For the first time women who are at least 28 weeks’ pregnant will be offered the vaccine, which can protect newborns.
Winter virus vaccine rolled out for pregnant women and elderly
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Category Archives: Wellness Live
Wearable heart monitor increases diagnosis of irregular heart rhythm
Wearable, long-term continuous heart monitors helped identify 52% more cases of atrial fibrillation compared to usual care, but that did not lead to a reduction in hospitalizations due to stroke, according to a study led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
The findings, reported Sept. 1 at the European Society of Cardiology meeting and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, provide inconclusive data about whether atrial fibrillation screening lowers stroke rates. The COVID pandemic led to an early halt of the study before fully enrolling, so it did not have enough participants to establish definitive results about stroke.
“Atrial fibrillation is often undiagnosed and can increase the risk of ischemic stroke, which is largely reversible by oral anticoagulation,” said lead author Renato Lopes, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of medicine and member of the Duke Clinical Research institute.
“We still need definitive evidence that diagnosis of atrial fibrillation through systematic screening can lead to subsequent treatment with oral anticoagulation and therefore, lower stroke risk,” Lopes said.
The study enrolled approximately 12,000 patients in the U.S. who were at least 70 years old with no history of atrial fibrillation. Roughly half the patients were randomly assigned to receive a long-term (14 days) continuous monitoring device, and the other half usual care.
Over a median of 15 months of follow-up, the study reported a 52% increase in the number of cases of atrial fibrillation diagnosed among the device-wearers compared to those in usual care. There was no increase in rates of hospitalization for bleeding, and no significant reduction in the rate of hospitalizations for all stroke compared with usual care.
The study was originally designed to enroll 52,000 patients, which would have given it the power to determine whether screening reduces the numbers of strokes. A large study population is needed because strokes occur in a subset of patients with atrial fibrillation.
“Despite the inconclusive results, we have a lot of lessons learned that might inform future studies” Lopes said. He said the study’s design, which enabled patients to be enrolled and screened online in a virtual format with self-applied patch devices in their homes with only remote support, could be duplicated in future studies.
In addition to Lopes, study authors include Steven J. Atlas, Alan S. Go, teven A. Lubitz, David D. McManus, Rowena J. Dolor, Ranee Chatterjee, Michael B. Rothberg, David R. Rushlow, Lori A. Crosson, Ronald S. Aronson, Michael Patlakh, Dianne Gallup, Donna J. Mills, Emily C. O’Brien, and Daniel E. Singer.
The study received funding support from the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer Alliance.
Veterans Group Slams Trump Over His ‘Greatest Insult To All’ With Arlington Visit
A progressive veterans group went after “disgusting” Donald Trump this past week following the Republican nominee’s controversial stop at Arlington National Cemetery that included campaign staffers’ altercation with cemetery officials.
“Now, maybe the greatest insult of all, turning a military cemetery visit into a political stunt with cameras in tow,” said a narrator in a scathing ad from political action committee VoteVets.
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The ad arrives after an Arlington official, during Trump’s visit to the cemetery at the invitation of some family members of military service members killed in the 2021 Kabul airport attack, was allegedly “pushed” aside by campaign staffers after informing them not to film part of the cemetery where recently fallen U.S. troops were buried.
Federal law prohibits “political campaign or election-related activities” within Army National Military Cemeteries, according to a statement from the cemetery.
Trump has since shared a campaign video featuring footage from his visit while a campaign spokesperson has denied that a staffer pushed an official, claiming they were “clearly suffering from a mental health episode.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, on Saturday, declared that Trump “disrespected sacred ground” for a “political stunt” during the visit.
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Trump used his Truth Social platform over the weekend to share clips of family members of fallen service members including one that described Trump and his team as “respectful” while another accused Harris of “playing politics.”
On Thursday, VoteVets ripped Trump over the Arlington visit after citing several instances where he insulted the military. The ad referred to Trump reportedly calling Americans killed in World War I “suckers” and “losers” as well as when he referred to avoiding sexually transmitted diseases as his “personal Vietnam.”
“Disgusting. Donald Trump, the grave markers veterans and military families drop a knee to are not your political props. They represent the heroes we’ve served alongside, men and women you could never measure up to, friends who lived and died by the oath we all swore to uphold,” the narrator declared.
The speaker continued: ”[It’s] something you will never understanding and why we’re doing our damndest to make sure no service member ever has to salute you as commander-in-chief ever again.”
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Man found slumped dead at hospital coffee shop
The Sunday Times reports that the man is found slumped over a table in the hospital’s cafe.
‘Punish Him’: Labour Urged To Suspend Landlord MP Over Mould And Ant-Infested Flats
Labour has been urged to suspend an MP forced to apologise over mould and ant infestations in flats he rents out.
Jas Athwal said he was “profoundly sorry that tenants have been let down”.
The BBC first reported on the state of properties the Ilford South MP rents out.
One resident said: “The ants are everywhere. They are on my kid’s body and on their clothes.”
Athwal, who became a Labour MP at the last election and rents out 15 flats, was previously leader of Redbridge Borough Council, said he was “shocked” by the BBC’s findings.
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In a statement, he said: “I know it’s my responsibility to have issues addressed as soon as they arise and have met the property management company to understand failures in communication.
“I’m profoundly sorry that tenants have been let down and will be reviewing the property management and how matters are escalated going forward.”
On LBC this morning, Commons leader Lucy Powell refused to be drawn on whether Athwal would lose the Labour whip over the controversy.
She also insisted Labour would bring forward legislation to improve protections for tenants.
Presenter Lewis Goodall said: ”[Athwal] was literally on the council and introduced a set of standards that all buy-to-let landlords in his council had to obey and he himself did not obey it.
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“Now do you not think that is the height of hypocrisy? If this were the Conservative Party you would be slamming this guy, and yet here you are saying ‘it’s not a huge deal, he’s going to compensate them, we’re just going on as normal’.
“Don’t you think it would send a message to buy-to-let landlords who are ripping people off that you the Labour Party do not tolerate standards like this, not least from your own MPs?”
Powell: “I’m certainly not saying it’s OK and I’ve just made absolutely clear we don’t tolerate standards like this.”
The presenter then interrupted the minister to say: “Punish him then.”
But she replied: “Hold on a minute. That’s why we’re legislating with tough measures to tackle these issues, to give tenants those rights, so they don’t have to go to the BBC or anyone else, whether it’s a Labour MP or any other landlord.
“They will have real rights embedded in law … to back that law. It is not absolutely not OK. What I am saying is that this particular person in questions has taken quick action. He was furious about it. I will take him at his word for now, but he has to put that right.”
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A Redbridge Council spokesperson said: “The selective landlord licensing schemes are in place across several wards. These schemes extend licensing to all privately rented properties occupied by a single household or two unrelated sharers, ensuring a fair and consistent process for all.
“We are aware of the situation with these properties. While we cannot comment on individual cases, it is important to stress that the council is committed to a fair and consistent process for every landlord applying to the selective licensing scheme.
“We notify all existing landlords that they may need to renew their licences and systematically work through those that need to be renewed. This approach applies to all borough landlords needing a licence, ensuring all parties are treated equally.
“In all cases, we expect properties that require a licence to apply for it. Where they do not have a licence, we will send notices and commence enforcement action.
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“It is important that all landlords apply for their licences. This is about maintaining the standards of our selective licensing scheme and ensuring the safety and well-being of people in Redbridge.”
Winter Fuel Payments For Pensioners Were Cut To Prevent Economy Crashing, Minister Says
Winter fuel payments were ended for millions of pensioners to prevent the economy from crashing, a minister has claimed.
Commons leader Lucy Powell suggested there could even have been a run on the pound unless Labour had cut day-to-day government spending.
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Her comments come amid a growing backlash to chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to end winter fuel payments for all but the very poorest pensioners.
An estimated 10 million old people will lose out on payments of up to £300 a year as a result of the controversial decision.
On Sky News this morning, presenter Trevor Phillips asked Powell: “When the prime minister said this week ‘those with the broadest shoulders should bear the heaviest burden’, was he talking about the 10 million pensioners who will lose [winter fuel payments]?”
Powell told him: “Well this is an example of one of the very difficult decisions that we’ve had to make that we didn’t want to make, that we weren’t wanting to do when we got elected.”
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After Phillips told her “you didn’t have to make it”, the minister replied: “It is really important for people to understand the context.
“What we found was that spending was much higher in the current year that we are in than anybody had thought.
“There was a black hole of £22 billion that was made up of things like nearly £7 billion of underfunding of the asylum system, that the previous government knew was there and they put their head in the sand and didn’t take the difficult decisions they needed to take because they knew they were going to lose the election.
“That’s why we’ve had to take some of these really difficult decisions around means testing the winter payments so that the poorest pensioners continue to receive it, but some of the wealthiest pensioners won’t.”
But Phillips replied: “You are now the government, you made a choice, and the first choice you’ve made was to withdraw the allowance from pensioners, in the same way that you’ve chosen to hand out pay increases way above inflation while you’ve been telling others with three children that you’ll have to wait until you’ve found the money to lift the benefit cap. These are your choices.”
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Powell replied: “Finding in-year savings in the current year is very difficult indeed.
“If we didn’t, we would have seen the markets losing confidence, potentially a run on the pound, the economy crashing and the people who pay the heaviest price for that when the economy crashes is the poorest in society, and people like pensioners.”
Shadow Treasury chief secretary Laura Trott said: “This simply shows how desperate the new Labour government is to run from responsibility for the tax rises they always planned but hid from the public during the election.
“After handing billions in inflation-busting pay rises to their union paymasters, no-one believes Labour’s chicken little strategy.
“They should stop trying to deceive the public with ridiculous fantasies and instead have the courage to let parliament debate cuts to winter fuel payments for the sake of those pensioners who will lose out thanks to the decisions of this government.”
Both the Tories and Lib Dems are planning to force a Commons vote on the removal of winter fuel payments to all but those who claim pensioner credit.
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Some Labour MPs are threatening to rebel by voting with the opposition in protest at the chancellor’s decision.
The government is launching a campaign urging those who do not claim the £3,900 benefit but are entitled to it to do so.
The average pension credit is £75 a week, but it is estimated that 880,000 who qualify for it do not claim it.
Alopecia: New NHS drug ‘could make life so much easier’
The autoimmune condition affects people differently – some think the drug could be life-changing.
What the outdoor smoking ban in Australia could tell us about UK’s future
In Australia, smoking outdoors in pubs is heavily regulated – could the UK follow suit?
Trump Backtracks, Says He’s Voting No On Florida Abortion Amendment
A day after indicating some support for a referendum to protect abortion rights in Florida, Donald Trump said Friday he’s actually going to vote against it.
“Nine months is just a ridiculous situation, where you can do an abortion in the ninth month,” the Republican presidential nominee told Fox News Friday of the referendum.
If passed, Amendment 4 would amend Florida’s constitution to restore abortion access until fetal viability ― typically around the 6-month mark. Florida currently bans abortion beyond the sixth week of gestation, with limited exceptions.
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Abortion late in pregnancy is extremely rare and often happens because the fetus would not survive after birth or because of serious threats to the mother’s health.
Trump, a Florida voter as of 2020, then claimed that blue-state abortion laws allow for the homicide of newborn babies ― a lie he often repeats.
“Some of the states like Minnesota and other states have it where you could actually execute the baby after birth, and all of that stuff is unacceptable,” he said. “So I’ll be voting no for that reason.”
Trump reiterated that he thinks that Florida’s current ban is too restrictive, even though he boasted as recently as last year that “without me there would be no six weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks” bans.
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In recent months, Trump has increasingly tried to appear moderate on abortion ― a matter that’s proven to be a losing issue for Republicans since the fall of the Supreme Court precedent under Roe v. Wade in 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has repeatedly told voters not to take his more relaxed stance on the issue seriously, pointing to his long record of opposing abortion access.
In response to Trump’s remarks Friday, Harris said he’s clearly aligned himself with the anti-abortion movement.
“Donald Trump just made his position on abortion very clear: He will vote to uphold an abortion ban so extreme it applies before many women even know they are pregnant,” she said.
“Of course he thinks it’s a ‘beautiful thing’ that women in Florida and across the country are being turned away from emergency rooms, face life-threatening situations and are forced to travel hundreds of miles for the care they need,” she continued.
When Trump suggested he’d vote in favor of the Florida amendment Thursday, saying he’ll be “voting that we need more than six weeks,” his campaign quickly backtracked.
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“President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short,” campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a news release.
Measures like the one in Florida have passed in numerous other states since the fall of Roe. In all seven states that have put abortion questions before voters, including red states like Kansas, Kentucky and Montana and swing states Ohio and Michigan, voters have sided with abortion rights.
Gwen Walz Uses Her ‘Teacher Voice’ For Spectacular JD Vance Takedown
Gwen Walz, wife of Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, lambasted the Republican running mate, JD Vance, at a rally Friday in Manassas, Virginia.
And to make sure the crowd knew she was serious, she did it in her “teacher glasses.”
The moment happened while Walz, the Minnesota governor and Kamala Harris’ running mate, was talking about a recently resurfaced comment by Vance criticising Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers union, for trying to “brainwash” children while not having “a single child” of her own (she is a stepmother to two kids).
Considering the Walzes struggled with fertility issues before having two children, she didn’t take too kindly to the Ohio senator’s hint that people who haven’t given birth to children shouldn’t be teachers.
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And she let him have it.
“JD Vance said he was ‘really disturbed’ by teachers who don’t have biological children,” Gwen Walz said before mentioning her own personal story.
“For a long time, Tim and I were teachers who struggled with infertility. We were only able to start a family because of fertility treatments. We do not take kindly to folks like JD Vance telling us when or how to start our families,” she emphasised.
She then paused to put on a pair of glasses.
“So let me use my teacher voice. Mr. Vance, how about you mind your own business?”
Many people were impressed by Walz’s takedown and the teacher glasses she put on before delivering it.
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