U.S. measles cases reach 33-year record high as outbreaks spread
The milestone marks a public health reversal in defeating a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease as the anti-vaccine movement gains strength.
The nation surpassed infections reported in 2019, reaching the largest number of cases since 1992, when officials recorded more than 2,100 infections, according to data published Friday from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Outbreak Response Innovation (CORI).
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Alex Jones Warns Trump's Cankles ‘Collapse' Is Imminent
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is sounding alarm about what he dubbed Donald Trump's health 'crisis'—and the consequences the 79-year-old president faces if he 'doesn't take his foot off the gas pedal.' The Infowars host pleaded Wednesday, the day after Trump's comments about 'heaven' intensified concerns about his condition, that 'if the people around him could just get him to take off one day a week—if he could just go play golf and watch movies and have some fun—he deserves it.' But 'at the current trajectory,' he warned, the president 'is going to have some sort of collapse within the next 12 months.' Trump is like a 'light bulb starting to go out,' Jones went on. 'I've seen a lot of signs of Trump declining,' he said. 'And so he's on a lot of the time, but like a light bulb is starting to go out. It gets brighter, it gets dim; it goes in and out.' Jones also pointed to the president's chronic venous insufficiency, which isn't linked to cognitive abilities but does cause blood circulation issues and—in Trump's case—swollen ankles. 'That's not a good sign for the heart and the rest of the body, because the rest of him—he's lost weight, he's not that fat,' Jones said. 'For everybody that you've known that's having heart problems, that's not good right there, okay? And they're getting bigger and bigger.' Trump is also working too long during the day, according to Jones. 'I know we have a crisis," he said. 'He's hyper-competitive and hyper-aggressive. So, you talk about in the zone, folks. It's fair to say that Trump is unconscious, basically, for periods of the day now,' he continued. 'Because there are times where I'm exhausted and working entirely on adrenaline, up for two days, and I make pretty good decisions—sometimes better than when I'm conscious—but I think back and I don't remember what I did.' Jones then said Trump performing well at diplomatic events is because 'it's 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock in the afternoon.' 'But you can watch the decline into the evening, and then also these morning interviews,' he said. 'So it's late at night, he sounds like he's drunk. He doesn't drink, obviously. He's exhausted. And then it is early in the morning, he doesn't sound too hot.' During a Fox & Friends call-in Tuesday morning, for instance, Trump seemed unable to name the ocean that separates the U.S. from Europe and Russia. 'And this is just one of many things I've been hearing and seeing him do that send up red flags,' Jones said. When reached for comment, the White House responded to the Daily Beast with a statement not from the current physician to the President, Sean Barbabella, but from Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, who served in that role from 2013 to 2018 and once asserted that Trump might have lived to be '200 years old' had he had a better diet over the past two decades. 'As President Trump's former personal physician, former Physician to the President, and White House physician for 14 years across three administrations, I can tell you unequivocally: President Donald J. Trump is the healthiest president this nation has ever seen,' the Republican congressman said. 'I continue to consult with his current physician and medical team at the White House and still spend significant time with the President. He is mentally and physically sharper than ever before.'
Medscape
an hour ago
- Medscape
TNF Inhibitor Use in Pregnancy Shows a Growing Trend in US
TOPLINE: TNF inhibitors were used by 64% of pregnant women with inflammatory diseases through all trimesters. Those with continuous use through all trimesters had reduced use of corticosteroids postpartum. METHODOLOGY: Researchers analyzed prescriptions of TNF inhibitors in pregnant women with chronic inflammatory diseases in the MarketScan US commercial claims database, focusing on usage patterns and discontinuation compared with those who continued using them throughout pregnancy. They included live birth pregnancies among women aged 15-45 years with rheumatoid arthritis, radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, and/or inflammatory bowel disease who were hospitalized between 2011 and 2021. A total of 3711 pregnancies were exposed to TNF inhibitors during gestation, with use of TNF inhibitors defined as having at least one filled prescription or infusion during the preconception, gestation, or postpartum periods. The time of exposure during pregnancy was categorized by trimesters, with a grace period of five half-lives added to account for biologic activity. TNF inhibitors were classified by high or low placental transfer ability, using national drug and procedure codes. The use of systemic corticosteroids and nonbiologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs was also assessed. TAKEAWAY: Overall, 64% of pregnancies were exposed to TNF inhibitors throughout all trimesters, whereas 17% were exposed during a single trimester and 18% during two trimesters. Additionally, 89% had preconception exposure, and 68% had postpartum exposure. Among pregnant women with inflammatory bowel disease, 84% continued using TNF inhibitors throughout all trimesters. A higher proportion of pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and radiographic axial spondyloarthritis/psoriasis discontinued TNF inhibitors before the third trimester than those with inflammatory bowel disease. The proportion of pregnancies exposed to TNF inhibitors throughout all trimesters increased from 55% in 2011-2013 to 73% in 2020-2021 (P for trend < .001). Pregnancies with continuous use of TNF inhibitors had lower use of corticosteroids during pregnancy and postpartum than those with limited exposure. Exposure to TNF inhibitors with a high placental transfer ability was seen in 73% of pregnancies, whereas exposure to low-transfer agents was seen in 27%; switching from high- to low-transfer TNF inhibitors occurred in 1.4% of pregnancies, with 0.2% switching from low- to high-transfer agents. IN PRACTICE: 'Our findings suggest a trend toward increased TNFi [inhibitor] continuation throughout gestation. As TNFi continue to be widely used, ongoing evaluation of their safety and long-term outcomes during pregnancy will be critical, notably related to immunization response in offspring. This information will inform future guidelines and help optimize the health of mothers with chronic inflammatory disease and their children,' the authors of the study concluded. SOURCE: This study was led by Leah K. Flatman, PhD, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was published online on June 15, 2025, in The Journal of Rheumatology. LIMITATIONS: The study's retrospective design may lead to residual confounding because it relied on administrative data. The lack of detailed clinical information, such as disease activity levels and reasons for stopping TNF inhibitors, limited the understanding of treatment decisions. Potential misclassification of TNF inhibitor exposure and gestational timing exists owing to reliance on claims data. The exclusion of stillbirths limits the generalizability of findings, and the focus on commercially insured women may not reflect broader populations. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) project grant and the Arthritis Society Stars Career Development Award to an author who also reported receiving senior salary support from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec — Santé. Another author received support from a CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarships Doctoral Award. No relevant conflicts of interest were disclosed by the authors. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Medscape
an hour ago
- Medscape
Phone Support Lowers BMI in Preschool Kids
TOPLINE: A 2-year telephone-based intervention providing nurse-led support calls and short message service (SMS) to mothers was associated with a reduced BMI in children aged up to 5 years, with the greatest benefit seen in those from lower-income families. METHODOLOGY: Telehealth became crucial during the COVID pandemic when face-to-face health programs were suspended; however, evidence on the effectiveness of telephone- and SMS-based obesity interventions for preschool-aged children and their caregivers has been lacking. Researchers conducted an extension study of a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a 2-year telephone-based intervention in reducing BMI and improving health behaviors among preschool-aged children. Originally, 662 mother-child pairs (children aged 2-3 years) were randomly assigned to receive either a five-stage, telephone-based support program, which included nurse-led calls, SMS, and a mailed booklet on healthy behaviors (intervention group), or mailouts with information unrelated to the intervention (control group). After the first year, the intervention group continued for a second year (when children were 3-4 years old), followed by a 1-year follow-up period (when children were 4-5 years old); the original group allocations were maintained throughout. The primary outcome was child BMI, measured at 3, 4, and 5 years of age. Secondary outcomes included child dietary behaviors, active playtime, screen time, and sleep duration. TAKEAWAY: The intervention group had a significantly lower mean BMI than the control group for children aged 3-5 years (15.90 vs 16.20; mean difference [MD], -0.30; P = .039). The effect of the intervention group was more pronounced among lower-income families (MD, -0.57; P = .018). The intervention group was also associated with greater odds of meeting four or more dietary recommendations (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.70; P = .02), not eating in front of the television (aOR, 2.65; P < .0001), and not eating fast food (aOR, 1.67; P = .047) than the control group for children aged 3-5 years. IN PRACTICE: 'Our study demonstrates the potential for telehealth in a preventive framework to improve obesity risk outcomes of preschool-aged children, particularly low-income children,' the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Li Ming Wen, Population Health Research & Evaluation Hub, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, Australia. It was published online in the International Journal of Obesity. LIMITATIONS: The generalizability of the findings was limited by the study location and participant demographics. Due to the COVID pandemic, the trial intervention and data collection were conducted pragmatically rather than ideally, which may have affected outcomes. Additionally, secondary outcomes were limited by mothers' self-reporting. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership grant. The authors declared having no competing interests. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
