A cheaper weight loss drug, more heat-related deaths and new restrictions on tobacco sales: Here's what happened in health this week
Happy Labor Day weekend from the Yahoo News health team! This week we’ve been busy cleaning out our fridges and double-checking our charcuterie stashes in light of the ongoing listeria outbreak linked to deli meat. But that’s not all we’ve been up to.
What our team has been interested in: These were some of the more under-the-radar topics that piqued our team’s interest this week:
Kerry Justich explains why this lemon juice trend is a bad idea — even if you do want lighter sun-bleached locks.
If you’re slouching in a beach chair while reading this, that’s probably OK. Natalie Rahhal explains why, when it comes to posture, straighter isn’t always better.
Kaitlin Reilly shares how to start resistance training at any age — including some other options if pumping iron isn’t for you.
If you find yourself struggling to make friends, Priscilla Blossom has some tips from experts on how to make it a little easier.
I broke down a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll that asked Americans about their thoughts on in vitro fertilization — and got some feedback from fertility experts too.
What researchers have been studying: Here are some interesting new studies that came out this week:
Researchers in the U.K. found that sleeping in on the weekends can be good for your heart health.
A study published on Thursday identified a link between endometriosis (a condition impacting more than 11% of U.S. women and characterized by chronic pain, bleeding and fertility issues) and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
The popular weight loss drug Wegovy can help you do more than shed extra pounds — it can also help cut the chances of dying from COVID-19 by roughly a third, researchers revealed on Friday.
What happened in celebrity health: Celebrities make headlines for more than just fashion and films; they can call our attention to some important health topics too. Here’s what to know this week:
Samantha Harris’s breast cancer is back 10 years after she underwent a double mastectomy. The former Dancing With the Stars co-host shares how she’s navigating the diagnosis.
Richard Simmons’s cause of death has officially been ruled an accident, resulting from “sequelae of blunt traumatic injuries,” or complications stemming from injuries. The fitness guru known for his 1980s flair died on July 13.
Former Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson shared the scary symptoms she experienced when pneumonia progressed to a near-deadly infection.
OK, so he’s not a famous actor or model, but Dr. Anthony Fauci is certainly a celeb in the health world! And last weekend it was revealed that the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases had been hospitalized with West Nile virus. Here’s what you should know about the disease.
And finally, these were some of the biggest headline makers in health and wellness this week.
FDA puts new age restrictions on tobacco sales
On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration increased the age restrictions on some tobacco sale requirements, which the agency hopes will curb the use of tobacco products by young people.
Beginning on Sept. 30, two new changes will go into effect:
New photo ID requirements: Retailers will need to ask for photo ID and verify the age of anyone under 30 years old who wants to buy tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Previously, the age requirement for photo ID checks was 27 years old.
New vending machine limitations: Retailers won’t be allowed to sell tobacco products in vending machines “in facilities where individuals under 21 are present or permitted to enter at any time.” This restriction previously only applied to places where individuals under 18 years old were present or permitted.
“Today’s rule is another key step toward protecting our nation’s youth from the health risks of tobacco products,” Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement on Thursday. “Decades of science have shown that keeping tobacco products away from youth is critical to reducing the number of people who ultimately become addicted to these products and suffer from tobacco-related disease and death.”
CNN reports that 250 children become smokers every day, and 9 out of 10 daily smokers reported having their first cigarette by the age of 18.
Heat-related deaths are on the rise in the U.S.
A study published in JAMA on Monday found that U.S. heat-related deaths increased between 1999 and 2023, and particularly in the last seven years, from 2016 to 2023. Researchers note that this is interesting given that a study using data through 2018 found a downward trend in heat-related deaths — suggesting that there has been a reversal in the last several years.
Dr. Jeffrey Howard, a co-author of the new JAMA study, told CBS News that there are probably several reasons for the upward trend in heat deaths.
“It is likely that continued increases in average temperatures, the number of ‘hot days’ and the frequency and intensity of heat waves could be playing a role,” he said. “There is also a social and behavioral component as well, including differences in access to air conditioning, outdoor work, the number of unhoused individuals, and things like that.”
Last year was the hottest year on record as well as the deadliest — with 2,325 people in the U.S. alone dying from heat.
The study authors add that as temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, the recent trend in increasing heat-related deaths is likely to continue. They recommend that “high-risk areas” expand access to hydration centers and public cooling centers or other buildings with AC.
Eli Lilly announces new, cheaper way to purchase weight loss drug Zepbound
Eli Lilly announced on Tuesday that it will begin offering its weight loss drug Zepbound at a lower cost in an effort to make the drug more accessible. A month’s supply of the lowest dose will cost $399 — a little over a third of the $1,059 monthly price tag that was being charged regardless of the dosage.
The pharmaceutical company said it’s able to lower the cost by selling the drug in vials instead of a single-dose auto-injector pen — meaning patients draw the medicine out of vials themselves with a syringe, NBC News reports. Doses of the auto-injector pen will also still be available, but not at the new, cheaper price.
“These new vials not only help us meet the high demand for our obesity medicine, but also broaden access for patients seeking a safe and effective treatment option,” Lilly USA president Patrik Jonsson said in a press release.
But there’s a catch: The lower-cost doses will only be available through the company’s telehealth platform and won’t be covered by insurance. However, Lilly says this gives patients another option — including patients without insurance, those whose insurance won’t cover the drug, and people on Medicare or Medicaid who don’t qualify for Zepbound’s savings program.
