The latest (and strangest) GLP-1 side effect; loneliness — a major health risk; the return of mask mandates – Morning Medical Update

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The latest (and strangest) GLP-1 side effect

Physicians should take note — popular GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide may complicate FDG-PET-CT scan readings. Researchers presenting at the European Association of Nuclear Medicine meeting reported that patients on GLP-1s show increased FDG uptake in muscle, heart and fat tissue, sometimes mimicking malignancy or inflammation. With GLP-1 use up 700% in U.S. adults since 2019, this pattern is increasingly common. Investigators urge clinicians to document GLP-1 use rather than suspend therapy, emphasizing awareness over alteration. Pharmacy Times has more.

Loneliness — a major health risk

Feeling lonely may be as dangerous as chronic illness, according to new research from artificial intelligence (AI) mental health platform Wysa. In a survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, nearly one in three said they often or always feel lonely — a state strongly tied to depression, pain, fatigue and insomnia. Those who reported persistent loneliness were eight times more likely to screen positive for depression and nearly twice as likely to experience daily pain. The report challenges assumptions about solitude, showing that adults living with parents or roommates are among the loneliest, while partnered adults fare best.

Mask mandates return to this California county this winter

Sonoma County, California, is reinstating a limited mask mandate for health care settings ahead of the winter respiratory virus season. Beginning November 1, masks will be required in skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, infusion clinics and dialysis units through March 2026. Interim health officer Karen Smith, M.D., M.P.H., said the measure aims to protect vulnerable patients and prevent staff shortages during anticipated COVID-19 and influenza surges. The order aligns with other Bay Area counties and comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns flu may prove more deadly than COVID this year. Vaccination against COVID, flu, and RSV remains “strongly advised” for all eligible residents. More from Newsweek.