The renewal of Affordable Care Act tax credits is facing challenges as the deadline approaches, with the Senate Finance Committee taking the lead. Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., are key figures in the discussions. Democrats want a clean extension, but Republicans are pushing for changes, including an income cap and minimum premium payments.

About 23% of US adults received a COVID-19 vaccination last season, compared with 47% who got a flu shot, according to the CDC, and health experts are concerned that vaccination rates may decrease even more this year due to conflicting advice and new, narrower federal recommendations. “A lot of misinformation is going around regarding COVID,” said Alein Haro-Ramos, an assistant professor at the University of California-Irvine. “Vaccine hesitancy is going to increase.”

Nearly one-third of people worldwide have a headache disorder, with women experiencing more than double the related health problems than men, according to a study published in The Lancet Neurology. Migraines account for about 90% of headache-related years lived with disability, even though they are less common than tension headaches. The study also found that medication overuse contributes to the disability associated with headaches.

A study presented at a meeting of the Obesity Society found that more than half of patients who stop taking GLP-1 drugs regain weight within a year. The analysis of data from more than 1.2 million patients found people with type 2 diabetes were more likely to persist using the medications than those without type 2 diabetes.

Measles cases in the US have reached a 33-year high, with 1,723 cases reported in 42 states, according to the CDC. Most cases involve unvaccinated individuals, and there have been three deaths and numerous hospitalizations. Dr. Adam Ratner, director of pediatric infectious diseases at Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at New York University Langone, emphasizes the importance of vaccination and shares insights on diagnosing and treating measles, highlighting the disease's high contagiousness and potential complications such as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

For women who cannot use hormone therapy, non-hormonal options like prescription medications and over-the-counter products are available to alleviate menopause symptoms. Antidepressants and drugs such as oxybutynin, Veozah and Lynkuet can help manage hot flashes and related issues, though they may come with side effects. Non-drug therapies, include increasing physical activity, adopting a plant-forward diet, cognitive behavioral therapy and clinical hypnosis to help manage symptoms.