Medical Mysteries: He beat a fungal infection. So why was he so ill again?
The medication causes such awful side effects — kidney damage, anemia, nausea, seizures — that doctors call it 'amphoterrible' and usually reserve it for life-threatening infections. Redweik had picked up a fungal infection, probably during a visit to Vancouver Island in mid-2016, and there was little doubt he now was near death: He was crashing into walls when he tried to walk and vomiting frequently.
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24 minutes ago
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2 Stocks to Buy on the Dip and Hold for 10 Years
Novo Nordisk's shares look attractive after a terrible performance over the past 12 months. DexCom has significant room to grow in its core market, despite disappointing results last year. 10 stocks we like better than Novo Nordisk › One of Warren Buffett's famous pieces of investing advice is to be greedy when others are fearful. One way to apply this wisdom is to look for companies that have lagged the market recently but still appear to be excellent long-term investment opportunities. Two great examples today in the healthcare sector are Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) and DexCom (NASDAQ: DXCM). Although these two corporations have encountered significant headwinds since last year, they could deliver market-beating returns to investors who initiate positions today and stick with them for at least a decade. Novo Nordisk is coming off clinical setbacks and unimpressive financial results, at least by its lofty standards. The stock has significantly underperformed the market over the trailing-12-month period. But after this beating, the company's shares look attractive. Here are several reasons why. First, although Novo Nordisk's eternal rival, Eli Lilly, appears to be taking the lead in the fast-growing weight management market, the former still has excellent prospects in this rapidly expanding therapeutic area. Novo Nordisk's Wegovy continues to grow its sales at a good clip, and the company is awaiting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an oral formulation of this popular medicine. Further, Novo Nordisk has promising internally developed pipeline candidates, such as amycretin, which recently entered phase 3 studies. The Denmark-based drugmaker has also enhanced its pipeline in this area, thanks to licensing deals and acquisitions. Second, Novo Nordisk has been working on diversifying its lineup and currently has promising pipeline candidates outside of its core treatment areas of diabetes and obesity. Novo Nordisk is developing medicines for conditions including hemophilia, Parkinson's disease, sickle cell disease, Alzheimer's disease, and others. Third, after being southbound for the past 12 months, Novo Nordisk's shares look reasonably valued. The company's forward price-to-earnings ratio is 16.8, compared to the 16.3 average for the healthcare industry. Novo Nordisk's financial results over the past year have been terrific by industry standards, but not quite what the market expected. That may have justified the sell-off, but at current levels, the stock looks attractive. Finally, Novo Nordisk is a solid dividend-paying company. It has increased its annual dividend per share by almost 284% over the past decade, while offering a forward yield of 2.3%. That's not exceptional, but it's above the S&P 500 index's average of 1.3%. Novo Nordisk is well-positioned to bounce back and deliver strong returns in the next decade as it rides weight management (and other) tailwinds. DexCom is a leading diabetes-focused medical device company. It develops continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems that help diabetics with constant blood sugar level measurements. DexCom has been successful thanks to the increased adoption of this innovative technology. Unlike blood glucose meters that are manually operated, use pesky and painful fingersticks, and can only tell a person's sugar level at one point in time, CGM devices are constantly monitoring things and automatically make measurements as often as every five minutes. Rrevenue and earnings have grown rapidly over the past decade, but the company hit a speed bump last year when its top-line growth slowed considerably, partly due to higher-than-expected rebates in the U.S., resulting in lower revenue per patient. That said, these are short-term issues that do little to impact the company's long-term prospects. And on that front, there are still plenty of reasons to be excited about DexCom's future. Consider that the company has ample room to grow, even in the U.S., a country that enjoys higher CGM penetration than most others. However, as DexCom has consistently pointed out, the population of patients who use CGM continues to lag behind those who are eligible for third-party coverage -- in other words, many people could obtain the technology paid for by insurers but have not yet opted in. Further, there is a vast worldwide opportunity, since only a tiny percentage of the diabetics in the world use CGM technology. Though many are in countries where DexCom does not do business, the company has generally increased its addressable market by entering new geographies. In the next 10 years, expect the company to do the same while benefiting from greater insurance coverage for CGM -- third-party payers, including governments, have been more willing to foot the bill because of the technology's benefits. All that should lead to consistent revenue and earnings growth for the medical device specialist. The stock has crushed the market in the past decade using this formula. In my view, it is well-positioned to do the same through 2035. Before you buy stock in Novo Nordisk, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Novo Nordisk wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $699,558!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $976,677!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 30, 2025 Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool recommends DexCom and Novo Nordisk and recommends the following options: long January 2027 $65 calls on DexCom and short January 2027 $75 calls on DexCom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 Stocks to Buy on the Dip and Hold for 10 Years was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
an hour ago
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Scientists Reveal What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Coffee Every Day
A new study linked daily coffee consumption to a potentially longer life. We asked experts to explain how the morning delicacy can have such an impact. There are a few catches. The ritual of brewing and sipping fresh coffee each morning is one many of us look forward to, and a new study's findings may give you the push to pour another cup. Researchers connected coffee consumption to mortality among a large population of participants and found that coffee may actually help you live longer, with a few caveats. Meet the Experts: David Perlmutter, M.D., a neurologist and fellow of the American College of Nutrition and Michelle Routhenstein, M.S., R.D., a cardiology dietitian at Entirely Nourished. Keep reading to learn more about how your daily cup of joe may offer you more than a jolt of energy and happiness. Researchers tracked the self-reported coffee drinking habits of over 46,000 U.S. adults for nearly a decade. Participants disclosed how they drank their java. Regular or decaf? With sugar and milk or without? If with, how much? They then compared that information to National Death Index data to deduce how coffee consumption could have impacted mortality from all causes, including cancer and heart disease. After examining the data, researchers found that drinking one to three cups of coffee per day was linked to a reduced risk of death from all causes, 'especially when the coffee is black or has minimal added sugar and saturated fat,' explains David Perlmutter, M.D., a neurologist and fellow of the American College of Nutrition. Specifically, they found that drinking black coffee or coffee with less than 2.5 grams (or a little more than a half-teaspoon) of sugar and less than a gram of saturated fat from milk or cream per 8-ounce cup was associated with a 14% lower risk of dying from any cause compared to not drinking coffee at all, Dr. Perlmutter adds. The catch here is, the study also found that most Americans add around 3.2 grams of sugar and a half-gram of saturated fat to each mug, which means the majority of coffee drinkers are less likely to get its life-extending benefits. 'This is the problem with so many coffee specialty drinks that seem to be so popular,' Dr. Perlmutter says. There is plenty of existing research that purports coffee's health boost. Without added sugar or fat, it's a naturally good source of antioxidants like polyphenols and chlorogenic acid, explains Dr. Purlmutter. 'These components and others help fight inflammation and oxidative stress,' he adds, both of which are contributors to chronic disease. That's how coffee may help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and congnitive decline, 'all of which influence lifespan,' he concludes. Coffee's caffeine content can even exhibit perks by improving alertness, metabolism, and brain health, Dr. Pelrmutter says. However, there is such a thing as overdoing it and reaping negative side-effects such as anxiety, increased blood pressure, heart palpitations, digestive issues, and insomnia, says Michelle Routhenstein, M.S., R.D., a cardiology dietitian at Entirely Nourished. She adds that a 'very high coffee intake may also slightly reduce calcium absorption, potentially affecting bone health.' The study supports drinking one to three cups of black or minimally altered coffee per day. Dr. Perlmutter recommends keeping sugars below 2.5 grams and saturated fats below 1 gram per cup by using low-fat milk or plant-based creamer alternatives. Routhenstein adds that if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have otherwise been prescribed a specific caffeine intake, follow your doctor's recommendations. Lastly, to avoid over-caffeination, Dr. Perlmutter suggests enforcing a 'coffee curfew' that marks the time of day after which you turn off the pot. 'I generally recommend 2 p.m. to minimize coffee's impact on sleep,' he concludes. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Forbes
an hour ago
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How Trump's Travel Ban And Visa Restrictions Could Affect Hospitals And Public Health
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: A man bearing an upside down American flag watches as protesters gather ... More outside the U.S. Supreme Court as the court issued an immigration ruling June 26, 2018 in Washington, DC. The court issued a 5-4 ruling upholding the Trump administration's policy imposing limits on travel from several primarily Muslim nations. (Photo by) Several hospitals throughout the country are currently without some international medical graduates (IMG) because of President Trump's travel band and visa restrictions. According to the travel ban, citizens from 12 foreign countries are barred from entering the United States, and citizens from seven other countries will also face restrictions, making it difficult for many doctors who have completed medical education in foreign countries to train in America. In addition, on May 27th, the Trump administration restricted certain visas like J-1 visas from being issued which allow foreign medical students to work and train in the United States. The pause on interviews for J-1 visas has since been lifted, but some IMGs have reported to the Associated Press that U.S. embassies have been slow to open interview slots, and some have not opened any. This comes at a critical time, since July 1st marked the first calendar day of medical residencies or training programs throughout the U.S. On July 1st, newly graduated medical students start medical training in their prospective fields such as internal medicine, emergency medicine and surgery; to name a few. Although it remains unclear exactly how many IMGs have had their residency start date delayed due to the travel ban or visa restrictions, nearly 7,000 foreign born IMGs matched or filled into U.S. programs in 2025. This represents nearly 17% of the entire incoming workforce of medical residents in 2025, according to the National Resident Matching Program. Without IMGs joining the medical workforce in America, the physician shortage will be exacerbated for the next decade. In fact, the U.S. will face a physician shortage of 86,000 doctors by 2036, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Less physicians means longer wait times in emergency rooms, delayed diagnoses and significant strain on safety-net hospitals. IMGs make up a critical component of the healthcare workforce, and without them, patient care is directly compromised. IMGs also choose residencies and take jobs in places where U.S. medical trainees tend not to go, according to National Resident Matching Program President Donna Lamb, as reported by the Associated Press. As an example, IMGs make up 40% of residents in internal medicine, a primary care field with a focus on preventing chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer and heart disease. In addition, IMGs play a critical role in serving underserved areas throughout America, providing primary care, cancer screening and emergency care to some of the U.S.'s most vulnerable population. According to a 2021 study published in Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives, more than 64% of IMGs surveyed practiced in medically underserved areas and more than 45% practiced in rural areas. These foreign-grad doctors form the backbone of healthcare in rural America, and without them, the health of the 66 million Americans that are served by rural hospitals could be in jeopardy. Finally, Trump's travel ban could have a chilling effect on future foreign medical applicants to the U.S. Prospective physicians may be deterred from considering medical training programs in America given the challenges and hurdles present in securing visas. Not only will this amplify the physician shortage in the U.S., it will decrease the amount of culturally competent physicians that serve an increasingly diverse population in America. President Trump's travel ban, which has been enacted in the name of national security and public safety, could have serious consequences for public health and medical education. One thing remains certain- IMGs form a vital part of the healthcare workforce in the United States.
