GLP-1 Drugs Linked With Lower Risk Of Suicidal Thoughts Among Juveniles
Researchers found that 1.4% of adolescents on weight loss medications had a suicide attempt or ideation, compared with 2.3% of children who weren’t taking the medicines. Separately, anxiety is found to be more likely in firstborn and only children.
CNN:
Adolescents Treated For Obesity With GLP-1 Drugs Had Lower Risk Of Suicidal Thoughts, Study Finds
A review of the medical records of thousands of adolescents treated for obesity found that kids who received the GLP-1 medications semaglutide or liraglutide were less likely to have suicidal thoughts or attempts than those treated with behavioral interventions. The study of about 7,000 children between ages 12 and 18, published this week in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, showed that the medicines were associated with a 33% lower risk over a year. (Tirrell, 10/15)
Axios:
Firstborn And Only Children Likelier To Have Anxiety
Firstborn and only children are likelier to develop anxiety and depression by the time they reach age 8 than children who are born second or later, according to a new review of almost 182,500 cases. (Bettelheim, 10/16)
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More health and wellness news —
The Hill:
Coca-Cola Recalls 'Zero Sugar' Lemonade After It's Found To Contain Full Sugar
Coca-Cola has recalled thousands of cans of Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade that were improperly labeled and actually contained the regular formula of lemonade with 40 grams of sugar, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recall, which Coca-Cola issued in September but didn’t announce publicly, applied to 13,152 cases, each with 12 cartons of 12 cans of 12 ounces of lemonade. (Fortinsky, 10/15)
AP:
Protesters Demand Kellogg Remove Artificial Colors From Cereals
Dozens of people rallied outside the Michigan headquarters of WK Kellogg Co. Tuesday, demanding that the company remove artificial dyes from its breakfast cereals in the U.S. Kellogg, the maker of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks, announced nearly a decade ago that it would remove artificial colors and ingredients from its products by 2018. ... On Tuesday, activists said they were delivering petitions with more than 400,000 signatures asking WK Kellogg to remove artificial dyes and BHT from their cereals. Protesters said there was evidence that artificial dyes can contribute to behavioral issues in children. (Durbin, 10/15)
KFF Health News:
Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week. (10/15)
In global health news —
The Washington Post:
Brazil Transplant Patients Received Organs Infected With HIV
Brazilian health officials are scrambling to explain how six transplant patients in the country’s well-regarded public health system received organs infected with HIV — and investigating whether there are more cases to come. The revelation has shocked this South American nation and plunged its health network, a source of national pride, into crisis. (McCoy and Dias, 10/15)
The New York Times:
Therapeutic Food Shortage Puts African Children At Risk Of Starvation, U.N. Agency Says
Nearly two million children may die of malnutrition because a product used to treat the condition is in short supply, the United Nations Children’s Fund said on Monday. Four countries — Mali, Nigeria, Niger and Chad — have exhausted their supplies of the peanut-based, high-nutrient product, called ready-to-use therapeutic food, or are on the brink of doing so. Another eight nations, including South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, could run out by mid-2025. (Mandavilli, 10/14)
