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THURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose should be sold over-the-counter, two expert panels to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended Wednesday.Research has shown that wider availability of naloxone -- brand named Narcan -- could save lives as the opioid epidemic rages on in this country.The FDA advisors voted unanimously in favor of making the drug easier to access after a daylong meeting that focused on whether untrained users would be able to safely and effectively use the nasal spray in emergencies, the Associated Press reported.The recommendation came despite concerns from some panel members about the clarity of the drug’s instructions and packaging, which caused confusion among some people in a company study. The...

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A COVID infection appears to drive up diabetes risk, new research warns.The good news? Being vaccinated before becoming infected appeared to eliminate any increase in post-infection risk.The finding follows a deep dive into the medical records of roughly 23,700 patients. At an average age of 47, all were treated for COVID infection at Cedars-Sinai Health System in Los Angeles at some point between 2020 and 2022.Overall, having had COVID appeared tied to a 58% rise in a person's odds of developing diabetes afterwards, the study found.Still, the risk to any one patient of getting the blood sugar disease remained low: The investigators found that just over 2% had diabetes within three months after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Notably, only 3...

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose may become available for easier over-the-counter purchase.U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisers are meeting Wednesday to discuss making generic naloxone hydrochloride available without requiring interaction with a pharmacist, CNN reported.Approval could happen later this year. Research shows that wider availability of the antidote could save lives in the growing U.S. opioid epidemic. The meeting of the FDA’s Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee is a response to an application submitted last year by Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. of Baltimore.The FDA gave the company’s application priority review, CNN reported.Emergent...

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Most people hospitalized for COVID-19 are taking months to bounce back, a new study confirms. More than 70% of patients reported experiencing lingering symptoms, including coughing, rapid or irregular heartbeat and breathlessness. About half had fatigue or physical limitations. All of these symptoms are associated with long COVID-19. “My clinic patients often want to know how soon they’ll get back to their usual health,” said study first author Dr. Andrew Admon, an assistant professor in the departments of internal medicine and epidemiology at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. “Based on these data, it seems that many people hospitalized for COVID-19 should expect symptoms to last for up to six months or even longer,” Admon...