Your bathroom scrolling habit may be causing hemorrhoids; Pennsylvania physician sentenced to 14 years for ‘goody bag’ fraud; BMJ retracts apple cider vinegar weight loss trial – Morning Medical Update

Scrolling on the toilet tied to higher hemorrhoid risk

Using a smartphone in the bathroom may raise the risk of hemorrhoids, according to a new study in PLOS One. Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center surveyed 125 adults and found that 66% used their phones while on the toilet, often to read the news or scroll through social media. Those who did were five times more likely to sit for over five minutes per trip to the bathroom and had a 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids compared with nonusers.

“The bathroom should be used for the purpose it was intended for,” said study author Trisha Pasricha, M.D., M.P.H. “Just like we advise patients not to scroll in bed when they’re trying to sleep because it can lead to insomnia, scrolling on the toilet distracts them from the task at hand.” If putting the phone down is too daunting a task, she recommends either a 5-minute timer or a “two-TikTok limit” per trip. Healio has more.

Pennsylvania physician gets 14 years for “goody bag” fraud and opioid scheme

Neil K. Anand, M.D., of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for running schemes to illegally distribute opioids and defraud health insurers out of more than $2 million, federal prosecutors announced. Anand’s clinic dispensed medically unnecessary “Goody Bags” of prescriptions and unlawfully prescribed more than 20,000 oxycodone tablets, sometimes using pre-signed scripts filled out by unlicensed interns. He was also convicted of laundering proceeds through family accounts. Along with the prison term, Anand was ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution and forfeiture.

BMJ retracts apple cider vinegar weight loss trial

BMJ Group has retracted a 2024 study that claimed daily doses of apple cider vinegar aided weight loss in overweight and obese individuals. The trial, published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, drew widespread media attention but was later flagged for statistical errors, unreliable data, inadequate reporting and lack of prospective trial registration. Independent experts were unable to replicate the results and found multiple irregularities. BMJ editors warned that the findings should no longer be reported, calling them “unreliable” and stressing the importance of correcting the scientific record.