California sues hospital for denying patient an emergency abortion

(NEW YORK) — A new study suggests that GLP-1 agonist medications like Ozempic, which are used for diabetes management and weight loss, may help reduce the risk of overdose and alcohol intoxication in people with substance use disorders.

“It helps to underline another significant benefit of this class of medication,” Dr. Angela Fitch, the co-founder, and chief medical officer of knownwell, a company that provides weight-inclusive health care, told ABC News.

The large study, published in the journal, Addiction, analyzed the health records of 1.3 million people from 136 U.S. hospitals for nearly nine years. That included the records of 500,000 people with opioid use and more than 800,000 with alcohol use disorder.

Those who took Ozempic or a similar drug had a 40% lower chance of overdosing on opioids and a 50% lower chance of getting drunk compared to those who didn’t take the medication, the study found.

“The existing medications for treating substance use disorder are underutilized and stigmatized,” said Fares Qeadan, associate professor of biostatistics at Loyola University in Chicago. “These medications intended for diabetes and weight loss can help addiction without the associated stigma, which will be a new window for how to deal with addiction.”

The protective effects were consistent and even applied to people with Type 2 diabetes, obesity, or both conditions.

Fitch expressed optimism about the study’s results.

“As clinicians, recognizing that people can get double benefits from something is always helpful and as more obesity medications enter the market, this can help personalize treatments,” she said.

GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and the combination drug tirzepatide also included in the study, mimic a natural hormone known as glucagon-like peptide-1 to help regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. For managing obesity and diabetes, these medications work by slowing digestion, reducing appetite, and enhancing insulin release in response to meals.

Scientists don’t fully understand how these drugs work yet. Some studies indicate that they activate specific “reward” receptors in the brain that make high-calorie foods less gratifying, so users eat less.

This could also be the reason these drugs may reduce cravings for alcohol and opioids. For example, a previous study found that adding the GLP-1, exenatide, was effective at helping some people with obesity and alcohol use disorder drink less.

The Addiction study does not prove that GLP-1 medications directly lower the risks of opioid overdose and alcohol intoxication, only that people taking them seemed to be helped. And it only included hospitalizations so it’s not clear if they will work as well in less serious cases.

Prescribing the drugs to treat substance use, at least for now, isn’t possible because they aren’t approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for that purpose, Fitch pointed out.

“One of the challenges that we have as clinicians is we know that some of these benefits help patients. And not being able to get them access is very challenging,” she said.

People with substance use disorder keep using drugs or alcohol even though it causes problems in their life. According to the CDC, there are 178,000 annual deaths linked to excessive drinking. Over 75% of drug overdose deaths in 2022 involved opioids.

If you or someone you know is living with substance use disorder, free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling or texting the national lifeline at 988.

Dr. Faizah Shareef is an Internal Medicine Resident Physician and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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(NEW YORK) — New York state reported its first case of eastern equine encephalitis in nearly a decade on Friday.

The rare mosquito-borne virus was detected in Ulster County, the New York State Department of Health said. The individual is hospitalized, it said.

The Ulster County Department of Health is currently investigating the case, which marks the first case of EEE confirmed in New York state since 2015, health officials said.

“Eastern equine encephalitis is a serious and fatal mosquito-borne disease with no vaccine,” New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a statement. “Even though temperatures are getting cooler, mosquito-borne illnesses are still a risk and New Yorkers must be cautious.”

The human case comes after a case of EEE was confirmed in a horse in Ulster County in August, the state health department said. Earlier this month, two emus in New York’s Rensselaer County also tested positive for the virus, which does not spread directly from birds to humans, the department said.

The latest human EEE case in New York brings the national tally to at least 11 so far this year, according to an ABC News tally. The national yearly average is 11, with most cases occurring in eastern or Gulf Coast states.

Beyond New York, cases have been reported in at least six other states so far this year: Massachusetts, with four; New Hampshire, with two; and, with one each, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Between 2003 and 2023, there have been at least 196 EEE cases reported in the U.S., including 176 hospitalizations and 79 deaths.

The best way to prevent infection from the disease is to protect yourself from mosquito bites, including by using insect repellant, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, treating clothing and gear and taking steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors.

“With the first confirmed human case of eastern equine encephalitis in Ulster County, I urge residents to take the recommended precautions to prevent mosquito bites and the risk of infection,” Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger said in a statement.

Most people infected with EEE do not develop symptoms. For those who do, symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes and drowsiness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Approximately a third of all people who develop severe cases die, according to the CDC.

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(NEW YORK) — The journey to get pregnant can be a long road for many women, some of whom are sharing that they found unlikely help from an over-the-counter cough and cold medicine.

The hashtag #mucinexdpregnancy has over 1,500 posts on TikTok from women claiming the medication Mucinex helped them get pregnant.

“I tried the Mucinex hack [and] it worked!,” one TikTok user captioned a post with more than one million views. “After 5 months of trying gave it a shot [and] got pregnant first try.”

“Trying to conceive for years just to take Mucinex and get pregnant,” another TikTok user captioned a viral video with two million views.

According to people sharing their stories on social media, taking a Mucinex pill every day during their high-fertile window helped them get pregnant.

ABC News’ Good Morning America spoke with board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Jessica Shepherd to break down the trend and whether it’s research-proven to work.

Why would Mucinex help with pregnancy?

Mucinex contains an active ingredient, guaifenesin, that helps with congestion by thinning phlegm, a type of mucus produced by the respiratory system.

The theory in using Mucinex to help with fertility is that guaifenesin could also help thin cervical mucus, making it easier for sperm to reach an egg during fertilization, according to Shepherd.

In addition to Mucinex, guaifenesin is also an active ingredient in other over-the-counter cough and cold medications.

“The reason why people think that this is going to be a way that’s going to help increase chances of fertility is that the actual medication is going to thin secretions,” Shepherd said. “Now, when we think of thinning secretions, we are usually looking at it from a perspective of cervical secretions.”

Is there any research proving Mucinex can help with fertility?

Not really, according to Shepherd.

“When we actually look at the data and the studies that have been done on Mucinex and fertility, we know that it hasn’t significantly improved the quality of cervical mucus, which could, again, help with some of the motility of the sperm getting to the egg,” she said. “However, it is, again, something that women can try on their own, but there is no strong data that’s going to say that it’s significantly going to increase their chances of fertility.”

The most frequently-cited study is one published over 40 years ago in 1982, in a journal entitled Fertility and Sterility. In the study, which included 40 couples over a span of 10 months, the female was given 200 mg guaifenesin three times daily from day five of her menstrual cycle through when she was ovulating. Scientists studied how well the sperm moved through her cervical mucus after using the guaifenesin.

Of the 40 patients, two-thirds showed some improvement in sperm motility. Fifteen of the 40 couples became pregnant during the study, though their pregnancies cannot attribute that solely to guaifenesin.

More recently, in 2010, a case study showed anecdotal evidence of improvement in one patient’s sperm count and motility after taking guaifenesin 600 mg extended release tablets twice a day for two months.

However, the study’s researchers said it was “not clear” why the patient had improvement and that more research on guaifenesin and male fertility was needed.

What does the maker of Mucinex say about taking it for infertility?

Reckitt, the maker of Mucinex, told GMA in a statement that taking the medication for infertility is considered “off-label use.”

“Reckitt is aware of recent social media activity surrounding Mucinex and fertility, and we understand why there is heightened interest in this topic. As a global leader in health and hygiene, it is important that we clarify that Mucinex should only be used as intended in line with label directions. Taking Mucinex for infertility constitutes off-label use,” the company said in a statement.

“Taking any medications outside their approved indications or without acknowledging all active ingredients may be harmful. In case of doubt, we recommend women have a discussion with their healthcare professional. Please always read the label and safety information before taking any self-care medication,” the company said.

Is guaifenesin safe to take during pregnancy?

Guaifenesin is considered pregnancy category C by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

That classification means means there’s no data on human fetuses and studies on animal fetuses showed adverse effects.

Women who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant should always check with their medical provider before taking any medication.

What causes infertility?

Female infertility is known to decline with age as well as smoking, excessive alcohol use, obesity, low body weight and excessive physical or emotional stress.

Medical conditions that impact the ovulation cycle, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries can also contribute to infertility, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Shepherd said it is important that women talk with their doctor if they have concerns about infertility, which is defined by the CDC as being unable to get pregnant after one year of trying or after 6 months if 35 years or older.

“When we look at the different trends that we may see on social media … I think that is so important for every woman to take into account that they need to discuss this specifically with their doctor to ensure that it doesn’t cause any harm, but also that they are following recommended ways for them to improve their chances [for pregnancy] in health and wellness,” she said.

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