HEALTH AND SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

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May 15, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

SCIENCE AND TECH

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more’ and scroll down.

HEALTH

US states file lawsuit accusing drugs firms of inflating costs (BBC)

More than 40 US states have filed a lawsuit accusing pharmaceutical firms of conspiring to artificially inflate the cost of common medicinal drugs. The lawsuit alleges that as many as 20 companies have been involved in fixing prices for over 100 drugs, including treatments for diabetes and cancer.One of the firms accused is Teva Pharmaceuticals, the world's largest producer of generic medicine.

Sunscreen Chemicals Enter Bloodstream at Potentially Unsafe Levels (U.S. News)

For years, you've been urged to slather on sunscreen before venturing outdoors. But new U.S. Food and Drug Administration data reveals chemicals in sunscreens are absorbed into the human body at levels high enough to raise concerns about potentially toxic effects.

Glucosamine supplements 'may cut heart risk' (BBC)

Glucosamine supplements, better known as a remedy for joint pain, may lower a person's risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), research suggests.

The findings in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) come from nearly half a million people in the UK.

Hepatitis A infections increased by nearly 300% over two years (CNN)

Hepatitis A, a vaccine-preventable illness, like measles, has made a resurgence among adults in the United States who are at risk for the infection, according to a new report.

Triclosan, a chemical used in antibacterial soap, is found to impair muscle function (Smithsonian)

…The antibacterial substance, which was first developed in the 1960s to prevent bacterial infections in hospitals, has since been incorporated into everything from hand soaps to toothpastes to mouthwashes. Manufacturers see it as a marketing bonus, increasing consumer confidence that a particular product kills harmful bacteria. Even some household products—such as kitchen utensils, toys and bedding—include triclosan.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Lyft hits record low as Uber slumps in Wall Street debut  (Reuters)

Lyft Inc's stock slumped to a record low on Friday as Uber Technologies, another company hemorrhaging billions of dollars, fell in its Wall Street debut.

An extinct bird species has evolved back into existence, study says (New York Times)

A previously extinct species of bird has re-evolved back into existence, according to a new study. The Aldabra rail first went extinct around 136,000 years ago….the island has been completely submerged multiple times, wiping out all species inhabiting it. Every time, every species on the island went extinct — but the Aldabra rail has returned, again and again. The rail is an example of iterative evolution — when the same ancestral lineage leads to repeated evolution of a species at different points in time.

Facebook restricts Live feature, citing New Zealand shooting (Reuters)

Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it was tightening rules around its livestreaming feature ahead of a meeting of world leaders aimed at curbing online violence in the aftermath of the Christchurch massacre.

The moon may be tectonically active, and geologists are shaken (National Geographic)

In a study out today in Nature Geoscience, researchers may have finally pinpointed the epicenters of mysterious moonquakes recorded by Apollo-era seismometers, and the tremors seem to originate from cliff-like features called fault scarps.


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