screen time

Excessive Screen Time Among Kids Now A Public Health Concern, Surgeon General Warns  

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Officials at the US Department of Health and Human Services recently collaborated with the surgeon general to issue an advisory warning about the harmful effects too much screen time can have on kids and teenagers. Getting stuck in an endless loop of social media scrolling, nonstop texting, and playing video games is officially a public health concern in America. 

The advisory, according to reports from CNN, warns that exposure to screens is becoming so normalized that it often begins before a child even turns one, and it only gets worse as they get older. 

The report stated that by adolescence, children may be spending more time on their electronic devices than sleeping or going to school. 

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By the time a child becomes a teenager, the amount of time spent on screens is an average of about four or more hours per day, and nearly half of the adolescents used for the advisory stated that they lose track of the amount of time they spend on their phones. 

The advisory also offers solutions and a “toolkit” to help parents identify harmful behaviors around screens and how to better limit screen time. One of the suggestions is a limitation of no screen time for a child under 18 months old, less than one hour per day for children under 6, and two hours per day for ages 6 to 18. 

A statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes that every family is different, but limitations should definitely be enforced, especially during the school week. 

“While screen use can have some benefits, the evidence of a range of risks to children’s overall mental and physical health is mounting,” US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote in advisory.

“Social media is only one aspect of this ongoing screen time problem. Behavior patterns involving gaming, online gambling, and other forms of virtual interaction are emerging,” Kennedy said. 

“While this report uses ‘screen time’ as a widely understood shorthand, we want people to understand that we are referring to the entire digital ecosystem of apps, smartphones, tablets, chatbots, and other screen-associated devices and interfaces.”

“This Advisory is not only a warning, but also an invitation for all of us to enjoy a broader world, beyond the confines of screens.”

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The advisory also includes many “calls to action” to provide recommendations for kids, teenagers, parents, schools, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and technology companies. Some of these recommendations, according to CNN, include: 

  • Youth track their screen time, take breaks and create boundaries.
  • Children complete all other activities, such as homework or extracurriculars, before screen use.
  • Parents create a family media plan that covers who can use what screens, where, when, which content and for how long.
  • Schools implement cell phone policy restrictions and prioritize assigning work in books or on paper to limit screen use.
  • Healthcare providers include questions about screen use in annual well-child visits.
  • Researchers study long-term impacts from screens and evaluate school cell phone policy bans or restrictions.
  • Policymakers pursue laws that provide parents with controls, demand child safety and privacy protection.
  • Tech companies display warnings about harmful screen use and adhere to and enforce age minimums.

Surgeon general advisories are utilized as one of the government’s biggest and strongest statements in regards to public health. They are designed to draw attention and bring an immediate response based on its recommendations. 

Parents and families can also use the recently updated guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help place limits on devices for their growing children to best protect their mental and physical health. 

“The relationship between screens and children’s health remains complex,” said Dr. Courtney Blackwell, an associate professor of medical social sciences.

“That’s not to say on an individual level, some children in some contexts with some pre-existing conditions may experience some kind of challenges when it comes to screen use and mental health or physical health. But at the population level, the research is not definitive, I would say, to suggest screen time causes harm in and of itself,” Dr. Blackwell said.

Dr. Blackwell also doesn’t want families to panic over their children’s screentime in an ever-changing and evolving digital world. 

“There can be positive uses of screen media, like ‘Sesame Street,’ and some kids find social support online, and they use it to connect with peers with similar identities at a time when identity development is critical in adolescence,” she said. 

“So it’s not just how long kids are spending on screens but really how they’re using it and the context of that use.”

hanta virus

French and US Evacuees From MV Hondius Test Positive for Hantavirus Amid Ongoing Repatriation Effort

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A French woman and an American passenger evacuated from the MV Hondius have tested positive for hantavirus as authorities continue a large-scale operation to remove more than 100 people from the cruise ship linked to a deadly outbreak.

The Dutch-flagged vessel, which departed Argentina in April, has been at the center of a rare hantavirus outbreak that has already killed three passengers—a Dutch couple and a German woman. Several others have also fallen ill.

Hantavirus usually spreads through rodents, but health officials have said the strain involved in this outbreak is the Andes strain, the only known form of hantavirus capable of human-to-human transmission.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, authorities have stressed that the broader public health risk remains low and have cautioned against comparisons with the Covid-19 pandemic. There are currently no vaccines or specific treatments for hantavirus.

The French passenger was among five French nationals who left the ship in Tenerife on Sunday before being transported to a hospital in Paris. France’s health minister, Stéphanie Rist, said Monday that the woman was in serious condition after becoming very unwell Sunday night.

“Unfortunately, her symptoms worsened overnight,” Rist told France Inter radio, adding that “tests came back positive.” The woman is now receiving care in a specialized infectious diseases unit in Paris.

Spanish officials said the woman had not shown a high temperature when she was examined on board the MV Hondius. Spain’s health ministry said passengers were assessed and had their temperatures taken when the ship arrived off Tenerife on Sunday, adding that “all possible measures had been adopted from the start to cut possible chains of transmission.”

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In the United States, one American passenger who was evacuated to Nebraska along with 16 others on Sunday evening also tested positive. The US health department said that the passenger had no symptoms. Officials also reported that another American evacuee had “mild symptoms.”

The evacuation from the Canary Islands began Sunday, with personnel in full-body protective suits and breathing masks escorting passengers from the ship to shore. Spanish authorities have described the operation, involving more than 100 people from 23 nationalities, as “complex” and “unprecedented.”

Passengers in blue protective suits were taken from the ship to the small industrial port of Granadilla on Tenerife, then transported by Spanish army buses in convoy to Tenerife South airport, where they boarded repatriation flights.

As passengers continued to leave the ship, MV Hondius captain Jan Dobrogowski thanked those onboard for their conduct during the outbreak.

“I’ve decided to take this time to thank every single guest and crew member onboard here, as well as our colleagues back home. The past few weeks have been extremely challenging to us all. What touched me the most, what moved me the most, was your patience, your discipline, and also [the] kindness that you showed to each other throughout.”

Spain’s health minister, Mónica García, said 94 people from 19 nationalities were evacuated on Sunday. Of the 54 people who remained on board, comprising 22 passengers and 32 crew members, 28 were expected to disembark on Monday and depart on two flights to the Netherlands. The MV Hondius was then expected to depart for the Netherlands on Monday evening with the remaining 26 crew members.

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A separate flight planned for passengers returning to Australia was canceled because of timing issues. The six people who had been scheduled to take that flight—four Australians, one Briton who lives in Australia, and one New Zealand national—were instead expected to return through one of the Netherlands flights.

Health authorities in several countries have also been working to track passengers who had already left the ship, as well as anyone who may have come into contact with them.

In France, officials identified 22 nationals who may have been exposed to the virus. Rist said the group included eight people who had been on an April 25 flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg, as well as 14 others who had traveled on a flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam.

The Dutch woman who died from the virus had been on the Johannesburg flight. She later briefly boarded a flight to Amsterdam but got off before takeoff.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was expected to convene medical advisers and ministers Monday afternoon to discuss the situation. Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon told BFMTV that officials were monitoring developments closely but warned against spreading fear.

“We’re following the situation with the greatest vigilance, on the basis that it is a virus that we know, that a 42-day isolation period has been decided, and the objective remains the same: protecting the French people.”

Bregeon added that it was important not to spread a sense of “panic.”

The World Health Organization has recommended a 42-day quarantine and “active follow-up” for those who may have been exposed. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s lead for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said in Geneva that follow-up should include daily symptom checks, such as for fever.

mifepristone

Supreme Court Restores Access To Abortion Pill Through Telehealth, Mail, And Pharmacies 

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This week, the Supreme Court restored broad access to the abortion pill mifepristone, blocking a lower-court ruling that initially threatened to remove one of the main ways abortions are provided across the US, according to reports from AP. 

Justice Samuel Alito signed the order to temporarily allow women seeking abortions access to the pill at pharmacies or through the mail without needing an in-person visit to their doctor. These practices have been permitted for several years until a federal appeals court imposed new restrictions last week. 

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The order will remain in effect for another week while both sides work to respond and the higher courts take a deeper look into the issue. 

AP reported that a majority of abortions in the US are provided through medications. Democratic-led states have laws that work to give legal protection to individuals who prescribe the drugs via telehealth to patients in states that have abortion bans in place. 

These prescriptions have also cushioned the major impact of abortion bans in mainly Republican-led states after the 2022 Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade. “One recent report suggested that in the 13 states where abortion is banned at all stages of pregnancy, more women obtained abortions with pills prescribed by telehealth last year than by traveling to other states,” Mark Sherman and Geoff Mulvihill wrote for AP. 

Typically, mifepristone is taken with a second drug misoprostol for abortions. According to the FDA label on mifepristone, the combination completes a full medical abortion 97.4% of the time. 

Sometimes misoprostol can be used on its own to terminate pregnancy. Some studies placed its solo effectiveness at around 80% or higher. 

In certain countries where mifepristone is banned or unavailable, misoprostol is often used alone. 

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Misoprostol has never been formally approved by the FDA for abortion while mifepristone has been. 

Dr. Angel Foster, founder of The Massachusetts Abortion Access Project, said her organization “was prepared to send misoprostol only on Monday afternoon but was able to switch back to the two-drug combination.”

“Regardless of what happens with this regulatory issue, we and other groups will continue to provide high-quality abortion care to patients in all 50 states,” she said.

Foster said that her organization spent the weekend guiding different groups of patients: individuals who were sent mifepristone but have yet to receive it, and those who had been approved for the drugs but had not been paid or sent them. 

“We have a little bit more time to navigate this new landscape with the stay,” said Julie Burkhart, the founder of Wellspring Health Access, a Wyoming abortion clinic.

Elizabeth Ling, associate director of legal services at If/When/How, an organization that provides legal guidance for individuals considering abortion, said that “wherever the legal battle goes next, there’s one thing women need to understand: ‘The outcome is not going to make it a crime for people to access care.’”

“Monday’s ruling is a temporary procedural step that leaves unresolved the very real concerns about the safety of these drugs and the decision under the Biden administration’s FDA to recklessly remove longstanding safeguards,” Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said.

HPV vaccine

New Study Emphasizes The Importance Of Men And Boys Getting The HPV Vaccine 

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The HPV vaccine is widely known, and has been historically framed, as protection against cervical cancer in women. Now, according to a large new study published in JAMA Oncology, young men and boys who received the human papilloma virus, HPV, vaccine had around half the risk of developing related cancers compared to those who were unvaccinated. 

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The study wants parents of both young men and women to do the research to learn more about what HPV is in general, the cancers it’s linked to, and the benefits of the vaccine. 

CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and adjunct associate professor at George Washington University who was previously Baltimore’s health commissioner, recently spoke to the publication regarding this new study. 

“HPV is an extremely common virus transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact. The vast majority of those who are sexually active will be exposed to it at some point in their lives.”

“This applies to both men and women. According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly all sexually active people are infected with HPV within months to a few years of starting sexual activity,” Dr. Wen explained to CNN. 

“About half of these infections are with a high-risk HPV type that increases the likelihood of developing cancers. Most infections go away on their own as the immune system clears them, but some persist and can cause cellular changes that can become cancerous over time.”

Wen explained that HPV is linked to a range of cancers in both men and women. In women, it’s most commonly linked to cervical cancer, but it can also cause other cancers in the vagina and vulva. In men, HPV is linked to cancers of the penis, anus, head, and neck. 

“Over 90% of anal cancer is caused by HPV. Oropharyngeal cancer, also called throat cancer, is highly associated with HPV as well, with about 70% attributed to HPV. And more than 60% of penile cancer is caused by HPV,” Wen pointed out. 

The study that Wen is citing utilized a global database of over 615,000 men aged 9 to 26 who received the nonvalent HPV vaccine and over 2 million who did not. The researchers analyzed about half a million individuals from each group that were concluded to be comparable. 

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“They found that men who were vaccinated had a significantly lower risk of developing HPV-related cancers. Overall, vaccination was associated with about a 46% reduction in risk, meaning those who received the vaccine had roughly half the risk compared with those who were unvaccinated,” Wen said. 

“The benefit was seen across different groups studied. Those vaccinated between ages 9 and 14 had about a 42% lower risk, while those vaccinated between 15 and 26 had about a 50% lower risk.”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends routine vaccination of preteens at 11 or 12-years-old. The HPV vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends routine HPV vaccination for all adolescents starting between 9 and 12-years-old. Getting your children vaccinated during their earlier years “focuses on the goal to vaccinate before any exposure to HPV occurs.

According to the AAP, there is no known downside to starting HPV vaccinations early. The immune response is strong at younger ages, and there has not been evidence of significant waning protection,” Wen cited. 

To parents who may be skeptical, Wen emphasized the importance of speaking with their medical provider, but also that the main component of this vaccine is its ability to prevent cancer later in life. 

“This vaccine is about preventing cancer. It protects against infections that can lead to serious disease many years later. We now have strong evidence that it benefits everyone. The safety profile of the vaccine is well-established, and the effectiveness in preventing HPV-related disease is very high. As a mom of two children, choosing vaccination is an opportunity to reduce the risk of serious illness for our children in the future.”

walking

The Right Kind Of Exercise Can Help Improve Your Memory, Research Shows 

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According to new research, doing aerobic and/or cardio exercise is an easy way for someone to help give their memory an instant boost when trying to learn new information. 

It’s been known for a while that exercise boosts cognition in general. Physical activity helps improve how well we perform tasks while simultaneously strengthening our brain areas that are vulnerable to aging. It’s also been shown that exercise helps slow down cognitive decline. 

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Physical activity and exercise can help strengthen the hippocampus, which is the area of the brain most important for memory. Moderate exercise a few times a week has been found to increase the size of the hippocampus. 

Other studies, according to BBC, have shown that the timing of the exercise can make a difference in memory retention as well. One example showed that going on a walk for four hours directly after learning something new can help you remember the information better. Stretching exercises, however, did not show any relation to an improvement in memory. 

Neuroscientists recently published their research in Oxford Academic, which followed 14 people’s brain activity immediately after exercise. They found that their brains had tiny bursts of electrical activity between neurons, which are important for storing memories. 

Known as “brain ripples,” these bursts are a phenomenon where many neurons activate together, according to Michelle Voss, a neuroscientist at the University of Iowa who led the study. 

She explained that the neurons “play a key role in how the brain packages and stores memories during sleep and periods of quiet rest,” BBC reported. 

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The team of researchers monitored the brains of participants to see what would happen after a brief burst of activity. They found that after exercise there was a spike in ripples in the hippocampus and the surrounding areas attached to it. 

“These pulses were also more finely synchronised with neural activity in the rest of the brain,” Voss said.

Voss and her team collaborated with neurosurgeons who monitor electrical activity in patients who were going through evaluation for epilepsy surgery. The patients temporarily had electrodes implanted in their brains so the teams could observe activity before and after exercising.  

“That presents us with a unique opportunity to understand how the human brain works with direct measurements of electrical signalling, which is the primary currency of how the brain works,” Voss stated.

Voss is hoping that overall this research will further fuel the reframing of public health messaging regarding physical activity, aging, and memory retention. She also hopes that it will inspire more research that can help protect our brains from cognitive decline. 

 Another study found that the more we exercise, the more our brains benefit, even after a single workout.  

“There’s a reason to stay active because you will benefit more every time,” says Flaminia Ronca, an exercise physiology researcher at University College London in the UK, who led the study. 

“If you stick with exercise for six weeks, you will reap bigger benefits from any further sessions.”

Bipartisan Bill Works To Minimize The Cost Of Insulin 

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A bipartisan group of senators is working to relieve the cost burden that comes with high insulin costs. The bill is called the INSULIN Act, and it’s working to cap the cost of the lifesaving medication at $35 per month for Americans using private insurance plans, AP reports. 

Senators Jeanne Shaheen, D-Maine, Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and John Kennedy, R-La introduced the bill last week. The INSULIN Act would also start a pilot program to provide more affordable insulin to uninsured Americans throughout 10 states. 

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In 2022, a similar bill passed as a part of the Inflation Reduction Act during the Biden-era. That bill successfully capped the drug at $35 a month for older adults on Medicare. This new legislation is the latest in an ongoing effort from both congressional parties who want to reduce the cost of the drug for the millions of Americans who rely on insulin to live. 

If passed, this bill would mark a momentous bipartisan feat at a time where health care costs are continuing to rise. Voters from both parties have voiced their concerns and frustration with health care costs increasing, and this would mark a victory in the effort to make it more affordable for the average American. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that around 8.1 million people in the US use insulin, including over 2 million who have Type 1 diabetes and would die without consistent access to the drug; which also helps control glucose levels for people with other types of diabetes. 

The price of insulin has always varied vastly throughout the nation. Some individuals with access to private insurance pay close to zero, while others pay hundreds of dollars monthly. For those with diabetes, insulin isn’t the only monthly cost they have to worry about. They also need to think about the price of pumps, blood glucose sensors, and other medical supplies to help manage their disease. 

Over half of the states in the US have taken matters into their own hands as well when it comes to this specific insulin cost issue. The states have passed their own insulin co-pay caps that range from $25 to $200 monthly for individuals with state-regulated insurance plans. 

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Insulin makers have also worked to help Americans with the cost. Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Novo Nordisk all cut the cost of insulin either by cutting list prices, capping out-of-pocket costs, and expanding affordability options, AP writes. 

According to Matthew Fielder, a senior fellow with the Center of Health Policy at Brookings Institution, around 57% of Americans with private health insurance have self-insured plans that states can’t regulate, meaning they’re left out of state cost-cap bills. 

“It puts the onus on the patient, I think, to try to navigate and get the cost down,” said Dr. Leslie Eiland, an adult endocrinologist, who is also advocating for the bill.

Chanse Jones, a spokesperson for the leading trade association for pharmaceutical companies, PhRMA, said “pharmacy benefit managers and insurers are creating access and affordability barriers for patients even as manufacturers try to expand access.” 

“We look forward to working with policymakers to ensure middlemen don’t stand between patients and their medicines.”

Advocates are hopeful that the bill will pass, emphasizing the difference it will make for people who require insulin, as well as young people and the future generations who will benefit from the drug. 

ozempic

GLP-1s, Like Ozempic And Wegovy, May Increase Risk Of Osteoporosis And Gout 

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Ozempic, Wegovy, and other GLP-1 alternatives have risen in use and popularity throughout the world in recent years. Now, according to new research presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting, these medications could increase the risk of experiencing osteoporosis and gout. 

Dr. John Horneff, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and lead author of the study, said that he initially started looking into this connection after treating some patients who were developing tendon tears after relatively minor injuries, according to NBC News. 

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This initial notice from Dr. Horneff led him, and other experts, to look into whether or not GLP-1s might impact bones or connective tissues. 

“People are taking these medications, and obviously there’s a tremendous amount of upside. But with that, they start to decrease their intake of food and nutrients,” Dr. Horneff said. 

Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens the bones and makes them more prone to breaks or fractures. It’s also a common concern for any older adult who loses a significant amount of weight over a short period of time. Gout, on the other hand, is a painful form of arthritis that occurs when the body has too much uric acid. 

Uric acid increases in the body from a diet highly concentrated in red meat and alcohol, as well as rapid weight loss being a factor. The study wrote how researchers analyzed five years of medical records from more than 146,000 adults with a diagnosis of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes. 

The study also compared patients who took GLP-1 drugs and those who didn’t. Around 4% of GLP-1 users developed osteoporosis, compared to a little over 3% of nonusers, with an increased risk of about 30%. 

Rates of gout were also slightly higher with 7.4% for GLP-1 users and 6.6% for nonusers with an increased risk of 12%. 

“It’s not huge. But within that data that was put in there, you even saw nearly a doubling of the risk of having some sort of bone mineral density issue at five years,” Dr. Horneff said.

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“Weight loss does cause bone loss,” said Dr. Clifford Rosen, a professor of medicine at Tufts University who was not involved in the research but has been studying the impact of GLP-1s on bone health.

“The question we’ve been studying is whether this is a normal compensation of the skeleton, it’s just reshaping itself, or whether this is truly a risk for losing bone that’s more rapid than what would be expected,” Rosen said.

On the opposite side, Dr. Susan Spratt, an endocrinologist, wondered if the increased risk of these conditions was due to rapid weight loss or other mechanisms within the drugs. She mentioned that some studies have shown musculoskeletal benefits with GLP-1 drugs, and she often sees actual improvements in joint pain from her patients taking the medication. 

Dr. Horneff says that in general, more research needs to be done to make a true conclusion, but it’s definitely worth looking into. 

“It’s the same idea as when we always hear about astronauts going up into space and they’re in a gravity-zero environment for too long,” Horneff said. 

“There’s nothing forcing their bones to kind of hold their weight anymore. And a lot of those astronauts come back with low bone density. So the thought is, these patients, their skeleton was used to kind of maintaining one frame, and then all of a sudden, that’s being decreased.”

“For gout, rapid weight loss can lead to a temporary spike in uric acid increasing the risk of gout,” he said. 

meds

Nearly 20 States Restrict H.I.V. Assistance Programs, Threatening Access to Treatment

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About 20 states are restricting access to assistance programs that help people pay for H.I.V. treatment, a shift that could leave tens of thousands of Americans without reliable access to lifesaving medications. Several additional states are considering similar changes, according to an analysis released Monday by the health research group KFF.

The tightening rules affect the Ryan White AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, known as ADAPs, which help cover the cost of H.I.V. medications, provide drugs at no charge to some patients, and pay insurance premiums for others. Roughly a quarter of the 1.2 million people living with H.I.V. in the United States rely on these programs.

H.I.V. medications can suppress the virus to undetectable levels, preventing transmission to others. Interruptions in treatment, however, may increase the number of new infections and lead to more cases of AIDS.

Some patients facing shortages may try to stretch their prescriptions by skipping doses or sharing pills, a practice that can allow the virus to replicate and develop resistance to medication. Drug-resistant strains can then spread to others.

The H.I.V. Medicine Association released a statement warning the cuts “will threaten the lives of people with HIV and will lead to spikes in new HIV diagnoses and a rise in health care costs as people with HIV develop serious infections requiring hospitalization.”

“H.I.V. treatment disruptions of this magnitude will result in a public health disaster. Florida must follow due process and work with health care professionals, people with H.I.V. and the state legislature to address any funding challenges.”

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The changes are being driven largely by financial pressure. ADAPs are funded through the federal Ryan White H.I.V. program, but the amount of federal support has remained largely unchanged for more than a decade, even as drug prices and insurance premiums have risen. Enrollment has also increased, with participation climbing about 30 percent from 2022 to 2024 after states began removing people from Medicaid rolls that had been expanded during the pandemic.

“Effectively, programs are being asked to do more with less federal funding,” said Lindsey Dawson, associate director of H.I.V. policy at KFF.

So far, 18 states have adopted at least one cost-cutting measure, including lowering income eligibility limits or reducing the number of covered medications. Five more states are weighing changes that could take effect as early as next month. Experts say additional states may follow, especially as new work requirements push some people off Medicaid and into ADAP programs.

“We’re expecting to see more states anticipating or contending with budget deficits, and we do anticipate a growing number of states having to implement cost-containment measures,” said Tim Horn, director of medication access at the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.

The alliance began tracking state policy changes last fall, when Pennsylvania reduced its income eligibility threshold from 500 percent of the federal poverty level to 350 percent.

Florida has enacted the most sweeping rollback so far. On Sunday, the state ended benefits for at least 16,000 residents living with H.I.V. and stopped covering Biktarvy, the most commonly prescribed H.I.V. medication. The move is part of a broader overhaul of the state’s ADAP program, the largest in the country, which serves more than 32,000 people.

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Earlier this year, Florida officials notified participants that the income limit for eligibility would drop from 400 percent of the federal poverty level to 130 percent — about $20,748 a year for an individual, down from $63,840.

The consequences, advocates say, could extend far beyond those directly affected.

“This is really an economic disaster, a public health disaster, a moral disaster,” said Esteban Wood, director of advocacy and legislative affairs at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has filed for an injunction to stop the changes.

“We’re seeing patients across the state full of anxiety and fear rationing their lifesaving medication. These are people who have no other safety net. ADAP is the safety net.”

State health officials have said the changes are necessary to address a projected $120 million budget shortfall. However, the department has not released detailed figures and did not respond to requests for comment.

On Friday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services opened a special enrollment period for Floridians losing help with insurance premiums, allowing them to choose new plans through April 30.

Advocacy groups attempted to block the restrictions, arguing that the state had not followed proper procedures in changing the rules. On Tuesday, Florida filed an emergency regulation allowing the limits to take effect.

Short Sightedness

Why Short-Sightedness Cases Are Increasing Rapidly Around The World 

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Myopia is the term used to describe what is more commonly referred to as short/near-sightedness. Cases of Myopia are increasing rapidly around the world, and a new study is trying to explain why. 

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Researchers from the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry, stated that while our modern tendency to spend more time indoors is definitely a contributor, increased screen time is not the only driver in this unusual increase. 

The team, according to Science Alert, ran lab tests on 34 volunteers, 21 who have myopia, and 13 with standard vision. The participants were given square targets that varied in brightness and contrast to focus on multiple times, one eye at a time. 

Eye behavior that was recorded in patients with myopia showed that activities and tasks that require close-up viewing could be contributing to their short-sightedness due to the way the pupil constricts to limit how much light enters the eye. 

“Myopia has reached near- epidemic levels worldwide, yet we still don’t fully understand why,” said visual neuroscientist Jose-Manuel Alonso.

“Our findings suggest that a common underlying factor may be how much light reaches the retina during sustained near work – particularly indoors.”

The reports show that the researchers wanted to look at three specific behaviors associated with looking at nearby objects: how the eyes focus, how they turn inward, and how the pupils constrict. They made adjustments to accommodate for the ON/OFF pathways in the retina, which is responsible for processing light and darkness. 

Weaker ON pathways have been connected to myopia but the underlying mechanism hasn’t been completely clear, the researchers stated. They also found that contrast matters more than brightness when it comes to the eyes turning inwards and the pupils shrinking. 

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“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” said optometry doctoral student Urusha Maharjan.

“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets, or books, the pupil can also constrict, not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image. In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”

So one of the biggest arguments now being made is that blurry vision is not the only factor that triggers or worsens myopia, but also a lack of light, which could help explain why corrective lenses that are too strong can actually hinder an individual with myopia. 

“Our results support the hypothesis that myopia develops in children with poor retinal stimulation,” the researchers report.

This study is just one step in reaching an actual solid conclusion, as it utilized a small sample of people whose eyesight wasn’t measured over time or compared in outdoor versus indoor conditions. 

“This is not a final answer. It’s a hypothesis grounded in measurable physiology that brings together many pieces of existing evidence,” Alonso said.

“More research is needed, but it gives us a new way to think about prevention and treatment.”

The research was published in Cell Reports.

night owl

Being A ‘Night Person’ Could Be Bad For Your Heart

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If you consider yourself more of a night owl, you may want to ensure you’re taking good care of your heart health. A large study has recently found that people who are more active late at night have poorer overall heart health when compared to the average person who goes to bed at a reasonable hour/gets the recommended amount of sleep every night. 

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that those who tend to stay up late should be immediately frightened. Research fellow Sina Kianersi of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, who led the study, said that “it’s not like night owls are doomed.” 

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“The challenge is the mismatch between your internal clock and typical daily schedules that make it harder to follow heart-healthy behaviors.”

Kianersi actually considers himself to be “sort of a night owl,” according to AP, and described how he feels a “boost in [his] analytical thinking” after about 7 or 8 at night. 

Heart health is extremely important, and heart disease alone is the leading cause of death in the US. The American Heart Association has a list of eight key factors that every individual should adopt for having and maintaining a healthy heart. These factors include getting enough sleep and having a healthy diet. 

When it comes to individuals who are considered night owls specifically, the impact on the heart has more so to do with the internal body’s circadian rhythm, “our master biological clock.”

That clock follows a roughly 24-hour schedule that regulates when we’re sleepy, and also wide awake, while keeping our organ systems in sync. This regulation impacts our heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones, and metabolism. 

“Everybody’s circadian rhythm is a little different. Prior research had suggested night owls might have more health problems, as well as risk factors like higher rates of smoking and less physical activity than people with more typical bedtimes,” Kianersi said to AP. 

Kianersi’s team tracked over 300,000 middle-age and older adults in the UK Biobank, which is a large health database that includes information regarding individual’s sleep-wake preferences. 

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They found that around 8% of those people classified themselves as night owls, specifically meaning they’re more active both physically and mentally in the late afternoon or evening and are up past most people’s bedtime. Around 25% were early-birds and were more productive in the daylight hours and went to bed earlier. 

Over the course of 14 years, the night owls had a 16% higher risk of a first heart attack or stroke compared to the average population, the team found. 

The researchers reported their findings this week in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The report cited that especially in women night owls, there is an overall worse cardiovascular health based on meeting the heart association’s eight key factors. 

“It comes down to the problem of a night owl trying to live in a morning person’s world. They’re getting up early for work because that’s when their job starts but it may not align with their internal rhythm,” said Kristen Knutson of Northwestern University.

Knutson also stated that this impacts more than just sleep. One’s metabolism fluctuates throughout the day as the body produces insulin to turn food into energy, meaning it may be harder for a night owl to handle a high-calorie breakfast eaten earlier in the day. 

Kianersi said that even if you can’t get the ideal of at least seven hours of sleep a night, sticking to a regular bedtime and wake up time can help your body. 

“Focus on the basics, not perfection.”