USA Today (12/13, Walrath-Holdridge) reported the FDA last week recalled “a popular antidepressant, often known by the brand name Cymbalta…due to the presence of a potentially cancer-causing chemical. More than 233,000 bottles of duloxetine capsules sold by Rising Pharmaceuticals were voluntarily recalled on Nov. 19, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration assigned the recall as a class II risk on Dec. 5. The risk level is the FDA’s second most severe level as it could cause ‘temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.’”

Related Links:

— “What is duloxetine and how does it work? What to know about antidepressant recalled by FDA,” Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, December 13, 2024

Healio (12/12, Rhoades) reports, “Reducing or eliminating physical activity disparities between boys and girls may result in substantially fewer cases of overweight and obesity and savings of around $780 million, results from a model simulation study suggest.” The findings “also showed that approximately $1.5 billion could be saved by eliminating sex disparities in sports participation.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Reducing sex disparities in physical activity may avoid thousands of obesity cases,” Andrew Rhoades, Healio, December 12, 2024

HealthDay (12/12, Thompson ) reports a study suggests that “seniors who want to stay sharp as they age should hit the treadmill, elliptical or exercise bike as often as possible.” The new research “shows that better cardio fitness in older age is linked to healthier brain aging.” That kind “of fitness preserves brain health as people age even if they carry genetic risk factors that make them vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease, researchers reported.” The findings were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Staying Fit Can Keep Seniors’ Brains Sharp,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, December 12, 2024

HealthDay (12/11, Maher) reports “ableism, or prejudice against people with disabilities, is an established problem in general healthcare,” but “now, a small study shows those same issues persist in mental healthcare.” In some cases, “the barriers to care are physical, such as inaccessible entrances or a lack of reliable transit.” In other instances, “the hurdles are informational, such as hard-to-use online patient portals.” The findings were published in SSM – Qualitative Research in Health.

Related Links:

— “‘Ableism’ Prevents Many Americans From Getting Mental Health Care,” Denise Maher, HealthDay, December 11, 2024

CBS News (12/11, Breen) says, “Drug overdose deaths in the United States fell 17% between July 2023 and July 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a new report released Wednesday.” It marks “the largest decrease in deaths ever seen in the United States, White House Domestic Policy Council Advisor Neera Tanden said Wednesday.”

Related Links:

— “Overdose deaths in the U.S. fell 17% in 1-year period, CDC says,” Kerry Breen, CBS News, December 11, 2024