Health & Wellness

Leipzig – October 29, 2026 -- Expectant parents can now have placental tissue frozen for possible future medical use: since summer 2026, Vita 34 has offered private storage of placental tissue alongside its existing umbilical cord blood and cord tissue services.

Vita 34 deep-freezes the complete placental tissue after birth

After delivery, the tissue is processed and frozen at very low temperatures, a method called cryopreservation. The goal is to preserve the cell populations in the tissue and their biological potential over the long term. Whether the stored cells can ever be used, and for which conditions, depends on future scientific progress and on therapies that are approved later.

Vita 34 says it stores the full placental tissue, so that different cell types are retained for possible future applications.

United States – October 29, 2026 -- Solid Biosciences has dosed 33 children aged 1 to 10 with its investigational gene therapy SGT-003 for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and a Phase 3 trial has enrolled its first patient.

Safety data show no liver, kidney or heart-inflammation cases

The figures come from INSPIRE DUCHENNE, a Phase 1/2, open-label, multi-center study, with data cut off on January 9, 2026. SGT-003 has been generally well tolerated using prophylactic steroids alone for immune suppression. The company reports no cases of drug-induced liver injury, thrombotic microangiopathy, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome or myocarditis.

Cardiac monitoring has shown consistent reductions in markers of cardiac injury, with early signals of normalization. The company also reports microdystrophin expression and improvements across multiple biomarkers of muscle health.

United States – October 29, 2026 -- Parents have more sway over teen drinking than many assume: 74% of teens say their parents are the biggest influence on whether they drink alcohol. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) built its Power of Parents program around that finding, with conversation tools for caregivers.

One in three teens mixes alcohol with other drugs

Studies cited by MADD show that 1 in 3 teens combine alcohol with other substances such as cannabis, nicotine and other stimulants. On those occasions they experience 2 to 3 times more consequences. MADD calls all of these harms preventable.

Washington – October 28, 2026 -- Microplastics turned up in the blood of 27 of 28 people tested in a new report, a 96% detection rate across participants in Canada and the United States.

The report, titled Microplastics in Me: Finding Plastics in Human Blood, comes from Plastic Pollution Coalition, Plastic People, and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. It is the first to publicly identify a group of individuals who have microplastics in their bodies.

Participants were public figures from across North America

The 28 volunteers work in music, art, entertainment, media, politics, and public policy. They come from different age groups, backgrounds, and cities. Their blood was drawn over an eight-month window in 2025–2026.

Raleigh – October 28, 2026 -- Patients in Cary, Wake Forest and Holly Springs can book care at a dermatology practice that just won three Gold honors in The News & Observer's Raleigh's Best Awards for the second year in a row.

Preston Dermatology takes two practice-level Gold awards

Preston Dermatology & Skin Surgery Center won Gold for Best Dermatologist and Gold for Best Medical Practice. Its founder, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Sheel Desai Solomon, also took Gold for Best Doctor.

The practice links the repeat wins to personalized care, patient experience and access to comprehensive dermatology services across the Triangle. Dr. Desai Solomon said patients have choices and that the team does not take their trust for granted.

Fountain Valley – October 28, 2026 -- Patients in Orange County and Long Beach now have three MemorialCare hospitals ranked among America's 100 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades, with top marks in gastrointestinal care, gastrointestinal surgery and prostate surgery.

Saddleback Medical Center, Orange Coast Medical Center and Long Beach Medical Center also earned five-star ratings in seven specialties: cardiac, critical care, gastrointestinal, neurosciences (including stroke), orthopedics, prostate surgery and pulmonary care.

Saddleback leads with GI honors for the sixth straight year

Saddleback was named among the 100 Best for Gastrointestinal Care for the sixth consecutive year and for Gastrointestinal Surgery for the third. It ranks among the top 5% nationally for overall GI services and GI surgery, and among the top 10% for GI medical treatment. Within California, it ranks No. 4 for Gastrointestinal Care and No. 5 for Gastrointestinal Surgery.

CHICAGO – October 28, 2026 -- A registered dental hygienist with more than one million followers has named her picks for the best electric toothbrush, water flosser, floss picks, interdental brush and sensitive toothpaste. Whitney DiFoggio, known online as Teeth Talk Girl, announced the winners of the inaugural Smile Brighter Awards.

Winners were revealed at a virtual Dental Hygiene Month event

DiFoggio unveiled the winners during the annual Dental Hygiene Month Party, a nationwide virtual event she hosts. Thousands of dental hygienists, dental assistants and other dental professionals attended.

She created the awards to help shoppers sort through a crowded oral care aisle. In her words: "Dentistry is never one-size-fits-all, and neither is the oral care aisle." Categories include electric toothbrushes, water flossers, traditional floss, interdental cleaners and toothpastes.

Ontario, California – October 28, 2026 -- More than 4 million tubes of toothpaste sold nationwide have been recalled, including several Brush Buddies children's varieties, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Barbie, Hot Wheels and Crayola flavors are affected

The recalled Brush Buddies toothpastes carry Barbie, Hot Wheels, My Little Pony and Crayola branding. Certain lots of Evo advanced whitening and sensitive toothpaste are also included, as are lots of ARU gum health and cavity protection toothpaste.

All of the products were distributed by Ashtel Studios Inc. of Ontario, California. A full list of affected toothpastes and their lot numbers is in the recall's enforcement report.

The recall began Sept. 10 and became Class II on Oct. 22

The recall was first initiated on Sept. 10, 2026. Its certification was updated to a Class II recall on Oct. 22.

California – October 28, 2026 -- Anyone who bought Graziers raw milk cheese should not eat it: the FDA has given the recall its highest-risk Class I classification amid a multistate E. coli outbreak.

The warning covers every Graziers raw milk cheese from Sierra Nevada Cheese Company

The classification applies to all affected Graziers raw milk cheese products made by California-based Sierra Nevada Cheese Company. That includes the Monterey Jack, jalapeño jack, medium cheddar and sharp cheddar varieties.

Thirteen people in nine states have fallen ill

Investigators report that 13 people in nine states became sick. More than half of those infected were children age 5 and younger.

The cheeses were distributed in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

Deerfield, Ill. – October 28, 2026 -- Walgreens has expanded its weight management services so eligible patients can see a doctor or nurse practitioner online for $49 per visit, with no subscription, and get help with insurance coverage for GLP-1 medications. The medication itself costs extra.

Through Walgreens Weight Management, patients can connect with a clinician online and, if eligible, receive a prescription for an FDA-approved GLP-1 weight loss medication. The prescription is based on medical evaluation and is not guaranteed. Patients already taking a GLP-1 drug for weight loss can also use the virtual clinicians to support ongoing treatment.