Good morning. In today’s edition:

• Cucumbers Recalled After Illnesses From Salmonella Contamination

• ‘I Don’t Want to Go Back’: When Ozempic Insurance Coverage Runs Out

• Bird Flu Detected in Second Lot of Raw Milk Sold in California, Health Officials Say

• A New Study in Mice Shows Females Sleep Less, Wake Up More Often and Get Less Restorative Sleep Than Males | the Findings Reveal the Underlie Sleep Differences in Men and Women and Could Have Broad Implications for Biomedical Research, Which for Decades Has Focused Primarily on Males

…and lots more. Have a great day!

FOOD & NUTRITION

Cucumbers Recalled After Illnesses From Salmonella Contamination

SunFed Produce is recalling cucumbers sold in the US and Canada because they might be contaminated with salmonella. The FDA has warned that these cucumbers could still be in your fridge. So far, 68 people in 19 states have gotten sick, and 18 needed hospital care.

The cucumbers were on sale from October 12 to November 26. They came in large boxes with the SunFed label. Or, in plain white boxes or black crates with stickers saying they were grown by "Agrotato, S. A. de C.V." in Sonora, Mexico. They were shipped to many states including Alaska, Arizona, California, and to Canadian provinces like Alberta and Ontario.

If your cucumbers have a sticker showing they came from SunFed Mexico, don't eat them. It's safest to throw them away or take them back to the store. Also, clean any surfaces that might have touched these cucumbers.

Salmonella can make you feel really sick with diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, usually starting a few hours or days after eating bad food. Most people get better on their own. But, see a doctor if you feel very sick. This is especially true if you are very young, very old, pregnant, or have health problems that make you sick easily.

Craig Slate, the president of SunFed, said they are looking into what caused the problem and are serious about keeping their food safe.

Source: edition.cnn.com

WEIGHT LOSS

‘I Don’t Want to Go Back’: When Ozempic Insurance Coverage Runs Out

Many Americans have a big problem. They may lose insurance for important weight-loss shots like Ozempic and Mounjaro. These medicines are expensive, costing over $1,000 a month, and are meant to be used for a long time. But insurance companies are stopping coverage, saying they're too costly. This decision is leaving patients with difficult choices.

Danielle Koehn, who relies on these shots to manage her health, expresses her fear, saying, “I’m scared. I don’t want to go back to where I was.” People like Danielle must now decide: find cheaper options, use their medicine sparingly, or quit it. Stopping the medicine doesn't just mean gaining weight; it also means the return of serious health problems that had gone away.

Patients feel upset and defeated as they watch their health decline without these crucial medicines. These shots greatly improved their lives, making everyday tasks easier and reducing pain. With the loss of insurance coverage, many find themselves unable to afford the high cost of the medication.

For those who can't afford it, the future is bleak. They must choose between going into debt or finding extra work to pay for their next dose. This situation highlights a major issue. Access to essential health treatments should be based on medical needs and their benefits, not on patients' ability to pay.

Source:bloomberg.com

HEALTH

Bird Flu Detected in Second Lot of Raw Milk Sold in California, Health Officials Say

California health officials are warning people after finding bird flu in another batch of raw milk. The affected milk comes from Raw Farm LLC and includes products with a "best by" date of December 7. This comes shortly after another batch was found with bird flu and recalled.

Although no one has gotten sick from this milk, it's still risky to drink raw milk because it isn't heated to kill germs. Health officials say you should return any milk from these batches to the store where you bought it. Drinking pasteurized milk, which is heated to kill germs, is still safe.

The cows at Raw Farm seem healthy and aren't showing signs of bird flu. However, the farm is taking no chances and has stopped selling its raw milk for now. All their milk must be pasteurized until they get the all-clear.

It's important to be careful with raw milk because it can carry diseases. The state keeps testing raw milk to catch any problems early. So far, 29 people in California have caught bird flu, mainly from being around infected cows, but their symptoms were mild and didn't need hospital care.

Officials are asking everyone to listen to health advice and avoid raw milk to keep safe from bird flu and other diseases.

Source: nbcnews.com

A New Study in Mice Shows Females Sleep Less, Wake Up More Often and Get Less Restorative Sleep Than Males | The Findings Reveal the Underlie Sleep Differences in Men and Women and Could Have Broad Implications for Biomedical Research, Which for Decades Has Focused Primarily on Males

Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder found out that female mice don’t sleep as much as male mice. Their study shows that female mice wake up more often and don’t get as much deep sleep. Deep sleep helps the body heal and rest.

This research could help us understand why men and women sleep differently. Rachel Rowe, the main researcher, said that these differences might be more about biology than lifestyle.

Most studies in the past only looked at male mice. This might have made the results not as true for females. The study measured how 267 mice slept using special cages. It found that male mice slept about an hour more than females each day.

The shorter sleep in female mice might be because they need to be ready to protect their babies. Also, changes in hormones might make females wake up more. For example, women often sleep worse when their hormone levels drop during their monthly cycle.

Rowe hopes this study makes scientists think about including both male and female mice in their research. This is important because treatments that work on one sex might not work as well on the other. Having both sexes in studies helps make better medicines and treatments.

This study shows that we need to think about these differences to improve health research. It's a big step towards understanding sleep better and making sure everyone is considered in science.

Source: eurekalert.org

✢ A Note From Hem Hero

The information in this health newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment; always consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. The publishers are not responsible for any actions taken by the reader based on the information provided.