Medications Archive

Semaglutide, a GLP-1 agonist used to treat diabetes and obesity, may also help people with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis, a severe stage of fatty liver disease, suggests a 2025 study.

While many health symptoms resolve quickly on their own, others linger and make people wonder if they need to see a doctor. Symptoms that warrant a doctor’s visit include drawn-out cold symptoms such as fatigue, cough, and low-grade fever; a fever lasting more than four days; unexpected symptoms when starting a new medication or after surgery; certain digestive problems; and new or worsening mental health issues.

A 2025 randomized controlled trial found that GLP-1 receptor agonists, the blockbuster drugs approved to treat diabetes and obesity, boosted the walking ability of people with diabetes and peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the legs. The news is encouraging, since there are few effective treatments for PAD—reduced blood flow in the limbs that leads to pain with activity. However, it will take more evidence before doctors feel comfortable prescribing GLP-1s if a person only has PAD.

The four types of anesthesia include local anesthesia, regional anesthesia, monitored anesthesia, and general anesthesia. Before getting anesthesia, one should ask the doctor which type of anesthesia will be administered, what its risks are, and if delirium is a high risk. One should also ask how to prepare for anesthesia in the days leading up to a procedure—whether medications might need to be temporarily halted, when to stop eating or drinking before surgery, and whether to schedule measures to help reduce delirium.

Using hormone therapy, which involves taking estrogen and sometimes progesterone, doesn’t stop or slow the approach of menopause. The arrival of menopause is determined by women’s ovaries, not by the amount of these hormones in the body.

Metabolic syndrome is defined as having at least three of the following: abdominal obesity, high blood triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and low HDL cholesterol levels. The condition significantly increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, fatty liver disease, and sleep apnea. While each factor is problematic, the main driver is abdominal obesity, from visceral fat surrounding internal organs. The best way to reduce visceral fat is aerobic exercise, strength training, and a plant-based diet.

A 2025 study found that a pill version of the drug semaglutide, marketed as Rybelsus, can lower the risk for serious heart problems in people who have diabetes as well as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, or both.

A 2025 study suggested that a structured exercise plan can significantly reduce the risk of falls among older women who take multiple medications.