Weekly Health Digest: Norovirus Outbreaks, Pulse Oximeters, GLP-1 Benefits, Abortion Pill Alternative

Norovirus: What to know about rising outbreaks of the gastrointestinal ailment

By Sabrina Malhi, Washington Post

About 2,500 Americans contract the norovirus annually, marked by intense vomiting, dehydration, and diarrhea. Since December 2024, however, the CDC has noted norovirus outbreaks exceeding these yearly projections. Some experts think this may be linked to colder weather and reduced immunity after the COVID-19 pandemic. Others advise additional caution this year, given the contagious and initially asymptomatic nature of this infection. 

It may take anywhere from 12 to 48 hours before an infected individual starts exhibiting norovirus symptoms. Different strains of norovirus can contaminate food, water, vomit, or fecal matter, and these different routes of transmission could correlate to higher risk of illness. Experts recommend frequent hand washing, doing laundry in hot water, and working from home at least 2 days after symptoms have stopped to prevent further outbreaks.

Most cases in the United States are not fatal, but those over 65 and children under 5 are more likely to be hospitalized due to norovirus infection. Lower-income countries, however, can experience up to 200,000 deaths annually, due in part to limited emergency medical services. There is no current treatment for norovirus, but several laboratories around the world are working to create a vaccine. Experts recommend recovering by drinking plenty of fluids, avoiding solid foods, and resting if you are experiencing norovirus symptoms.

– by Manju Karthikeyan

The problem with pulse oximeters your doctor probably doesn’t know.

By Erika Edwards and Jason Kane, NBC News 

Dr. Thomas Valley, a pulmonologist and critical care physician at the University of Michigan, noticed something strange when an overwhelming number of COVID-19 patients were admitted under his care showing respiratory distress. Specifically, he saw that the blood oxygen readings displayed by the pulse oximeters were much higher than those found by an arterial blood draw, the most accurate way of testing blood oxygen levels.

At first, Valley and his team didn’t think much of it, attributing the faulty readings to the unfamiliar effects of COVID-19 on the body. Talley realized months later that most of his patients showing these inconsistencies were people of color. The discrepancies in the accuracy of the readings were not due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the color of the patients’ skin.

Pulse oximeters are small medical devices that shine a light through the fingertip to measure the amount of oxygen in the patient’s blood. The more light absorbed, the higher the pulse oximetry reading. This light is also absorbed, however, by pigment in the skin, resulting in erroneously high readings. This inaccuracy can lead to dangerous consequences, including physicians’ failure to provide respiratory support to patients struggling to breathe.

The first study revealing this racial discrepancy in pulse oximetry was published over 30 years ago. Valley rekindled discussion of the issue after publishing his findings in 2020. Last week, the FDA released new guidance for manufacturers of pulse oximeters to include a variety of skin tones when testing the accuracy of their product, a critical first step in addressing this issue and promoting health equity in respiratory care.

— by Harleigh Markowitz

Popular GLP-1 medications may have health benefits that extend beyond weight loss and blood sugar control, a new study finds

By Brenda Goodman, CNN

A new study published in the journal Nature Medicine sheds light on the unexpected risks and benefits of GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. The study suggests they may lower the risk of substance abuse disorders, psychosis, infections, aspiration pneumonia, seizures, blood clots, and certain types of cancer and dementia, in addition to its targeted conditions, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Study author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly believes some of these unexpected benefits may be due to the medication’s inflammation-reducing properties. 

Dr. Al-Aly’s observational study used medical records from 2.4 million people with diabetes seen by the Veterans Health Administration between October 2017 and December 2023. Doctors had prescribed 216,000 of those patients GLP-1 medications to manage their blood sugar. The study found that GLP-1 medications reduced the risk of 42 different health conditions while raising the risk of 19 different ones. Additional risks highlighted in the study include nausea, stomach pain, heartburn, stomach paralysis, kidney stones, arthritis, and tendinitis. 

Scientists believe that more research is necessary to establish a causal relationship. Additionally, the study population was predominantly white men over the age of 65, so this study may not be broadly generalizable. These findings highlight potential future uses of GLP-1 drugs, but experts continue to emphasize that patients should discuss the risks and benefits of taking these medications with their healthcare providers, as the science continues to evolve.

—by Stephanie Oehler

New Research Finds Potential Alternative to Abortion Pill Mifepristone

By Pam Belluck and Emily Bazelon, New York Times

A new study published in the journal NEJM Evidence found that an existing contraception drug can serve as an alternative to the abortion pill, mifepristone. Ella, the oral contraceptive, contains the active ingredient, ulipristal acetate. A two-fold increase in Ella’s dosage, followed by misoprostol, led to termination of pregnancies in 97 percent of women in the study. The two-drug abortion regimen had a similar success as the regimen that uses mifepristone and misoprostol, suggesting that ulipristal acetate is safe in the two-drug medication abortion regimen. 

The political implications of the study are complex, as it blurs the line between emergency contraception and abortion. Abortion opponents have long argued that morning-after pills such as Ella and Plan B One-Step can cause abortions. As such, experts believe that the new evidence that Ella can perform abortions will strengthen the anti-abortion movement. They caution, however, that Ella as formulated is not responsible for the effects seen in the study. Rather, abortions were caused by the increased dose of active ingredient. The study was also relatively small, with around one hundred participants, making it unlikely to change clinical practice anytime soon.

The study overall reinforces the idea that hormone-based drugs may work in different ways at different stages of a woman’s reproductive cycle. More research may inform possible multipurpose use of different medications and expand access to patients.

—by Ananya Dash

Items summarized by: Manju Karthikeyan, Harleigh Markowitz, Stephanie Oehler, Ananya Dash