Scientific American

“Health & Medicine:  What if more meds were over the counter?”

Views expressed in this science, health, and medicine update are those of the reporters and correspondents.

Accessed on 23 February 2026, 2034 UTC.

Content and Source:  “Scientific American:  Health & Medicine.”

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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencejournal.com).

February 23—It’s Lauren here, stepping in for Tanya today. FDA commissioner Martin Makary said that the agency is considering allowing more prescription drugs to be sold over the counter, but some pharmacy experts express concerns over safety risks. Plus, the promises and shortcomings of Alzheimer’s blood tests, how compounded GLP-1 drugs might soon face greater FDA scrutiny and what VO₂ max means for health.

Thoughts? You can reach me at @laurenjyoung.bsky.social or lauren.young@sciam.com. We hope you stay warm!

Lauren Young, Associate Editor, Health & Medicine

 
Top Stories
What if most medications were sold over the counter?

The FDA is reportedly considering broadening the types of drugs that can be sold without a prescription, a move some pharmacy experts say could raise safety risks

Alzheimer’s blood tests predict what age people will be when the disease may cause symptoms, study finds

Tests that could reveal when Alzheimer’s disease will emerge, while promising, are not ready for use in otherwise healthy people, scientists say

Support our work this year with a subscription to Scientific American. Thank you for amplifying independent science journalism!
FDA agrees to review Moderna mRNA flu vaccine in dramatic reversal

After initially rejecting Moderna’s application for review, the FDA will now consider the company’s mRNA flu shot

Compound weight-loss drugs are everywhere. The FDA is cracking down

The recent withdrawal of Hims & Hers’ GLP-1 pill raises questions about the safety and effectiveness of compounded medications

This key fitness metric is crucial for Olympic ski mountaineering—and regular health, too

VO₂ max is an important measure of aerobic conditioning, whether you’re an Olympian or just a person hoping to stay healthy

‘An AlphaFold 4’—scientists marvel at DeepMind drug spin-off’s exclusive new AI

Isomorphic Lab’s proprietary drug-discovery model is a major advance, but scientists developing open-source tools are left guessing how to achieve similar results

A pair of gut bacteria may cause constipation

A new study pinpoints two species of bacteria that work together to dry out the lining of the gut and cause constipation

Cats’ cancer genes show striking similarity to humans’

Researchers sequenced the genomes of tumors from almost 500 domestic cats and found remarkable parallels with human and dog cancers

How does type 1 diabetes actually work?

What happens when your body suddenly stops making the one hormone that keeps your blood sugar in check?

Key NIH research institute told to remove references to ‘pandemic preparedness’

Staff members have been instructed to scrub this topic and ‘biodefense’ from the agency’s website, a Nature investigation finds

Your daily steps may depend on your zip code more than your willpower

Researchers found that walkable city design—not personal motivation—was the key factor behind people taking 1,100 more steps per day

 
What We’re Reading
  • We tested the government’s official new AI nutrition tool: Grok | STAT
  • After blasting WHO costs, Trump officials propose more expensive alternative | The Washington Post
  • How South Carolina Doctors and Schools Are Fighting Measles | Think Global Health
 
From The Archive
Temperature Drops Put the Squeeze on Heart Attack Risk

A slight daily mean temperature decline can increase the number of heart attacks for up to a month, new research shows


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kh6jrm

Author: kh6jrm@gmail.com

I am the retired news director of Pacific Radio Group stations on the Island of Hawaii. I am a retired Lt. Col., USAF Reserve. I am a FCC-licensed Amateur Radio Operator, holding the Amateur Extra Class License. I am a substitute teacher for the state of Hawaii Department of Education.

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