Doxycycline Doses After Sex Linked To Lower STI Risks: Study – Kaiser Health News

Bay Area Reporter: Taking Doxycycline After Sex Reduces STI Risk, Study Finds 
Taking the antibiotic doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) after sex can lower the risk of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis, according to a study presented at the recent International AIDS Conference in Montreal. San Francisco health experts discussed the findings and local implementation at the September 22 meeting of the Getting to Zero Consortium. The DoxyPEP trial showed that gay and bisexual men and transgender women who were living with HIV or on PrEP reduced their risk of acquiring the three most common bacterial sexually transmitted infections by more than 60% if they took doxycycline within 72 hours after condomless sex. (Highleyman, 9/30)

In other health and wellness news —

CBS News: Health Officials Warn Severe Flu Season Is Coming, Urge Vaccinations
“I don’t want to be alarmist, but I am concerned. We know that it’s going to be a strain of flu that tends to be more severe,” said Dr. Michael Phillips, an infectious disease expert at NYU Langone Health. “For those ages greater than 65, there’s a specific formulations of vaccines that you should get and it dramatically reduces the likelihood of hospitalization and death.” (Lapook and Hastey, 10/4)

The Washington Post: New Model Says Type 1 Diabetes Cases Worldwide Could Double By 2040
Using a new model for projecting the number of people with Type 1 diabetes worldwide, members of an international team of researchers estimate up to 17.4 million cases by 2040, double the number of people known to have the disease today. A study published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology says 8.4 million people now live with Type 1 diabetes, which occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin, leading to a buildup in blood sugar that can be disabling or fatal. Symptoms include excessive thirst and urination, blurred vision, exhaustion, dry skin and unintended weight loss. (Blakemore, 10/3)

Fortune: Is Late-Night Eating Bad For You? Study Shows It Can Lead To Increased Hunger
A new study by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital published Tuesday in Cell Metabolism analyzed the mechanisms behind why later mealtimes lead to obesity, assessing changes in feelings of fullness and hunger, and how the body stores fat and burns calories.  (Mikhail, 10/4)

The Washington Post: Every 2,000 Steps A Day Could Help Keep Premature Death At Bay
For every 2,000 steps you take each day, your risk for premature death may fall by 8 to 11 percent, according to research published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. Along with the results from a related study, published in JAMA Neurology, the researchers also found that walking more, accumulating up to roughly 10,000 steps a day, was linked to a reduction in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease (including heart disease, stroke and heart failure), 13 types of cancer and dementia. (Searing, 10/4)

The Washington Post: How Many Concussions Is Too Many? Neurologists Answer Your Questions
When we fall, hit our head or are tackled to the ground, our brain can bounce or twist against the skull. The result is a mild traumatic brain injury, also known as a concussion. The head injury to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, witnessed by millions on prime-time television, has put the spotlight back on concussions in sports. But experts say concussions are an all-too-common injury in everyday life. Overall, about 7 percent of children have had concussions, according to 2020 data from the National Center for Health Statistics. But the risk goes up significantly with age. Among 12- to 17-year-olds, about 12 percent have had concussions. Among adults, 29 percent report having had a concussion. (Amenabar, 10/4)