Popular weight loss drugs remain out of reach for many who need them

Popular weight loss drugs remain out of reach for many who need them

Dr. Laure DeMattia, a bariatric medicine specialist in Norman, Oklahoma, feels the frustration of her patients as they struggle to lose weight. Almost all of her patients at a weight-loss clinic in the suburbs south of Oklahoma City could be helped by the new class of medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy — if they could afford them. “My patients have already done Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem. They’ve done the high protein, low carb,” she said. “They’ve already done as much as they thought was physically possible to alter their diet and exercise.” What many of them haven’t done is take a monthly injection of semaglutide or tirzepatide. DeMattia can give them a prescription for Wegovy or Zepbound, but that’s just the beginning. They then face a complicated, often frustrating battle to pay for…
Read More
Indiana mom who died on plane coming home from Dominican Republic died of natural causes

Indiana mom who died on plane coming home from Dominican Republic died of natural causes

The Indiana mom who perished last month while flying home from vacation in the Dominican Republic died from a tear to one of her neck arteries, her brother said Thursday.Stefanie Smith, a 41-year-old mother of two teenagers from Danville, suffered a carotid artery dissection, Chris Volz said.This condition, which affects the major blood vessels that supply blood to the brain, is the most common cause of strokes in younger patients, according to Penn Medicine and the National Library of Medicine.Smith was flying home on flying on Feb. 28. when she suddenly went into convulsions and the plane was diverted to the Turks and Caicos where she died at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, according to The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.Volz said earlier that he was not aware of his sister having…
Read More
Meet the families who’ve taken children as young as 2 to Everest Base Camp

Meet the families who’ve taken children as young as 2 to Everest Base Camp

When her daughter, Arishka, was just 6 years old, Dimple Laddha took her to Everest Base Camp.The camp sits at an elevation of around 17,600 feet, where the oxygen concentration is nearly 50% less than at sea level. Winter temperatures can drop below freezing at night. The standard 80-mile hike from the town of Lukla to Base Camp and back is often attempted by athletes and adventure seekers over 10 to 12 days. It involves an elevation gain of more than 8,000 feet.Dimple said that for two years before their trip in April, she and Arishka had been going on 5-mile walks near their house in Pune, India, and she decided her daughter was ready for a challenge.“Kids in general have a lot of energy,” Dimple said, adding: “I find…
Read More