Transcript:
This is your Weekly Dose Health News…
As many as 1 in 5 patients who take Ozempic or similar drugs for weight loss may not respond to the medication. Physicians caution patients to not expect one-size-fits-all results. It’s usually clear within weeks of starting the medication if a patient will not respond. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert, said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.”
Long COVID patients are advocating for increased federal research funding with a specific priority for clinical trials on treatments. The NIH has allocated significant funds to long COVID research through the RECOVER initiative. But it has faced criticism from patients that the studies it is funding are less relevant to treating patients’ long COVID symptoms that are significantly impacting their lives. The NIH is now allocating additional funding with an emphasis on clinical trials which has prompted cautious optimism among long COVID patients.
Endo, Inc. has expanded its voluntary recall of clonazepam oral disintegrating tablets due a potential product carton strength mislabeling. Lot numbers for affected cartons can be found on the FDA’s website. If you think you have affected medication, please stop taking it and contacted your pharmacy.
The Biden administration has proposed a new rule to make weight-loss drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound covered by Medicare or Medicaid. This new rule would give millions of people access to the weekly injectables, but may cost taxpayers as much as $35 billion over the next decade. The rule would not be finalized until January, days after Trump takes office. A bipartisan coalition of congressional members has lobbied for the medications to be covered by Medicare, but it is unclear where Trump himself stands on coverage of weight-loss drugs.
In our Research Rundown this week… at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America researchers of a study being conducted at the University of Pennsylvania presented preliminary results that show acute effects of cigarette and e-cigarette smoking on vascular function. E-cigarettes have been marketed as a safer alternative to tobacco smoke and while vaping exposes a user to fewer toxic chemicals than cigarettes, it can still be detrimental to vascular function and overall health. Following inhalation of vaping or smoking, there was a significant decrease in the resting blood flow velocity in the superficial femoral artery. This artery runs along the thigh and supplies oxygenated blood to the entire lower body. The decrease in vascular function was most pronounced after inhalation of e-cigarettes containing nicotine, followed by e-cigarettes without nicotine. The take-home message is that vaping may not be free from harm.
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Story Source Links:
As many as 1 in 5 people won’t lose weight with GLP-1 drugs, experts say: https://apnews.com/article/wegovy-zepbound-obesity-drug-nonresponder-glp1-9f8ab517f26ccc6d2d32ce3e829ba8ff?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share
Long COVID patients push to see federal research refocused on treatments: https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/11/25/nx-s1-5199994/long-covid-patients-nih-research-treatments
Endo Expands Voluntary Recall of Clonazepam Orally Disintegrating Tablets, USP (C-IV) Due to Potential Product Carton Strength Mislabeling: https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/endo-expands-voluntary-recall-clonazepam-orally-disintegrating-tablets-usp-c-iv-due-potential
Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans: https://apnews.com/article/ozempic-biden-rfk-jr-trump-antiobesity-drugs-caaa2f888435af1d32bedb83e9ddbc0a?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share
Study finds vaping causes immediate effects on vascular function: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-vaping-effects-vascular-function.html