Death rates from diseases such as cancer, heart disease and stroke declined in four out of five countries around the world in the decade leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, but progress has slowed compared to the previous decade.

Although Latinos and Hispanics are at elevated risk for Alzheimer’s disease and account for almost half of Los Angeles County’s population, a recent UCLA Health study finds that accessible digital resources for these communities remain in short supply since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rapid rise of adults taking GLP-1RA medications (e.g., Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro) in the U.S. (16 million and counting) and around the world has been accompanied by a slew of the drugs’ proclaimed health benefits. Weight loss is a common (and extremely popular) side effect, making GLP-1RAs some of the most exciting weapons in the arsenal for battling the obesity epidemic. Loss of unhealthy visceral fat and improved blood sugar control are just two of the downstream effects of this weight loss, which, in turn, promise their own health benefits.

But what do we really know about the long-term impacts of GLP-1RA medications? Researchers caution us not to get ahead of ourselves when it comes to the logical, though still theoretical, possibilities of how these drugs may influence related health conditions such as cancer. 

A study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) finds that individuals who received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) while incarcerated were significantly more likely to continue treatment six months after release than those who did not receive MOUD. The study also found that receiving MOUD in jail was associated with a 52% lower risk of fatal opioid overdose, a 24% lower risk of non-fatal opioid overdose, a 56% lower risk of death from any cause, and a 12% lower risk of reincarceration after release. These outcomes underscore the importance of providing MOUD treatment during incarceration.