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Fox News
24-07-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Ambien use not recommended for people with certain occupations, doctors say
Print Close By Melissa Rudy Published July 24, 2025 Ambien is under scrutiny following recent claims about Joe Biden's use of the popular sleep aid. In an interview with YouTube host Andrew Callaghan that was released Monday, Hunter Biden alleged that the sleeping pills could have contributed to his father's apparent cognitive struggles during the first 2024 presidential debate. "He's 81 years old. He's tired as s---. They give him Ambien to be able to sleep," the former president's son claimed. "He gets up on stage, and he looks like he's a deer in the headlights. And it feeds into a f------ story that anybody wants to tell." AMBIEN UNDER SCRUTINY AMID CLAIMS JOE BIDEN HAD BEEN TAKING SLEEP DRUG Amid these claims, some have voiced concerns about the former president's possible use of the drug, which has been linked to memory problems and daytime grogginess. Ambien (generic name zolpidem), a prescription medication for insomnia, is intended only for short-term use, according to GoodRx. Some of the more serious and rare side effects can include hallucinations, "abnormal thinking and behavior" and "possible increased risk of dementia in older adults." During a Tuesday appearance on "Fox and Friends," political reporter and author Salena Zito commented on the president's alleged use of Ambien. DOCTORS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT BIDEN'S APPARENT COGNITIVE ISSUES DURING DEBATE: 'TROUBLING INDICATORS' "For the guy who's supposed to answer the 3 a.m. phone calls — it's bewildering," she said. "I can't imagine a doctor prescribing that to a president, and I can't imagine that this has been a secret." Who should not take Ambien? The medication's prescription information warns of "potential impairment of activities requiring complete mental alertness," including operating machinery or driving a motor vehicle, which can last until the day after taking it. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) states that pilots and aircrew should not fly within 24 hours of taking a sleep aid. "For the guy who's supposed to answer the 3 a.m. phone calls — it's bewildering." "All currently available sleep aids, both prescription and OTC, can cause impairment of mental processes and reaction times, even when the individual feels fully awake," the agency states in its "Do Not Fly" guidelines. Heavy equipment and machinery operators should also refrain from operating machinery within seven to eight hours — or ideally until the following day — after taking the drug due to delayed cognitive and motor recovery, according to the medication's prescribing info. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER Commercial truck drivers should adhere to these same cautions. For drivers taking a prescription sleep aid, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states that a medical examiner will review each medication and request a letter from the prescribing doctor to determine whether the drug will "adversely affect safe operation" of a commercial motor vehicle. Experts also urge caution for law enforcement, first responders and medical workers in acute healthcare settings due to the risk of slowed reaction time, "cognitive fog" and errors in judgment. "I think there may be times when physicians require sleep aids, but not in a way where they could interfere with performance during procedures," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News' senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP For military personnel, the Department of Defense (DOD) requires service members to get a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night for "military readiness." The DOD has also cautioned about the "physiological and cognitive negative side effects" of sleep aids. For more Health articles, visit Fox News Digital reached out to Joe Biden's representatives and to Cosette Pharmaceuticals, the current manufacturer of Ambien, for comment. Print Close URL
Fox News
26-06-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Heart attack deaths have plummeted in US, but new cardiovascular threats emerge
Print Close By Melissa Rudy Published June 26, 2025 Heart attack deaths have plummeted in recent years — but other types of cardiovascular disease still pose a major threat. A new study by the American Heart Association (AHA) found that overall heart disease-related death rates have declined by 66%, and heart attack deaths have dropped by almost 90%. While heart attacks are no longer the most fatal form of heart disease, there have been increases in other types — heart failure, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) and hypertensive heart disease (long-term high blood pressure). CANNABIS USE RAISES RISK OF HEART ATTACK AND STROKE MORE THAN COCAINE, OTHER DRUGS, MAJOR REVIEW SUGGESTS The findings were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Heart Association. In the study, researchers analyzed more than 50 years of data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), focusing on heart disease deaths among adults aged 25 and older. In 1970, heart attacks — also known as ischemic heart disease — represented more than half (54%) of all heart disease deaths, the study found. As of 2022, only 29% of heart disease deaths were caused by heart attacks. Other types of heart disease deaths — such as heart failure, hypertensive heart disease and arrhythmia — have risen during that timeframe, however. EXPERIMENTAL CHOLESTEROL PILL CUTS HEART ATTACK RISK WITH 'CONVENIENT' ONCE-DAILY DOSE In 2022, these other types were responsible for 47% of heart disease deaths, up from just 9% in 1970, the study found. "This distribution shift in the types of heart disease people were dying from the most was very interesting to us," said the study's first author, Sara King, M.D., a second-year internal medicine resident in the department of medicine at Stanford School of Medicine in Stanford, California, in the release. "This evolution over the past 50 years reflects incredible successes in the way heart attacks and other types of ischemic heart disease are managed," she went on. "However, the substantial increase in deaths from other types of heart conditions, including heart failure and arrhythmias, poses emerging challenges the medical community must address." "The increase in other types of heart disease leading to death has offset the wins from deaths from heart attacks declining." Arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, happen when electrical impulses to the heart are too fast, slow or erratic, according to the AHA. One common example of an arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation (AFib), which begins in the upper chambers of the heart. Heart failure is defined as a "chronic condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen." Hypertensive heart disease describes damage to the heart caused by long-term, unaddressed high blood pressure, the AHA stated. Sadiya S. Khan, MD, a cardiologist and associate professor at Northwestern University in Chicago, was not involved in the study but commented on the "important analysis." "Fortunately, this study suggests important progress in a preventable cause of death — heart attacks," she told Fox News Digital. STANFORD RESEARCHERS DEVELOP 'GAME-CHANGING' STROKE TREATMENT THAT DOUBLES EFFECTIVENESS "Unfortunately, it suggests that there is a smoldering crisis of other types of heart disease deaths that may be in part related to heart attacks, but speak to the growing burden of obesity that results in more heart failure and arrhythmia-related deaths." "The increase in other types of heart disease leading to death has offset the wins from deaths from heart attacks declining." Why the decrease in heart attacks? The researchers presented several possible reasons for the decrease in heart attack deaths, primarily advancements in treatment for sudden and acute cardiac events. "From the establishment and increased use of bystander CPR and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to treat cardiac arrest outside the hospital setting, to the creation of systems of care that promote early recognition of and quick procedural and medical intervention to treat heart attacks, there have been great strides made in helping people survive initial acute cardiac events that were once considered a death sentence," King said in the release. The researchers also touted several other medical advancements, including coronary artery bypass grafting, cardiac imaging and many new heart disease medications. Healthy lifestyle modifications, such as quitting smoking, exercising regularly and managing cholesterol and blood pressure, have also contributed to the reduced heart attack deaths, the AHA report stated. Khan added, "It is important to note that this doesn't mean the heart attack may still not have been the driver, if someone with a heart attack developed heart failure and that is now called a heart failure death." Risk factors remain Despite the improvements, the researchers cautioned that several other heart disease risk factors — including obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and physical inactivity — are still fueling cases. Obesity in particular has risen from 15% to 40% during the study timeframe, and type 2 diabetes affects nearly half of U.S. adults, according to the report. Increased life expectancy is another factor — as people are living longer, a larger aging population is more likely to experience various types of heart disease. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "We've won major battles against heart attacks; however, the war against heart disease isn't over," King said. "We now need to tackle heart failure and other chronic conditions that affect people as they age." "The next frontier in heart health must focus on preventing heart attacks, and also on helping people age with healthier hearts and avoiding chronic heart conditions later in life." The AHA calculates heart health based on an individual's score for what it calls "Life's Essential 8." Those who score high in those eight areas are, on average, six years younger biologically than their actual age. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER The eight lifestyle behaviors for optimal heart health are listed below. Eat better Be more active Quit tobacco Get healthy sleep Manage weight Control cholesterol Manage blood sugar Manage blood pressure Potential limitations The researchers pointed out several limitations of their study, including that they did not analyze data by age, sex, race, ethnicity, region or urbanization. There could also be potential inconsistencies and "miscoding" of data over the years, they noted. "We've won major battles against heart attacks; however, the war against heart disease isn't over." It's also possible that the "true burden" of heart attacks is "underestimated" in the findings, according to the researchers. "Certain conditions including heart failure, cardiomyopathy and arrhythmias — and, in particular, ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac arrest — may be overly simplistic," they wrote. "Many of these cases likely have underlying causes that cannot be precisely differentiated using current or past ICD (International Classification of Diseases) codes." For more Health articles, visit Khan pointed out that despite the decrease in direct heart attack deaths, heart disease overall is still the leading cause of mortality in the U.S., accounting for more than 900,000 deaths in 2022. Print Close URL
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Brain cancer patients who received this pain medication lived longer, study shows
Print Close By Melissa Rudy Published May 21, 2025 Glioblastoma, the most aggressive and deadly type of brain cancer, is known to have a very poor prognosis — but a new study suggests that a pain-relieving drug could extend survival. Researchers at Mass General Brigham have found that an already-approved medication — a pain reliever and anti-seizure medication called gabapentin — has been linked to improved survival in patients with glioblastoma. The findings were published in Nature Communications last week. MICHAEL BOLTON HAD STRANGE SYMPTOMS BEFORE BRAIN CANCER DIAGNOSIS: 'SOMETHING'S WRONG' Inspired by previous mouse studies that showed gadapentin's potential in targeting tumors, the researchers studied the medical outcomes of nearly 700 patients with glioblastoma. Many of them had already been taking gabapentin to alleviate nerve pain, according to a press release from MGB. The patients who were taking the drug survived four months longer than those who were not — 16 months compared to 12 months — which was described as "statistically significant." "Ultimately, our goal was to highlight the emerging role of cancer neuroscience in GBM progression and emphasize the importance of exploring creative strategies to therapeutically target this evolving neural-tumor axis," lead author Joshua Bernstock, MD, PhD, a clinical fellow in the Department of Neurosurgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital, told Fox News Digital. BREAST CANCER DRUG COULD HELP PROLONG SURVIVAL FOR CHILDREN WITH BRAIN TUMORS, STUDY FINDS The team was surprised by the survival benefit, Bernstock noted. "It's always incredible to see a hypothesis come to life," he said. "I was also really pleased to see the decrease in serum TSP-1 levels in the UCSF cohort, potentially positioning it as a biomarker of response." Based on the initial findings, Bernstock reached out to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to study more glioblastoma patients. Among the 379 patients at USCF, the same outcome was observed — the ones who were taking gabapentin lived 20.8 months on average, compared to 14.7 months for those not taking the drug. "There have been very few advances in survival for GBM patients since the early 2000s." "Across both cohorts (1,072 patients total), gabapentin use was consistently associated with a statistically significant improvement in survival," Bernstock told Fox News Digital. The researchers also noticed that the gadapentin group had lower levels of a protein called TSP-1, which is found in the blood serum, a finding that "needs further investigation." "There have been very few advances in survival for GBM patients since the early 2000s," Bernstock said in the release. "We need to think more creatively about the emerging biology in these tumors and how to target them." What to know about gadapentin The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initially approved gadapentin in December 1993 to treat seizure activity in adults; the approval was extended to include children in 2000. Two years later, the agency approved gadapentin for nerve pain following shingles, according to the agency. The drug is often prescribed for off-label use to treat a range of pain conditions, studies show. Some of the more common side effects of gadapentin include fatigue, headache, dizziness, fever, nausea and vomiting, memory loss, trouble speaking, weight gain, vision problems, movement problems and recurring infections, according to Cleveland Clinic. Certain medications may interact with gadapentin. Patients should speak with a doctor if they experience severe or persistent side effects, experts recommend. Potential limitations and next steps The study did have some limitations, chiefly that it is retrospective and was not controlled. "While the findings are promising, the study is retrospective — patients were not given gabapentin in a controlled, randomized manner to directly assess its effects," Bernstock told Fox News Digital. "As such, larger prospective clinical trials are needed to validate these results and to further investigate the role of gabapentin and TSP-1 in GBM progression." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER Bernstock said he is "cautiously optimistic" by the findings. "While gabapentin is FDA-approved and generally well-tolerated, it's not appropriate to change clinical practice based on these findings alone without a controlled study, something our collaborators at UCSF are working on," he said. "It's not appropriate to change clinical practice based on these findings alone without a controlled study." "That said, in GBM patients who develop neuropathic pain or seizures post-craniotomy, there may be a rationale to consider gabapentin more readily than other agents." For more Health articles, visit Glioblastoma — described by Bernstock as "a relentlessly progressive and nearly universally fatal disease" — is the most common type of primary brain cancer, according to Mayo Clinic. The disease claims the lives of around 14,500 Americans each year. The five-year survival rate is just 6.9%. Print Close URL
Fox News
17-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Walking certain number of steps daily reduces cancer risk, Oxford study finds
Print Close By Melissa Rudy Published May 17, 2025 Exercise is known to reduce cancer risk — but that doesn't have to mean hard-core gym sessions or long runs. A new study led by Oxford researchers reveals that casual walking and other light-intensity activities are enough to lower cancer incidence. The number of steps was found to be more important than the pace of the walk, they found. JUST 4 MINUTES OF INTENSE DAILY ACTIVITY COULD SLASH CANCER RISK AMONG 'NON-EXERCISERS,' STUDY FINDS Those who walked 7,000 steps per day had an 11% lower cancer risk compared to those taking 5,000 steps per day, and the risk was 16% lower for those taking 9,000 steps per day, according to a press release from the Oxford Centre for Early Cancer Detection at the University of Oxford. Even shopping and performing household chores have been shown to reduce cancer risk. Overall, those who had the highest total amount of daily physical activity were 26% less likely to develop cancer compared to those with the lowest amount, after adjusting for lifestyle factors, body mass index (BMI) and other health conditions. The study, which was recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed activity tracker data for 85,394 people in the UK Biobank averaging 63 years of age. CANCER DEATHS AND TAX RATES LINKED IN SURPRISING NEW STUDY: HERE'S HOW They then compared that data with future cancer diagnoses in 2,633 participants over a nearly six-year period. While previous studies have used self-reported exercise to determine reduced cancer risk, this one used "more precise data" based on wearable activity trackers. "Our research highlights the importance of all forms of movement," senior study author Aiden Doherty, professor of biomedical informatics at Oxford Population Health, said in the release. "Whether it's increasing daily steps, engaging in light activity or incorporating moderate-to-vigorous exercise, any level of physical activity appears to contribute to lower cancer risk." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Our findings support and enhance current national and international physical activity guidelines, showing that people who often engage in simple low-intensity activities, such as walking, have a lower risk of developing cancer." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, pointed out that cancer is linked to inflammation, which is linked to sedentary behavior. "All kinds of activity, including walking, increases metabolic function and decreases inflammation," Siegel, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "The results of this study are not surprising and are in keeping with previous and ongoing research." For more Health articles, visit In addition to Oxford Health researchers, experts from the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute participated in the study. Funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health's Intramural Research Program and the National Institutes of Health's Oxford Cambridge Scholars Program. Print Close URL
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
FDA warns seniors to avoid this vaccine after deadly complications
Older adults are being warned against receiving the chikungunya vaccine before traveling. The Ixchiq vaccination, developed by Valneva to prevent the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2023 as the first of its kind. The approval applies to anyone aged 18 and older who has a risk of being exposed to the virus. First Vaccine For Chikungunya Virus, An 'Emerging Global Health Threat,' Gets Fda Approval But the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a safety notice on May 9 recommending that adults over 60 years old pause use of the vaccine due to fatal complications. "FDA and CDC will continue the evaluation of post-marketing safety reports for Ixchiq," the release reads. Read On The Fox News App "While the safety of Ixchiq for use in individuals 60 years of age and older is being further assessed, FDA and CDC are recommending a pause in use of the vaccine in this age group. FDA and CDC will update the public when the agencies complete their evaluation of this safety issue." The advisory follows reports of "serious adverse events," including neurologic and cardiac events in people who received the vaccine. Two of 17 events resulted in death from severe complications. One death was caused by encephalitis, or inflammation in the brain, the alert stated. Those who experienced adverse effects of the vaccine were reported to be between the ages of 62 and 89. The FDA warned that Ixchiq, which contains a live, weakened version of chikungunya, may cause symptoms similar to the virus. Typical symptoms of chikungunya include fever, severe joint pain, headache, muscle pain and a rash, according to the CDC. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter Most people recover within a week, but some may experience "severe and disabling" joint pain for weeks or months. "This virus is in a similar category as dengue or Zika and is carried by the same mosquitoes," Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel previously told Fox News Digital. At the time of the vaccine's approval, the FDA described chikungunya as an "emerging global health threat," with at least five million cases reported over the past 15 years. For more Health articles, visit The FDA plans to conduct an "updated benefit-risk assessment" for Ixchiq use in those over 60 years of age, according to the notice. Fox News Digital's Melissa Rudy contributed to this article source: FDA warns seniors to avoid this vaccine after deadly complications
