Health

Ozempic Seems To Curb Cravings For Alcohol. Here's What Scientists Think Is Going On

People taking weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy report a dampening of the urge to drink. Here's how the drugs curb cravings and what that could mean for helping treat addiction.

Some people who take Ozempic and Wegovy report it tamps down their cravings for alcohol, and they're drinking less.

New Flame Retardants Found In Breast Milk Years After Similar Chemicals Were Banned

After a class of flame retardants called PBDEs was phased out due to links with developmental health issues, manufacturers started using another, similar group of compounds.

Years after one class of flame retardants was phased out, researchers detected other, similar flame-retardant compounds in U.S. women's breast milk in a recent study.

Mentioning Suicide In Obits Was Once Taboo. Changing That Can Help Loved Ones Grieve

Once unheard-of, mentioning suicide as a cause of death in news obituaries and paid death notices has become more frequent especially in the past 10 years. High-profile suicides — such as those of comic actor Robin Williams in 2014, fashion designer Kate Spade in 2018, and dancer Stephen “tWitch” Boss in 2022 — have helped reduce the stigma surrounding suicide loss.

A woman with light skin sits in a chair while holding a photo of her teen daughter, who is petting a horse. The woman is looking off to the right with a downcast expression on her face.

Doctors Advocate Fresh Efforts To Combat Chagas Disease, A Silent Killer

California has the most Chagas cases of any state.

Two men look at each other, smiling. The man on the left has medium skin tone with grey hair and is wearing a pink stripped button-up shirt. The man on the right has light skin tone, wears clear eyeglasses and is wearing a blue plaid button-up shirt.

You Can Expect A New COVID Shot This Fall. Here's What To Know

Shots will show up in pharmacies in October.

A health worker wearing a yellow shirt administers a COVID shot to a woman at Ted Watkins Memorial Park in Watts, Los Angeles on May 5th 2022

Thousands Of Unhoused Angelenos Live With A Severe Mental Illness. Could More Street Medicine Help?

Street psychiatry is a burgeoning field in L.A. But is it enough to help the thousands of Angelenos who live with severe mental illness?

Yelipsa Madera, Michael Gallagos and Brett Feldman stand in front of a truck that has signage that reads: Keck School of Medicine of USC Street Medicine

LAUSD Says Send Your (Mildly) Sick Kids To School — But Test For COVID First

Guidance for parents from the district and a pediatrician as we head into the third school year with COVID.

A yellow school bus on the street in front of a brick school. Two students can be seen on the sidewalk, one on a skateboard and the other on a scooter.

A New Medicare Proposal Would Cover Training for Family Caregivers

A new proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offers more support to people who care for frail, ill, and disabled older adults.

Two women with light skin tone look at each other smiling. One is younger with dark brown hair and a floral dress. The other woman is older, with blonde hair, a floral shirt and cream-colored pants. The younger woman is supporting the older woman and the older woman is holding onto a walker.

Black Angelenos Care for Alzheimer’s Patients — And Each Other

Support groups help manage the strain on caregivers in the epicenter of Alzheimer’s cases.

One person's hands wrap around another person's hand. One person has medium skin tone, and the other has a dark skin tone.

Feds Say Hospitals That Redistribute Medicaid Money Violate Law

The Biden administration wants to crack down on private arrangements among some hospitals to reimburse themselves for taxes that help fund coverage for low-income people.

An outside shot of a hospital emergency sign against a blue sky.

3 California Hospitals Declared Bankruptcy This Year. Health Chains Could Keep Them Alive

Two of the three troubled California hospitals are especially vital to their communities because they’re the only emergency providers in their rural counties. Health care chains could keep them afloat.

Two people in hospital uniforms look at a computer screen in a nurse's station. Both wear face masks.

New Alzheimer’s Drug Raises Hopes — Along With Questions

The FDA has approved Leqembi, the first disease-modifying treatment for early-stage Alzheimer’s and a precursor condition, mild cognitive impairment.

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