People are ditching their vapes only to pick up another surprising habit

E-cigarettes have long been used as an alternative to traditional smoking, but public health data suggests some adults trying to quit vaping are turning back to cigarettes.

Recent data from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) shows that some smokers and dual users who stop vaping opt for traditional tobacco products instead, a shift that addiction specialists say may be driven by nicotine dependence and the challenges of withdrawal.

Trent Carter, a board-certified nurse practitioner and CEO of Renew Health — a behavioral and mental health practice based in New Mexico — said that while the shift from vapes back to cigarettes might seem counterintuitive, there are behavioral reasons some users make the switch.

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"Vaping can become constant throughout the day, whereas a cigarette is more of a defined episode," Carter told Fox News Digital.

"Subconsciously, you may not even realize that you’re constantly vaping throughout the day, whereas cigarettes you feel like you're more in control because you have to think about it. You [have] to go outside, you [have] to light it up."

Unlike cigarettes, vaping can be done throughout the day and often indoors. That easy access can lead to more nicotine use and reinforce the hand-to-mouth habit, according to the expert.

E-cigarettes can be highly addictive because of the way they deliver nicotine. Many vaping devices use highly concentrated nicotine salts, allowing users to inhale large doses with each puff compared to traditional cigarettes.

"If you're consuming a large amount with every single puff ... it's going to be harder to stop when compared to a lower dose," Carter said.

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Nicotine dependence alters brain chemistry by stimulating neurotransmitters like dopamine that govern mood and pleasure, according to Cleveland Clinic.

When someone abruptly cuts off high-volume intake, it can trigger rapid withdrawal symptoms, ranging from intense cravings and irritability to severe sleep disturbances and brain fog.

Because high-potency vapes drive up physical tolerance, standard quitting aids — like over-the-counter patches or nicotine gum — can sometimes feel inadequate to a user seeking immediate relief.

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"While a patch or gum could definitely help with the nicotine cravings, if you're not addressing the behavioral aspect of it, then you're really falling short," Carter said. "You're leaving a huge component of why they may be smoking — whether it's because of anxiety or even insomnia during the day."

When e-cigarettes first hit the market, early public messaging framed them as a healthier, doctor-approved alternative to smoking, which gave many consumers a false sense of security about how difficult it would be to drop the habit, according to Carter.

"If you're being told something is safe or doctor-approved, we tend to feel we're making the right choice," Carter said.

"While traditional cigarettes have toxins that e-cigarettes do not, if your daily consumption of nicotine becomes much higher, we find ourselves in a nasty cycle. You got rid of the toxins, but now you're consuming much more nicotine."

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The elevated chemical intake carries a physical and mental toll, Carter cautioned. Heavy, uninterrupted nicotine ingestion can trigger blood pressure spikes, elevated heart rates, sleep disruption and heightened anxiety.

For people trying to quit vaping, health providers warn that switching to cigarettes reintroduces harmful toxins, tar and carbon monoxide.

Instead of switching between vaping and cigarettes, addiction specialists recommend medically supervised strategies that combine behavioral therapy with gradual nicotine reduction.

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"The goal shouldn't be to find another way to consume nicotine," Carter said. "The goal should be to treat the dependence itself."

"It's not trading one for the other, but finding the underlying cause and addressing that head-on — that's how someone truly takes steps in the right direction."

For those struggling to exit the cycle, Carter advises building self-awareness and immediately consulting a licensed addiction or mental health professional who can recommend a personalized recovery plan.

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‘Miracle on the Hudson’ hero Sully Sullenberger reveals Alzheimer’s warning signs he missed years ago

Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the former airline pilot celebrated worldwide for safely landing US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in 2009, is taking on a new mission to raise awareness about the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Sullenberger, who was diagnosed with the disease in August 2025, spoke on "Good Morning America" alongside his wife, Lorrie, to share their personal experience with the condition.

The couple revealed several subtle shifts in routine and behavior that began surfacing several years before he received an official medical evaluation.

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Reflecting on the timeline leading up to her husband's formal assessment, Lorrie Sullenberger noted that small adjustments in everyday life slowly pointed toward a bigger shift.

"A lot of what I think people see in the news are late-stage Alzheimer's symptoms. And, so, in the very beginning, they are so subtle. And my advice to someone would be, it's what's unusual for your person," she shared, emphasizing how early symptoms often manifest gradually rather than abruptly.

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Public understanding of Alzheimer’s disease frequently focuses on these late-stage symptoms, such as pronounced memory loss, severe disorientation or difficulty managing basic daily routines. However, medical experts say early-stage cognitive decline can be much harder to spot.

"One of the first things I noticed was that it was harder and harder to remember people’s names, even people we knew," Sullenberger said. "That’s still an issue. Just forgetting things that I normally wouldn’t. Or repeating myself, not realizing that I just said that an hour ago."

Early indicators of Alzheimer's often present as mild cognitive impairment or subtle changes tailored to an individual’s normal baseline, according to health resources like the Cleveland Clinic.

These can include misplacing everyday items, mild difficulty finding the right words during conversations, subtle changes in mood or executive function or taking slightly longer to complete familiar tasks.

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Because these early shifts often mimic normal signs of aging, loved ones are usually the first to notice small anomalies in behavior.

"I’ve gone through harder things than this before," Sullenberger said in the interview.

The former pilot may be best known for successfully performing the "Miracle on the Hudson" in January 2009. 

After US Airways Flight 1549 suffered a dual engine failure after a bird strike shortly after taking off from New York's LaGuardia Airport, Sullenberger drew on decades of flight experience to glide the Airbus A320 onto the frigid Hudson River, where all 155 passengers and crew survived, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

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The emergency landing made Sullenberger an internationally recognized public figure and became known as the "Miracle on the Hudson."

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Lorrie Sullenberger noted that family members should trust their instincts when something feels off, advising that the key lies in identifying "what's unusual for your person."

The Sullenbergers stressed that acknowledging potential early symptoms and seeking evaluation can profoundly impact a patient’s journey. While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, early detection allows individuals and families to explore emerging treatment options, join clinical trials, adopt lifestyle modifications and plan for the future.

"An early diagnosis is so critically important," Sullenberger said. "If you have doubts, get tested. Because the sooner you act, the more options there are, the better the outcome is likely to be."

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What is kratom? Risks of popular substance revealed after college students' deaths

The deaths of two University of Mississippi students have raised fresh questions about the potential health risks of kratom.

The students died Monday at separate locations on campus. During both investigations, authorities recovered packaged kratom that was purchased from a retail store, according to a Lafayette County Metro Narcotics news release shared by the Oxford Police Department.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the substance played a role in the students’ deaths.

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Kratom is a plant-based substance often marketed as a natural option for pain relief or opioid withdrawal, but experts warn that it can cause dependence, dangerous interactions and other serious health complications.

"Kratom acts as a stimulant at low doses, which could provoke heart arrhythmia," Fox News senior medical analyst, Dr. Marc Siegel told Fox News Digital. "At high doses, it acts more like an opioid, and so can suppress breathing."

Kratom is widely available, Jessica Steinman, chief clinical officer at No Matter What Recovery in Los Angeles, told Fox News Digital.

"We are starting to see it in storefronts, at your local gas stations, smoke shops and health food stores, where it's being sold as an energy booster," she said. "People are starting to buy it over the counter and use it incorrectly, and use mass amounts of it."

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"It's affecting the opioid receptors in people's brains," she went on. "It can cause them to be overly sedated, it can slow down their breathing and general function of their lungs."

Kratom can also become highly addictive, Steinman warned.

Traditional kratom products generally contain lower levels of active compounds, while newer 7-OH products are often concentrated or enhanced to produce stronger, more stimulating effects, she noted.

7-OH products contain 7-hydroxymitragynine, a potent opioid-related compound found in kratom.

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Although kratom laws vary by state and locality, Steinman said regulators are increasingly focused on the concentrated 7-OH products and synthetic kratom-related compounds, rather than traditional botanical kratom containing only trace amounts of 7-OH.

As to why there has been an uptick in kratom use among young people, Steinman said she believes many of them are learning about it from social media or through their friends.

College students may be using the substance for two reasons, she said.

"One reason would be, it is a stimulant," Steinman noted. "They may have pressures to stay awake, to study, get good grades … they may want to be more energized."

People may also be using it due to its opioid-like effects, the expert said.

"It does give someone that sedating high, that kind of numbing out from feeling anything very difficult, not wanting to have to deal with stress or anxiety."

It becomes more dangerous when people combine it with multiple substances, like alcohol, marijuana or benzodiazepines. "That's when it can become lethal," Steinman warned.

People who use kratom and begin breathing slowly or shallowly, or who become excessively drowsy or difficult to awaken, may be experiencing serious sedation that can interfere with breathing, Steinman said. In those cases, prompt medical care is important.

"Another issue that isn't really talked about often is when people might possibly get addicted to kratom," she cautioned.

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Reducing or abruptly stopping kratom after regular use can trigger withdrawal, and in some cases may lead to seizures, according to the expert. Anyone experiencing a seizure should seek emergency medical care.

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Steinman also responded to those who might claim that kratom is safe due to the fact that it’s a natural substance.

"Just because something's from the earth doesn't make it healthy — people can get addicted and compulsive with lots of things," she said.

The expert pointed out that there are no addictive components to marijuana, but it becomes addictive – "not necessarily addictive to the brain, but to the feeling that it gives you."

"And that's the same situation with kratom – people get addicted to that feeling. But with kratom, it's actually affecting the opioid receptors in the brain."

Dallas Vasquez, CEO and co-founder of Mitra9 Brands, a Florida-based company that manufactures and sells beverages and products containing kratom (mitragynine) and kava, emphasized the difference between botanical kratom products containing trace levels of 7-OH and products formulated with added, enhanced, highly concentrated or synthesized 7-OH.

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"The FDA has specifically identified added or enhanced 7-OH products as a particular concern, and the DEA has taken or proposed separate scheduling actions involving elevated 7-OH and related substances," he told Fox News Digital.

Vasquez said Mitra9’s products are made with botanical kratom extract derived from the natural leaf, and not with isolated or synthetic 7-OH.

The products are labeled for adults 21 and older and include precautionary statements, he noted.

The label advises consumers not to exceed the recommended serving, avoid use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, consult a physician before use if taking medications or managing a medical condition, avoid combining the product with alcohol or other substances, be aware that it may be habit-forming, and keep it out of the reach of children.

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"We take every report of harm seriously, and we don't dismiss those concerns," Vasquez said, adding that the kratom market is "not uniform."

"Products range from standardized, tested beverages to concentrated and synthetic 7-OH products that federal regulators are now moving to schedule," he said. "We support that action and stronger national standards for testing, labeling, potency limits and age restrictions."

"Consumers deserve to know exactly what is in what they buy, and bad actors should be removed from the market."

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Man goes to doctor to prove he’s 'in perfect shape,' test reveals shocking diagnosis

Joseph Wayne Singleton, a 45-year-old musician from Opelousas, Louisiana, shared how a routine physical led to an early diagnosis that saved his life.

When Singleton was 33, his wife urged him to schedule a more thorough physical. Although he underwent annual exams to maintain his commercial driver's license, she felt those checkups weren't comprehensive enough.

"My mentality was, ‘OK, to make my wife happy, I'm going to do this and prove to her that I'm in perfect shape,'" he told Fox News Digital.

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Although Singleton was too young for prostate cancer screening, his doctor decided to run a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test.

"He couldn’t explain what made him do that, but he did," he said.

Singleton’s results came back revealing PSA levels that were "through the roof." After a biopsy, he was later diagnosed with prostate cancer.

"It was totally unexpected," he said. "No symptoms."

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Singleton, who was treated at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, said the doctors had never seen prostate cancer in someone so young.

After undergoing a prostatectomy to remove the prostate, Singleton said his relatively young age contributed to what he described as a "miraculous" recovery.

"A couple of weeks after having the prostatectomy, I was back on airplanes flying across the country doing shows with my band," he said. "It wasn't as bad as it possibly could have been."

"By the grace of God, I'm here now," Singleton reflected. "It was quite an eye-opener. It made me question myself ... a lot of ‘why me?'"

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Singleton added, "I’m still here after all those years, and there was definitely a purpose behind everything that happened."

Part of that purpose, Singleton said, is to advocate for earlier prostate cancer screening when appropriate.

"I came to the conclusion that because of the platform that I have, being a musician, that maybe it was meant for me to be an advocate," he said. "I'm having people reach out to me from all across the country [who are] finding out about my story ... and I think it's very important."

"This could have turned out so much worse had I not gotten tested early," he went on. "I hate to think what could have happened."

"If I could help prevent somebody else from going through what I might have gone through, worse than what I went through, that's the main goal."

While Singleton advocates for earlier prostate cancer screening in younger men, even without symptoms, current screening guidelines do not recommend it.

Robert Smith, Ph.D., senior vice president of cancer screening at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, Georgia, confirmed that current prostate cancer screening procedures differ depending on the patient.

"The one thing most organizations agree on is that clinicians should discuss prostate cancer screening with men, emphasizing benefits, limitations and harms associated with screening, diagnosis and treatment, rather than issue a direct recommendation to undergo screening," he told Fox News Digital.

The recommended age to begin prostate cancer screening remains a topic of debate, with some guidelines suggesting as early as 45 and others recommending age 50 or 55 for average-risk men.

Recommendations for when to stop screening also vary, generally ranging from ages 69 to 75 or when life expectancy is less than 10 years. Guidelines also differ on screening frequency, ranging from annual testing to every two to four years.

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For men at higher risk, including Black men and those with a family cancer history, Smith noted that guidelines recommend more frequent screening, starting at 40 to 45 years old.

Prostate cancer screening guidelines have long emphasized weighing the benefits against the risks, including overdiagnosis, overtreatment and potential side effects such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, Smith said.

"However, over this period, it has become clear that prostate cancer screening is more effective at reducing prostate cancer deaths than was previously believed, and there are new strategies ... to mitigate the harms associated with diagnosing and treating prostate cancer."

Guidelines on screening and treatment have evolved based on this new evidence and will likely continue to change, Smith noted.

The doctor said Singleton's diagnosis was concerning because he was in his early 30s, had no symptoms and no known risk factors. Prostate cancer is uncommon in men younger than 40, so current guidelines generally would not have recommended screening in his case.

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Prostate cancer screening is intended for men who do not have symptoms. Men who develop symptoms — including changes in urination, blood in the urine or semen, or persistent back or hip pain — should see a doctor promptly for evaluation, experts advise.

Smith noted that there is no guaranteed way to prevent prostate cancer, as its biggest risk factors — age, race and family history — cannot be changed.

As with many cancers, however, research suggests that maintaining a healthy lifestyle may help lower the risk. That includes eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, avoiding tobacco and limiting alcohol consumption.

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"These are behaviors that not only reduce the risk of cancer, but also cardiovascular disease and diabetes," Smith said. "Some studies have suggested that staying sexually active can lower risk, but results are mixed."

"Regular PSA testing can reduce the risk associated with being diagnosed with an advanced prostate cancer."

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Dr Drew Pinsky reveals red flag in Presley Gerber addiction treatment before model's death

When news broke that Presley Gerber, the 27-year-old son of Cindy Crawford, died Sunday at a California rehab facility, it raised questions about how someone with access to extensive treatment resources could still lose his life to addiction.

According to addiction specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky, Gerber’s case highlights the deadly, progressive nature of substance use disorder — and what he says is a dangerous trend in modern treatment: allowing patients to dictate their own care.

"When I listened to [Gerber's] video, what struck me and concerned me was that the patient seemed to be determining some of the care," Pinsky said on his podcast, "Ask Dr. Drew." "That's never good."

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Pinsky discussed Gerber’s self-reported trip to Mexico for an "ibogaine flood," referring to a high-dose treatment involving ibogaine, a psychoactive compound derived from an African shrub that has been studied as a potential treatment for substance use disorders but is not approved by the FDA.

"I've had patients using ibogaine or ayahuasca for decades, and there's nothing magic about it, I assure you," Pinsky warned, noting that almost every patient he’s seen try the alternative drug eventually relapsed on opioids, often suffering personality changes in the process.

Ibogaine remains an unapproved Schedule I substance in the U.S. due to documented risks of fatal heart arrhythmias, according to federal health agencies.

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Pinsky argued that Gerber’s case highlights how patients struggling with severe substance use disorder are often allowed to bypass proven medical protocols in favor of risky alternative therapies.

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Addressing public shock that the young model died inside a treatment center, Pinsky emphasized that high-end rehab centers cannot magically halt severe opioid dependence.

"Opioid addiction is progressive and it ends in death," Pinsky said. "Even with good treatment, it has a worse prognosis than most cancers ... If they are not moving toward recovery, they are moving toward demise."

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While official toxicology results from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office are still pending, emergency dispatch logs indicate that 911 was called to Gerber's facility for a suspected overdose and cardiac arrest.

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Dr. Nicholas Kardaris, an addiction expert and CEO of the New York Center for Living, noted that the period inside or immediately following rehab is often the most dangerous window a patient faces.

"People are in rehab because they’re struggling with addiction. It doesn’t mean they’re cured," Kardaris told Fox News Digital, pointing out that when patients relapse in treatment, their lowered tolerance can turn their usual dose into a fatal one.

Medical experts maintain that families needing help for loved ones should seek evidence-based treatment from qualified providers, including FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorders, such as buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone, when appropriate.

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Popular weight-loss drugs face numerous lawsuits over rare ‘eye stroke’ linked to vision loss

Hundreds of consumers are suing the manufacturers of GLP-1 receptor agonists, alleging the medications may increase the risk of a rare form of vision loss.

The patients behind the lawsuits allege that the medications caused NAION (nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy), according to The Wall Street Journal.

NAION is a rare eye condition in which blood flow to the optic nerve is suddenly reduced, leading to sudden vision loss.

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It is the most common cause of acute optic nerve injury in adults over age 50, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the National Eye Institute, which describes it as an "eye stroke."

"The problem with NAION is there's no treatment," Dr. Douglas Lazzaro, an ophthalmologist at NYU Langone Health, told Fox News Digital. "So it can cause some very profound vision loss."

The companies in question, Novo Nordisk (maker of Ozempic and Wegovy) and Eli Lilly (maker of Mounjaro and Zepbound), have disputed the allegations, according to the WSJ report.

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Novo Nordisk called the lawsuits meritless and pointed to company-funded research finding no increased risk of NAION with its drugs. Eli Lilly said it continues to monitor safety data and maintained that current studies do not prove GLP-1 medications cause the condition.

Fox News Digital reached out to the companies requesting comment.

Most of the published research to date has examined semaglutide, rather than tirzepatide.

In a data analysis of 37 million adults published in JAMA Ophthalmology in 2025, researchers found that people using semaglutide experienced a modest increase in NAION risk compared to people taking SGLT2 inhibitors, another class of diabetes medication.

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A 2024 Harvard Medical School study, published in the same journal, found that patients with type 2 diabetes who were prescribed semaglutide had approximately a fourfold higher relative risk of developing NAION. The absolute risk remained very low.

The authors of both studies noted that the research was observational and could not prove that the medication caused NAION. They emphasized that more evidence is needed.

The FDA has said it is reviewing available evidence regarding a possible association between semaglutide and NAION. The agency has not concluded that semaglutide causes NAION and has not issued a safety warning for semaglutide medications.

The European Medicines Agency concluded there is sufficient evidence of a possible association to recommend adding NAION as a "very rare" adverse reaction to semaglutide product information in Europe.

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Lazzaro agreed that "whether or not that's statistically significant is hard to assess, because there were so many variables in this and it's hard to exactly match patients."

"But when they removed all of what they felt were confounding variables… how obese were the patients, male versus female, age, hypertension, level of obesity… they did find that there was a higher risk of NAION."

NAION typically causes sudden, painless vision loss in one eye, per the AAO. Other symptoms may include blurred or dim vision, loss of peripheral vision or decreased color vision.

Symptoms tend to develop first thing in the morning after waking up.

The biggest risk factors for the condition include age, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnea and smoking. As many people taking GLP-1 drugs have diabetes or obesity, some of these underlying risk factors could be factors in vision issues, experts note.

Diabetes itself is a well-established risk factor for NAION, making it difficult for observational studies to separate the effects of the disease from those of the medication, experts have noted.

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Vision loss from NAION is often permanent. While some patients may regain partial vision over time, there is no proven treatment that can reverse the optic nerve damage.

The condition is rare, with roughly two to 10 cases per 100,000 people each year, depending on the population studied.

Experts emphasize that patients should not stop taking a prescribed GLP-1 medication without first speaking with their healthcare provider. For many people with diabetes or obesity, the medications' proven benefits may outweigh any potential vision risk.

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When discussing NAION, one important factor is what doctors call a "disc at risk," referring to certain characteristics of the optic disc, or optic nerve.

"So if I had a patient who had what I would see on exam is a disk at risk, a very compact optic nerve where everything's crowded, I would tell that patient probably to not go on a semaglutide," Lazzaro advised.

"My overall take on the matter is there's probably a slightly increased risk of NAION when using the semaglutides, but I think the health benefits outweigh the risks," he went on. 

"And unless I have a patient with a disk at risk, I would probably tell them to go on them if they're going to be a lot healthier from an overall standpoint."

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World’s most contagious virus hits major US airport as officials warn of possible exposure

The City of Philadelphia is reporting two possible measles exposures within a week — the latest at Philadelphia International Airport.

The exposure took place at airport terminals B and F, as well as areas used to connect to other terminals in C, D and E, on Sunday, Sept. 13, from 7:45 p.m. to Monday, Sept. 14 at 12:05 a.m., according to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

The individual with measles was traveling through Philadelphia and did not leave the airport. Health officials encouraged those who were potentially exposed to check their vaccination status and watch for symptoms.

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This was the second reported measles exposure in the Philadelphia area, after the first case reported on Sept. 17 at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

The incident occurred on Sept. 11 at the following locations.

The Pennsylvania and Philadelphia health departments, as well as CHOP, reported that they are "working closely to ensure potentially exposed infants receive a preventative antibody product to prevent or lessen severe disease and to take steps to prevent the further spread of measles."

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In the second news release, Health Commissioner Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson wrote that this week’s measles exposures are "a reminder of how important it is for all of us to be up to date on our vaccinations."

"Every Philadelphian who is fully vaccinated has little to fear from the situation at CHOP and the airport," she said. "Even more importantly, every one of those people is doing their part to help protect our most vulnerable from measles. With outbreaks continuing in Pennsylvania and other places, this is even more important."

The health department advised that anyone who has been exposed who is not immune, is unsure of their vaccination status, is an infant, is pregnant and not immune, or is immunocompromised should contact their doctor.

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"Some people may still be eligible for treatment after exposure that can prevent measles or reduce the severity of illness," the department wrote. "Anyone who develops symptoms should call ahead before visiting a healthcare facility and tell the provider about the possible measles exposure."

In August, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania confirmed two measles-related deaths, marking the first losses related to the virus within the state in 35 years.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed that both Lancaster County individuals were unvaccinated.

The MMR vaccine administered over two doses can boost a person’s immune system and provide 97% lifetime protection, according to health officials.

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Measles is a highly contagious virus that can be fatal in one to three patients per 1,000 cases, data shows.

The virus can cause long-term health problems, including pneumonia and brain swelling. Nearly 20% of individuals who contract measles are hospitalized.

Measles spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, spreading the virus through respiratory droplets. It can remain infectious in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after the person leaves the area, experts caution.

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Early symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, which can start seven to 21 days after exposure. A rash follows a few days later, starting on the head and spreading to the rest of the body.

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