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Surgeons in Boston have transplanted a kidney from a genetically engineered pig into an ailing 62-year-old man, the first procedure of its kind. If successful, the breakthrough offers hope to hundreds of thousands of Americans whose kidneys have failed. So far, the signs are promising. (Rabin, 3/21)

A new class of anticoagulant drugs on the horizon is taking fresh aim at one of cardiology’s toughest challenges: how to prevent blood clots that cause heart attacks and strokes, without leaving patients at risk of bleeding. At least a half-dozen experimental blood thinners are in development that inhibit a protein called factor XI, one of several blood factors that regulate how the body forms clots. (Winslow, 3/21)

A Louisville company is studying whether cells taken from patients’ fat could reduce knee pain and improve motion in people with arthritis. GID BIO is conducting a phase 3 trial of a process that extracts fat from the patient, uses a chemical reaction to isolate cells believed to have regenerative properties and injects them into the patient’s knee. (Wingerter, 3/21)

Few parents would describe the smells emanating from their adolescent children as redolent of sandalwood. But one of the distinct components of teenage body odor is a compound that evokes that warm, woody fragrance, according to a small new study, which compared the scents of adolescents to those of infants and toddlers. Unfortunately, that’s just about where the good news ended for teenagers (and their parents). Although there were many similarities between the chemicals wafting from teens and tots, the differences tended to favor the younger children, whose body odor samples had higher levels of a compound with a flowery fragrance. Adolescents, on the other hand, produced a compound that smelled like sweat and urine and had higher levels of substances described as smelling cheesy, musty and “goatlike.” (Anthes, 3/21)

While the rest of the world was in the throes of the pandemic, Valletta Howard was wrapping her mind around a breast cancer diagnosis. (Rockett, 3/22)

Could artificial intelligence predict when your aging loved one will need long-term care? Approximately 70% of adults aged 65 years and older will require long-term care at some point in their lifetime, statistics show — and the time leading up to that can be fraught with uncertainty. One California company is looking to change that with its new AI platform called Waterlily. The founder and CEO, Lily Vittayarukskul, started the platform after her own personal struggles with family caregiving. (Rudy, 3/21)

Most digital diabetes management tools are not cost effective and few demonstrate clinically relevant outcomes for patients, according to a study published Thursday. The results, published by the nonprofit research firm Peterson Health Technology Institute, should only increase the headwinds facing digital health companies attempting to convince payers and providers their products lead to healthier patients and lower costs. (Turner, 3/21)

Nearly 108,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2022, according to final federal figures released Thursday. Over the last two decades, the number of U.S. overdose deaths has risen almost every year and continued to break annual records — making it the worst overdose epidemic in American history. (Stobbe, 3/21)

To understand the 2024 US presidential election, it is essential to understand the politics of fentanyl. Americans have been traumatized by a years-long wave of overdose deaths caused by the synthetic opioid. Once rarely used outside hospitals, fentanyl has become a ubiquitous street drug made by criminal gangs, often in Mexico, from cheap chemicals typically manufactured in China. It frequently is a hidden ingredient in other illicit drugs and can have fatal consequences for unsuspecting users. (Griffin, Meghjani, and Dmitrieva, 3/21)

Early data regarding the use of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy to treat addiction is “very, very, exciting,” Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said Thursday. (Facher, 3/21)

The psychedelic ibogaine is unlikely to ever receive approval as a treatment for opioid addiction, the federal government’s top addiction researcher said Thursday. The remarks from Nora Volkow, the longtime director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, serve as a cautionary note amid widespread enthusiasm about ibogaine, a naturally occurring substance that drug companies and researchers have increasingly cast as a potential paradigm-shifting addiction treatment. (Facher, 3/21)

Before he died last year, Roland Griffiths was arguably the world’s most famous psychedelics researcher. Since 2006, his work has suggested that psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, can induce mystical experiences, and that those experiences, in turn, can help treat anxiety, depression, addiction and the terror of death. (Borrell, 3/21)

As authorities clamp down on fentanyl distribution and the amount of heroin produced in Afghanistan decreases under the Taliban, criminal enterprises have turned to a deadly alternative. Some health agencies in Europe are reporting a rise in deaths and overdoses from a type of synthetic opioid that can reportedly be hundreds of times stronger than heroin and up to forty times stronger than fentanyl. (Ott, 3/21)

Medicare will provide coverage for Wegovy for patients with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke or other serious cardiovascular problems, an agency spokesperson said Thursday. The decision, experts say, could grant millions of patients access to the popular yet expensive weight loss medication. Medicare, which currently provides health insurance to more than 65 million people in the U.S., has long been barred from paying for weight loss drugs. (Lovelace Jr., 3/21)

Experts are concerned that teens and young adults may be seeking weight loss drugs for the wrong reasons. ... Doctors say these medications should not be seen as the first or best option to lose weight, especially if someone only wants to shed 5 or 10 pounds or tone a certain area, like the belly. When used inappropriately, these drugs can cause unwanted side effects and could make someone look older. (Marshall, 3/21)

Paulsen Bronston tried different medications to manage his diabetes, to no avail, before his doctor suggested a new drug.In 2018, the doctor advised Bronston, who lives in the Navajo Nation, to take Ozempic to lower his blood sugar. The benefits outweighed any risk of side effects, his physician said. ... "I started hurting really bad. I got yellow eyes and stuff like that," Bronston said. "Next thing you know, I was in the hospital, having my gallbladder removed." (Alltucker, 3/21)

Experts who treat people with obesity say Oprah Winfrey’s efforts to reduce the shame and stigma around obesity are important. “When celebrities speak about weight loss medications, and even weight loss in general, people definitely pay more attention, and it brings more interest in options available for weight loss,” says Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center. (Mayer, 3/21)

A novel vibrating capsule that signals a postprandial feeling of fullness reduced both food and energy intake and lowered weight gain in animal studies, said researchers who are developing it as a more affordable treatment for obesity. The capsule, called the Vibrating Ingestible BioElectronic Stimulator (VIBES), is the size of a large adult multivitamin pill and is meant to be swallowed before a meal. The VIBES capsule works by stimulating gastric stretch receptors that signal the brain through the vagal nerve and stimulate a sense of satiety. (Davenport, 3/19)

The latest government funding deal wasn't just stripped of big health policy changes — it also lacks significant raises for a host of federal health agencies. A gridlocked Congress essentially settled on flat funding for the Department of Health and Human Services, avoiding an automatic sequester cut while leaving pandemic preparedness, mental health, biomedical research and public health efforts running at or near the status quo. (Knight and Sullivan, 3/22)

Community health centers and a slew of healthcare programs would receive funding increases under a sweeping bipartisan government appropriations bill congressional leaders introduced Thursday. The $1.2 trillion fiscal 2024 spending package covers about 70% of the federal government, from defense to labor, and includes $117 billion for Health and Human Services Department operations. The measure must be enacted by midnight Friday — an uncertain outcome — to prevent a partial government shutdown. (McAuliff, 3/21)

Congress is racing the clock to approve a $1.2 trillion funding bill ahead of Friday’s night’s shutdown deadline, aiming to pass the sprawling legislation quickly despite intense outrage from conservatives on both sides of the Capitol. The House and Senate have less than 30 hours to pass the six-bill package — which will keep a slew of departments and agencies funded past Friday at midnight — as lawmakers look to avert a partial government shutdown and avoid a weekend full of votes. The six-bill package lays out funding for roughly three-quarters of the federal government, including the departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and State. (Schnell and Weaver, 3/21)

Several new Democrat earmarks in this year's congressional budget request are raising eyebrows among conservative groups. The 1,000 page budget — released around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday — includes earmarks that would go toward controversial LGBTQ+ facilities and a late-term abortion clinic. Another request includes a multimillion-dollar proposal for what critics dub "gun confiscation" research. (Joseph and Elkind, 3/21)

In a deeply polarized election year, President Biden and fellow Democrats wasted little time lambasting a budget proposal from a large group of House Republicans that would, among other things, raise the retirement age for Social Security and endorse a bill that would codify that life begins at conception. The fiscal 2025 budget proposal was released Wednesday by the Republican Study Committee — a bloc that includes 80 percent of Republicans in the House, including every member of House leadership. RSC’s proposed budget was released weeks after House Republicans advanced the conference’s official budget plan out of committee. (Vazquez, 3/21)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Social Security Chief Testifies In Senate About Plans To Stop ‘Clawback Cruelty’

The new chief of the Social Security Administration outlined for senators Wednesday a plan to tackle overpayments and clawbacks, which affect millions of beneficiaries and, he said, have caused “grave injustices” and left people “in dire financial straits.” ... The agency has harmed people it is supposed to help by reducing or halting benefit checks to recoup billions of dollars in payments it sent them but later said they should never have received. (Hilzenrath and Fleischer, 3/21)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: �鶹Ů�� Health News' 'What The Health?': The ACA Turns 14

Saturday marks the 14th anniversary of the still somewhat embattled Affordable Care Act. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra joins host Julie Rovner to discuss the accomplishments of the health law — and the challenges it still faces. Also this week, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Mary Agnes Carey of �鶹Ů�� Health News join Rovner to discuss what should be the final funding bill for HHS for fiscal 2024, next week’s Supreme Court oral arguments in a case challenging abortion medication, and more. (3/21)

A large majority of House Republicans released a budget proposal on Wednesday endorsing legislation that would threaten to make in vitro fertilization illegal nationwide. The move is a stunning turnabout after most of the party spent weeks voicing support for IVF following a controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling that led providers in the state to halt the procedure. (Vagianos, 3/21)

Religious objections to in vitro fertilization came into sharp focus after the Alabama Supreme Court afforded frozen embryos the same legal protections as children. While many religious groups in the U.S. have no specific prohibition to the procedure, the Catholic Church clearly opposes it. But many Catholic couples turn to IVF despite their church's teaching. (DeRose, 3/22)

The White House on Friday called out the Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) budget proposal for backing legislation that would put strict restrictions on abortion access. The group, which comprises nearly 80 percent of all House Republicans, proposed a budget that endorses the Life at Conception Act, which would implement protections for unborn humans. Democrats argue that the legislation would threaten access to in vitro fertilization (IVF). (Gangitano, 3/22)

Days before the US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case that could restrict access to mifepristone, a commonly used abortion pill, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren characterized the case as political and criticized justices appointed by former president Donald Trump as having gone “too far” in their rollback of access to reproductive care. (Vega, 3/21)

When Rebecca Schmoe found out she was pregnant, she was in disbelief. For years, doctors had told her she would be unable to conceive and she had previously suffered a miscarriage. But when Schmoe, who is now a Kansas state representative, went to see her doctor to check on her unborn child, she was met with what she described as an hour-long onslaught of gruesome, bloody details about her certain death should she choose to carry the child to term. (Bernard and Barackman, 3/22)

Alyssa Gonzales says it “stings” when she recounts what happened in 2022: when she found out her second pregnancy had a rare genetic disorder that is almost always incompatible with life and could pose serious risks to her health. When she couldn’t get an abortion in Alabama, despite an exemption for fatal fetal diagnoses in the state’s near-total ban. When, with financial support from an abortion fund, she traveled over 10 hours by car with her now-husband and his parents to receive care in Washington, D.C. (Panetta, 3/21)

A new poll shows that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States are highly supportive of legal abortion, even in situations where the pregnant person wants an abortion for any reason. (Lee Brewer and Thomson-Deveaux, 3/21)

Since Texas banned virtually all abortions, Texans may have seen a rosy message about adoption pop up on their phone screens or dot the view on their daily commute. Many experts are concerned about the potential for young people to make a life-altering decision based on an idealized image. (Gill, 3/21)

An escaped inmate and his suspected accomplice have been captured in Idaho after 36 hours on the run, during which time authorities believe they killed two men. Skylar Meade, 31, escaped custody about 2 a.m. Wednesday during a medical transport after Meade injured himself in prison, authorities said. The transport was about to return him to prison from Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise when Nicholas Umphenour, 28, is accused of ambushing the transport and shooting two officers. A third corrections officer was shot by Boise police on arrival, police said. (Vinall, 3/22)

A power outage that forced hundreds of patients to be evacuated at a Boyle Heights hospital last summer was the result of lapses in maintaining the facility, a “deficient practice” that could put patients at risk of not getting needed care, state investigators found. In August, Adventist Health White Memorial lost power hours after Southern California was pummeled by a storm named Hilary. (Alpert Reyes, 3/21)

HCA Healthcare, which owns Mission Hospital in Asheville, had to submit an amended plan of correction to regulators March 13, which the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved in a notice to Mission Hospital CEO Chad Patrick. That plan was made public March 20. HCA’s amended plan of correction includes an addendum on the hospital’s staffing strategic plan. But while the plan has some positive changes, Mission Hospital nurse Kerri Wilson said management isn’t following all of it. (Vitaglione, 3/22)

Industry advisors say more cybersecurity awareness and preparation is needed in the wake of the ransomware assault on Change Healthcare, though some health systems and other organizations remain confident their training is sufficient. ... Groups including the American Hospital Association are recommending more staff education on contingency planning and social engineering attacks. (Devereaux, 3/21)

Nursing facility operator Petersen Health Care filed for reorganization Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, citing between 5,000 and 10,000 creditors in its petition. The Peoria, Illinois-based company, which operates 62 nursing homes in Illinois and Missouri, listed assets between $100 million and $500 million in its Chapter 11 filing and between $100 million and $500 million in liabilities. (3/21)

The University of Maryland Medical Center has been granted the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet for the fourth time in a row. The ANCC approves and recognizes the best health care organizations in the country. It is the highest award a medical center can receive through the credentialing center. (Adeolu, 3/21)

The US Federal Communications Commission has taken the first step toward adopting a rule that would require telecommunications companies to route calls to the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline based on the caller’s physical location rather than their phone number’s area code. (Cheng, 3/21)

Researchers from UNC Chapel Hill and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services found that, on average, people who have been incarcerated are at twice the risk of death by suicide — even years after their release — compared to those never imprisoned. (Crumpler, 3/21)

The New Hampshire House narrowly passed a bill that would legalize medical aid in dying in a vote of 179 to 176 Thursday. The controversial proposal outlined in House Bill 1283 is also often called physician-assisted suicide, a name some proponents have rejected as inaccurate and pejorative. (Gokee, 3/21)

Proposition 1 became fresh evidence that Californians are divided over the idea of spending more money to address homelessness. Out of some 7.2 million ballots counted as of Wednesday, the “yes” side led by fewer than 30,000 votes. While Newsom got the result he wanted, the narrow margin is a blow to his political standing after he was featured prominently in a $12 million ad blitz paid for largely by labor unions and corporate donors loyal to him. The effort was also backed by the California Medical Association and the state arm of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. (Mai-Duc, 3/21)

A shocking number of American kids are sad, suicidal and stuck on small screens sucking away their zest for life. This is the indisputable and alarming trend among American children, based on the latest polling and deep research by an NYU professor in a book out next week. (Pandey, 3/22)

Boredom isn't bad for kids — it actually benefits their development, psychologists say. Boredom that leads to unstructured play can curb attention-seeking behavior and inspire creativity. (Mallenbaum, 3/22)

A federal requirement that cigarette packs and advertising include graphic images demonstrating the effects of smoking — including pictures of smoke-damaged lungs and feet blackened by diminished blood flow — does not violate the First Amendment, an appeals court ruled Thursday. The ruling from a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was a partial victory for federal regulators seeking to toughen warning labels. But the court kept alive a tobacco industry challenge of the rule, saying a lower court should review whether it was adopted in accordance with the federal Administrative Procedure Act, which governs the development of regulations. (McGill, 3/21)

Mark another point against smoking: It may cause an increase in a type of body fat linked to serious disease, according to a new study. Both starting smoking and spending a lifetime smoking cigarettes was associated with an increase in abdominal fat, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Addiction. (Holcombe, 3/21)

The Washtenaw County Health Department is reporting a second confirmed case of measles in the county. Health officials say the case is in an adult who does not have prior immunity to measles and was exposed to a previous Washtenaw County case reported on March 3. Four measles cases have been reported in Michigan in 2024, with two cases in Washtenaw County and one in Oakland and Wayne counties. Two of the four reported cases were associated with international travel. (Buczek, 3/21)

An Emmanuel College student recently contracted meningitis and the campus is working to prevent a wider outbreak, the Boston school said Thursday. “In accordance with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health protocols, the College is taking timely actions to ensure that no additional cases of meningitis develop on or beyond our campus,” the school said in a brief statement. “We send our best wishes for a rapid recovery to the affected student.” (Andersen, 3/21)

Japan's Institute for Infectious Disease yesterday reported the country's first known case of human-to-human transmission of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), a disease primarily spread by ticks but in very rare instances has spread from infected animals or people. Doctors described the findings yesterday in an online report that was translated and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board. (Schnirring, 3/21)

Allergy season is here — and it’s earlier and stronger than expected. More than 80 million Americans deal with itchy eyes, runny nose and other symptoms of seasonal allergies, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The level of misery people will face depends on where they live and what they’re allergic to, but there are things you can do to feel better. (Shastri, 3/22)

A small switch that can be bought for as little as $20 or even 3D printed at home can convert one of the most popular handguns in America into a weapon with machine gun-like power. And while the handgun modification uniquely affects Glock pistols, the manufacturer has done nothing to stop it, the city of Chicago alleged in a new lawsuit against Glock Inc. (Bellware, 3/21)

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a package of bills that supporters say will help improve access to health care, boost the number of doctors in Florida and address issues such as mental health treatment. "What they (state leaders) are tackling right now are some of the biggest challenges that we face in the Sunshine State, and that's access to health care in a reliable, reproducible, sustainable kind of a way," said Tampa General Hospital President and CEO John Couris, who took part in a bill-signing event in Bonita Springs. (3/21)

In Florida, transgender people can no longer update their driver’s license with their correct gender, according to a memo shared by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) in January. Although the rule does not apply to Floridians who have already updated their licenses, and should not affect first-time applicants, it still puts trans people at risk of discrimination in everyday interactions. (Rummler and Sosin, 3/21)

As prescription medication costs rise across the country, many states have introduced legislation to create prescription drug affordability boards to help regulate prices, including Rhode Island. AARP officials gave an update on the progress of these boards during a press conference Wednesday, where they said 11 states have prescription drug review boards in place. Four of those states have the ability to establish upper-payment limits, a limit on what purchasers can pay for certain drugs in the state separate from the manufacturer’s list price — and the price other states may set. (Coultoff, 3/21)

Five years after the creation of the first state board empowered to cap prescription drug costs, patients still haven't seen any savings from these efforts. Even as more blue and purple states embrace public drug pricing boards amid angst over high medicine costs, it could still be months or even years before they start to bring down prices. (Goldman, 3/22)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: California’s Expanded Health Coverage For Immigrants Collides With Medicaid Reviews

Medi-Cal health coverage kicked in for Antonio Abundis just when the custodian needed it most. Shortly after Abundis transitioned from limited to full-scope coverage in 2022 under California’s expansion of Medi-Cal to older residents without legal immigration status, he was diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer affecting the blood cells. The soft-spoken father of three took the news in stride as his doctor said his blood test suggested his cancer wasn’t advanced. (Aguilera, 3/22)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Move To Protect California’s Indoor Workers From Heat Upended By Cost Questions

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration unexpectedly yanked its support from a sweeping proposal that would have protected millions of California’s indoor workers from dangerous heat, saying it can’t endorse it without knowing the projected costs to the state. But the board that oversees worker safety immediately defied the administration Thursday by unanimously approving new standards intended to protect people who work in poorly ventilated warehouses, steamy restaurant kitchens, and other indoor job sites. (Young, 3/21)

A young woman visited New York Eye & Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai Hospital shortly after the eclipse of Aug. 21, 2017. She told Dr. Avnish Deobhakta, an ophthalmologist, that she had a black area in her vision, and then drew a crescent shape for him on a piece of paper. When Dr. Deobhakta examined her eyes, he was astonished. He saw a burn on her retina that was exactly the same shape. It was “almost like a branding,” he said. (Kolata, 3/20)

The mineral is still present thousands of buildings. Mesothelioma, a lung disease caused by asbestos exposure, can take 40 years to manifest. (Merelli, 3/20)

People are discovering the truth about their biological parents with DNA—and learning that incest is far more common than many think. (Zhang, 3/18)

The election may ultimately be decided by sweeping issues like the economy, immigration, abortion and democracy. But the early phase has also been marked by a discussion, in ways both crass and subtle, of a far more personal topic — Joe Biden’s stutter. That back-and-forth reflects the candidates’ sharply differing views of disability and struggle, and their role in a divided political culture that can reward ridicule more than acceptance. (Viser, 3/21)

Despite public health concerns and mounting scandals, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have mostly ignored the issue. (O'Brien, 3/21)

A tip would blow open the doors to a dark but not-so-secret nationwide network, leading investigators into the Harvard morgue and a gruesome American market. (Krueger, 3/20)

Of the 10 million people who will become sick with tuberculosis this year, between 3 million and 4 million will go undiagnosed, often dying before they can get an accurate test. Fortunately, GeneXpert tests, made by the company Cepheid (a subsidiary of the conglomerate Danaher), can reliably determine within two hours if a patient has TB. (John Green, 3/21)

March 23 marks 14 years since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by former President Barack Obama. The ACA, as then-Vice President Joe Biden predicted, has been a lifeline for millions of Americans needing affordable health coverage. (Katherine Charles and Audrianna Lewis, 3/21)

This year 21.3 million Americans chose Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage during the open enrollment period. About a fourth of those were new to the marketplace and 16 million Americans renewed their coverage. Despite its popularity and the fact that it's a lifeline for millions of people, former President Donald Trump is threatening to terminate it. (Jorge Neri, 3/22)

In a recent survey of U.S. companies, medical device makers reported spending $31 million on average to bring a new product to market under the Food and Drug Administration’s 510(k) pathway for those similar to devices already approved. These costs balloon to more than $90 million for new Class III devices that progress through the more rigorous premarket approval pathway. (Kyle H. Sheetz and Robert M. Wachter, 3/22)

The adverse childhood experience (ACE) questionnaire has become a critical part of public health. It offers physicians a screening tool to evaluate patients, gaining valuable insights into their physical and mental well-being. However, the questionnaire is now outdated because it fails to ask about childhood exposure to gun violence. (Sydney Durrah, 3/21)