I'm a veteran USA Today health reporter, now freelancing for other outlets.
Joined June 2009
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Phenylephrine, a decongestant found in lots of cold and allergy remedies you can buy from drug store shelves, doesn't work at all, FDA panel says. Not to be confused with pseudoephedrine, used in many similar products, but kept behind pharmacy counters. nytimes.com/2023/09/12/healt…
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Kim Painter retweeted
Medical experts are concerned that the handling of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s medical issue sent a dangerous public health message — that someone can simply return to work after experiencing an episode like this. trib.al/yJsqfXm
Kim Painter retweeted
Trending today, cardiac arrest in athletes
Cardiac arrest deaths in young people (under 35) are extremely rare. Less than 300 per year in a population.
There as been no statistically significant change in card arrest deaths under 35, ever.
This one's disappointing: MIND diet -- lots of fruits, veg and olive oil, heavy on the greens, nuts, beans and berries -- didn't boost the brain any more than control diet, which also cut calories, in 3-year trial. Maybe not long enough? cnn.com/2023/07/18/health/mi…
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NEW: The F.D.A. has approved America’s first over-the-counter birth control pill, a milestone in reproductive health and a move that could significantly increase access to contraception in a country where nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended. nytimes.com/2023/07/13/healt…
Breast health advocate Dr. Susan Love has died. "In an era when surgeons were overwhelmingly male and deference by their female patients was still expected, she exhorted women to ask hard questions about their treatment." nytimes.com/2023/07/03/scien…
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President Biden, previously reported to have sleep apnea, has started using a CPAP machine, making him one of the millions of Americans who use the device to get a better night's sleep. washingtonpost.com/politics/…
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FDA advisers vote unanimously in support of making a birth-control pill available over-the-counter, saying the benefits outweigh the risks. cnn.it/3pw3Xlx
Why is an influential health panel suddenly, it seems, recommending mammograms begin at 40, not 50? Good explainer from STAT statnews.com/2023/05/09/brea…
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President Biden confirms Dr. Walensky is leaving the CDC, saying in a statement she "led a complex organization on the frontlines of a once-in-a-generation pandemic with honesty and integrity....Dr. Walensky leaves CDC a stronger institution, better positioned to confront health threats and protect Americans."
If you are over 65 and it's been at least 4 months since your last covid vaccine booster, FDA says you can now get another one. Immune compromised folks can get them even more often. usatoday.com/story/news/heal…
Kim Painter retweeted
Poll reveals how pervasive #GunViolence is in Americans' lives: 1 in 5 people report having a family member who was fatally shot. 1 in 5 have been threatened with a gun; 1 in 6 said they have witnessed a shooting, by @selenasd npr.org/sections/health-shot… via @KFF @NPRhealth
Kim Painter retweeted
@KFF survey: Most Americans unaware that a majority of gun deaths are suicides. While mass shootings and homicides grab headlines, @selwyn_rogers notes that suicide causes ripples of grief. Every suicide leaves at least six people in mourning. 3/
Kim Painter retweeted
After she fainted on camera, conspiracy theorists made nurse Tiffany Dover into an anti-vaccine poster girl. She talked to @BrandyZadrozny about what it’s like to be pushed down that rabbit hole. This story should be in history books: nbcnews.com/tech/misinformat…
Kim Painter retweeted
Breaking: Judge Kacsmaryk has stayed the FDA approval of mifepristone, the abortion pill that has been approved for over two decades. This is slated to take effect in seven days.
This is from my husband's cousin, who lost a 23-year-old son last year to hidden fentanyl. He calls it a "fentanyl murder" and wants to help other families avoid the same all too common tragedy. bostonglobe.com/2023/03/30/o…
Kim Painter retweeted
Ask your doctor about misinformation: Most say it 'does actual harm,' poll finds usatoday.com/story/news/heal… by @kweintraub via @usatoday
"...three-quarters of doctors say misinformation made it harder to treat patients for COVID-19 and made patient outcomes worse..."
#ScienceUpFirst
Kim Painter retweeted
What the experts are doing about #COVID19 these says. That final quote is the perfect example of why journalists love Bill Schaffner washingtonpost.com/health/20…
Kim Painter retweeted
DOE says a “lab leak” is the most likely origin of Covid. Other agencies disagree. Most have low confidence in their conclusions, WSJ reports. wsj.com/articles/covid-origi…