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FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday gave its approval to a new drug for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.But approval of the drug, called Relyvrio, is bound to stir new questions, with some doubting the strength of data supporting its effectiveness. Patient advocate groups had strongly lobbied the FDA for its approval, however."This approval provides another important treatment option for ALS, a life-threatening disease that currently has no cure," Dr. Billy Dunn, director of the Office of Neuroscience in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in an agency statement. "The FDA remains committed to facilitating the development of additional ALS treatments."The drug's path to...

FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The suicide rate in the United States increased in 2021, following two years of decline, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The number of suicides increased to 47,646 in 2021, up from 45,979 in 2020, according to researchers at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.As a result, the U.S. suicide rate also increased to 14 suicides for every 100,000 people, up from 13.5 per 100,000 in 2020, according to data published in the CDC's Vital Statistics Rapid Release.However, the numbers from 2021 remain lower than the peak set in 2018, suicide prevention experts noted.Still, "the uptick is certainly concerning," said Colleen Carr, director of the National Action Alliance for Suicide...

FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The devastation left by one of the strongest hurricanes to hit Florida in years is immense. But residents flooded out of their homes by Hurricane Ian must be cautious when they return, federal experts warn.First off, always assume there's potential risk from electricity or gas leaks, say experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Return during the daytime, so you don’t need to turn on any lights, and use battery-powered flashlights or lanterns rather than candles, gas lanterns or torches.If there's standing water and you can turn off the house's main power from a dry location, do so first -- even if that means you delay starting cleanup.But if accessing the main power switch means entering standing water, call an...

FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- More than 1 million Americans attempted suicide in 2020, and a new study is hinting at a potential way to reduce that risk: prescription folic acid.The study, of more than 800,000 Americans in a health care database, found that when people were on prescription folic acid, their likelihood of being treated for self-harm or suicide attempt dropped by 44%.Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, or vitamin B9, that is used in supplements and added to some foods.Experts stressed that the new findings do not prove that folic acid, itself, reduces suicide risk. "I would not rush out to the drugstore to get folic acid," said lead researcher Robert Gibbons, a professor at the University of Chicago. "And I certainly wouldn't replace any medical...