Our choice today is maple bourbon, a double shot for the needy neurons. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest to start you on your journey, which we hope is meaningful and productive. Best of luck and do keep in touch …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned Hims & Hers, a major telehealth purveyor of widely popular obesity drugs, to stop “false or misleading” marketing, according to The New York Times. The letter was one of about 100 warning letters sent to drug advertisers last week. The agency commissioner, Marty Makary, said on Tuesday that the letters were being sent to traditional pharmaceutical companies as well as to online pharmacies. The letter to Hims & Hers warned the company to halt the use of marketing language that falsely implies that one of its products is approved by the FDA. The agency has not yet publicly released the letter. Hims & Hers has capitalized on a huge demand for weight loss drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, offering low-cost, compounded versions. In the past few years, telemedicine companies like Hims & Hers have emerged as an aggressive new type of drug advertiser. The agency said the Hims & Hers website made claims that were “false or misleading,” making the product “misbranded.”

AstraZeneca has paused a planned $270 million investment in its Cambridge, U.K., research site, the latest drugmaker to retreat from the country, Reuters reports. The decision about the investment, which had been set to create 1,000 jobs, means none of the planned funding — originally announced in March 2024 — is currently proceeding. In January, the company scrapped plans to invest $612 million in its vaccine manufacturing plant in northern England, citing a cut in U.K. government support. The move comes after Merck last week blamed the challenging U.K. business environment for its decision to abandon a new research center in London. The news, which will deliver a blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government and its efforts to draw investment into the U.K.’s stagnant economy, was announced just days before U.S. President Trump arrives for a state visit. In July, AstraZeneca said it would spend $50 billion to expand manufacturing and research capabilities in the U.S. by 2030 — one of many announcements by pharmaceutical companies reacting to Trump’s tariff policy.

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Australia: Children born to mothers with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy face a heightened risk of cognitive and developmental challenges, according to a large systematic review and meta-analysis published in PLOS Medicine. The research shows that while links to autism and global developmental delay diminish when factors such as birthweight and gestational age are considered, a measurable reduction in average IQ persists, underscoring the importance of early monitoring and support for these children.

The study, led by Roxanne M. Hastie from the University of Melbourne’s Perinatal Epidemiology Group and Mercy Perinatal at Mercy Hospital for Women in Victoria, Australia, brings together data from 121 studies encompassing nearly 30 million children worldwide. Investigators pooled evidence from cohort, case–control, and cross-sectional studies to explore how maternal hypertensive disorders—including preeclampsia and gestational hypertension—might influence offspring neurodevelopment, intelligence, and educational outcomes. The following were the key findings:

• Children exposed in utero to hypertensive pregnancy disorders had a 65% higher odds of developing autism spectrum disorder.
• The odds of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased by 27% in these children.
• The likelihood of intellectual disability and global developmental delay each rose by 77%.
• Mean intelligence scores were lower by an average of 2.2 points compared with children from unaffected pregnancies.
• After adjusting for gestational age and birthweight, the elevated risks for autism and global developmental delay were no longer statistically significant.
• The reduction in IQ remained evident after adjusting for birthweight but weakened when gestational age was considered, indicating overlapping and complex pathways.

The review team emphasized that despite these nuances, the findings point to a vulnerable population of children who could benefit from proactive developmental assessments and early interventions. Early identification of cognitive or behavioral difficulties can enable timely educational and therapeutic support, potentially improving long-term outcomes.Researchers also noted limitations within the available evidence. Many of the included studies lacked comprehensive adjustment for confounding factors, and there was considerable variation in study design and quality. Nonetheless, sensitivity analyses excluding high-risk studies did not change the overall conclusions.While the exact biological mechanisms remain unclear, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are known to affect placental function and fetal growth, which may influence brain development. Dr. Hastie and colleagues call for further research to disentangle the roles of gestational age, birthweight, and other mediating factors.The large-scale analysis highlights that children born following hypertensive pregnancies, even those without obvious complications at birth, may carry a subtle but significant risk of lower cognitive performance. The authors advocate early developmental surveillance and targeted support as a prudent strategy to help these children achieve their full potential.Reference: Atkinson JA, Gordon HG, Tong S, Walker SP, Mehdipour P, Lindquist AC, et al. (2025) Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and childhood neurodevelopment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Med 22(9): e1004558. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004558

View the full post Open Letter to Minister of Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs on NOW Grenada.

Santo Domingo — A specialist warns of the current prevalence of cases of allergic rhinitis, upper respiratory tract infections, and hearing problems in patients due to nasal congestion, attributed to the high incidence of Sahara dust.

These are the most common nasal and sinus conditions currently seen in otolaryngology (ENT) clinics, according to Dr. César Moquete of Hospiten Santo Domingo.

Therefore, it recommends routine and timely evaluation of patients who present any of the related symptoms, such as recurrent facial pain, persistent nasal obstruction, constant mucus discharge, and recurrent respiratory infections.

He explained that there is a close relationship between the environment (noise, dust, and polluted air) and diseases linked to otorhinolaryngology, “which is currently complicated by the incidence of Saharan dust on our island, with many patients presenting with nasal allergies, such as sneezing, hyaline mucus, and nasal congestion, who come to the clinic with these symptoms exacerbated.”

Regarding noise, the doctor indicated that it is the main cause of hearing loss and the presence of tinnitus, which is the constant exposure to noise, which, together with the presence of pollutants in the environment and changes in temperature, favors the increase in cases, causing inflammation of the nasal mucosa.

The healthcare professional warned that patients make the mistake of self-medicating with decongestants, such as oxymetazoline, for long periods, “which will cause drug-induced rhinitis, worsening symptoms due to not actively using the medication.”

He indicated that poorly controlled allergic rhinitis and sinusitis are conditions that coexist and have common symptoms, such as sneezing, a runny nose, and nasal congestion.

However, he said that complications arising from chronic sinusitis can include orbital infection and meningitis. , bone infection ( osteomyelitis ), facial skin infections, soft tissue abscesses, and intracranial abscesses.

They differ, he pointed out, in that allergic rhinitis is triggered by allergic processes, whereas chronic sinusitis is a bacterial infectious process that occurs four times a year.

“Treatment for allergic rhinitis is directed toward anti-allergy medications and nasal and systemic corticosteroids, unlike chronic sinusitis, for which we use antibiotics, along with these medications, to control the infection,” said Dr. Moquete.

The specialist explained that otorhinolaryngology (ENT) is a medical-surgical specialty that studies diseases of the ear, hearing, and upper respiratory tract, as well as parts of the lower respiratory tract, including the nose, paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx.

He also performs thyroid gland surgeries, trauma, oncology, plastic, aesthetic, and reconstructive surgeries of the face and neck.

“We are building community through care, healing, and knowledge.”

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"One in eight people living with HIV today don’t know their status, and that silence spreads.”

The post The silent return of HIV; Why Canada can’t afford complacency first appeared on Toronto Caribbean Newspaper.

View the full post Opposition Leader experiences minor injuries on way to Parliament on NOW Grenada.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Pan-Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), in collaboration with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and with support from the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and The Global Fund, will host a high-impact Strengthening HIV Prevention and Treatment Services Training Programme, from September 17–19, 2025, at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida.

Building on the groundbreaking PANCAP Learning Journey held earlier this year at Amsterdam’s renowned Public Health Service (GGD Amsterdam), this Miami training will further equip regional frontline healthcare providers with advanced skills in motivational interviewing (MI) and other cutting-edge clinical strategies. The Amsterdam session demonstrated remarkable success in enhancing providers’ ability to engage high-risk populations in PrEP programmes and re-engage people living with HIV who have fallen out of care.

The training will assemble clinical leaders from several Caribbean nations, including Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Commonwealth of Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla, The British Virgin Islands, and the Dominican Republic. Participants will include physicians, nurses, and community health specialists representing both public health systems and civil society organisations, ensuring comprehensive knowledge transfer across all levels of care.

This intensive capacity-building initiative comes at a critical juncture as the region works assiduously to overcome persistent challenges in reaching UNAIDS’ ambitious 95-95-95 prevention targets by 2030.

“This isn’t just another training, it’s a strategic intervention to change the trajectory of HIV in our region,” emphasised Dr Wendy Telgt Emanuelson, Director of the PANCAP Coordination Unit. “By mastering motivational interviewing techniques and applying the latest evidence-based approaches, our regional clinicians will become powerful change agents in their communities, particularly in reaching marginalised populations most in need of these services.”

Dr Shanti Singh Anthony, Knowledge Management Coordinator at the PCU, underscored:

“The Amsterdam Learning Journey proved that when clinicians adopt patient-centred approaches, outcomes improve dramatically. This training on motivational interviewing will allow for a differentiated and client-centred approach to recruit, initiate and retain persons on HIV prevention and treatment services, helping us close gaps in the HIV care continuum and achieve the global targets.”

With Caribbean nations facing uneven progress toward HIV targets, this training addresses critical gaps in the regional HIV response.

The programme’s unique value lies in its “train-the-trainer” approach, ensuring participants can share their new skills with their colleagues back home. This creates sustainable capacity that will continue benefiting health systems throughout the region long after the Miami session concludes.

This training programme is a critical step toward revitalising HIV prevention and treatment efforts in the Caribbean. By empowering clinicians with evidence-based tools, PANCAP and its partners aim to reduce new infections, improve retention in care, and accelerate progress toward ending AIDS as a regional public health threat by 2030.

PANCAP graciously thanks The Global Fund, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and PAHO for making this pivotal training experience a reality.

The post Caribbean Healthcare leaders converge in Miami for Transformative HIV Training to Fast-Track 95-95-95 Targets appeared first on Caribbean News Global.