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Rates of drug overdose deaths decreased in the United States for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to new federal data published early Thursday. The rate of overdose deaths fell from 32.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022 to 31.3 per 100,000 people in 2023, a 4% decrease, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. (Kekatos, 2/20)

States like Alaska, Oregon and Washington bucked the national trend, reporting major increases in their fatal OD rates. Even their absolute numbers are relatively high: 2023 saw 49.4 fatal overdoses per 100,000 people in Alaska, 40.8 in Oregon, and 42.4 in Washington, compared to 31.3 nationally. (Fitzpatrick, 2/20)

Children with a rare form of eye disorder who were born blind can now see thanks to a "remarkable" gene therapy breakthrough. Researchers from London's Moorfields Eye Hospital, biotech firm MeiraGTx and University College London have demonstrated that their therapy is both safe and effective in improving the vision of and slowing retinal deterioration in young patients born with "LCA-AIPL1." This previously untreatable genetic disorder, which affects some 2–3 of every 10 million newborns, leads to profound visual impairments and legal blindness. (Randall, 2/21)

Standing for long periods can lead to low back pain, fatigue, muscle pain and leg swelling, and it can increase the risk of cardiovascular problems and pregnancy complications, according to a review conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. ... Being on one’s feet for an extended time also can lead to chronic venous insufficiency, a disease in which damaged veins impact blood circulation, according to the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, which represents operating room nurses. (Bussewitz, 2/20)

Narcissists. The scheming, self-centered, much maligned and overdiagnosed personality types are not often the subject of sympathy. But a new study has cast people with narcissistic personality traits in a new light — as feeling more excluded than their peers and stuck in a behavioral doom loop they can’t easily escape. That’s according to research published Thursday in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology that shows people with narcissistic personality traits feel ostracized more often than their less self-absorbed peers. (Craw, 2/20)