Health News Roundup: Allergan recalls textured breast implants worldwide; Poor diet quality tied to frailty in older adults

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Deployment of second Ebola vaccine would not be quick fix, experts warn

The resignation of Congo's health minister in the midst of the country's worst Ebola outbreak could clear the way for a second experimental vaccine to be deployed. But the new shot would likely take months to win the trust of frightened locals and show results, health officials say. Oly Ilunga, who opposed using the vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, resigned as minister on Monday after being bumped off the Ebola response team.

Poor diet quality tied to frailty in older adults

When older people eat a poor-quality diet, they may be increasing their odds of becoming frail, a recent study suggests. Researchers followed 2,154 older U.S. adults for four years. At the start, participants were between the ages of 70 and 81. They were either "robust," because they didn't appear to have any cognitive problems or issues with physical frailty, or "pre-frail," because they only had one or two symptoms of frailty.

Exclusive: White House preparing order that would cut drug prices for Medicare: sources

U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a sweeping executive order that would cut prices on virtually all branded prescription drugs sold to Medicare and other government programs, according to two industry sources who had discussions with the White House. The order under discussion would be much broader than the Administration's previously disclosed proposal to lower prices on physician administered, or Part B, drugs by tying prices to lower costs in other countries.

Longer pregnancy tied to higher risk of stillbirth, newborn death

Pregnant women who continue to carry their babies after they reach full term have a higher risk of stillbirth and newborn deaths than mothers who deliver by 37 weeks' gestation, a recent study suggests. Doctors have long understood the risk of complications for mothers and babies when pregnancy continues too long past a woman's due date. But how much the risk of stillbirths or newborn deaths increases with each additional week beyond full term hasn't been clear.

Allergan recalls textured breast implants worldwide

Allergan Plc said on Wednesday it was recalling its Biocell textured breast implants and tissue expanders across markets, citing concerns over a rare form of cancer, after the U.S. health agency asked the drugmaker to pull the products. The Food And Drug Administration found the use of these breast implants was tied to increased risk of a rare type of cancer known as breast-implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).

Eli Lilly's hypoglycemia treatment wins FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly and Co's treatment for severe hypoglycemia, the health regulator said on Wednesday. Hypoglycemia is a condition in which blood sugar falls to dangerously low levels.

CNOOC halts field work at western Uganda project over Ebola fears

Oil producer China National Offshore Oil Corp said on Thursday it had halted field work at its western Uganda project over an Ebola scare and would resume operations only after getting the green light from the health ministry. Uganda's oilfields in the Albertine rift basin are a few miles from the epicenter of the latest Ebola outbreak that has killed nearly 1,700 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo since August last year.

A Boston hospital with a farm on its roof seeks to inspire others

A rooftop farm at a medical center in Massachusetts could serve as a model for hospitals that seek to encourage healthy eating, a new report says. In 2017, Boston Medical Center (BMC) began operating a 2658-square-foot farm on a roof terrace to supply the hospital's kitchen and food pantry with fresh produce.

IMF says ready to aid Congo in Ebola crisis if needed

The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday it had ample scope to provide financial support to Congo if it needs help dealing with an Ebola outbreak that has been declared an international health emergency. IMF officials are in contact with authorities in Congo and continue to monitor and assess the situation closely, spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters.

Pharma lobby group opposes senators' proposal to lower drug prices

Representatives of PhRMA opposed a proposal from the Senate Finance Committee to lower prescription drug prices in a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, the pharmaceutical industry lobby group said on Thursday. The proposal aims to lower drug prices by forcing pharmaceutical companies to pay rebates to Medicare if they raise prices above the rate of inflation.