In vascular realms where risks abide,
A rule we held, a trusty guide,
For every year with diabetes crowned,
A year to age, our wisdom found.
Yet, a study bold, a truth unfurled,
Challenges the norm.

Xolair, an antibody asthma drug, was recently approved for severe food allergic reactions. It is not the first biological drug to treat multiple conditions. But it is the first to treat severe food allergies - a growing problem.

One month after the Alabama Supreme Court declared that frozen embryos are legally considered children – and two weeks after the state’s Legislature undid the major impacts of that decision by protecting IVF facilities – the same issue was faced by several state legislatures. They punted. 

Harm reduction strategies have been used for decades in many developed countries to reduce diseases and overdoses from using drugs obtained on the black market. It's a major reason why those countries have lower drug-related illness and fatality rates than the U.S. In recent years, many state and local jurisdictions have begun adopting these strategies. Idaho, however, recently decided to go in an ill-advised direction.

Today's lineup promises a delightful array of topics, from ancient smartphones to outrageously priced sweaters. So grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and let's get reading

On February 16, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos destroyed at an IVF facility were children subject to the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act, opening the door to civil and criminal liability. The state’s largest fertilization centers immediately “froze” their services. Two weeks later, now aware of the implications of this ruling, the Alabama legislature undid (some of) the court’s damage, providing legal immunity for IVF providers and receivers. But fear remains.

My conversation with Lars Larson covered some new medical breakthroughs, from desperately-needed new antibiotics to the rapidly expanding applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine.

As developers and health systems embrace artificial intelligence-powered software, a pressing question emerges: Who bears the burden when these innovations inadvertently harm patients? And especially when legal precedent offers only faint guidance. Let's take a look.

Doulas acting as patient advocates during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care may be a way to address poor health outcomes and health disparities. The evidence is compelling enough to warrant a closer look.

The national newspaper recently published a guest essay that finally got the opioid story straight – something it previously has been unwilling, or unable, to do. The chilling essay was written by a pain management specialist who was unable to get pain meds for her dying mother-in-law, because of the takeover of medicine by the runaway DEA. The Times may have finally gotten it right (but it's worth noting that here at ACSH, we've been doing so for more than a decade).