iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The virus that causes chickenpox necer actually leaves the body. It hides in the nerves and can reactivate later in life as shingles. But new research is showing that the 97% drop in chickenpox cases in the U.S.... www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

nbcnews.com

Shingles cases dropping among people who got chickenpox vaccine, data shows

The virus that causes chickenpox can reactivate during adulthood, causing the painful, itchy rash known as shingles.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Compounding pharmacies used non-sterile versions of the peptide glutathione in injectable formulas, sickening at least 30 people and sending some to the hospital. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

nbcnews.com

FDA warns about some peptide injections possibly linked to illnesses

The peptide glutathione is often marketed for energy, anti-aging and detoxifying the liver.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Drinking trends for younger generations are trending downwards, closer to where they were pre-pandemic, when alcohol use had already been on the rise for decades. Plus now older generations are drinking heavily more often. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

nbcnews.com

Drinking finally slows after pandemic spike, but not for every age group

The decline in drinking was driven by Gen Z and millennials, but heavy drinking among adults in their 50s and 60s is still increasing.

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Reposted by Kaitlin Sullivan

The New Arab @thenewarab.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Saleem Al-Ashqar, goalkeeper for Khadamat Khan Younis, was killed in the town of Al-Qarara in southern Gaza He was riding his bicycle to refill a gas cylinder for his home when the area came under heavy fire from an Israeli tank nearby, the Palestinian Football Association told The New Arab.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Statins are one of the most studied drugs in history, but millions of people who could benefit from them don't take them out of fear of rare side effects. www.nbcnews.com/health/heart...

nbcnews.com

Serious statin side effects on muscles are extremely rare, new research confirms

Scientists created a new tool to help doctors predict a patient’s risk of severe muscle problems from taking a statin.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

An ACS survey found that half of the people who undergo cancer treatment accrue medical debt, despite 98% of people in the survey having health insurance. Almost half of those in debt owed more than $5000. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

medscape.com

Cancer Crowdfunding and the Crippling Cost of Care

Faced with high medical bills and other expenses, people with cancer are increasingly turning to crowdfunding campaigns. But how much do these campaigns really help?

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

When specialists at the Mayo Clinic analyzed which medications patients with chronic fatigue syndrome were prescribed prior to seeing a specialist, the most commonly prescribed drugs were antidepressants...

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Reposted by Kaitlin Sullivan

NBC News @nbcnews.com · 22/05/2026

GLP-1 drugs may be linked to a lower risk of cancer progression, according to new research that will be presented next week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting.

nbcnews.to

GLP-1 drugs may reduce the risk of cancer progressing, study suggests

Research from the Cleveland Clinic found that people who started a GLP-1 drug after their diagnosis was less likely to progress to stage 4.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

A clinical trial is testing a condensed TMS treatment for postpartum depression. A seven-week course of TMS is already FDA approved to treat major depressive disorder. The trial only requires new moms to be in-clinic for 5 days. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

medscape.com

Using Magnetic Pulses to Rewire the Postpartum Brain

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is already FDA approved for major depressive disorder. Researchers think it could offer drug-free relief for moms.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Because we cannot dissect the human brain after giving someone a dose of a psychedelic — as researchers do in rodent studies — it’s been difficult to understand what changes, if any, psilocybin has on the brain. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

nbcnews.com

Science gets closer to understanding how a psychedelic trip changes the brain

The small study found evidence that a single trip may alter pathways between parts of the brain responsible for emotional regulation.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Ibogaine is in the news cycle again and being touted as a miracle cure. It may be, but people ignore the dark side of plant medicine and psychedelics.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Traditional immunotherapies can be very effective, but they only work in about 20% of all cancers, leaving the majority of cancers without immune-based treatments. Pancreatic cancer, which is exceptionally difficult to treat, is the poster child of these cancers. www.nbcnews.com/health/cance...

nbcnews.com

Pancreatic cancer mRNA vaccine shows lasting results in an early trial

Scientists caution that more research is needed, but nearly all of the patients who responded to the personalized vaccine are still alive six years later.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

We don't yet have a lot of data on how HPV vaccination affects cancer diagnoses in young men, partly because the vaccines were introduced 20 years ago...

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

People who eat a lot of UPFs appear to store extra fat in muscles, regardless of the number of calories they eat Or their BMI. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

nbcnews.com

Ultraprocessed foods may hurt muscle health, study finds

People who ate diets that were high in ultraprocessed foods had more fat in between their muscles.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Contracting muscles release a protein that boosts cognitive function, generates new neurons and improves connections between neurons, especially in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that converts short-term memory to long-term memory. www.nbcnews.com/health/aging...

nbcnews.com

These simple lifestyle changes could decrease dementia risk by 25%

New research is the latest to show that people don’t need elaborate or expensive longevity hacks to stay mentally sharp as they age.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Pediatricians "should be taking detailed pregnancy information, not just what happened to the baby during that pregnancy but to the mother.” www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

medscape.com

Placental Abruption Linked to Heart Disease in Teens

Cardiovascular disease shows up as early as within the first year of life.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

At least 22 states have laws that ban minors from using tanning beds, and others have restrictions, requiring parental consent. But federal law only requires tanning beds to display warning labels. www.nbcnews.com/health/cance...

nbcnews.com

FDA pulls proposed rule barring teens from using tanning beds

The notice, signed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said the move “does not mean that exposure to UV radiation does not cause skin cancer.”

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Doctors hope that CAR T, a B cell cancer treatment, could also help people with multiple sclerosis, since rogue B cells also play a major role in MS. But studies are early and it's still unclear how risky the treatment could be for people with MS. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

nbcnews.com

Can a groundbreaking cancer therapy help people with multiple sclerosis?

A handful of small, early-stage clinical trials are investigating whether CAR-T therapy can improve symptoms in multiple sclerosis patients.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

The experts I spoke to said ADHD coaching likely has a good place in overall ADHD care, but that there is currently little oversight of the industry, which has boomed sine Covid. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

medscape.com

The Boom in ADHD Coaching Has Few Rules

Most ADHD coaches do not have behavioral health training, a study finds, but experts say peer support can help people navigate living with the condition.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

From Alaska to Colorado to Vermont, state health departments are increasingly diverging from CDC vaccine guidance. Some are introducing bills to keep vaccines available. At least one bill would protect providers from what experts call weaponized lawsuits. www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-...

nbcnews.com

After CDC vaccine changes, states push to keep childhood shots free, accessible

Proposed legislation raises concern over “fractured” vaccine policies across the U.S.

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Reposted by Kaitlin Sullivan

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

In the 1800s, a slave owner purchased over a dozen people in Georgia and set the foundation for his family’s generational wealth Generations later, a railroad company owned by one of his descendants is using eminent domain to seize land of Black farmers

capitalbnews.org

Georgia Is Letting a Railroad Seize Land a Black Family Has Owned For 100 Years

Descendants of enslaved people are fighting an attempt to use eminent domain to carve a spur through one of Georgia’s largest Black‑owned farms.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

More people younger than 50 are getting diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The majority of those cases happen in people who are 45-49 and eligible for regular screening. But screening remains low. www.nbcnews.com/health/cance...

nbcnews.com

At what age should you get a colonoscopy? What doctors say after James van der Beek’s death

After James Van Der Beek's death, doctors say not enough younger adults are getting tested for colon cancer, even though diagnoses for people under 50 are rising

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Women who got a full dose of the HPV vaccine may only need a couple HPV screenings in their lifetime, rather than every 5 years. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

medscape.com

HPV Vaccination Could Cut Lifetime Cervical Screens to Two

Girls can be vaccinated against nine strains of cancer-causing HPV starting at age 9.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

At the start of 2025, the CDC maintained 82 databases that were updated at least monthly. But by the end of October, the study found, 38 had gone stale, with 34 showing no new entries at all in the previous six months. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

nbcnews.com

Dozens of CDC databases aren't being updated — most related to vaccines, study finds

The agency plays a key role in tracking disease spread and vaccination rates. Last year, it seemed to back away from some of that work, according to new research.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

While IV clinics aren't closely regulated, they are sometimes the only option for women with a rare and potential deadly condition called hyperemesis gravidarum www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

medscape.com

A High-Risk Pregnancy Condition, and Nowhere to Turn

Lack of OB/GYN care for hyperemesis gravidarum drives pregnant patients to IV spas offering treatment. Experts warn that without proper oversight, women may be at risk.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

The AAP and 12 other professional organizations announced today that they are still recommending an 18-vaccine schedule. It's the first time the AAP has not aligned with the CDC since the two began collaborating on a schedule in the 1960s: www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

medscape.com

AAP Recs Buck CDC, Stick to 18 Childhood Vaccines

The guidance differs from the CDC’s newly recommended schedule, but not from the society’s previous recommendations.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

"Stauber and several legislators defended the resolution before Wednesday’s vote, claiming that Biden’s ban was federal overreach that harmed families across the Iron Range." So, you want to talk about federal government overreach in Minnesota, do ya? www.startribune.com/house-approv...

startribune.com

House approves repeal of 20-year mining ban near Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

The resolution now moves to the Senate, where a simple majority can open 225,000 acres of land to mining operations.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Of the five most common causes of cancer-related death in people younger than 50, colorectal cancer deaths were the only one to increase since the '90s. www.nbcnews.com/health/cance...

nbcnews.com

Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in people under 50

Overall, cancer death rates in people younger than 50 have dropped by 44% since 1990. Only colorectal cancer deaths have increased.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

A small stuffed turtle, a water bottle, and a blanket fill 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos’ cubby. A gray winter hat hangs from his hook. A worksheet to help him trace the letter W waits for him at his desk. sahanjournal.com/education/ic...

sahanjournal.com

Columbia Heights school leaders speak out after ICE detains kids

ICE agents have detained students on their way to and from school and also tried to get onto school property, the Columbia Heights superintendent said in an emotional news conference Wednesday.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

IDF accused the journalists of flying a drone "for Hamas" and struck and killed 11 people during what is supposed to be a ceasefire. nytimes.com/2026/01/21/w...

nytimes.com

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Reposted by Kaitlin Sullivan

Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 19/01/2026

Thanks to Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, millions of adults aged 55 to 64 may now be locked out of SNAP if they’re not able to work. And in a one-two punch, the USDA has terminated its annual food insecurity survey, making it impossible to know just how devastating Trump’s cuts will be.

motherjones.com

Trump's USDA is hiding the data on food stamp cuts

The agency's food insecurity survey was pointless "liberal fodder," a spokesperson said.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

"The challenge with flu is that it is incredibly nimble, so it does not always behave the way we expect.” I spoke with experts about the latest CDC numbers, and why the worst may not be behind everyone. www.nbcnews.com/health/cold-...

nbcnews.com

Has flu peaked in your state yet? CDC reports declining cases

Even as doctor visits and hospitalizations from the flu decreased, an additional 15 children died last week. Doctors caution that some states may not have peaked yet.

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Kaitlin Sullivan @kaitsulliva.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

For this story, I've spent months speaking with doctors who primarily work with patients from immigrant communities. They described the struggle to manage their own mental health... www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

medscape.com

Inside the Clinics Weathering America’s ICE Raids

As ICE raids occur across the US, clinicians serving immigrant families are scrambling to manage trauma, reshape care, and console fearful patients.

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