A Dose Of Good News: FDA Approves Implant For Rheumatoid Arthritis

The New York Times: New Implant Offers Hope For Easing Rheumatoid Arthritis 
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a medical device that offers new hope to patients incapacitated by rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic condition that afflicts 1.5 million Americans and is often resistant to treatment. The condition is usually managed with medications. The device represents a radical departure from standard care, tapping the power of the brain and nervous system to tamp down the uncontrolled inflammation that leads to the debilitating autoimmune disease. (Rabin, 7/31)

The Washington Post: Low-Dose Radiation Therapy May Help Treat Arthritis And Other Benign Conditions 
In March 2024, radiation oncologist Sanjay Mehta had been dealing with painful Achilles tendinitis on his left ankle for over a year. He’d tried steroid injections and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections, which Mehta said eventually did the trick. But when his right Achilles started hurting three months later, he opted for a different approach. He had recently started offering low-dose radiation therapy to treat some patients suffering from inflammatory conditions and thought: Why not try it himself? (Carlson, 8/3)

San Francisco Chronicle: Study: Type 2 Diabetes Remission Possible Via Diet And Lifestyle
People with Type 2 diabetes — especially those with less severe diabetes, and those who are in earlier stages of the disease — can achieve remission through diet and lifestyle changes, according to a new study from the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research. Diabetes remission is relatively rare, and doctors and researchers have long known that weight loss — particularly through bariatric surgery — is one main way people with diabetes can achieve it. But the new research offers hope that people can also achieve remission through less extreme methods, while noting the challenges of sustaining it. (Ho, 8/2)

Newsweek: Hidden Human 'Superpowers' Could Help Fight Diabetes
Hidden human 'superpowers' could one day help develop new treatments to reverse diabetes and neurodegeneration. This the conclusion of research from University of Utah that suggests hibernating animals' superpowers could lie dormant within our own DNA and could potentially be unlocked to improve our health. (Millington, 7/31)

The Washington Post: Wearable Devices Helped Spot Postsurgical Complications In Kids
Wearable devices like Fitbits can help health care providers spot postsurgical complications in kids, a new analysis in Science Advances finds. About 1 in 7 children will have postoperative complications, but diagnoses can be delayed because they can be difficult for caretakers outside the hospital to spot. (Blakemore, 8/3)

Also —

AP: How A Michigan Program That Gives New Mothers Cash Could Be A Model For Rest Of US
A procession of mothers wearing red sashes, pushing strollers and tending to toddlers made their way Friday to a little festival in Flint, Michigan, where families received diapers and kids played. It was called a “baby parade.” The sashes indicated the women were participants of a growing program in Michigan that helps pregnant women and new moms by giving them cash over the first year of their children’s lives. Launched in 2024, the program comes at a time when many voters worry over high child care costs and President Donald Trump’s administration floats policy to reverse the declining birth rate. (Volmert, 7/31)

Daily Southtown: Young 60 Plus Club Offers Social Outlet For People With Dementia
A handful of older adults in Matteson are always on the go. They’re bowling, having their nails done and sometimes they’re just chilling out to gospel music therapy at an adult day service designed just for them. The Young 60 Plus Club, as its name indicates, is for anyone aged 60 and up, and caters to those with some degree of mental decline. And it has been growing in popularity since it opened in Matteson a year ago. Some days the storefront center is booming with clients. (Neumann, 7/31)