In this edition: A criminal investigation, the biggest scourge in health and a gene-editing breakthrough.

UnitedHealth Group is under criminal investigation. The healthcare-fraud unit of the Justice Department’s criminal division is focusing on the company’s Medicare Advantage business practices. Meanwhile, CEO Andrew Witty is out, as Chairman Stephen Hemsley returns to lead the company he helped build.

Texas attorney general takes aim at Trix and Lucky Charms. Ken Paxton is investigating food company General Mills for allegedly misrepresenting the products as “healthy.” In April, Paxton launched a similar investigation into WK Kellogg, which makes cereals like Froot Loops and Apple Jacks.

Fatal overdoses fall to prepandemic levels. U.S. drug-overdose deaths fell 27% in 2024, from about 110,000 in 2023 to around 80,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Women are drinking more—and doctors are worried. U.S. women still drink less heavily than men overall and experience fewer related deaths, but that gap is shrinking. Heavy drinking increases the risk for several types of cancer, but women’s alcohol-related health problems tend to start at lower levels of drinking compared with men.

How chronic disease became the biggest scourge in American health. Better sanitation, antibiotics and vaccines muzzled deadly infectious diseases, and medical innovations and antismoking campaigns spurred progress against heart disease and cancer. Now, persistent conditions such as hypertension are undermining that momentum.

A gene-editing breakthrough saves infant with rare disease. A newborn infant with a rare and deadly disease was treated with a gene-editing therapy tailored to his specific condition. The technological breakthrough offers hope for personalizing treatments for other rare diseases.

You asked, we answered. Dr. Eric Topol, a prominent cardiologist at the La Jolla, Calif.-based Scripps Research Translational Institute, joined WSJ’s health reporters Amy Dockser Marcus and Alex Janin to answer subscriber questions about how to age better. Examples, edited for space, are included below.

• Q: Is there one longevity supplement or product you recommend?
  A: No. None are proven.
• Q: For those facing financial constraints, what are some accessible and practical ways to prioritize health and longevity to become a 'Super Ager'?
  A: Eat less ultraprocessed food. Exercise, even walking just 30 minutes a day, and work on balance. Promote good sleep by sticking to a regular schedule.

Zepbound beats weightloss rival in head-to-head study. Eli Lilly said its Zepbound obesity drug helped patients reduce their waist size by an extra two inches compared to those on Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy in a head-to-head study of the two drugs. Zepbound achieved an average weight reduction of 20.2% compared to 13.7% with Wegovy after 72 weeks.

Novo Nordisk and Septerna strike $2.2 billion deal. The Danish pharmaceutical giant and the U.S. biotech company agreed to collaborate on the development of pills to treat obesity, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic conditions.

Drugmakers avoid worst-case pricing scenario—for now. President Trump directed the administration to prepare a “Most-Favored Nation” plan tying U.S. drug prices to the lowest prices in other developed countries if drugmakers can't settle on lower prices with federal officials. The worst scenario would have been a policy that was implemented right away.

This newsletter was compiled by the WSJ’s Health & Science team. Follow us on X @WSJHealth and @WSJScience. Email us by replying to this newsletter.