Cheaper prescription drugs, an mpox emergency and rising cancer deaths in men: Here's what made headlines in health this week.
Happy Saturday! Rebecca here. We’re entering the final stretch of lazy summer days, but that’s no excuse to skimp on your health. Fortunately, I’ve done a bunch of the legwork for you and pieced together everything we learned in health and wellness this week. So sit back and enjoy this somewhere sunny (with sunscreen, of course!).
What our team has been interested in: We’re all about covering the top health stories — but we enjoy digging into some more under-the-radar topics too. Here’s what piqued the Yahoo health team’s interest this week:
Going for a dip in the ocean this weekend? Kaitlin Reilly shares some useful tips to keep your toes safe from jellyfish, stingrays and other sea creatures.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but that Sunday morning mimosa won’t actually cure your hangover. I spoke with experts to debunk some of the most persistent myths about alcohol.
With NFL season on the horizon, Korin Miller looks at one way the industry is trying to address football’s concussion problem.
If your kid is heading off to college soon, Erin Donnelly has some advice for dealing with empty nest syndrome. (We’re not crying, you’re crying!)
What researchers have been studying: There were a bunch of interesting new studies that came out recently:
Work stress can be a killer — literally. A study released on Wednesday looked at how it may affect your heart health.
How many cups of coffee did it take for you to get through this week? Don’t overdo it if you want to stay heart-healthy, according to a new study.
What are Australians’ secrets to longevity? A study published earlier this week found that folks down under live up to five years longer than Americans, on average.
What happened in celebrity health: Celebrities make headlines for more than just fashion and films; they can call our attention to some important health topics too. Here’s what to know:
Danny Kurtzman, who stars in the new indie drama Good Bad Things and lives with muscular dystrophy, talks to Yahoo Entertainment about how he hopes the film will help change Hollywood’s ableism problem.
Gena Rowlands died on Wednesday, two months after her son revealed that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The 94-year-old actress famously starred in the 2004 film The Notebook, portraying a woman who has dementia. Here’s what you should know about Alzheimer’s disease.
Five people were arrested this week in connection with the death of Friends star Matthew Perry, who died last year from the “acute effects of ketamine.” While ketamine can be dangerous in large quantities, it’s also been gaining popularity as a treatment for depression. Read more about ketamine therapy here.
Sports Illustrated cover model Ashley Graham spoke with our own Kerry Justich and shared her top five tips for self-love — including why a good bra is key.
And finally, here are some of the biggest headline makers in health and wellness this week.
Mpox is a global public health emergency
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern amid worries of a new, possibly deadlier variant of the disease that appears to be more infectious. Mpox, or the virus formerly known as monkeypox, is characterized by painful sores and influenza-like symptoms, and is mostly spread through direct contact with an infected person.
Mpox cases have been confirmed in more than a dozen countries, but so far more than 96% of cases and deaths are in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Men who have sex with men have a “low to moderate” risk of contracting the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the risk to the general American public is still “very low.” Still, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that “this is something that should concern us all” and that “the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying.”
Lower prices are coming for 10 common, expensive drugs
After months of negotiations with drugmakers, the Biden administration announced Thursday that it had secured lower prices on the 10 costliest prescription drugs under Medicare, NBC News reports. The new prices take effect in 2026, but it’s already being hailed as a victory by the federal government, as it’s the first time it has been able to deal directly with drugmakers over prescription drug costs. Medications used to treat diabetes, heart failure, blood cancers, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis are among the prescription drugs included in the negotiations.
“We estimate that Medicare enrollees will save $1.5 billion when the new prices go into effect in 2026,” said Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “For so many people, being able to afford these drugs will mean the difference between debilitating illness and living full lives.”
And this could be just the beginning, NBC News says. Thanks to the negotiations, 15 more drugs are expected to get cheaper in 2027, “followed by another 15 drugs in 2028 and 20 more in each subsequent year.”
Male cancer deaths worldwide could increase 93% by 2050
A study published on Monday found that cancer rates and deaths are expected to surge by 2050, particularly among older men. CNN reports that overall cancer cases among men will go up 84%, “from 10.3 million in 2022 to 19 million in 2050,” and deaths from cancer are expected to increase 93%, “from 5.4 million in 2022 to 10.5 million in 2050.” Men age 65 and older will see cancer deaths spike in the triple digits, with a projected increase of 117%. CNN adds that men are more likely than women to smoke, drink alcohol and be exposed to carcinogens at work — habits that already put them at a higher risk of death from cancer.
