Category: Health

• Eli Lilly has announced the availability of the new GLP-1 pill, Foundayo, through Amazon One Medical kiosks.
• The new Amazon offering features same-day prescriptions after speaking with a healthcare professional.
• Foundayo is available through Amazon for $149 per month for the lowest dose.
• Amazon One Medical kiosks have been stocking Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pills since January.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Foundayo, Eli Lilly’s new GLP-1 pill for weight loss.

Foundayo is available through the LillyDirect program and through Amazon Pharmacy, which fulfills prescriptions made through LillyDirect.

Now, Amazon One Medical kiosks will offer Foundayo, which allows individuals to access their prescriptions on the same day after speaking with a healthcare professional.

Amazon Pharmacy has offered home delivery of GLP-1 medications since 2021, but hasn’t been able to stock them in kiosks because they require refrigeration.

GLP-1 pills, however, do not require cold storage, allowing for “broader access and for them to be ​stored safely in a kiosk for dispensing,” Tanvi Patel, a vice president at Amazon Pharmacy, ​said in a press release.

Amazon Pharmacy kiosks have also been stocking the Wegovy pills since January.

Amazon announced its kiosks connected to One Medical locations in 2025.

There are currently five kiosks available in California. Amazon noted that the kiosks were developed to help reduce barriers to medication access and limit delivery fees.

One Medical is Amazon’s primary and urgent care business. People can purchase a one-year subscription to One Medical for $199 or $99 with Amazon Prime.

Those without a One Medical membership can still book an appointment and use the kiosks.

Currently, Amazon kiosks are only available in certain areas of California. However, Hannah McClellan Richards, a vice president at Amazon Pharmacy, said in a press release that “the company plans to expand the kiosk model outside of California in 2026 and is in talks with external health systems to introduce the machines through partnerships.”

Individuals can also access Amazon’s same-day delivery for Foundayo through Lilly’s prescribing partners, such as WW International (formerly Weight Watchers).

Some people may also have access to same-day delivery directly through Amazon.

Amazon hopes to expand same-day delivery to 4,500 locations by the end of this year.

WW International and GoodRx have also said they will separately begin offering Foundayo at self-pay prices, starting at $149 per month for the lowest dose.

The Foundayo pill is the second GLP-1 medication to be approved in pill form.

For people with commercial insurance, it may cost as little as $25 per month. Individuals with Medicare Part D may be able to get Foundayo for $50 a month, beginning in July.

“It is great to have new tools added to our toolbox to deal with obesity,” Zhaoping Li, MD, the chief of the Division of Clinical Nutrition at UCLA Health and director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition in Los Angeles, told Healthline in an earlier interview.

The starting dose for Foundayo is 0.8 milligrams (mg), increasing to 2.5 mg after 30 days, and then to 5.5 mg after a further 30 days. The dosage may be increased to 9 mg, 14.5 mg, or 17.2 mg after at least 30 days at each level, based on a person’s response and tolerance to each dose.

“Preferences vary by patient,” Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, told Healthine in an earlier interview.

“Some prefer weekly injections while others prefer a [daily] pill. A primary advantage of the pill is that it does not require refrigeration, making it more convenient for travel,” he said.

If you think you may be eligible for Foundayo or another GLP-1 medication, ask your doctor for more guidance.

• A recent study has found that intermittent fasting may positively affect the hormones in people with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
• These effects on hormones may help lead to greater weight loss.
• Weight loss has also been associated with improved PCOS symptoms.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), PCOS affects 10–13% of females worldwide. This equals about 1 in 10 females of reproductive age having PCOS.

A recent study published in Nature Medicine found that intermittent fasting (IF) may positively affect hormones in people with PCOS, which, in turn, could contribute to weight loss.

A first-line treatment for PCOS is hormonal birth control. However, this medication can lead to negative side effects on mood, libido, and metabolism. It can also increase the risk of stroke in some people.

“We’re looking for other ways of lowering testosterone levels in these women,” Krista Varady, PhD, professor of kinesiology and nutrition at the University of Illinois Chicago, and an author of the study, said in a press release.

“One way is through weight loss. If someone loses around 5% of their body weight, they can actually help lower testosterone levels and sidestep any kind of drug intervention,” she continued.

Intermittent fasting, or time-restricted eating (TRE), has become a popular weight loss strategy. This method utilizes cycles of voluntary fasting followed by eating periods. It focuses more on when to eat than on what to eat.

“Intermittent fasting may improve adherence for some individuals compared to calorie or macro tracking, which can support weight loss and metabolic improvements. However, dietary quality remains foundational,” said Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Department of Wellness & Preventive Medicine and President of KAK Consulting, who was not involved in the study.

The study analyzed 76 participants who were randomly assigned to one of three groups for 6 months:

• 6-hour TRE regimen with all meals eaten between 1:00–7:00 pm, with no calorie tracking
• calorie restriction, with a 25% daily energy restriction
• control group with no dietary restrictions

The primary factor the researchers were checking was the percentage change in body weight over 6 months.

Both the TRE group and the calorie-restriction group achieved significant weight loss by the end of 6 months.

Participants in the TRE group also showed changes in their testosterone and A1C levels. A1C levels are a risk marker for diabetes.

“Daily intermittent fasting could be an alternative to calorie counting for individuals with PCOS who are looking to lose weight. Both diets can also help with insulin resistance, which many people with PCOS have and which can put individuals at risk for diabetes,” Varady told Healthline.

“Intermittent fasting may also help lower testosterone levels in PCOS, which is important because testosterone is the culprit behind many PCOS symptoms,” she continued.

Varady added that intermittent fasting may be easier for many people to follow than calorie restriction. Many participants in the TRE group stated they would continue the diet.

Kirkpatrick said it’s important to establish a solid dietary foundation before focusing on fasting hours.

“From there, choose an eating window that fits your lifestyle and feels sustainable,” she said.

Varady suggested trying a 6 to 8-hour eating window that ends at least 1 hour before you go to bed. She recommended keeping a consistent eating window each day, as this will help your body to adjust to the new eating times more easily.

Of course, as with many diet and weight loss protocols, consistency is key. Limiting food intake to your eating window each day will yield the best results.

“While you don’t necessarily need to worry about diet quality while doing intermittent fasting — weight loss can happen regardless — it may benefit those with PCOS to also make dietary changes, including increasing non-starchy vegetables, lowering starchy carbs, and getting adequate protein,” said Varady.

• Heather Kaiser was diagnosed with early onset colon cancer at 42. She shares the story of her diagnosis, treatment, and living a full life with cancer.
• As an overall healthy person, she never expected that her life would be turned upside down with a cancer diagnosis.
• As a mother of two young boys, Kaiser’s greatest concern was how she could continue to show up for them amid her battle against colon cancer.

Heather Kaiser is a mom of two boys and an attorney living a full and busy life. When she went in to see her doctor in 2025 at age 42 about gastrointestinal issues, she had no idea she would be facing an indefinite medical journey.

The doctor sent her home, telling her that her symptoms were most likely related to hormones or her diet. She began to feel better and joked to her friends that there was no way she could have cancer.

However, her symptoms soon returned despite eating a healthy diet. Within a month of symptom recurrence, Kaiser found herself in the emergency room. She was once again sent home, this time being told that it was “women’s issues.”

At a follow-up with her OB-GYN, she said her symptoms were finally being taken seriously, and she received a referral to a gastroenterologist.

However, when she came out of a colonoscopy, the doctor was visibly upset. He told her, “I cannot believe I have to tell you this. I found a mass the size of a fist.” He continued to tell her that it would have to be surgically removed and that it was most likely cancer.

“I held out hope for a good week, as we waited for pathology,” Kaiser said. “But when I got it back, I was like, ‘OK, so … I have cancer.’”

She didn’t tell anyone, even her husband, for at least a day. She needed the time to process the news herself before she told others.

“We all believed that we had caught it early, and I was just gonna be able to do surgery,” Kaiser said. “It just hasn’t been my story.”

It was initially thought that Kaiser had a traditional form of colon cancer, which is generally slow-growing.

After talking with surgeons, she scheduled her surgery for June 2025, six months after her initial visit to the ER.

“[It] was kind of far out, but there was life going on. I have two small boys, who were 10 and 5 at the time. I wanted to wait until they were done with school,” she said.

While the surgery went well overall, Kaiser’s surgeon was fairly certain they didn’t achieve clean margins. Clean margins indicate that no cancer cells were present at the outer edges of the tissue removed during surgery.

Kaiser was then referred to an oncologist, who sent the tumor out for genetic testing.

“I remember sitting in the hospital, and I was so afraid of chemo,” she said. “I was afraid of how I was gonna feel, how I was gonna look, and mostly, how I was gonna be able to show up as a mom.”

Typically, colon cancer spreads to the lungs and liver. However, in her case, it spread to the lymph nodes surrounding the lungs and the liver.

Kasier’s health team noted how unusual this was and wanted to wait for her biomarker results before making a treatment plan.

When the biomarker testing results came back, Kaiser learned that she had a unique type of colon cancer called BRAF, a mutation only present in around 10% of metastatic colorectal cancers.

Kaiser had a BRAF mutation known as V600E, which appears in approximately 96% of BRAF colorectal cancer.

This meant that there would be a completely different treatment for her cancer.

“The prognosis was 13 months,” she said. However, there were clinical trials going on for that specific V600E mutation at the time.

In August 2025, she became part of the protocol designed by the BREAKWATER clinical trial. She was the first person in Minnesota to participate in this protocol outside the trial.

“I called myself Patient Zero, even though I’m sure I was never [actually] called that!” Kaiser joked. “Mayo Clinic was following me, Minnesota Oncology was following me, I’m being followed by the [University of Minnesota], because I’m just so new.”

She began a regimen of four different drugs — three were administered by IV, and one was an oral medication called Braftovi.

Prior to Braftovi, Kaiser’s specific colon cancer mutation was chemo-resistant, which is why her outlook was so grim.

However, Braftovi not only targets the cells that allow cancer to reproduce, but also enhances the effects of other drugs.

“I was really cold sensitive. I couldn’t have anything cold. I couldn’t touch anything cold. It was really rough,” Kaiser said.

She tried many medications to help with symptoms like nausea, but nothing worked. She felt like she would just have to live with the nausea and spend her life eating toast and applesauce all the time.

“I take an oral cannabis pill. And that finally helped with the nausea. I take it before bed, and I take a gummy in the morning to help with the nausea and fatigue during the day.”

Kaiser went in for her first CT following treatment in October 2025. She had done eight rounds of treatment at that time.

“The CT scan came back, ‘complete response to treatment, no evidence of disease,’ which was a shock. It was a shock to my doctors. They didn’t even see those kinds of fast results in the trial.”

Kaiser’s doctors began to examine what might have contributed to her remarkable response to the treatment.

They said her age and overall health were possibilities. She had always exercised regularly and had continued to do so through treatment.

“My oncologist also thought that my positive attitude contributed to my quick response,” she said.

Despite her CT results, Kaiser has had to continue treatment. This is because the V600E mutation isn’t curable and doesn’t go into remission.

“They’ve never had anyone live for five years yet,” Kaiser said. “But they just don’t have people who are living and not treating.”

Now, at 43, Kaiser said that despite her stage 4 cancer diagnosis, she leads a full and busy life.

The most challenging part, she said, is navigating motherhood, work, and family life without the energy and stamina she once had.

Still, Kaiser’s supportive community of family, friends, and neighbors has made a big difference in her recovery and ongoing treatment. Knowing she has help when she needs it, and even when she doesn’t know she needs it, has allowed her to continue working full-time and be the best mom to her boys she can be.

Kaiser said the best advice she can give to people who are living with cancer, especially those like her who face indefinite treatment, is the way she has lived since she began treatment.

“The best thing to do for me was to plan my life, and then just fit cancer in there, rather than [allowing] cancer to run my life,” she said.

Kaiser added that she tries to run her life first and then make space for the cancer.

“I have this really busy, awesome, full life, and I have a chronic disease I also have to treat,” she said.

Kaiser currently works with the legal team of RVO Health, the parent company of Healthline.

• A recent review suggests that social media influencers touting prescription drugs are often spreading misinformation.
• The research shows that audiences have difficulty recognizing promotional intent when the marketing is embedded in personal narratives.
• The findings highlight a need for updated regulatory guidance and stronger, more standardized disclosure requirements.

The rise of social media influencers has changed how many people get information about many products and services.

A recent review published in JAMA Network Open examined how social media influencers affect how users obtain information and approach prescription medications.

The researchers found that the promotion of prescription medications by social media influencers is often accompanied by misleading information. It was shown that this type of promotion can be connected to outdated regulatory oversight.

“Existing rules and disclosure requirements have not kept pace with social media,” Heiss told Healthline.

The review also found that audiences may have difficulty recognizing promotional intent when it’s embedded in personal narratives.

“Personal stories can also make promotional content feel trustworthy and authentic, even when it is incomplete or misleading,” Heiss said. “As a result, followers may trust influencers because they emotionally connect with their stories and may not recognize that the content is advertising.”

Prescription drug companies are increasingly partnering with social media influencers, or people who attract a large number of followers and may influence them by sharing content. These influencers are often patients, and may be referred to as “patient influencers.”

Patient influencers may post personal stories and experiences, which makes them highly persuasive.

These types of collaborations can spread misleading information and potentially lead to the misuse of medications and harmful interactions.

The researchers note that this is especially problematic when promotions are made by healthcare professionals.

“Social media influencers promoting prescription medication are blurring the lines between sound clinical advice and trend following,” said Kanwar Kelley, MD, who is triple board certified in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery (ENT), obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine, and co-founder and CEO of Side Health in Orinda, CA. Kelley wasn’t involved in the study.

“In today’s social media, that content is nearly indistinguishable from professional advice and can skirt the skepticism that people apply to traditional prescription marketing,” Kelley told Healthline.

The promotion of prescription drugs by influencers also raises an important public health concern, amplifying the demand for pharmaceuticals with the potential to encourage inappropriate use or prescribing.

“In some cases, especially when influencers are patients themselves, they can provide valuable support and help people feel less alone,” said Heiss.

“However, our review suggests that these ‘parasocial’ relationships can also make people less likely to recognize when they are being marketed to and more likely to see the advice as credible. This becomes a problem when promotional content is not clearly disclosed or when personal experience is mistaken for medical evidence,” he continued.

The review analyzed data from 12 peer-reviewed journal articles.

These articles addressed topics such as contraceptive advertising, performance-enhancing drugs, and broader pharmaceutical promotion.

All 12 articles showed the same recurring themes of:

• ineffective regulatory oversight and inconsistent disclosure practices
• misinformation that stems from influencers’ limited expertise in the context of audiences’ low health literacy
• parasocial narratives that blur the distinctions between personal testimony and paid promotion

The researchers note that the evidence base is small and fragmented. However, they add that the findings highlight an urgent need for updates to regulatory guidance, for enforceable and standardized disclosure requirements, for targeted digital literacy initiatives, and for stronger platform accountability.

Nissa Keyashian, MD, board certified psychiatrist and author of “Practicing Stillness,” who wasn’t involved in the research, said that she would recommend people consider what, if any, clinical education and training a social media influencer has.

“Regardless of the influencer’s medical background, people should also strongly consider whether the person has any conflicts of interest related to corporate sponsorship or partnership, and if they are disclosing these conflicts clearly and openly,” she told Healthline.

Heiss said that social media can be a useful place to hear about other people’s experiences. However, it should not be treated as a substitute for medical advice.

“People should be cautious whenever an influencer promotes a prescription drug, regardless of whether the sponsorship is disclosed,” he said.

“People should be especially careful when influencers only emphasize benefits, downplay risks, or embed drug recommendations in emotional personal stories. Before making decisions based on advice seen online, people should discuss it with a doctor or pharmacist,” Heiss continued.

Kelley added that it is important to remember “anecdotal evidence, while important, is not clinical evidence.”

“Social media has effectively outpaced the frameworks we use to ensure pharmaceutical advertising is transparent. Disclosure of conflicts of interest and mandatory discussion of risks, benefits, and alternatives are important aspects of oversight that should be addressed,” said Kelley.

“We need to create space for patients to bring in what they’ve seen online and have open, nonjudgmental conversations about it. Ultimately, strengthening dialogue between patients and physicians and refining frameworks for digital advertising are key steps to ensuring patient safety and trust in the evolving media landscape,” he said.

• Researchers say some medications prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may increase a person’s risk of early death.
• However, experts say that risk is relatively small and the benefits of using medication to ease the discomfort of IBS outweighs these concerns.
• They add that people with IBS can also manage symptoms by adhering to a diet that minimizes trigger foods, as well as exercising daily and managing stress.

Some medications commonly prescribed to treat symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may increase the long-term risk of early death, a new study reports.

Scientists from Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University in Los Angeles say that long-term use of two of the medications — loperamide and diphenoxylate — is associated with approximately double the risk of death.

They added that long-term use of antidepressants to treat IBS symptoms was associated with a 35% higher risk of death.

However, the researchers noted that although the overall increase in risk is statistically significant, the risk to any individual is small.

“IBS patients should not panic, but they do need to understand and weigh the small but meaningful risks when considering long-term treatments,” said Ali Rezaie, MD, the medical director of the GI Motility Program at Cedars-Sinai and senior author of the study, in a statement.

“Many patients are diagnosed with IBS at a young age and may remain on medications for years,” Rezaie said. “However, most clinical trials of these medications last less than a year, so we know very little about their long-term safety. This study begins to address that gap.”

Rudolph Bedford, MD, a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, said that the research only establishes an association between IBS medications and risk of death and not a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Bedford wasn’t involved in the study.

“The risk to any one person is small, so there is no reason to panic,” he told Healthline.

Bedford added that the symptoms of IBS can be painful and even debilitating, so in many cases, the medications do far more good than harm. “It’s about quality of life at the end of the day,” he said. “The benefits definitely outweigh the risks for many patients.”

The Cedars-Sinai researchers reached their conclusions after examining two decades of health records from nearly 670,000 adults in the United States.

They said their research is the largest real-world study to examine the long-term safety of IBS treatments.

Researchers looked at study participants who were taking IBS medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as antidepressants, antispasmodics, and opioid-based antidiarrheal drugs such as loperamide and diphenoxylate.

They acknowledged their study did not establish that these medications directly cause death. Instead, they said the observed associations may reflect higher rates of adverse outcomes, such as cardiovascular events, falls, and stroke.

They added that some medications, including antispasmodics and treatments for constipation, were not found to have an association with an increased risk of all-cause mortality.

Ketan Thanki, MD, a colorectal surgeon specializing in benign and malignant disease of the colon, rectum, and anus at the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center, said further research is needed before any specific conclusions can be drawn. Thanki wasn’t involved in the study.

“For now, we should still approach these findings with caution,” he told Healthline. “As the authors point out, correlation does not imply causation, and further examination of the data and additional studies are needed to determine whether other factors are also involved.”

Nonetheless, Thanki said people with IBS should be aware of these findings.

“People who take IBS medications should certainly not panic,” he said. “However, they should ask their physicians if they have other risk factors, which may also correlate to negative outcomes when taking the particular drugs they are on.”

Bedford agreed with this assessment. “Patients and medical professionals need to be educated and be cognizant of the potential long-term effects. They shouldn’t have a cavalier attitude about it,” he said.

It’s estimated that 25–45 million people in the United States have IBS.

Of those, about 31% report having mild IBS symptoms, while 48% say they have moderate symptoms, and 20% state they have severe symptoms that can affect daily life.

The cause of IBS isn’t known, but it is associated with a number of factors. These include:

Common symptoms of IBS include:

There are a number of treatments for IBS symptoms. They include:

Acupuncture has been tested as a potential treatment for IBS, but the results so far have been mixed.

IBS was once thought to be a condition that mostly affected younger people, but medical experts now say it can also affect older adults.

Experts say there are pharmaceuticals as well as lifestyle habits that can help manage IBS symptoms.

Bedford said medications can help in several ways. Among them:

• pain reduction
• lessening of cramps
• decreasing diarrhea
• loosening constipation

“Medications are all about treating symptoms,” he said.

Bedford said there are also several ways a person can improve symptoms through lifestyle changes. They include:

Thanki said diet is one of the most important aspects of any treatment routine.

“Start with dietary modification — low-FODMAP trial with dietitian guidance, add fiber, reduce fats, eat smaller portions, limit caffeine and alcohol, and avoid personal trigger foods. This is one of the most effective ways to manage IBS,” he said.

“Add regular exercise and address sleep,” Thanki continued. “Assess for psychological comorbidities and consider gut-directed therapy such as hypnotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and stress management. Lastly, an underutilized tool is addressing pelvic floor dysfunction with physical therapy and biofeedback.“

• A common diabetes drug may mimic one key effect of exercise in those with prostate cancer.
• Researchers found metformin boosts an “exercise molecule” linked to appetite and weight control, even in those unable to stay active.
• While not a substitute for exercise, the drug could help individuals manage treatment-related weight gain and metabolic health.

Regular exercise is associated with a wide range of health benefits, including a reduced risk of cancer.

Physical activity is also important during the treatment of certain cancers, such as prostate cancer, where treatment itself may lead to weight gain or other metabolic dysfunction.

Scientists previously identified an exercise-induced molecule — known as N-lactoyl-phenylalanine (Lac-Phe), a compound released during physical activity — associated with weight loss and decreased appetite, and it appears to be stimulated by metformin, a diabetes drug.

In an exploratory study, researchers found that prostate cancer patients treated with metformin had Lac-Phe levels comparable to those seen after strenuous exercise. The findings were published on April 6 in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.

Researchers initially identified Lac-Phe, a molecule produced during exercise, in healthy people and athletes, including ultramarathon runners, and later found elevated levels in people with diabetes treated with metformin.

“Altered metabolism is one of the hallmarks of cancer. So, what would happen with cancer patients treated with metformin?” said first study author Marijo Bilusic, MD, PhD, a genitourinary medical oncologist at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“In our study, we were very surprised to see that the level of Lac-Phe in our prostate cancer patients was exactly the same as the level of ultramarathoners. This has never been reported before,” he told Healthline.

While metformin did not predict improved treatment response, such as PSA levels or tumor growth, it was associated with improved weight management, including among patients prescribed anti-androgen therapy, which is linked with weight gain.

S. Adam Ramin, MD, board certified urologist, urologic oncologist, and medical director of Urology Cancer Specialists in Los Angeles, CA, who wasn’t involved in the research, called it “an intriguing preliminary study,” but cautioned that larger studies would be necessary to validate the findings.

Bilusic and his team analyzed blood samples from men with prostate cancer enrolled in a clinical trial called BIMET-1, along with an additional group of individuals treated at a cancer center.

In the trial, 12 patients with overweight or obesity (but not diabetes) were studied in detail out of 29 originally enrolled in the cohort. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either standard care alone or metformin at a dose of 1,000 mg twice daily, followed by combination treatment with the hormone therapy drug bicalutamide.

To confirm their findings, the researchers also studied an additional 25 individuals with prostate cancer across a range of disease stages, including advanced cancer. Of these, seven were taking metformin. Across both groups, the team measured Lac-Phe levels and compared them before and after treatment.

The researchers found that metformin consistently increased levels of Lac-Phe in prostate cancer, regardless of cancer stage, body weight, or other treatments. In the clinical trial group, Lac-Phe levels rose significantly after metformin treatment. In the broader participant group, those taking metformin clearly had higher levels than those who were not. The increases reached ranges similar to those seen after intense exercise.

Importantly, people taking metformin also showed better weight control during hormone therapy, which is known to cause weight gain. In the trial, nearly all individuals on metformin avoided weight gain over several months of treatment, while those not taking it were more likely to gain weight. Although not conclusive, researchers believe this may be linked to levels of Lac-Phe in the body, which are associated with reduced appetite and food intake.

While Lac-Phe is thought to act on the brain to suppress appetite, how it does so remains unclear. And higher Lac-Phe levels did not predict whether a person’s cancer responded to treatment. The study builds on the findings of the STAMPEDE trial, a major prospective trial published in 2025 that found that metformin improved weight management and lowered glucose levels in patients with prostate cancer, but showed no evidence of improved survival.

“We know that men on hormone therapy, such as oral anti-androgen therapy, tend to gain weight, develop obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Metformin may prove to be effective in preventing these complications,” said Ramin.

But, he added, “At this point, it is premature to recommend metformin to patients with prostate cancer on hormone therapy.”

The importance of exercise after a prostate cancer diagnosis cannot be overstated.

Research suggests that staying physically active is associated with a roughly one-third reduction in cancer-related mortality and nearly a one-half reduction in all-cause mortality.

It is too early to predict the role metformin and, by extension, Lac-Phe might play in supporting prostate cancer treatment, but the findings are intriguing.

Because people with prostate cancer tend to be older, they may be less likely to engage in regular physical activity. A pharmacological intervention that could help fill that gap would represent a meaningful addition to current treatment options.

However, Bilusic cautioned that metformin is not an “exercise pill.”

Exercise affects numerous systems in the body, including muscles, the cardiovascular system, neurotransmitters, and bones.

Metformin doesn’t act on the body in the same way, nor does it have the same spectrum of effects. But in one specific pathway, increasing Lac-Phe, it appears to be meaningful.

“There are many other aspects of the exercise that Metformin is probably not replacing,” Bilusic said. “But for some patients, they can’t exercise because they are in pain, [or] cancer therapy is making them fatigued. They are gaining weight. So, how can we reverse that? Taking a pill a day, that’s easier than running for a half hour in the gym.”

• A government agency says that several promising osteoarthritis treatments are in development.
• The new therapies aim to help joints heal rather than simply treating symptoms.
• Treatment methods include bone and cartilage regeneration and living knee implants, signaling a breakthrough for those who live with osteoarthritis.
• More research on the new therapies is still needed to verify safety and effectiveness in humans.

Osteoarthritis most often affects older adults and leads to varying degrees of pain and disability. As the most common form of arthritis, it is also notoriously difficult to treat.

Unlike existing treatments for osteoarthritis, which are primarily aimed at relieving pain or replacing already damaged joints with artificial ones, the research program seeks to enable joints to heal themselves by regenerating bone and cartilage.

This breakthrough could transform the lives of millions who live with osteoarthritis by restoring natural joint function and eliminating the need for joint replacement surgeries.

Human trials are expected to begin within the next year, marking a potential turning point in osteoarthritis care.

Osteoarthritis occurs when joint tissue is damaged due to aging, obesity, injury, or overuse. It can also be associated with congenital defects or a family history of the disease.

The NITRO program focuses on helping joints heal themselves through three key approaches: regenerating bone, regenerating cartilage, and developing living knee implants made from human tissue.

Duke University has developed two injectable, time-released combination drug formulations that stimulate bone and cartilage regrowth in OA-damaged joints.

These injectable therapies can be used alone or together and are designed for infrequent administration — only once per year — to relieve pain and restore joint function.

The researchers created an intravenous time-release formulation to promote cartilage repair across multiple joints, reducing the need for multiple injections.

The University of Colorado Boulder has contributed two therapies that enable aging or damaged joints to repair themselves rapidly in animal studies.

One is a patented particle-delivery system injected into joints to deliver intermittent bursts of a repurposed regenerative drug over several months.

The other is an engineered protein cocktail injected arthroscopically and allowed to harden in place for precise repair of cartilage lesions.

Columbia University has engineered a living, 3D-printed human knee on a biodegradable scaffold infused with adult stem cells, either from the patient’s body or from a donor.

As the scaffold degrades, the stem cells regenerate natural cartilage and bone, creating a fully load-bearing, non-immunogenic implant that integrates with the body without any need for hardware.

Because it is designed to mirror current artificial joint structures, this innovation allows surgeons to use familiar techniques, which they hope will encourage more physicians to adopt this technique.

The NITRO program is further designed to ensure accessibility, with treatments priced affordably for all Americans regardless of their insurance status.

Additionally, clinical trials will include diverse populations most affected by OA, including women and Native American communities.

Ryan Peterson, MD, a physician with NuView Treatment Center, told Healthline that treating osteoarthritis is currently more about “managing decline” rather than truly healing the condition. Peterson wasn’t involved in the new treatment initiative.

Some may also try treatments such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), he said, but the results are inconsistent.

Osteoarthritis can be difficult to treat, he added, because it’s a complex condition involving cartilage, bone, inflammation, and the mechanics of the joint.

“Cartilage also has very limited ability to heal, so once damage progresses, we don’t have great ways to reverse it,” said Peterson. “On top of that, pain doesn’t always match imaging, which makes treatment response unpredictable.”

Sergio Guiteau, MD, FAAFP, CAQSM, Medical Director of South Florida Advanced Rejuvenation, agreed with Peterson, adding that there are also degenerative changes affecting the bone underneath the cartilage, the fluid that lubricates the joints, and the ligaments that support the joint. Guiteau wasn’t involved in the new initiative.

“Many of the therapies … address the symptoms of this degeneration, but not the actual disease,” he said.

Guiteau had positive thoughts to share about these new developments.

“If even marginally successful, some of the new therapies through ARPA-H could be game-changing for many of us who take care of patients with OA and life changing for patients,” he said.

Guiteau went on to say that shifting OA treatment from symptom management to structural restoration would be the “holy grail” of OA management.

“If successful, interventions like regenerative injections, protein signaling therapies, or scaffold-based joint reconstruction could for the first time stimulate the body to rebuild cartilage and restore joint integrity,” he said.

According to Guiteau, this would allow millions of OA patients to regain at least some of their independence and achieve a better quality of life.

He did, however, stress that we should remain cautiously optimistic regarding these experimental new treatments.

“Animal studies do not always translate into successful human outcomes, and many companies and individuals are too often quick to capitalize off of the desperation and naivety of those suffering from OA,” he said.

Still, if proven safe and effective, the innovations could mark a long-awaited shift toward restoring joint health rather than simply managing symptoms, providing improved function and pain relief for millions of people who live with this condition.

• A federal judge paused a Louisiana lawsuit challenging mail-order mifepristone prescriptions, keeping access intact while the FDA completes its own review of the drug’s safety rules.
• Medication abortion now accounts for nearly two-thirds of all U.S. abortions, with telehealth delivering one in four — a share that could shrink if the FDA’s safety framework changes.
• Louisiana’s attorney general has taken her case to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, asking the court to suspend the 2023 mifepristone rules while litigation continues.

Females seeking to end a pregnancy can still get the abortion pill mifepristone delivered by mail across the United States — at least for now.

In Louisiana, U.S. District Judge David Joseph paused a legal case challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s mail-access rules while the agency completes its review of whether its own safety requirements for the drug are sound.

According to the judge’s decision, the FDA has 60 days to update the court on its review of the REMS rules, which dictate who can prescribe the drug and whether it can be mailed. The agency has six months to finish.

But Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill isn’t waiting. In a post on X, she said she has already asked the Fifth Circuit to suspend the 2023 rules, arguing the state “is likely to succeed in showing that the 2023 REMS is unlawful.”

“Decades of evidence and research from the U.S. and around the world show that mifepristone is safe and effective,” Amy Friedrich-Karnik, director of federal policy at the Guttmacher Institute, told Healthline.

Friedrich-Karnik called the FDA review a “sham” designed to cut off access. Murrill said Louisiana is likely to win. The Fifth Circuit will hear arguments next.

For the estimated 1 in 4 people currently seeking abortion through telehealth, the outcome will determine whether this remains an option.

“While this case is paused and mifepristone access remains unchanged for now, we know the fight is far from over. The judge’s ruling leaves the door open for future restrictions to mifepristone access, said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), in a statement shared with Healthline.

“From the courts to the Trump administration to state legislatures across the country, mifepristone and abortion access are very much still under attack. Planned Parenthood organizations will continue to fight for patients to have the freedom to access care that is safe and effective — free from political interference,” McGill Johnson continued.

Medication abortion involves two drugs taken days apart: mifepristone, which blocks the hormone a pregnancy needs to continue, and misoprostol, taken 24 to 48 hours later, that causes the uterus to empty.

Guttmacher later estimated that in 2025, residents of the 13 states with total abortion bans received about 91,000 telehealth abortions, including about 9,350 in Louisiana. The state has already issued the first post-Dobbs criminal indictment of an abortion provider — a New York physician who prescribed pills via telehealth to a Louisiana teenager.

“Reimposing barriers on mifepristone use would upend abortion provision nationwide, deepen racial and socioeconomic inequities in who can access care, and place additional strain on providers who are already navigating a fractured landscape,” said Friedrich-Karnik.

Part of what’s driving demand for telehealth abortion is the disappearance of local abortion clinics.

When Planned Parenthood in Marquette, Michigan, closed last spring, it left about 1,100 patients without an in-person provider.

Brown, who described herself as ‘individually pro-life,’ added medication abortions to her urgent care practice to fill the gap.”

Through a telehealth appointment, a provider reviews a patient’s medical history, confirms eligibility, and issues a prescription — all without an in-person visit.

The pills are then mailed directly to the patient, who completes the process at home. Follow-up care, including confirming the abortion is complete, can also happen remotely.

Abortion access across the United States varies widely from state to state. More information on finding access can be found here.

• A new study reports that replacing sugary beverages with artificially sweetened drinks can help promote weight loss.
• The findings also indicate that drinking water instead of sugar-laden liquids can promote weight loss.
• Experts say that overconsumption of foods and beverages with artificial sweeteners can lead to numerous health issues.

Researchers report that replacing sugary drinks with artificially sweetened drinks can help people lose weight.

Scientists from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Massachusetts also found that replacing sugary beverages with water can lead to weight loss.

The researchers stated that their analysis showed that people who replaced sugary drinks with artificially sweetened beverages achieved modest long-term weight loss, particularly among participants with overweight or obesity and had high sugary beverage intake at the onset of the studies.

They added that participants who replaced artificially sweetened drinks with water experienced modest long-term weight loss, while those who replaced sugary beverages with water had the highest weight loss.

Experts not involved in the study told Healthline that although artificial sweeteners may help with weight loss, they also pose health risks.

They said water is a much healthier choice as a substitute for sugar-laden beverages.

“Avoiding sweeteners entirely by choosing plain water is the better option,” said Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. “This avoids the adverse effects of both sugar and artificial sweeteners and is beneficial for weight loss.”

“Water provides hydration and is void of additives,” added Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, the president of KAK Consulting and a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Department of Wellness & Preventive Medicine in Ohio. “After all, sugar-sweetened and [artificially sweetened] beverages are considered ultra-processed. Therefore, choosing water is a great way to start reducing [processed foods] in the diet.”

Participants were ages 26 to 65. They were followed for 24 to 32 years, with biennial questionnaires that updated medical, lifestyle, and anthropometric data.

The researchers reported that the mean weight gain among participants per 4-year interval was 1.3 kilograms (about 2.8 pounds).

They reported that replacing three servings a week of a sugary beverage with an artificially sweetened drink was associated with a weight loss of 1.39 kilograms.

They said there were similar results when replacing sugary beverages with water. They noted that replacing artificially sweetened drinks with water resulted in only “modest reductions in weight.”

Experts say there are several potential reasons for the weight loss by people who switched to artificially sweetened beverages.

“It’s possible this impact is in large part to overall reduction of calories – thereby taking less energy in may lead to weight loss,” Kirkpatrick said. “Additionally, individuals in the study may be making more effort to improve nutrition overall, which may also lead to better habits and weight loss.”

“[The study] confirms what you’d expect: introducing a calorie-free beverage to replace drinks like juice or soda results in weight loss because you’re consuming fewer calories,” said Jonathan Long, PhD, an associate professor of pathology at Stanford University, who wasn’t involved in the study.

The guidelines further note that one meal should contain no more than 10 grams of added sugars, or just under 2.5 teaspoons.

Leading sources of sugar in the typical U.S. diet include sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, and sweet snacks. These foods include sodas, cookies, brownies, cakes, pies, ice cream, frozen dairy desserts, doughnuts, sweet rolls, and pastries.

It’s estimated that Americans consume about 22 teaspoons of added caloric sweeteners a day. These sweeteners range from 180 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar. They are marketed under brand names such as NutraSweet, Equal, Sweet’N Low, and Newtame.

The sweeteners are contained in many foods and beverages advertised as “sugar-free” or “diet.” These include baked goods, soft drinks, powdered drink mixes, candy, puddings, canned foods, jams and jellies, and dairy products.

The adverse health effects from a diet high in sugar have been widely reported.

High sugar consumption may increase the risk of cancer, depression, cellular aging, and kidney disease. It can also affect dental health.

The adverse health effects from high ingestion of artificial sweeteners aren’t as widely reported, but experts do have some concerns.

In May 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a recommendation against using artificial sweeteners to control body weight due to concerns that long-term use could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

David Cutler, MD, a family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, who wasn’t involved in the study, said there may be a number of other health effects from high usage of artificial sweeteners. Among them:

“The bottom line is that while [artificial sweeteners] are safer than [sugary beverages], they are not risk free,” Cutler told Healthline.

Ali shared similar concerns.

“Artificial sweeteners can have adverse effects, such as altering the gut microbiome, which can increase chronic inflammation,” he said. “They may also trigger insulin release in some patients, potentially leading to insulin resistance.”

Long says that artificially sweeteners can be a bridge to help people wean off sugar-laden sodas.

“Obviously, drinking water is the best option — it’s hydrating and doesn’t contain the other stuff that artificially sweetened beverages do,” he told Healthline. “But it’s very hard for people to replace their juice or soda with water. So as an intermediate step, replacing caloric drinks with something sweet but calorie-free is certainly better than abandoning the effort and going back to regular soda.”

Kirkpatrick, however, said there may be some risks to this strategy. “This study shows that perhaps diet drinks can be an effective bridge for people trying to reduce sugar intake. My concern is that individuals may see this finding and consider diet colas to be a ‘healthy’ option,” she said.

“As a dietitian, I often find that it makes it harder for individuals to be able to reduce their sugar intake since [artificial sweeteners] are still delivering a high level of sweetness, potentially keeping cravings for sugar high,” she added.

Cutler argued that drinking artificially sweetened beverages can cause some people to consume more calories overall.

“Possible mechanisms for this are disruption of appetite regulation, meaning people eat more with the justification that they are no longer getting calories in their [artificially sweetened beverages]. And the sweet taste of [artificial sweetened beverages] may alter how the brain feels rewarded by eating,” he said.

Experts agreed that an overall healthy lifestyle is the ultimate goal.

“Overall, in terms of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, I think you try to eat a variety of foods, not too much, ideally with everything in moderation,” Long said.

“There are multiple components to optimizing health span and preventing chronic disease. Diet, exercise, stress management, and sleep are all interconnected parts of a healthy lifestyle,” Kirkpatrick added.

“From a nutrition perspective, one of the simplest and most effective starting points is to keep foods as close to their natural state as possible,” she said. “This means limiting additives, cooking more at home, and prioritizing a variety of colorful plant foods, lean proteins, and healthy fats.”

Kirkpatrick noted that the best way to attain a healthy lifestyle differs from person to person.

“It’s important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Individual needs, preferences, and health goals matter,” she said.

• The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has ranked the top 20 worst cities for pollen allergies in 2026.
• Allergy seasons are lasting longer and are more intense due to climate change, which can worsen allergy symptoms.
• Experts offer tips for coping with seasonal allergies this spring and beyond.

You may feel like your spring allergies are worsening, beginning earlier, or lasting longer. You’re not alone in feeling this way.

“Allergy seasons are getting longer and worse all the time, and I think we can expect an increase in allergy-driven symptoms this spring and every spring going forward,” said Noah Greenspan, PT, DPT, board certified clinical specialist in cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy, a leading expert in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, and the founder of Pulmonary Wellness Complex PT.

“People naturally spend more time outdoors, in nature, and other areas where increased heat and humidity, greater prevalence of allergens, and therefore exposure to triggers, and compromised air quality are more common. In addition, we can expect that the impact of various environmental triggers will vary by geographic location and the characteristics of the exposures,” Greenspan told Healthline.

Indeed, some areas of the United States experience year-round pollen from trees, weeds, and grasses.

The AAFA has ranked the top “allergy capitals” in the contiguous (lower 48) states by how difficult it is to live there with pollen allergies. Here’s what you need to know to cope.

The AAFA has ranked the top 100 allergy capitals in the United States for 2026.

The following are the top 20 out of 100 based on pollen scores for tree, grass, and weed pollen, over-the-counter allergy medication use, and the number of allergy specialists.

The AAFA notes that, compared with previous years, more cities in the West are among the top 20 allergy capitals.

1. Boise, ID
2. San Diego, CA
3. Tulsa, OK
4. Provo, UT
5. Rochester, NY
6. Wichita, KS
7. Raleigh, NC
8. Ogden, UT
9. Spokane, WA
10. Greenville, SC
11. San Francisco, CA
12. Minneapolis, MN
13. Salt Lake City, UT
14. Richmond, VA
15. Colorado Springs, CO
16. Little Rock, AR
17. Toledo, OH
18. New Orleans, LA
19. Winston-Salem, NC
20. Lakeland, FL

You can find the full list of the top 100 allergy capitals in the AAFA 2026 report.

If you know allergens, like pollen, may trigger symptoms, you may want to reduce your exposure. Here are a few ways to do just that:

• Monitor the pollen count in your area so you can avoid going outside during high pollen times.
• Keep the windows in your house and car closed, and let your HVAC system filter out allergens.
• Remember to change your HVAC filters regularly, especially during your worst allergy months.
• Try to keep pollen outside as much as possible by removing your shoes by the door when you enter your house, changing your clothes after being outside, and showering before bed.
• Wear sunglasses when outside to help protect your eyes from pollen.

You can also use over-the-counter allergy medications to help reduce your symptoms. If these don’t seem to work, you can consult with a healthcare professional about alternative treatment options.

“Start taking antihistamines, nasal sprays, and eye drops as soon as possible,” said Nicolle Overstreet, DO, family physician with Medical Offices of Manhattan. “If you’re feeling symptoms, start treating [them]. I advise patients to start 2 weeks before their symptoms started last year, to get a head start,” she told Healthline.

Overstreet recommended frequent allergy testing, when possible, to effectively reduce and manage symptoms.

If you’re prone to allergies and inflammation, you should monitor your symptoms regularly to track trends and flare-ups, Greenspan said.