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New U.S. hepatitis C infections dropped slightly in 2022, a surprising improvement after more than a decade of steady increases, federal health officials said Wednesday. Experts are not sure whether the 6% decline is a statistical blip or the start of a downward trend. Seeing 2023 and 2024 data, when it’s available, will help public health officials understand what’s going on, said Daniel Raymond, director of policy at the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, an advocacy organization. (Stobbe, 4/3)

According to new research, being around grandchildren has its risks, too. The bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcus, is a common and contagious microorganism responsible for a range of mild and severe infections, including pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis. ... The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly 5 to 10 percent of adults are thought to be asymptomatic carriers of these microbes. However, in children, this number rises to between 20 and 60 percent. (Dewan, 4/3)

Working long hours earlier in life may be linked to worse health as you age, a study has found. ... The study found that those who had more erratic work schedules when they were younger—for example, those who worked evenings, nights and variable hours—slept less, had lower sleep quality and were more likely to report depressive symptoms at age 50, compared to people who worked traditional daytime hours. (Smith, 4/3)

For the first time, researchers have directly linked glasses and income.The study – published Wednesday in PLOS ONE – found a dramatic increase in earnings with a very low-cost change: a new pair of reading glasses. The researchers went to 56 villages in Bangladesh, ... the researchers found that income grew by 33% for those with glasses. (Emanuel, 4/3)

Jaye Rochon struggled to lose weight for years. But she felt as if a burden had lifted when she discovered YouTube influencers advocating “health at every size” — urging her to stop dieting and start listening to her “mental hunger.” ... As her weight neared 300 pounds, she began to worry about her health. The videos that Rochon encountered are part of the “anti-diet” movement, a social media juggernaut that began as an effort to combat weight stigma and an unhealthy obsession with thinness. But now global food marketers are seeking to cash in on the trend. (Chavkin, Gilbert, Tsui and O’Connor, 4/3)