June 6, 2024 | Volume XV | Issue 23

FDA advisers reject MDMA therapy for PTSD amid concerns over research

NPR reports via Health News Florida:


A panel of experts advising the Food and Drug Administration on the use of the psychedelic MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder found on Tuesday that the available evidence fails to show that the drug is effective or that its benefits outweigh its risks.


It represents a major setback for proponents of the drug and its sponsor Lykos Therapeutics, potentially jeopardizing FDA approval of the treatment.


Following public comment and discussion, the panel voted 9-2 that MDMA – in combination with talk therapy – is not effective for treating PTSD. Further, they voted 10-1 that the benefits of MDMA treatment don’t outweigh its risks.

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Millions of current smokers became addicted when they were teens

Jon-Patrick Allem


About 37 million children ages 13 to 15 around the world use tobacco, according to a 2024 report from the World Health Organization.


In 2023, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product in the U.S., with 7.7% of middle school and high school students reporting e-cigarette use. Cigarettes were the next most common, with 1.6% of middle- and high school students saying they had consumed them in the past month.


Research shows that most people who use tobacco start in childhood.


I am a public health researcher who studies the different ways in which corporations influence adolescent health, with current projects focused on identifying sources of exposure to tobacco marketing among adolescents and young adults.


Over the past decade, I’ve researched ways in which tobacco companies market to children and young adults.

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Democrat-led contraception legislation fails in the Senate

Fierce Healthcare reports:


The Right to Contraception Act did not pass on Wednesday, with Republican senators rejecting the option to codify contraception access.


Needing two-thirds in favor, the vote failed 51-39.


Democrats and Republicans went in knowing the bill would most likely stall. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) hoped the vote would put a public spotlight on...

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New evidence showing the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet plus Update on peanut allergies, Earlier start of menstrual cycle

Good Morning America


In a study that followed more than 25,000 U.S. women for up to 25 years, researchers from Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital found that participants who closely followed the Mediterranean diet had up to a 23 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality, with benefits for both cancer and cardiovascular health.

Watch the video HERE.

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