Katharine Lang

On Monday, August 10, 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order recommending separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations.

A South American shamanic ritual is rapidly gaining popularity, with DIY kits becoming available for self-administration Kambô is one of many names for the bicolored tree frog Phyllomedusa bicolor , also known as the giant leaf frog or giant monkey frog, a species native to many parts of the Amazon in South America. The term also refers to a shamanic ritual in which secretions from the skin of this frog are applied to superficial burns made on the skin.12 The indigenous tribal ritual has been used for centuries to “strengthen the body’s natural defences,” ward off misfortune, and improve hunting success.1 The ritual spread from the Amazon to urban areas of Brazil and, in the past two decades, to other countries, including the UK, US, Australia, and several European countries. Advocates claim that the ritual has various positive physical, emotional, and spiritual effects, and can help with conditions including depression, anxiety, chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, Lyme disease, chronic and acute infections, drug addiction, and other physical and mental health conditions.3 But, as one paper, says: “The beneficial effects have not been scientifically tested in randomised controlled trials, so the curative effect may just be a placebo effect.”1 A Kambô cleanse involves making small, superficial, circular burns on an area of skin, usually on the arm, leg, or torso. The resultant blister surface is then scraped off, and the frog secretions are applied to the burns with a kambô stick. Kambô practitioners may sing shamanic songs and use incense during the ritual. Initial reactions to the …

Katharine Lang It is well known that being physically active benefits both your body and brain.

Physical activity for leisure, such as walking, cycling and swimming is linked to a lower dementia risk, while the opposite applies to physical exertion as part of one's job, new research shows.

In January 2021 Anthony Fauci, then director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, sent a text message stating that the second dose of covid vaccine “theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester.”1 This was one of a chain of messages, later in which he highlighted the risks of covid infection in pregnancy and stated that no issues had arisen in more than 10 000 pregnant women who had been vaccinated. But, hot on the heels of President Donald Trump’s latest executive order advising a reduction in childhood vaccines, antivaccination Republicans in the US have seized on the first statement, along with misinterpretation of data from an early study, to falsely assert that vaccination against covid-19 causes miscarriage. That early study, published soon after the mass rollout of the vaccine began, used data from a small number of pregnant women who had received the vaccine.2 The authors found that 12.6% of the 827 pregnancies that completed during the study period ended in miscarriage. But a subsequent miscalculation of their data concluded that 82% of the pregnancies had ended in miscarriage. Mike Rimmer, NES/CSO clinical lecturer in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Edinburgh and covid-19 fellow at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, explains, “The 82% figure was not a finding reported [in the study] by Shimabukuro et al.2 It was a post-hoc calculation applied to their preliminary data and has drawn much scrutiny and criticism, including by the study’s authors.” Stephen Griffin, virologist at the University of Leeds School of Medicine and co-chair of Independent SAGE, says that the misrepresentation of a potential miscarriage risk from covid vaccines was …

As demand for GLP-1 based weight loss drugs explodes worldwide, and patents expire in some countries, generic manufacturers are stepping up production to gain a slice of the market. We look at what’s coming to the market where, and what the effect might be on price and availability A major drawback of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) weight loss drugs is their cost. So, as early patents begin to expire, generic versions, which should be significantly cheaper than the patented drugs, are entering the market. Barbara McGowan, professor of endocrinology and diabetes at King’s College London, and chief medical officer at Reset Health, told The BMJ that this could have implications for their access in the health service. “In the NHS, generics may increase access, which is currently very restricted,” she said. She explained that access to GLP-1s is already being rationed on the health service.1 This rationing has widened inequalities when it comes to accessing these drugs, as those without an NHS prescription have to pay privately. But a new entry of generic GLP-1s for weight loss could change that. Naveed Sattar, professor of cardiometabolic medicine and honorary consultant at the University of Glasgow, said that India may have more than 50 companies involved in semaglutide production. “Some offering generic semaglutide in vials [which tends to be cheaper], others customised pens, and yet other companies working with Novo Nordisk to offer Novo produced semaglutide,” he said. “Some also offer packages with ‘wraparound,’” he added. “This means costs vary, being progressively more expensive for pens and for pens from Novo, or with wraparound care packages [support services such as nutritional guidance, structured physical activity plans, behavioural counselling, and regular check-ins]. “That said, the costs are substantially lower than before, so more people should be able to afford them.” Companies offering …

Katharine Lang We all want to delay the aging process and gain extra healthy life years, but what are the best interventions to help you age well?

New research looks at which interventions mighty actually help slow down aging and boost longevity, and which interventions may not deserve the hype.

Katharine Lang Higher daily step counts have long been linked to a lower risk of premature death, but not everyone has the time or capacity to walk a lot every day.

Walking at a faster pace under 5,000 steps daily cuts early death risk as much as walking 7,500 slower steps a day, researchers have found.