Happy Saturday! Tomorrow is the first day of fall; kick off cozy season with some tasty fall produce (it's good for you!). And now, here's what you might have missed in health and wellness this week.
What our team has been interested in: These were some of our favorite topics:
What researchers have been studying: Here are some interesting new studies that have come out:
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 this week:
And finally, these were some of the biggest headline makers in health and wellness this week.
On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever flu vaccine that doesn't need to be given by a health care provider.
The AstraZeneca vaccine FluMist, which is administered in nasal spray form, was first approved by the FDA in 2003 for people ages 5 to 49. In 2007, approval was expanded to include people as young as 2 years old. The FDA decision on Friday means that FluMist can now be acquired without a prescription, and either self-administered or administered by a caregiver.
"Getting vaccinated each year is the best way to prevent influenza, which causes illness in a substantial proportion of the U.S. population every year and may result in serious complications, including hospitalization and death," Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. "This approval adds another option for vaccination against influenza disease."
This is the latest example of nasal sprays shaking up health care, with the method now being used to deliver medication for everything from migraines to overdoses and allergic reactions.
Since 1990, new cases of stroke have spiked 70% and stroke-related deaths have risen 44% worldwide, according to a study published on Wednesday -- making it the third leading cause of death.
Researchers identified 23 risk factors responsible for a majority of the global stroke burden, and found that climate change is a major contributor.
"Air pollution and rising temperatures are playing a larger role in strokes than ever before," says Dr. Catherine Johnson, who co-authored the study. "We must address these environmental risks alongside metabolic and lifestyle factors to reduce the stroke burden."
Modifiable risk factors -- including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity -- were the main instigators of strokes worldwide, and experts say that exercising, not smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight are key ways to significantly lower your chances of stroke.
Public health data appears to show a drop in overdose deaths nationwide for the first time in years, NPR reported on Wednesday.
Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta, an expert on street drugs at the University of North Carolina, was one of the first researchers to detect the trend. He believes there's now at least a 15% decline in street drug deaths nationwide, which could mean up to 20,000 fewer fatalities per year.
Possible factors responsible for the sudden decline, according to addiction experts, include public health strategies, the changing makeup of the street drug supply, the end of the COVID pandemic and the high number of people who have already died from drug overdoses.