author: healthadmin

The ballot measure aims to combat Tijuana River pollution and strengthen San Diego’s health care by raising the county sales tax by 0.5%. SAN DIEGO — A coalition of health care workers, first responders and labor union leaders submitted more than 151,000 signatures Monday to a ballot measure aimed at halting the Tijuana River pollution crisis at the local level while strengthening health care. If passed, the bill would increase the county’s sales tax by 0.5%. The San Diego Health and Safety Act requires 102,923 valid signatures from registered voters in San Diego County and is likely to remain on…

Researchers used AI to analyze whole-body MRI scans of more than 66,000 participants to create the most detailed reference map to date showing how fat and muscle in the human body is distributed according to age, gender, and height. This research today RadiologyJournal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The results of this study show that visceral fat as well as skeletal muscle quality and quantity are strong predictors of diabetes, major cardiovascular events, and mortality. Clinicians have long relied on body mass index (BMI) and body weight to estimate the relationship between cardiometabolic, or cardiovascular (heart/blood vessels)…

The number of metabolic and bariatric surgeries in the United States will fall below 200,000 in 2024 for the first time since 2020, down more than 20% from the previous year, according to a new study presented today at the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Annual Scientific Meeting (#ASMBS2026). Researchers at Loyola University Chicago based their estimates for 2020 to 2024 after reviewing the American College of Surgeons’ Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (ACS-MBSAQIP) database. This database includes results reported by all MBSAQIP accredited obesity centers. After years of steady growth, the number…

Axum Therapeutics, which just won FDA expansion for Overity for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease agitation (ADA), projects peak sales of the non-antipsychotic drug to reach $8 billion. The New York City biotech company expects to split revenue 50-50 between Auvelity’s two indications. It was originally approved in 2022 to treat major depressive disorder (MDD). The $8 billion outlook is an increase from Axsum’s previous forecast of $2.5 billion to $6 billion. The company on Monday released new expectations in line with its first-quarter financial results (PDF). Since receiving ADA approval on Thursday, Axum stock has risen 23%, with similar-sized…

Metabolic and bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, dramatically improves outcomes for patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD), significantly reducing the risk of kidney failure, major cardiovascular events, and death, according to new research presented today at the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Annual Meeting (#ASMBS2026). CKD patients who underwent metabolic and bariatric surgery had their risk of developing end-stage kidney disease cut in half (5.9% vs. 11.9%), nearly 60% less likely to need dialysis (4.1% vs. 9%), and more than twice as likely to receive a kidney transplant (4.6% vs. 2.2%). The risk…

Pfizer, which is on the verge of better-than-expected first-quarter results and continues to grapple with an overhang in its post-pandemic COVID-19 franchise, is sticking to the sales forecast it set earlier this year, prompting at least one analyst to question whether it could have raised its outlook. Pfizer’s total operating revenue rose 2% year over year to $14.5 billion in the first quarter, helped by strong sales of the blood thinner Eliquis, the pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar, and the breast cancer drug Ibrance. On Tuesday, the company announced that, excluding sales of its COVID-19 protection products Comilnati and Paxrovid, operating growth…

German company BioNTech is shedding much of its manufacturing footprint, potentially cutting 1,860 jobs in the process, as part of an effort to reallocate resources to the growing oncology field in the face of declining sales of COVID-19 vaccines. BioNTech announced on Tuesday that the company plans to exit its manufacturing sites in Singapore, the German cities of Idar-Oberstein and Marburg, as well as the former headquarters of its CureVac subsidiary in Tübingen, Germany. BioNTech plans to exit its three locations in Germany by the end of 2027, and its Singapore operations are scheduled to close in the first quarter…

Recent research published in journals Psychology of popular media It suggests how problematic social media use changes the relationship between our sense of personal and national freedom and mental health. The findings show that while feeling free generally supports improved psychological well-being, an unhealthy obsession with social media tends to weaken the benefits of personal freedom while reinforcing the positive effects of national pride. Psychologists generally agree that feeling free leads to improved mental health. The concept of freedom in psychology is broad. It involves a clear sense of personal freedom as well as a sense of belonging to a…

Tyrannosaurus rex is usually depicted as a powerful and merciless predator. But they also took advantage of the opportunity to scavenge, according to a new study. When food was available, they did not hesitate to eat the carcasses of animals, down to the last scraps. The findings come from a study by Aarhus University’s Department of Geosciences, which was recently published in the journal. evolving earth. Traces of cannibalism revealed from fossilized bite marks The research was led by Josephine Nielsen, a master’s student in geosciences. She used advanced 3D scanning technology to examine the fossilized metatarsals (foot bones) of…

Novartis continues its multi-year review with new plans to close its production facility in Wehr, Germany. Novartis said the measures announced Tuesday will result in the elimination of about 220 jobs. The Swiss drugmaker expects the site to be shut down by the end of 2028. The Wehr facility primarily focuses on older medicines from Novartis’ portfolio and utilizes traditional solid oral dosage forms such as tablets and capsules. The company said the planned closure of the Wehr plant will not affect Novartis’ drug supply. Novartis’ latest manufacturing restructuring marks a new shift from older technologies to high-growth modalities. The…