Congo Ebola outbreak tops 8,000 cases as health worker shortages worsen - NBC News

2 days agoMarie-Louise Connolly, Health correspondentandLiz Trainor, BBC News NIBBCWomen have been urged to seek advice from their GP or pharmacy if they find their usual HRT has been affected by supply shortagesWomen have been warned against self-medicating to manage menopause symptoms amid a shortage of some Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) medications. Pharmacist Paul Irvine said he understood that women were "concerned" but urged them to speak to their GP or local chemist who could advise them about alternatives. The warning follows official confirmation from the Department of Health (DoH) that supplies of two major HRT patch brands have been disrupted. The affected products include Estradot transdermal and FemSeven Conti, both of which are currently facing manufacturing or distribution delays. Paul Irvine said it was important that women contact their GP or pharmacist for adviceIrvine, a pharmacy manager in Belfast, said much of the time with HRT medications, women often become comfortable with a particular brand. "When they are short and they like to try alternatives, they may suffer side effects or it might just not work as well," he said.

Among cancer patients, the high financial cost of cancer care is a prevalent problem. This financial burden is also associated with potentially harmful behavioral strategies that patients might use to cope with costs, such as delaying or forgoing treatment and skipping medications. Collectively, researchers refer to this impact as financial toxicity.

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) could transform diabetes management for millions of Americans with type 2 diabetes who don't take insulin, according to findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The clinical trial found that adults using CGMs spent approximately five additional hours each day within their target blood sugar range compared with those receiving routine care. Nearly twice as many CGM users also achieved an A1c level below 7%, a common treatment goal for people with diabetes.