Health Journal Online

Tag: Report

  • White House Dodges AI Accusation After MAHA Report Cited Studies That ‘Appear Not to Exist’

    White House Dodges AI Accusation After MAHA Report Cited Studies That ‘Appear Not to Exist’

    The White House defended Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. amid scrutiny of the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Commission report, which was found to cite multiple studies that do not exist.

    At a Thursday briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed concerns, insisting the report remains a “transformative” achievement.

    When a reporter asked Leavitt directly if artificial intelligence had played a role in drafting the 73-page report—a possibility raised by the volume of citation errors—Leavitt declined to answer. “I can’t speak to that,” she said. “I would defer you to the Department of Health and Human Services.”


    “We have complete confidence in Secretary Kennedy and his team at HHS,” Leavitt said. She attributed the citation of nonexistent studies to “formatting issues,” which she said are being addressed.

    The errors “do not negate the substance of the report,” Leavitt continued. “Which, as you know, is one of the most transformative health reports that has ever been released by the federal government and is backed on good science.”

    Despite insistence that the MAHA report is backed by “good science,” the citations were rife with errors. At least seven of the cited sources could not be linked to any existing study, according to an investigation by NOTUS.

    “The paper cited is not a real paper that I or my colleagues were involved with,” epidemiologist Katherine Keyes told NOTUS, referencing a cited study on adolescent anxiety where she is listed as an author. The link to the study is broken, and the citation’s claim that the study was published in JAMA Pediatrics could not be verified.

    Pediatric Pulmonologist Harold J. Farber was named as author of a study the MAHA report cited in support of its claim that “American child are on too much medicine.” Farber denies writing the report and noted that he’s worked on similar research, but its conclusions are not accurately presented.

    Among the MAHA report’s citations of confirmed studies, there were broken links, author or issue number errors, and several instances where the findings of a cited study were misrepresented.

    Leavitt’s deflection when asked if the errors could be attributed to AI did little to calm critics who doubt Kennedy’s competence in medical science.

    The MAHA commission is expected to release a follow-up document, the “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy,” in August.

    Originally published on Latin Times



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  • Republican Anti-Abortion Bill May Block Access to Chemotherapy, Life-Saving Surgeries in Wyoming: Report

    Republican Anti-Abortion Bill May Block Access to Chemotherapy, Life-Saving Surgeries in Wyoming: Report

    A Republican-led bill seeking to challenge abortion access may also block access to chemotherapy and life-saving surgeries in Wyoming, according to a report.

    According to the bill, Senate File 125, “No act, treatment or procedure that causes harm to the heart, respiratory system, central nervous system, brain, skeletal system, jointed or muscled appendages or organ function shall be construed as healthcare.”

    Although the bill is intended to target the concept of fetal personhood, healthcare and law professionals are worried that various other procedures and treatments, such as chemotherapy, could be affected by the bill.

    “There’s a slew of medical procedures, surgeries, treatments that can have potentially positive outcomes but may also cause harm in the short period or as an unintended consequence,” Wyoming attorney Abigail Fournier told the The Guardian.

    An amendment to Wyoming’s state constitution in 2012 stated that making healthcare decisions was a right of individuals in the state. Senate File 125 is the first of its kind trying to change the definition of healthcare.

    While Cheri Steinmetz, the Republican state senator who authored the bill, told The Guardian that she was not trying to change the constitution, just the definition used, Wyoming attorney Clark Stith said that they believe changing the meaning could still constitute changing the constitution.

    Wyoming’s abortion ban was struck down by a judge in November 2024. At the time, women and organizations had argued that the ban violated the 2012 amendment, and that it also infringed upon their rights, NPR reported at the time.

    As the state appeals this ruling, state representatives have also created bills seeking to restrict abortion access, such as requiring a trans-vaginal ultrasound before patients can receive abortion medication, as reported by WyoFile.

    At least two abortion-related House bills have passed the House since the abortion ban was struck down. A third one is set to be debated on in the coming weeks.

    Originally published by Latin Times.

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  • Strange ‘Werewolf Syndrome’ In Spain, Infants Resembling ‘Wookiees’ After Parents Use Hair Loss Remedy: Report

    Strange ‘Werewolf Syndrome’ In Spain, Infants Resembling ‘Wookiees’ After Parents Use Hair Loss Remedy: Report

    A strange condition known as “Werewolf Syndrome” has left nearly a dozen babies in Spain covered in hair, with extreme cases even resembling the iconic Wookiees from Star Wars. The rare disorder, officially called Hypertrichosis, is believed to be triggered by the parents’ use of a hair loss remedy, according to a recent report.

    Hypertrichosis occurs when individuals have excessive hair growth anywhere on the body. While some people are born with it due to genetic mutations (congenital hypertrichosis), others can develop it later in life (acquired hypertrichosis). The condition can be triggered by factors like certain medications, autoimmune disorders, or even malnutrition. Antibiotics such as streptomycin, anti-inflammatory drugs like benoxaprofen and corticosteroids, or the use of antiseptics with hexachlorobenzene are also known triggers.

    According to the report from El Economista, a Spanish news outlet, Navarra Pharmacovigilance Centre, detected 11 babies with Hypertrichosis or “Werewolf Syndrome,” after being exposed to minoxidil, a hair loss medication used by their parents. The drug is believed to have transferred from adults to infants through direct skin contact or by the babies sucking on contaminated surfaces, which may have affected their systems.

    “The skin of young children is more permeable due to the thinner layer of their stratum corneum, as they have a greater surface area/body weight ratio. For this reason, they are more easily able to absorb drugs administered topically systemically,” Navarra Pharmacovigilance Centre explained in the El Economista report as translated by Google.

    The patients were tested for exposure to other medications and investigated for other possible triggers. The symptoms reportedly subsided after stopping contact with the medication.

    Minoxidil, available in both solution and foam forms, is commonly used to promote hair growth, especially in the treatment of male pattern baldness. It belongs to a class of drugs called vasodilators, which work by improving blood flow to hair follicles and stimulating hair growth.

    Although generally safe, minoxidil can cause some side effects, including burning, stinging, or redness at the application site. In rare cases, the medication could be absorbed through the skin and may cause more serious effects such as unwanted facial or body hair, dizziness, fast or irregular heartbeat, fainting, chest pain, swelling in the hands or feet, unusual weight gain, fatigue, or difficulty breathing.

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