October 11th Newsletter

Happy Friday and thank you for subscribing to the Whealth Care Newsletter! I missed last week’s edition for a very special reason—Jason and I got married! Scroll down for a sneak peek!

Widespread IV fluid shortages have providers starting to cancel procedures - In a poll of its provider membership fielded earlier this week, healthcare group purchasing organization Premier Inc. found that 86% are reporting IV fluid shortages after Hurricane Helene interrupted operations at a Baxter International facility in North Carolina. The company said Wednesday it would increase the current allocations for its highest demand IV fluid for direct customers from 40% to 60% and for distributors from 10% to 60%. The company started allocations last week to “help limit stockpiling and increase the likelihood of equitable access to available products." Link

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Vitamin D Supplements May Help Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol - People taking Vitamin D had better blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose. Experts say it’s a good idea to get tested by a doctor before taking larger doses. Link

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Nearly 10 million pounds of meat recalled due to listeria concerns - BrucePac, a producer of ready-to-eat meat and poultry items, has recalled more than 9.9 million pounds of product due to possible listeria contamination. Ready-to-eat chicken was identified as the source of the listeria, which may have affected other ready-to-eat meat and poultry items that were produced from June 19 to October 8. Link

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Worst U.S. whooping cough outbreak in a decade has infected thousands - Whooping cough is spreading nationwide at the highest levels since 2014. There have been more than 16,000 cases this year — more than four times as many compared to the same time last year — and two confirmed deaths. And experts are concerned that the outbreak could worsen in the fall and winter months. Link

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Happy Health receives FDA clearance for smart ring - The ring monitors vital health metrics, including sleep, blood oxygen levels, heart rate, temperature and brain activity. Happy Health's platform is a diagnostic and clinical monitoring offering that utilizes customized machine learning algorithms and generative AI to integrate data into a clinical context. For example, instead of just numbers on a screen, the data is translated into actionable notifications and alerts that are forwarded to patients and healthcare providers. Link

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Microsoft unveils new healthcare AI tools - The products include a service that helps healthcare organizations build their own AI agents that could be used for appointment scheduling, clinical trial matching and patient triage. Link

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US Lead Pipe Removal - US regulators finalized rules requiring water utility operators to replace all lead pipes used in water lines within 10 years. The regulation, first announced in November, also requires utilities to test all water systems used by elementary schools, the first-ever national requirement. Link

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Brainstem damage could explain long COVID symptoms - Previous studies have shown that COVID-19 impacts brain health, but the details are still relatively mysterious. A new study takes a closer look using the latest scanning technology. The authors conclude that damage to the brainstem associated with infection may help explain some of the symptoms of long COVID. Link

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Medicine Nobel awarded for gene-regulating ‘microRNAs’ - Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun identified a class of tiny molecules that have a crucial role in controlling gene expression. Link?

RECALLS:

1.??? Chocolate candy recalled for undeclared milk.

2.??? Tesla is recalling 28,000 Cybertrucks with backup camera issues.

3.??? Nissan recalls nearly 24,000 LEAFs due to overheating battery from fast charging.

4.??? Three deaths linked to recalled Diamond Shruumz edibles.

5.??? Alfalfa and alfalfa onions recalled for listeria risk.

6.??? September’s egg recall has been raised to the most serious risk classification.

7.??? BMW recalls 15 models to fix steering spindle.

8.??? L&B Lone Star dip recalled because of potential mold.

9.??? Honda is recalling nearly 1.7 million vehicles for steering issue.

10. Nearly 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat recalled for listeria risk.

11. NPW Group recalls Halloween flashlights sold at Target.

12. Death, fire caused by Garberiel lithium-ion battery charger.

13. Five deaths lead to recall of 2 million Fisher-Price Snuga infant swings.