Health News Roundup: U.S. records 12 new cases of measles, raising year's total to 1,215

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

More plant protein tied to longer life

People who eat more plant-based protein may live longer than those who get more protein from meat, a Japanese study suggests. Researchers followed almost 71,000 middle-aged Japanese adults for an average of almost two decades. Compared to people who consumed the smallest amount of plant protein, participants who consumed the largest amount were 13% less likely to die during the study and 16% less likely to die of cardiovascular causes.

China says U.S. can do more to reduce fentanyl demand

The U.S. government can do more to reduce demand for fentanyl and should stop shifting the blame onto others, China said on Monday, in another riposte to Trump administration criticism that China is not helping resolve the drug problem. U.S. officials say China is the main source of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances that are trafficked into the United States, much of it through international mail. China denies that most of the illicit fentanyl entering the United States originates in China.

China's Sichuan province to remove restrictions on pig farming

China's southwestern province of Sichuan, the country's top pig-farming province, is removing some restrictions on hog production to stabilize supply after an epidemic of African swine fever reduced herds. Sichuan produced more than 65 million pigs in 2017, according to official data, or more than 9% of the country's total, making it China's leading producer.

DEA to expand marijuana research after years of delay

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said on Monday that it will move ahead with a long-delayed expansion of its marijuana research program, in a sign that the Trump administration's hostility to the drug may be waning as a growing number of states have legalized its use. The DEA said it would roll out new guidelines that would allow more growers to produce marijuana for scientific and medical research.

FDA gives fast track status to AstraZeneca's diabetes drug Farxiga

AstraZeneca Plc said on Tuesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted fast track status for the development of its diabetes drug Farxiga to prevent heart and kidney failure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Farxiga, one of AstraZeneca's top 10 drugs by sales, is part of the SGLT2-inhibitor class of antidiabetics that cause the kidneys to expel blood sugar from the body through urine.

Venezuelan migrants to get regional vaccination cards under 10-nation pact

Venezuelan migrants will be provided with a regional vaccination card beginning in October, health officials from 10 countries agreed on Monday, in an effort to ensure they receive needed vaccines and are not given double doses. More than 4 million Venezuelans have fled an economic and political crisis in their home country that has caused widespread shortages of food and medicine.

Most long-term acute care hospital patients die within five years

(Reuters Health) - Most elderly patients admitted to long-term acute care hospitals die within 5 years, and spend two-thirds of their remaining life as an inpatient, a U.S. study suggests. The goal of long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) is to help patients recover from debilitating illnesses and injuries and regain their ability to live independently. Patients in LTACHs are very ill and may need cardiac monitoring, intravenous lines, and mechanical ventilators.

U.S. records 12 new cases of measles, raising year's total to 1,215

The United States recorded 12 new measles cases last week, bringing the total number of cases for the year to 1,215 across 30 states in the worst outbreak since 1992, federal health officials said on Monday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there had been a 1% increase in the number of cases of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease between Aug. 15 and Aug. 22.

Customers can make fast-food combo meals healthier

Combination meals in U.S. fast-food and fast-casual restaurants have lots of calories, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium, but customers can make the meals healthier by substituting drinks and toppings, researchers say. Combination meals include an entrée (such as a burger), a side dish (such as fries), and a beverage (typically a soda), for less money than it would cost to buy each item separately.

J&J liable for $572 million in Oklahoma opioid epidemic trial; shares rise

An Oklahoma judge on Monday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $572.1 million to the state for its part in fueling an opioid epidemic by deceptively marketing addictive painkillers, a sum that was substantially less than investors had expected, driving up J&J's shares. The state's attorney general had filed the lawsuit, seeking $17 billion to address the impact of the drug crisis on Oklahoma. It had been considered a bellwether for other litigation nationwide over the opioid epidemic.

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