Until law, GLP-1 drugs were used to treat diabetes, obesity and even the recent evidences suggest that it could as well be used to treat chronic kidney problems. There is yet another research, published in JAMA Psychiatry on February 25, titled Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial that explores if GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide reduce alcohol consumption and cravings in adults with alcohol use disorder.

What Do Studies Say?

The research was conducted over a period of 9 weeks, where in the randomized clinical trial, the participants who were administered semaglutide, it led to reductions in some but not all measures of weekly consumptions. It also reduced weekly alcohol and craving related to placebo, and also led to a greater relative reduction in cigarettes per day.

The research also found that weekly injections of semaglutide, which is the active ingredient in weight loss drugs like Wegovy also helped reduce cravings in people with alcohol use disorder.

The lead author Christian Hendershot said that these findings will help in developing new approaches to treat alcoholism. "Two drugs currently approved to reduce alcohol consumption aren't widely used. The popularity of Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists increases the chances of broad adoption of these treatments for alcohol use disorder," said Hendershot in news release by the University of Southern California's Institute for Addiction Research, where he is the director.

The study is government-funded research and was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health.

How Was The Study Conducted?

The study was small, and took in account for only 48 adults over two months, thus experts say that it is not yet clear how safe these drugs are for people who do not need to lose weight. Though the results do add up with the evidence form animal studies on drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy on how it helps manage cravings, not just for food, but also for tobacco and alcohol. Scientists are also studying these drugs on smokers, people with opioid addiction and cocaine users.

Co-author Dr Klara Klein of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who treats people with obesity and diabetes said, "This is such promising data. And we need more of it. We frequently will hear that once people start these medications that their desire to drink is very reduced, if not completely abolished."

Why Does It Work So Well Against Alcoholism?

The GLP-1 receptor agonists work by mimicking hormones GLP-1 in the gut and brain that regulates appetite and feelings of fullness. This response is what helps one lose weight, and what helps one curb their craving for alcohol. These drugs that mimic the functioning of your brain, which is responsible to tell your body when to stop consuming, are the same hormones that tell your body about other kinds of consumptions, including alcohol. Therefore by consuming the weight loss drugs one can treat alcohol use disorder.

However, the researchers have pointed out on the limited data on the research and have suggested to continue using the three approved drugs by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, namely, Disulfiram, Naltrexone, and Acamprosate to treat alcohol use disorder until large studies confirm these findings.

Female high school students in the United States had lower overall cardiovascular health scores than male students, with mean scores of 64.2 and 66.2, respectively, according to a nationwide survey by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The findings, based on the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 framework, showed that female students had lower mean scores for physical activity and sleep health but higher, more favorable BMI scores than male students.

Lower physical activity and sleep health scores were also observed among students in higher grades, while nicotine exposure scores were lower among students in higher grades.

CDC Study Assesses Heart Health Among US Teenagers

Also read: 4 in 10 US High School Students Report Binge Eating: What Are the Risks?

The 2025 biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey included 10,710 students in grades 9–12. Of these, 5,192 had complete data for all five cardiovascular health measures: physical activity, diet, sleep health, body mass index (BMI), and nicotine exposure.

The findings, published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, showed that approximately 21% of students had high overall cardiovascular health scores, while 61% had moderate scores and 18% had low scores.

The prevalence of high overall scores was lower among female students and those in grades 10–12 than among male students and ninth-graders, respectively. Overall, approximately four in five students had low or moderate scores across the five assessed cardiovascular health measures.

Why Sleep, Diet and Exercise Matter for Teen Heart Health

Read More: The Silent Struggle Of Raising A Child With Mental Health Challenges: How Parents Can Cope With Stigma

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of mortality in the US, and many CVD risk factors emerge in childhood and adolescence. Adolescence is a crucial period during which health behaviors develop and persist into adulthood.

A March 2026 study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology suggested that even small, combined improvements in daily habits may benefit cardiovascular health.

Sleeping an additional 11 minutes, engaging in five more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and eating an extra quarter-cup of vegetables daily were associated with a 10% lower risk of heart attacks, strokes and other serious cardiovascular problems compared with less healthy habits.

Sleep is particularly important during adolescence, when the body and brain undergo significant developmental changes. Adequate sleep supports physical recovery, immune function, concentration and emotional well-being.

Teenagers generally need eight to 10 hours of sleep each night. However, schoolwork, extracurricular activities and screen time can interfere with sufficient rest. Research has also linked insufficient sleep with less healthy food choices and a greater tendency to eat later at night.

Elsie Taveras, a pediatrician at Mass General Brigham, highlights the importance of adequate sleep in reducing the risk of chronic conditions, including obesity and cardiovascular risk factors. Children from racial minority and lower-income households may face additional barriers to healthy sleep.

“Sleep health is something we need to pay attention to, and that we counsel teenagers and their families about,” Taveras said.

“We’ve found that shorter sleep duration and lower sleep quality in children and adolescents are associated with a higher risk of obesity and risk factors for heart disease. These are substantial effects that can affect children for years to come,” she added.

Dr Rachna Shroff, an Indian-American cancer researcher at the University of Arizona, has died at the age of 47 from an aggressive form of cancer she had spent her career studying, the university announced.

Earlier this year, Shroff, associate director of clinical investigations at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, was diagnosed with incurable, terminal adenocarcinoma, a cancer that develops in glandular cells lining certain organs.

Dr Rachna Shroff’s Cancer Diagnosis

Dr Rachna first noticed a swollen lymph node in May. By the end of the month, the cancer had spread elsewhere in her body, and tests suggested it had likely originated in her stomach or intestine.

Her medical team initially suspected lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Further testing later confirmed terminal adenocarcinoma.

“It’s been a journey,” Dr Rachna told NBC News in a Zoom interview shortly before her death. “I’ve spent my entire life trying to eradicate cancer, primarily pancreatic cancer, but also liver cancers.”

Also read: Swimmer Archie Goodburn’s Plea Prompts UK Brain Cancer Research Review

Dr Rachna Shroff’s Scientific Work

Dr Rachna was a clinician-scientist and internationally respected expert in cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the bile ducts. She authored more than 80 publications and participated in more than 130 professional engagements.

In September, despite her own life-limiting diagnosis, one of her final wishes was to establish the Conquer Cancer – Rachna Shroff, MD, MS, FASCO Endowed Young Investigator Award in Biliary Cancers. Within weeks, she achieved her goal of raising more than $1.35 million to support future cancer research and innovation.

A Career Dedicated to Advancing Cancer Treatment

READ: Survival In Aggressive Brain Tumors Improves By Up To 50% in India, Say Doctors

The daughter of a nephrologist mother and a biochemist father, Dr Rachna developed an early interest in cancer research in Tucson. As a high school student, she won the 1993 Osler Fellowship, which gave her the opportunity to work in the laboratory of Margaret Briehl, a University of Arizona Cancer Center member and professor at the College of Medicine – Tucson.

She completed her undergraduate studies at Brown University and earned her medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University. In 2010, she completed her fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she subsequently served as an associate professor of gastrointestinal medical oncology from 2010 to 2018.

She returned to Tucson in 2018 after being recruited to the University of Arizona.

Dr Rachna became internationally recognized for her work in cholangiocarcinoma, focusing on a rare and historically difficult-to-treat disease at a time when treatment options were limited and no therapies had been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration specifically for the disease. The field has since advanced significantly, in part through landmark clinical trials she led as a principal investigator.

In a video recorded for a conference five years ago, Dr Rachna discussed how gastrointestinal cancer research was beginning to catch up with advances in better-known cancers.

“I will admit that we had a little bit of envy of the targeted therapy space in, say, lung cancer and breast cancer...but I think in the last decade or so, we have seen a dramatic improvement in terms of understanding the relevant targets for all of the different GI malignancies,” she told the 2021 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.

Shroff was also renowned for her work developing novel therapies for pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancers.

Dr Rachna Shroff’s Family

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Dr Rachna's most cherished roles were those of wife, mother and friend.

She is survived by her husband, Dr Puneet Shroff, a professor of medicine and associate director of the Banner Medical Group’s Allergy Clinic; their children, Simran and Sachin.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering easing restrictions on certain peptides, potentially allowing specialty pharmacies to produce injections not approved for medical use, raising safety concerns.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has submitted an interim access policy for peptides to the White House for review, according to a government website posting on Thursday. The proposal was sent to the Office of Management and Budget, the Associated Press reported.

The list of peptides includes BPC-157, an unapproved peptide promoted online for pain relief, healing and performance enhancement, has gained popularity among wellness influencers and followers of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. A recent study found that its use increased 33-fold between 2020 and 2026.

What Is The FDA Planning?

Also read: RFK Jr-Backed ‘Wolverine’ Peptide Use Surges: Why Are People Taking An Unapproved Drug For Injury Recovery?

The proposal could allow compounding pharmacies to produce certain peptides, including BPC-157, according to AP, citing two people familiar with the matter

The policy would reportedly give pharmacies greater assurance that they would not face enforcement action for producing these substances.

Formally permitting peptides for compounding would require federal rulemaking, a process that could take years. It remains unclear whether the administration intends to pursue that route.

In July, an FDA advisory committee recommended allowing six of seven peptides under review to be used by compounding pharmacies for patients with prescriptions. The recommendation went against FDA staff concerns that there was insufficient evidence to establish their safety and effectiveness.

The proposal has drawn support from some peptide sellers. Telehealth companies Hims & Hers and Noom have also announced plans to offer peptides if federal restrictions are eased. Wall Street analysts estimate the market could be worth $2 billion to $3 billion.

What Are Peptides?

Peptides are short chains of amino acids that play various roles in the body, including regulating hormones and processes involved in growth, metabolism and healing. Some peptide-based medicines are approved for conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

However, other peptides promoted online have not been adequately studied or approved as medicines.

BPC-157 is often combined with TB-500, a peptide derived from thymosin beta-4, in a combination marketed as the “Wolverine stack.” It is promoted online for tissue repair and recovery from muscle, tendon and other injuries. BPC-157 is not approved by the FDA for medical use.

Read More: 4 in 10 US High School Students Report Binge Eating: What Are the Risks?

What Are The Safety Concerns?

The FDA has raised concerns about limited human safety data, potential immune reactions and impurities in BPC-157 products. It has also cited risks associated with certain compounded peptides, including contamination, allergic reactions and tumor growth.

The agency's adverse-event database includes reports of injection-site reactions, shortness of breath and skin or gum pigmentation changes among people who used BPC-157. However, these reports do not establish that the peptide caused the events.

Compounded medicines can meet specific patient needs, but they are not FDA-approved. The agency does not verify their safety, effectiveness and quality through the same premarket approval process used for approved drugs.

Allowing pharmacies to compound certain peptides would not mean the substances had received FDA approval or that their safety and effectiveness had been established.