David Wallace-Wells and Emily Oster argue that the effects of MAHA will be long-lasting. “[Economist and CEO of ParentData Emily Oster] There’s two really core issues for the future. One is that this [mRNA vaccines] is the fastest technology we have to generate vaccines, full stop. The difference in the amount of time it takes to make a vaccine in the traditional manner versus with this technology is very, very large. If you think about a future pandemic, having access to this technology is the difference between a vaccine and three months or four months or six months and a … Read More
All posts by Anupam
“The FDA [United States Food and Drug Administration] follows the least burdensome principle, limiting its ability to require cybersecurity testing beyond what is necessary to demonstrate safety and effectiveness. As a result, hospitals incur risks of insecure devices with limited mechanism to hold manufacturers accountable. A recent FDA advisory and subsequent congressional testimony have underscored these concerns, raising urgent questions about whether current regulatory pathways are sufficient or in need of modernization. On January 30, 2025, the FDA issued a safety advisory on the Contec CMS8000 patient monitor, identifying vulnerabilities in its security protocols. These devices collect information from pulse … Read More
As researchers work to make death optional, investors see a chance for huge returns. But has the human body already reached its limits? Excerpt – Health became a competition, encouraged by the advent of watches that track your vital signs and biomarker-based “clocks” that measure your aging. Podcasters converted sad-sack men into biohackers, who juiced themselves with everything from Ayurvedic herbs to electromagnetic-frequency beds. (Most biohackers are men, for the same reason that most gambling addicts are men.) In 2013, there were fewer than a hundred longevity clinics around the globe; a decade later, there were more than three thousand. … Read More
As a Zepbound patient, here are the seven reforms I’d like to see I highlight two: “2. Tighter oversight of manufacturers’ pricing policies and the competitive environment [..] it’s a bit rich (pun intended) for [Lilly CEO Dave] Ricks [whose total compensation was $114 million in 2024 after the company made more than $10 billion in profit last year] to complain about telehealth/compounding pharmacies like Hims & Hers offering cheaper “backdoor generics” of GLP-1s. (Note to Congress: Rather than permitting the Food and Drug Administration to stop the work of compounding pharmacies on GLP-1s — a throttling that is now well … Read More
The workout is simple, and its health benefits are backed by nearly 20 years of research. “What is ‘Japanese walking’? [..] interval walking is a form of interval training, which involves alternating between bursts of intense activity and more gentle movement or rest. In this case, it’s basically just alternating between fast and slow walking. But compared with more classic forms of high-intensity interval training, interval walking is more approachable for many people, especially those who haven’t exercised in a while or who are recovering from injuries that make high-impact activities like running difficult, said Dr. Carlin Senter, the chief of primary-care … Read More
Why Republicans think that insurance should be tied to employment — and that it’s not essential to have at all. “The idea of requiring Medicaid enrollees to work barely registered eight years ago, the last time Republicans debated deep health care cuts as part of their effort to repeal Obamacare. They failed to pass a law that time. This time they were successful. That’s in part because Republicans have put more stock in an idea that has long been a part of the American conversation about health insurance: that it is a benefit one earns by working. Work requirements have … Read More
It’s long been obvious why cigarettes are bad. The risks of alternatives like Zyn and Juul are much hazier. “it’s easier than ever to get a nicotine buzz without any tobacco at all: Just puff on a vape or pop a tiny nicotine pouch between your teeth and upper lip. These cigarette alternatives have been around for a while, but only recently have they gone fully mainstream. In January, the FDA officially sanctioned the sale of Zyn, among the most recognizable nicotine-pouch brands. In the past three months alone, Philip Morris International, which makes Zyn, shipped 190 million cans of … Read More
“Current US guidelines recommend absolute risk estimation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) to guide decisions on preventive therapies, but communicating absolute risk alone can be challenging for patients and clinicians. In 2021, the European Society of Cardiology guidelines added a recommendation to calculate risk age along with absolute risk to improve communication. Risk age represents the age of a hypothetical person with the same predicted absolute risk but optimal risk factor levels. This may help individuals understand how their risk compares with chronological age (is my risk age older than my actual chronological age?) and may motivate adherence to lifestyle modifications … Read More
A Q&A with the co-author of the new book ‘Food Intelligence’ “[STAT’s Sarah Todd] Are there food policies being floated by MAHA right now that you think are particularly right or particularly wrong? [Former NIH researcher on ultra-processed foods Kevin Hall] I hope that there really is something horrible about these food dyes that they’re going to be able to address by replacing them. But someone from the FDA I had a conversation with said that they were worried that if we replace synthetic food dyes with natural food dyes, the natural food dyes are coming from plants. And plants … Read More
More than a thousand dentists have set up shop in Los Algodones. Their patients are mostly Americans who can’t afford the U.S.’s dental care. “According to Roberto Díaz and Paula Hahn, who run a website about medical tourism called Border CRxing, Los Algodones now has the highest per-capita concentration of dentists in the world: well over a thousand in a population of fifty-five hundred. It’s known as Molar City. [..] technology has its downsides. The more advanced the imaging system, the more expensive the visit, and the more problems it can find with your teeth. Last year, at a routine … Read More