The New York State Department of Health issued a health advisory Wednesday about the emergence of a new strain of mpox (formerly monkeypox).

The first case of mpox clade Ib in New York State was confirmed in a symptomatic individual who had recently traveled from Africa.

The present risk to the public remains low, the department noted, and there are no additional known community cases of this strain in New York State currently.

IS MPOX THE NEXT COVID? INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERTS ADDRESS PANDEMIC POTENTIAL

State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald shared that the infected individual is under the care of a physician and isolated "until the full resolution of symptoms."

"There is no known local transmission of mpox clade Ib in the community where the individual lives or anywhere within New York State," he said in a statement.

McDonald added that the JYNNEOS vaccine, which is a two-dose preventative vaccine series for mpox, is "expected to be effective" against this new strain.

"[It is] available for individuals at risk with the standing order I signed last year," he noted. "There is no immediate risk to the general public."

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

The health department added in its advisory that individuals should inquire with their local pharmacy or healthcare provider about vaccine availability as they continue to "monitor and maintain the situation."

Mpox is "rarely fatal," according to the department, but can be dangerous for people with immunocompromising conditions, as well as older adults, young children and pregnant women.

Symptoms can include rashes that progress to "painful skin lesions," in addition to swollen lymph nodes, fever, sore throat, headaches, back pain, low energy and muscle aches, the department listed.

There is a "high likelihood of transmission" until these lesions scab over, which means infected individuals are encouraged to isolate until new skin forms at the lesion site.

Mpox can spread through close, intimate contact with sores, scabs or rashes, the department stated, as well as through the respiratory droplets, saliva or mucus of an infected person.

Those who plan to travel to areas with reported cases of mpox should consider being vaccinated with the two doses of JYNNEOS, experts recommend.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Dr. Myles Druckman, global medical director at International SOS in California, told Fox News Digital that there have been reports of this strain in several countries in Central and Eastern Africa.

"We’re finding that other countries have also reported travel-associated cases of clade I, including Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Oman, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe," he noted.

"It's important to recognize that cases of this strain are expected due to the ongoing outbreak in multiple countries and the risks associated with global travel."

Mpox can be infectious for up to four days before symptoms occur, but it is most contagious from the time symptoms appear until about two to four weeks later, according to Druckman.

The expert emphasized that vaccination is recommended for high-risk individuals, such as healthcare workers with high exposure or people with weakened immune systems.

"Prevention of mpox is mainly through vaccination and avoiding skin-to-skin contact with others – especially those with symptoms or visible outbreaks – and observing good personal hygiene and washing hands well and frequently," he added.

Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., said in a statement on Tuesday that a complex partial seizure was ruled as the cause of the episode where he paused during a House floor speech on Monday.

While delivering his speech, the long-serving lawmaker abruptly stopped speaking for several seconds, before uttering a few words and then proceeding to stand silently for around 14 seconds. 

When he resumed speaking, his remarks were halting and punctuated with awkward pauses.

FORMER GOP LEADER MCCONNELL FALLS WHILE EXITING SENATE CHAMBER AFTER TURNER CONFIRMATION VOTE

After the incident occurred on Monday, Larson's office indicated in a statement that "he had what was likely an adverse reaction to a new medication and is having tests administered by the House Attending Physician out of an abundance of caution." The statement indicated that the lawmaker "later participated in multiple meetings in his office and was alert and engaged."

Then Larson's statement on Tuesday indicated that a complex partial seizure was ruled as the cause of the incident.

"Yesterday, at around noon, I experienced a medical incident on the House floor, when my speech momentarily paused. Following the incident, I saw the House Attending Physician, Dr. Monahan, who referred me for further evaluation. After a round of tests, it was determined that the cause of the brief pause in my speech was a complex partial seizure," the congressman explained.

DOCTORS USING AI-DRIVEN DEVICES TO HELP DETECT SEIZURE ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS

The 76-year-old lawmaker has been a House member for more than a quarter-century — he took office in 1999.

"Fifteen years ago, I had a heart valve replacement due to a variation in the shape of my aortic valve that I was born with. Sometimes, people with this condition can later develop symptoms such as the momentary change in speech or movement that was apparent yesterday," Larson continued. 

"The doctors have prescribed medication that, according to them, will greatly reduce the chance of this happening again. I will be able to resume an active schedule, including my duties as a Member of Congress, beginning tomorrow, when I plan to be present and voting on the House floor," he noted. 

STRANGE CONNECTICUT LAWS, SUCH AS RECEIVING A $99 FINE FOR SELLING SILLY STRING TO A MINOR

"I am grateful to Dr. Monahan and the staff, and I extend my deepest appreciation to my family, friends, colleagues, constituents, and everyone who reached out with their well wishes and offers of support. I am looking forward to getting back to work for the people of Connecticut’s First District." 

FIRST ON FOX: Consumers’ Research, a leading non-profit dedicated to consumer information, is launching a campaign targeting the Cleveland Clinic over what it says is a history of the organization prioritizing woke politics over patients. 

The campaign, dubbed "Cleveland Clinic Exposed", asks the public whether the clinic is "the wokest hospital in America" and will involve an ad titled "Exposed," which will run in Ohio during the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors game on Wednesday.

"Is Cleveland Clinic the wokest hospital in America?" the 30-second ad asks. "They prioritize care based on skin color. Perform child sex changes. Push transgender propaganda on vulnerable kids. Insert DEI into everything they do."

"And spend millions on climate activism. The CEO admits it: Healthcare is only a part of their mission. Cleveland Clinic. Focused on a political agenda. Not what’s best for patients."

TRUMP ORDER RESTRICTING SEX-CHANGE PROCEDURES FOR MINORS IN LINE WITH 'DO NO HARM,' DOCTOR SAYS

The ad campaign will also be featured on ClevelandClinicExposed.com, and mobile billboards will be seen outside the Ohio state capitol building, Cleveland Clinic main campus and the Florida state capitol building. 

Additionally, a targeted digital campaign and a "woke alert" is being sent out calling on the clinic to "stop injecting politics into patient care."

"Attention Floridians," one of the alerts states. "Cleveland Clinic opened a sex change clinic in your backyard."

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER RESTRICTING 'CHEMICAL AND SURGICAL' SEX-CHANGE PROCEDURES FOR MINORS

The ad, in part, references a letter from Cleveland Clinic's CEO suggesting that providing healthcare services is not the sole focus of the organization. 

"Providing high-quality healthcare is only a part of our mission," Cleveland Clinic CEO Tom Mihaljevic wrote in a post on the hospital’s website. 

"We have an obligation to uplift the many communities we call home. We must improve our neighbors’ wellbeing, quality of life and opportunities to succeed. We must operate in sustainable ways that are good for our planet. We must embrace diversity, champion human rights and lead with humility and inclusiveness."

Cleveland Clinic has faced accusations of promoting a "woke" agenda in the past, including a complaint filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty alleging, "race-based discrimination and segregation of patients."

The Cleveland Clinic's website also contains several posts promoting climate initiatives, including a plan for "greening" its operating rooms. 

In 2022, the Cleveland Clinic hired Jacqui Robertson as chief of diversity and inclusion, and announced in a post that has since been deleted that she will "lead efforts that will further diversity and inclusion across the health system." 

Robertson stated in a 2023 interview, "I don't believe that diversity and inclusion should ever be a standalone strategy. It has to be embedded in everything that we do. And so that's our processes, that's our metrics."

In a June 2023 post that also appears to have been deleted from the Cleveland Clinic website, the clinic explained "How To Support a Child Who’s Questioning Their Gender Identity."

Also in June 2023, the clinic put out a press release labeling racism as a "public health crisis."

"Cleveland Clinic is committed to addressing structural racism and bias in our community," the organization said in a December 2020 press release announcing a plan to "join a coalition of 37 of the largest U.S. employers, to train, hire and promote one million Black Americans into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement."

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Despite past press releases and statements on the Cleveland Clinic's website highlighting its agenda, a Cleveland Clinic spokesperson pushed back against the campaign.

"The advertisement contains false statements, and we are concerned there are serious inaccuracies in their claims. Our services are available for everyone, and we do not discriminate based on race, gender or any other category," the spokesperson said.

"By its own shocking words and deeds, Cleveland Clinic has quite possibly become the wokest hospital in America," Will Hild, Consumers’ Research executive director, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "The clinic's leadership alarmingly proclaims that DEI 'has to be embedded in everything that we do.' Such a sentiment plagues the entire hospital system and should frighten every patient in need of its services."

"From unethical race-based care to transgender mutilation surgeries on kids to bowing at the altar of climate extremism, Cleveland Clinic seems hell-bent on satisfying every woke fixation while cost-reduction for patients is a distant afterthought. It is wrong when any company prioritizes woke objectives over its consumers, but it is especially disturbing when the perpetrator is a medical facility and consumers are patients. Cleveland Clinic must reverse course, shun woke radicalism, stop spending resources in the wrong places, and make affordable quality care its only focus."

A new type of bird flu has been detected in a human dairy worker in Nevada.

This strain is different from the version that’s been spreading in herds since last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

The case was apparently mild, as the Churchill County dairy worker was not hospitalized and has recovered, the Associated Press reported, citing health officials.

BIRD FLU UPTICK IN US HAS CDC ON ALERT FOR PANDEMIC 'RED FLAGS': REPORT

The person mainly experienced eye redness and irritation, similar to most bird flu cases associated with dairy cows, according to the AP.

While the new bird flu strain, D1.1, has been reported in more than a dozen humans exposed to infected poultry, this is the first cow-to-human case.

In a press release addressing the situation, the Central Nevada Health District (CNHD) confirmed there is no evidence of this virus being spread from the infected individual to other people.

BIRD FLU PATIENT HAD VIRUS MUTATIONS, SPARKING CONCERN ABOUT HUMAN SPREAD

The CDC noted on its website that bird flu’s risk to the general public remains low.

But those who are in constant and close contact with cows, poultry and other animals are at a higher risk — and are encouraged to wear protective equipment and take necessary precautions.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax in San Francisco, commented in a statement to Fox News Digital that within a week of the D1.1 strain being detected in Nevada cows, there was already a human infection.

"This isn’t the first D1.1 human infection: It has already resulted in an American death, a severe illness, and some other infections in five other states," the expert said.

"The significance of this new infection is to reveal how quickly we go from cattle infections to human spillover."

Glanville confirmed that the cattle infections of the D1.1 strain prove that it contains mammalian adaptive mutations. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

"While we have yet to see human-to-human transmission, with such rapid progression from cattle to human cases, it may only be a matter of time before an H5N1 pandemic," he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for further comment.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to restore web pages and datasets that were taken down in accordance with President Donald Trump’s executive order.

Under U.S. District Judge John Bates’ order, HHS, the CDC and the FDA are required to restore data sets and pages that were "removed or substantially modified" last month "without adequate notice or reasoned explanation."

Earlier this month, Doctors for America, represented by Public Citizen Litigation Group, filed a lawsuit against the Office of Personal Management (OPM), the CDC, the FDA and HHS for removing information that it says was used by doctors and researchers.

RILEY GAINES: THE ALL-OUT WAR ON FEMALE ATHLETES ENDS NOW, THANKS TO PRESIDENT TRUMP

"Removing critical clinical information and datasets from the websites of CDC, FDA, and HHS not only puts the health of our patients at risk, but also endangers research that improves the health and health care of the American public," Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, a member of the board of directors for Doctors for America, said in a statement on the organization’s website.  "Federal public health agencies must reinstate these resources in full to protect our patients."

"These federal agencies exist to serve the American people by protecting public health," Zach Shelley, an attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group and lead counsel on the case, said in the same statement. "Removing this vital information flouts that mandate. Our lawsuit seeks to hold them to their responsibilities to the people of this country."

LGBT ACTIVISTS MOBILIZE TO CHALLENGE TRUMP'S 'EXTREME GENDER IDEOLOGY' EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Doctors for America alleged in its complaint that the removal of the web pages and data sets created a "dangerous gap in the scientific data available to monitor and respond to disease outbreaks."

According to the complaint, the pages and data sets that were either taken down or modified included a report on an HIV medication, pages on "environmental justice," pages on HIV monitoring and testing and a CDC guide on contraceptives, among others. Doctors for America claim that these pages and reports were either removed or modified to "combat what the president described as ‘gender ideology.’"

The web pages in question were taken down in accordance with President Trump’s order on "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." In the order, President Trump outlines precise definitions of "woman," "man," "female," "male" and other gendered words, establishing the recognition of two genders as official U.S. policy.

"The erasure of sex in language and policy has a corrosive impact not just on women but on the validity of the entire American system. Basing federal policy on truth is critical to scientific inquiry, public safety, morale, and trust in government itself," the order reads.

President Donald Trump's nominees to run the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are part of a group of scientists who just launched a new research journal focused on spurring scientific discourse and combating "gatekeeping" in the medical research community. 

The journal, titled the Journal of the Academy of Public Health (JAPH), includes an editorial board consisting of several scientists who complained of facing censorship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

JAPH's co-founders include Martin Kulldorff, a former Harvard Medical School professor who is a founding fellow at Hillsdale College's Academy for Science and Freedom, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of health policy at Stanford University who is also Trump's nominee to be the next NIH director. Kulldorff and Bhattacharya became known during the pandemic for authoring The Great Barrington Declaration, which sought to challenge the broader medical community's prevailing notions about COVID-19 mitigation strategies, arguing that – in the long run – the lockdowns that people were facing would do more harm than good.

CDC STAFF TOLD TO REMOVE TERMS LIKE ‘NON-BINARY,’ ‘THEY/THEM,’ ‘PREGNANT PEOPLE’ FROM PUBLIC HEALTH MATERIAL

Dr. Marty Makary, a surgeon and public policy researcher at Johns Hopkins University, who is Trump's nominee to be the next director of the FDA, is on the journal's editorial board as well.  

JAPH is adopting a novel approach by publishing peer reviews of prominent studies from other journals that do not make their peer reviews publicly available. The effort is aimed at spurring scientific discourse, Kulldorff said in a paper outlining the purposes of the journal's creation.

The journal will also seek to promote "open access" by making all of its work available to everyone in the public without a paywall, he said, and the journal's editorial leadership will allow all scientists within its network to "freely publish all their research results in a timely and efficient manner," to prevent any potential "gatekeeping."

"Scientific journals have had enormous positive impact on the development of science, but in some ways, they are now hampering rather than enhancing open scientific discourse," Kulldorff said. "After reviewing the history and current problems with journals, a new academic publishing model is proposed – it embraces open access and open rigorous peer review, it rewards reviewers for their important work with honoraria and public acknowledgment and it allows scientists to publish their research in a timely and efficient manner without wasting valuable scientist time and resources."

‘WHAT A RIPOFF!’: TRUMP SPARKS BACKLASH AFTER CUTTING BILLIONS IN OVERHEAD COSTS FROM NIH RESEARCH GRANTS

Kulldorff, Bhattacharya, Makary and others on the new journal's leadership team have complained that their views about the COVID-19 pandemic were censored. These were views that were often contrary to the prevailing ideas put forth by the broader medical community at the time, which related to topics such as vaccine efficacy, natural immunity, lockdowns and more.

"Big tech censored the [sic] all kinds of science on natural immunity," Makary said in testimony to Congress following the pandemic. During his testimony, Makary also shared how one of his own studies at Johns Hopkins during the pandemic that promoted the effectiveness of natural immunity, which one scientific journal listed as its third most discussed study in 2022, "was censored."

"Because of my views on COVID-19 restrictions, I have been specifically targeted for censorship by federal government officials," Bhattacharya added in his own testimony to Congress the same year.

Kulldorff, who has also complained about censorship of his views on COVID-19, argued he was asked to leave his medical professorship at Harvard that he held since 2003, for "clinging to the truth" in his opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates.

CONSERVATIVE LAW FIRM LAUNCHES PROBE INTO FIVE MAJOR UNIVERSITIES FOR ALLEGED ‘CENSORSHIP REGIME’

"The JAPH will ensure quality through open peer-review, but will not gatekeep new and important ideas for the sake of established orthodoxies," Andrew Noymer, JAPH's incoming editor-in-chief told Fox News Digital. 

"To pick one example, in my own sub-field of infectious disease epidemiology, we have in the past few years seen too little published scholarship on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. Academic publishing as it exists today is too often concerned with preservation of what we think we know, too often to the detriment of new ideas."

Bhattacharya and Makary did not wish to comment on this article.

Amid Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s push to improve healthcare as part of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, there is a growing focus on vaccine transparency.

One of the most common childhood inoculations — the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine — has been a requirement for school attendance since its development in the 1970s.

Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier answered some frequently asked questions regarding the vaccine in a video for Fox News Digital. (See the video at the top of the article.)

MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOVEMENT

People often ask why the three vaccines are combined, which Saphier said is simply for convenience.

"From a public health standpoint, if the goal is to vaccinate as many children as possible to reach that herd immunity and keep these infections at bay, again, parents are more likely to only bring their child to the pediatrician that one time," the doctor said.

"And on a child, isn't it easier to give one injection as opposed to three separate injections?"

LARA TRUMP ON FOOD, HEALTH AND AMERICA'S CHILDREN: 'WE WANT THE TRUTH'

Saphier also addressed concerns about MMR vaccine side effects, including inflammatory reactions at the site of the injection, where the skin can become red and warm.

Children can also have low-grade fevers and feel irritable or lethargic, which is "likely to happen" even with each individual vaccine – not just when the vaccines are combined.

"The reality is there are always side effects when it comes to any sort of healthcare intervention," she said in the video. "But with vaccines in particular, you can have the more mild side effects, and there are some severe, more rare side effects that are well-documented."

The potential for a link between autism and vaccinations has been a deterrent for many parents when choosing to vaccinate their children, but Saphier said the "overwhelming majority" of "good research" shows no causal link.

BILL GATES LIKELY HAD AUTISM AS A CHILD, HE REVEALS: ‘WASN’T WIDELY UNDERSTOOD’

One of the largest studies, conducted in Denmark, found a lower risk of autism in more than 650,000 vaccinated children, the doctor noted.

While the U.S. has a higher incidence of autism compared to other countries, specifically Europe, the doctor revealed that European nations have higher rates of MMR vaccine uptake.

"The signs and symptoms [of autism] start to show around the time we're giving all these vaccines, so it makes sense to kind of think they may be related," she said. 

"And it made sense to do as much research as we can to make sure there isn't a link."

MAHA MOMS CALL FOR 'RIGOROUS TRANSPARENCY' INTO HEALTH CONCERNS

"But I think we need to be looking really hard at our environment, what we're ingesting, the pollutants, the toxins, everything in big agriculture, big pharma, in our food industry and everything else."

Saphier suggested that a link to autism may be found after diving into the "harmful chemicals" consumed by Americans that other nations do not consume.

The doctor also said that medical agencies — such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics — should be "less stringent" on vaccination schedules, leaving the decision to the parents.

"If parents don't want to give these vaccines when their babies are so little, I think it's OK to have that conversation and let them wait until their child's a little bit older before they head off to kindergarten," said Saphier, who is a mother of three boys.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

"Because maybe at that time, you start to see signs of autism between about 1 to 3 years of age for the most part. So maybe let the parent get their child through that time, and if there aren't signs of autism, then maybe they'll feel better about … being able to vaccinate their children."

"It should be a conversation between the doctor and the patient," she said.

"Unfortunately, during the COVID pandemic, the CDC and a lot of healthcare professionals really took away this conversation." 

"By putting the COVID vaccine and booster for children in the same basket as MMR and some of the other vaccines, when it comes to children, that was the biggest mistake they could have ever [made]," Saphier continued. 

"That has caused more vaccine hesitancy and concern."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Saphier expressed her hope that the MAHA movement will help identify safety signals in vaccines, which will "give parents the confidence they need to continue with the vaccine programs, because they really can save lives."

Fox News Digital's Khloe Quill contributed reporting.

FIRST ON FOX: The Protecting America Initiative (PAI), a Trump-aligned anti-CCP group, has launched a five-figure ad encouraging states to crack down against what they call illicit Chinese vapes in order to counter the communist country’s growing influence in the United States.

"It's hip, it’s cool, but look closely on the box," the new ad from PAI, which describes itself as a coalition of concerned public policy experts dedicated to combating China’s influence, starts out. 

"It says, right there, made in China. New data shows the market is being flooded with unregulated e-cigarettes. Most vape products are made in China, and they're not always regulated. They're getting these products from China, where they can be tainted with God knows what. It's been a struggle to keep illegal e-cigarettes from reaching young people."

PAI says the ad is meant to remind viewers that "Trump in 2019 was right about the dangers of illicit Chinese vapes and of Biden’s failure to protect Americans from these unregulated illicit products."

VAPING ADVOCATE WARNS DEM CRACKDOWN ON 'COMMON SENSE' TOBACCO ALTERNATIVES COULD BACKFIRE IN SWING STATES

"You watch prohibition, you look at, you know, with the alcohol, if you don't give it to them, it's going to come here illegally. But instead of legitimate companies, good companies, making something that's safe, they're going to be selling stuff on a street corner that could be horrible," Trump is quoted as saying in the ad. 

The ad will run on digital platforms in targeted markets across the country.

TRUMP ADMIN'S FDA WITHDRAWS PROPOSED FEDERAL RULE TO BAN MENTHOL CIGARETTES

"Despite the warnings, Biden failed and China won," the ad states. "Trump predicted this."

"States are taking action against illicit Chinese vapes. More state leaders can act now to fight with Trump against illicit Chinese vapes."

Although the rate of youth smoking cigarettes is now at an all-time low, according to the CDC, youth usage of Chinese vapes has increased dramatically since 2020.
 

President Donald Trump's tariffs on China have raised significant concern over their potential impact on healthcare costs, but while the move could have a broad effect on the industry, it is likely they will not produce the devastating results that some may be expecting, health policy and trade experts say. 

A survey by market research group Black Book Research found that 84% of the healthcare consumers they questioned said they expect to see higher costs due to increased pricing on medical treatments and drugs as a result of Trump's new tariffs. But health policy expert Chris Pope posited that healthcare is "not a very highly tradable sector" and that the sectors that do rely on trade relations, like pharmaceutical drugs or medical devices, will hinge on the magnitude of any Trump tariffs.

"There's not much international trade for most of healthcare. The biggest parts of healthcare – physician services, these are all provided domestically already, and hospitals are a domestic part of healthcare, so you take out those two things, and you've kind of ruled out almost three-quarters of all healthcare spending," Pope said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "So, for the most part, we're talking about drugs and devices, which are, at most, about a quarter of healthcare spending."

DEMS CLAIM TRUMP TARIFF COULD ‘DRIVE UP’ COSTS DESPITE DEFLECTING BLAME FROM BIDEN'S INFLATION

"In terms of prices for the industry, whether it's absorbed in their margins, or they do less research and development, or they pass it on to consumers … it's not completely devastating, but it's definitely annoying," said Christine McDaniel, a senior economist at George Mason University's Mercatus Institute.

Experts told Fox News that drug prices are among the most vulnerable aspects of the healthcare system, largely due to the U.S.' reliance on China for certain precursor chemicals and compounds that are essential for producing important medications. However, Pope said that the impact will likely only affect generic drugs and not branded drugs that are based on demand rather than supply. Generic drugs are already relatively cost-efficient, with many of them ranging under $10, he said.

Monica de Bolle is an immunologist and a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. She painted a bleaker picture of how many drugs could be impacted by the tariffs.

‘MAKING AMERICA EXPENSIVE AGAIN’: DEMOCRATS FIND A TAX THEY DON'T LIKE IN TRUMP TARIFFS   

"If you go through a list of the kinds of things that we import from China when it comes to active drug ingredients, or anything else that goes into the making of over-the-counter drugs, everything is in there. If you look at the list, it basically spans the range of potential medications that anyone takes at any point in their lives," said de Bolle. "It includes things like over-the-counter NSAIDS, so non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs, things like Motrin, ibuprofen, even Tylenol, because Acetaminophen is on that list."

She added that drugs that are more dependent on China include medications for anxiety and other psychiatric disorders, such as antidepressants, and following Trump's tariffs, "those prices are going to go up, for sure," she said.

Experts say costs in healthcare could also rise due to disruptions in the supply chain for medical devices, but they noted that the impact will be a lot harder to generalize, compared to the impact on drug pricing. 

"Maybe before [the supply chain] was broken up into five stages. Well, now maybe they've broken it up into six or seven stages. So there are certain things that they have to stay in China for, or they have to source from China, but then they do the next step in India or another nearby country . . . which is going to be more expensive," McDaniel said.

‘THIS IS ABOUT FENTANYL’: TARIFFS ARE CRUCIAL TO COMBATING ‘DRUG WAR,’ TRUMP AND CABINET OFFICIALS SAY

However, Pope argued that prices could change, depending on the device and the magnitude of Trump's tariffs. 

"It's going to vary a lot, according to where the devices are manufactured, where the components are manufactured, what kind of subsidies are available from other countries and domestically, and the degree of retaliation," he said.

While Trump's tariffs might be new, the experts say that getting out of China is not. Reducing the U.S.' dependency on Chinese products tied to healthcare, particularly drugs like antibiotics, has been talked about among lawmakers for some time due to the potential national security risks. Parallel to these discussions, companies have been preparing for future tariffs in light of increased geopolitical tensions.

"There has been a lot of discussion coming from both the Democratic camp, as well as the Republican one, about the necessity to bring some of the production of certain types of drugs back to the U.S. to reduce dependency on China," said de Bolle. "This whole deal about drugs and medical equipment and all of that that was under discussion before Trump. So, it's not even Trump-related."

"In essence, you know what's happening now with the tariffs that Trump imposed isn't any different from the sorts of things that these people were thinking of doing anyway."

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been told to remove words frequently associated with progressive gender ideology from research manuscripts that they intend to publish.

A screenshot of a leaked internal email sent out to CDC staff, obtained by the newsletter Inside Medicine, showed a list of terms and phrases that must be removed from scientific manuscripts produced by the agency's researchers and intended for publication. 

Those terms included: "gender," "transgender," "pregnant person," "pregnant people," "LGBT," "transsexual," "non-binary," "nonbinary," "assigned male at birth," "assigned female at birth," "biologically male" and "biologically female." According to the Washington Post, the list includes about 20 terms. They indicated that the directive also ordered the removal of any use of "they/them." 

LGBT ACTIVISTS MOBILIZE TO CHALLENGE TRUMP'S ‘EXTREME GENDER IDEOLOGY’ EXECUTIVE ORDERS

The rule affects manuscripts under review, as well as those accepted but not yet published, no matter whether they are intended for internal circulation only or circulation outside the CDC.

A CDC spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "All changes to HHS and HHS division websites/manuscripts are in accordance with President Trump’s January 20 Executive Orders."

After taking office last month, President Donald Trump signed a slew of Day One executive orders, including one that attempts to root out "gender ideology extremism" and restore "biological truth" to the federal government. Meanwhile, in line with that order, the Trump administration's Office of Personnel Management issued a memo a little over a week later calling on all federal agencies to "take prompt actions to end all agency programs that use taxpayer money to promote or reflect gender ideology."

FEDS SPENT MILLIONS STUDYING TRANS MENSTRUATION, STRENGTHENING GAY RIGHTS IN THE BALKANS, DATABASE REVEALS

In addition to the terms, CDC web pages titled "Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth | Adolescent and School Health" and "April 18 is National Transgender HIV Testing Day" have also been removed.

The removal of the terms may make it hard to read surveys and research that utilizes them as demographic identifiers, The Post reported. 

"If you are trying to optimize society, you can’t just pretend some people aren’t in it," executive director of the National LGBTQI+ Cancer Network, Scout, who legally goes by only one name, told The Post.

Philadelphia police on Wednesday released the identity of a 37-year-old man who was killed in his car when a medevac jet crashed in a city street.

Steven Dreuitt, 37, of Philadelphia, was killed at 6:07 p.m. when Medical Jet Flight 56 crashed on the 2300 block of Cottman Avenue, according to the Medical Examiner's Office for the City of Philadelphia.

‘ABSOLUTELY NO INDICATION’ OF ISSUES ON PLANE THAT CRASHED IN PHILADELPHIA: MEDEVAC COMPANY

First responders found Dreuitt dead inside his car.

At the time of the crash, which claimed the lives of all six people inside the plane, there were several vehicles traveling on the block. At least 22 people on the ground were injured.

PHILADELPHIA PLANE TRAGEDY: MEDICAL AMBULANCE TRANSPORTING PEDIATRIC PATIENT CRASHES, EXPLODES NEAR HOMES

The medical examiner's office said the investigation remains ongoing. 

The family of 38-year-old Jason Rodriguez, who was shopping in the area at the time of the crash, said he is still missing, according to FOX 29.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services is "not a slam dunk," as President Donald Trump's nominee works to shore up support.

In an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," Fetterman said he has met with Kennedy twice in his office and that whatever his decision ends up being on the HHS nominee, it will be "an informed view." 

"I've invested a lot of time to really understand his background and to learn more about the man," Fetterman said, adding: "I approached with an open mind and I watched the hearing. And that's how the process works." 

TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS AHEAD OF CRUCIAL CONFIRMATION VOTES

Asked if he's reached a decision on whether he'll vote "yay" or "nay" for Kennedy, Fetterman said he has spoken to colleagues on both sides regarding the matter. 

"It's been challenging for sure. Absolutely. It's certainly not a slam dunk for the nomination," Fetterman told "Fox News Sunday" host Shannon Bream. 

"I've made an investment to really understand and talk to all of the nominees, and I treated everyone with respect and I took the time to listen, and that's been part of my commitment," he added.

Kennedy, a lifelong Democrat who switched his presidential campaign against Biden to run as an Independent before ultimately dropping from the race to back Trump, made it through back-to-back grillings by the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the Health Committee on Thursday. He still faces crucial committee and full Senate confirmation votes in his mission to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that oversee the nation's food and health.

VP VANCE MAKES CONFIRMATION PREDICTIONS FOR GABBARD, PATEL AND RFK, JR: 'HAVE TO FIGHT FOR EACH ONE'

Most of the tough questions and sparring over his stances on vaccines, abortion, Medicaid and other issues came from Democrats on the two committees, but Thursday's hearing ended with the top Republican on the Health panel saying he was "struggling" with Kennedy's nomination.

"Your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me," Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., told the nominee.

The physician from Louisiana, who is a crucial vote and who has voiced concerns over Kennedy's past stance on vaccines, asked whether Kennedy can "be trusted to support the best public health." The senator told Kennedy, who seeks to lead key health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that "you may be hearing from me over the weekend."

Kennedy, whose outspoken views on the pharmaceutical and food industries have also sparked controversy, has said he aims to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking aim at ultra-processed foods and getting to the root causes of chronic diseases.

A strong pro-life advocate, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told "Fox News Sunday" that he is supporting Kennedy despite the nominee's past comments saying he supported codifying Roe v. Wade and abortion "even if it's full term."  

"I am now OK to supporting RFK Jr. because I think during the course of the hearing he's committed to a Republican pro-life agenda, President Trump's pro-life agenda," Graham said when asked about those specific past remarks from Kennedy. "So I will take him at his word. I'm comfortable with what he said on the pro-life issue. He has been radically pro-choice as a person. But I do believe that as secretary, he will implement a pro-life agenda that will be pushed by President Trump. I will be a yes, but I'll also watch every move he makes." 

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

A woman who suffered intensely painful periods for some 20 years was finally diagnosed with a revealing ailment — helping to clear up a mystery that began plaguing her even before she became a teenager.

Jen Moore, 35, a former wedding cake baker, said she was unable to stand up straight when she first began experiencing painful periods as a girl of 11 years old.

She said doctors put her on birth control pills to try to reduce her periods, according to news agency SWNS — but that didn't alleviate her pain over the years.

WOMAN WITH CANCER REVEALS THE DIET THAT SHE SAYS SAVED HER LIFE 

She was informed by doctors that what she was experiencing was "normal," she told the news agency — and that she was just someone who was "unlucky" to have painful menstrual periods.

But during the COVID lockdown, when she came off the contraceptives after 22 years, she said she "didn't recognize the person she became" and would often pass out from the pain and blood loss.

When she went to a physician due to her menstrual pain and had an ultrasound, she was told that no endometriosis had been detected, she told SWNS.

Not satisfied, Moore, of Cambridge, England, paid on her own to have an MRI scan.

She was ultimately diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis, conditions in which the lining of the uterus grows in places where it should not be.

FDA APPROVES OPIOID-FREE PAIN MEDICATION WITH ‘NO SIGN OF ADDICTION’ 

Said Moore, "At the time, I thought it was normal because I didn't know any different."

When she was young, she said, her mother took her to see doctors — and Moore said she was told that her painful periods eventually would stop.

She said doctors told her that even if she did have endometriosis, "all they would do is put me on the pill."

She also said that today she still feels "rage" at what happened to her.

"I also feel heartbroken," she told SWNS, "thinking about myself as an 11-year-old who had no idea she was about to go through so many of these things."

She added, "I feel hope that generations are standing up and that they don't want to tolerate this anymore."

TRUMP AND A HEALTHIER AMERICA WELCOMED BY DOCTORS: 'NEW GOLDEN AGE'

Yet "I feel that it shouldn't have to fall to the patients to do that," she also said.

Moore said that even now, she feels "exhausted" and that there "isn't an area of my life" that this hasn't touched.

‘I’M A DOCTOR — HERE'S THE WELLNESS ROUTINE I FOLLOW FOR A LONGER, HEALTHIER LIFE'

She said that even though she had painful periods for so long, she wanted to go to college and try to live as normal a life as possible, "despite being bed-bound" for about a week every month. 

She has learned, she said, that she has endometriosis on her bowels and her bladder — "it's everywhere again, it's just relentless."

She said she's had "this condition damaging her organs for 22 years — that's a lot of damage to unpick, so surgeries are never magic and [don't] always provide a pain-free life."

"Unfortunately," she said, "there is still a lot of endometriosis for me."

Janet Lindsay, CEO of Wellbeing of Women, told SWNS, "Endometriosis is a condition that affects the lives of many women, often for years before a diagnosis is made … For too long, women's pain has been dismissed or misunderstood."

There is an "urgent need," she said, "for greater awareness, early diagnosis, and better support for those living with the condition."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Last year, Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin, discussed her recovery from surgery following an endometriosis diagnosis. 

Irwin, 26, said her "inescapable" pain was dismissed by doctors for 10 years as she was tested for all kinds of diseases.

"I was tested for everything," Irwin told People magazine last summer. "Every tropical disease, Lyme disease, cancer, you name it. I had every blood test and scan imaginable."

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

Endometriosis, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a condition "in which cells similar to the lining of the uterus, or endometrium, grow outside the uterus," as Fox News Digital previously reported.

"Endometriosis often involves the pelvic tissue and can envelop the ovaries and fallopian tubes."

The condition can be severely painful for those suffering from it — and it can impact fertility and menstruation.

Lauryn Overhultz of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

A new opioid-free pain medication was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday, marking a non-addictive alternative for patients.

Journavx (suzetrigine), made by Vertex, is the "first and only approved non-opioid oral pain signal inhibitor," according to a press release from the Massachusetts-based company.

The new drug is intended for treatment of moderate to severe acute pain in adults. 

COMMON PAIN RELIEVER COULD CAUSE MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS IN SOME PEOPLE OVER 65, STUDY SUGGESTS

Patients with acute pain after surgery or due to a broken bone or an injury are often prescribed opioid medications, according to Julie Pilitsis, MD, PhD, a neurosurgeon at Banner – University Medicine and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.

"This is the first time many patients receive opioids, and a subset of patients are known to go on to become dependent or addicted to the medications," she told Fox News Digital.

"Patients with pain have had very few options to treat their pain with medications that don’t have addictive properties or side effects they can’t tolerate."

THE 6 MOST COMMON HEADACHE TYPES — AND WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR

The main reason traditional pain relievers have addictive properties or intolerable side effects is that they work by modifying receptors in the brain, Pilitsis noted.

"This medication — which is a drug that inhibits sodium channels — works outside the brain on pain receptors," she noted.

"To have a non-opioid option to prescribe in these cases is exciting — and this is the first time in nearly two decades that we have something new to offer patients for acute pain."

Acute pain — sudden or urgent pain that results from injury, trauma or surgery — affects more than 80 million Americans annually and is the most common reason for emergency department visits, according to statistics.

Around half of these will be prescribed an opioid, and 10% of those will have "prolonged opioid use."

In 2023, more than five million Americans 12 and older reported a "prescription use disorder" within the past year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Approximately 294,000 people died from prescription opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2022, the above source stated.

By managing acute pain effectively, suzetrigine may help prevent it from developing into chronic pain without the danger of dependency, meeting a "major unmet need," noted Jianguo Cheng, MD, PhD, a pain management specialist at Cleveland Clinic.

"Many current therapies rely on opioids, contributing to dependency and misuse," he told Fox News Digital. "Suzetrigine’s non-opioid mechanism eliminates risks of misuse, addiction and respiratory depression, making it a safer alternative for acute pain management."

In addition to acute pain, suzetrigine may also be a solution for neuropathic (nerve) pain, depending on the results of further studies, the doctor added.

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, also applauded the approval of suzetrigine.

"It has no sign of addiction, which makes it a hugely important new tool as we fight the opioid epidemic," he told Fox News Digital.

In clinical trials, the non-opioid medication received high patient satisfaction ratings, with 83% reporting "good" to "excellent" pain relief in real-world applications, Cheng noted.

Siegel noted that the drug has shown to decrease pain by about half, which he described as "excellent."

"This drug is a big step forward and has been well-studied," he added.

Suzetrigine has become available for patients with acute pain, noted Pilitsis. 

"It will be important to find physicians who are comfortable prescribing pain medications and to check with your insurance company to ensure that it is covered," she advised.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

The medication is expected to fall under the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act, effective January 2025, which provides Medicare coverage for FDA-approved non-opioid pain therapies, according to Cheng. 

"This policy aims to improve access and affordability, ensuring suzetrigine’s inclusion in outpatient and surgical settings while reducing reliance on opioids," he said. 

The most common side effects of Journavx, according to the company’s website, include itching, muscle spasms, rash, and increased levels of an enzyme called creatine phosphokinase in the blood, among others.

The drug may also cause temporary fertility challenges.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

Certain medications can increase the risk of side effects and affect the drug’s effectiveness, the company cautioned, as can food or drink containing grapefruit.

Patients should see their doctor if any side effects become bothersome or do not go away.

Fox News Digital reached out to Vertex for additional comment.

"Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) became a rallying cry during the final months of the 2024 presidential election, after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed President Donald Trump and joined his campaign.

A little over a week after Election Day 2024, Trump announced Kennedy as his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

Under Kennedy's leadership, the MAHA movement aims to improve nutrition in America, eliminate toxins, preserve natural habitats and fight the chronic disease epidemic, according to its website.

TRUMP AND A HEALTHIER AMERICA WELCOMED BY DOCTORS: 'NEW GOLDEN AGE'

Read on to learn more about some of the key players behind the MAHA movement.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a former presidential candidate, son of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and President Trump's pick for HHS secretary. 

Kennedy has said he aims to make America healthy again through strategies such as focusing on food and nutrition, targeting chronic diseases, changing FDA policies and raising awareness of alternative health treatments. 

'GOD-INTENDED FOODS' ARE KEY TO A HEALTHIER AMERICA, EXPERT SAYS

Jessica Reed Kraus is the author of "House Inhabit," one of the top culture Substack blogs. The California-based influencer previously described herself as "super liberal," but her politics shifted during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Kraus worked with both the Trump and RFK Jr. presidential campaigns, and she wrote glowingly about the MAHA Inaugural Ball in her Substack.

Marla Maples, ex-wife of President Donald Trump and mother of Tiffany Trump, was among the supporters who appeared on Capitol Hill this past Wednesday during the confirmation hearing for HHS secretary. 

The Georgia native, also a co-founder of the Global Wellness Forum, shared her excitement for the MAHA movement and her hopes for a healthier America.

MARLA MAPLES ADVOCATES FOR HEALTHIER FOOD CHOICES FOR AMERICANS AMID RFK JR. HEARINGS

"I have to support America's health, our children's health … We suffered [for] so long with what they're putting in our food supply without having consent on what we're getting medically," she told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

Jillian Michaels is a renowned fitness expert based in Miami, Florida. As a certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist, she takes a no-nonsense approach to health and wellness. 

In Sept. 2024, Michaels appeared in a "Make America Healthy Again" ad with healthcare entrepreneur Brigham Buhler.

Alex Clark is the host of the "Culture Apothecary" podcast. She speaks with guests who share their own healing remedies for those seeking alternative healthcare methods. 

A contributor to the nonprofit political organization Turning Point USA, the Arizona-based Clark has over 120,000 followers on X and nearly half a million Instagram followers.

Known as the "Food Babe," Vani Hari has been raising alarms about chemicals in food, water and the air for over a decade. 

Based in North Carolina, the mother of three is the author of several books and the "Food Babe" blog. 

As a food activist, Hari aims to influence major food giants to adopt healthier policies.

Caitlin Sinclair, who is with Turning Point Action, spoke with Fox News Digital about her personal connection to the MAHA movement.

Sinclair experienced a "dark, seven-year odyssey" of wrongful diagnoses, she shared. 

The MAHA movement is part of a "spiritual awakening" in the U.S. that is key to helping people achieve the American dream, she said.

Calley Means is a New York City-based entrepreneur, author and advocate for healthcare reform, focusing on the intersection of food, policy and chronic disease. 

Means co-founded TrueMed, a company in Washington, D.C., that helps Americans use health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) for preventative health measures like nutrition and fitness. 

He also co-wrote the book "Good Energy" with his sister, Casey Means, M.D. 

Dr. Casey Means is a Stanford-trained physician and metabolic health expert based in Los Angeles.

Formerly a surgeon, she shifted her focus to preventive medicine, emphasizing the role of diet and lifestyle in combating chronic disease. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Means focuses on metabolic health, highlighting the connections between blood sugar, inflammation and long-term wellness. She was among the supporters who attended the confirmation hearing for RFK Jr. on Jan. 29.

Nicole Saphier, M.D., a board-certified radiologist with advanced fellowship training in breast imaging, is a Fox News medical contributor and bestselling author. 

The New York City-based doctor also wrote the book "Make America Healthy Again" in 2020, spearheading the MAHA movement. 

An Australian who now calls Los Angeles home, Liana Werner-Gray said her life changed dramatically in 2009 at age 21, when she was told she had cancer in her lymphatic system.   

Eschewing traditional medicine, Werner-Gray embarked on a "massive detox" and changed her diet. She is the author of "The Earth Diet" and several other books.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

The wellness advocate spoke with Fox News Digital about her personal health journey while attending RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing.

Daphne Oz is an Emmy-winning TV host, author and wellness advocate known for her expertise in healthy living, nutrition and balanced lifestyle choices. She is based in Florida.

As the daughter of Dr. Mehmet Oz, Daphne Oz has built a career emphasizing the importance of nourishing foods, mindful indulgence and wellness. She was recently spotted at the MAHA inaugural ball held in celebration of RFK Jr. on Jan. 20. 

A man who is 92 years old is not only still competing in his activity of choice, he's teaching others the secrets of how to live a long, healthy and fulfilling life.

Ivan Pedley, a retired toolmaker, plays ping-pong twice a week and said he has no plans to stop any time soon.

The grandfather of three took up the paddle sport when he was 14, news agency SWNS reported. Now, 78 years later, he's still playing.

'I'M A DOCTOR — HERE'S THE WELLNESS ROUTINE I FOLLOW FOR A LONGER, HEALTHIER LIFE'

The retiree plays roughly 14 games a week at the Great Wyrley Table Tennis Club in Staffordshire, West Midlands, England.

He often goes up against opponents who are much younger, SWNS said.

And while he may have slowed down a bit over time, Pedley said he rarely gets knocked off the table and that success at the sport is all about "technique."

He said regular ping-pong playing helps him stay fit and healthy and that continuing to play it well into his senior years is the best thing he's ever done.

"I enjoy every minute of it.", said Pedley, who lives in Walsall, West Midlands.

EATING THIS BREAKFAST FOOD COULD HELP YOU LIVE LONGER, STUDY SUGGESTS

"It's the best thing I've ever done. I don't know anyone older than 92 playing." 

He said that while others who play might be "faster" than he is, "it's all in the technique."

There are "a lot of people in their 60s" who play, he said, "but I play the younger people, too. I try to play everybody at the club.

TO LIVE LONGER, DO THESE 5 THINGS EVERY DAY, SAYS A BRAIN HEALTH EXPERT

"I'll keep going for as long as I can, as long as my health stays. Sitting on your backside is no help to anyone."

He said he first found his passion for ping-pong while he was a teenager and let it go for a while when he was in his 20s.

But once he reached his 60s, he rediscovered his love of the sport after a chance game with a friend while on vacation, he said.

He then started playing regularly again while also continuing to stay involved in bowling, swimming and judo. He's a brown belt.

Pedley said he believes he's gotten better at ping-pong because of the standard of skill in those he's playing against these days.

WORLD WAR II VETERAN TURNS 100, REVEALS SECRETS OF A LONG, HEALTHY LIFE 

He added, jokingly, "I do let these [them] win sometimes, though, because I don't want to dishearten them."

Pedley goes to the club on Tuesdays and Fridays, he said, spending up to three hours each time.

"I don't want to sit here and do nothing," he said. "I like to keep myself healthy. … I keep going. It makes me get up and do it.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

"Once you're committed, you have to try and turn up. I'd tell anyone to join a club to start with.

"I've done amateur competitions. I've got certificates from what I've achieved at table tennis."

For more Health articles, visit foxnews.com/health

"He'll always put his heart into it," club Secretary Tony Reeds told SWNS about Pedley/.

He said Pedley will play against "anyone" who comes into the club to play ping-pong.

"He's part of the furniture now. He's had some good games."

Pedley tells people, "If you want to keep fit, this is the way to do it," Reeds noted.

Older people are wise to stay active, eat well, remain connected to others and take care of themselves both physically and mentally in other ways as well, health and medical experts have long said. 

Contributing to the saturation of wives-focused television series in the 2010s was "Mob Wives," a docu-series following the lives of Italian women married to men serving prison sentences for mob-related crimes.

The reality show starred main protagonists Drita D'Avanzo, Carla Facciolo, Karen Gravano and Renee Graziano, daughter of infamous Bonanno crime family consigliere Anthony Graziano, and detailed tumultuous friendships and marriages, chaos and brutal banter.

"I received a call from a producer," Kelly Gorsky, a specialist in therapy, psychology and anger management, told Fox News Digital. "He said, ‘I have a complicated situation, a complicated potential client. Can you handle a difficult person, and would you be open to possibly treating them on a TV show?"

'MOB WIVES' STAR RENEE GRAZIANO SPEAKS OUT AFTER ARREST, CAR CRASH: ‘GRATEFUL TO BE ALIVE’

Since 2007, Gorsky has treated clients through her private practice.

With over 1 million viewers per episode, Season One of "Mob Wives" aired recorded sit-down sessions between Gorsky and Graziano.

"I learned to be challenged," Gorsky said. "I actually learned composure, self-filtering, self-control, self-regulation, even when a client attempts to place you in very uncomfortable circumstances."

Season One offered viewers a look into the stages of grief as a major story line unfolded in Graziano’s life. Her former husband, Hector "Junior" Pagan, was revealed as an FBI informant who wore a wire and snitched on her father. Graziano detailed her struggles to Gorsky during weekly sessions.

She acknowledged one key takeaway was learning how to support a client through the most challenging and unusual circumstances.

‘MOB WIVES' STAR NATALIE DIDONATO HAS BEEN FOUND AFTER BEING REPORTED MISSING: MOTHER

"Whatever they wanted to use out of that 50-minute session, it was out of their discretion," she said. "They got to use whatever content they wanted."

Unsure about the value of sessions recorded in an industrial building for viewers’ entertainment, Gorksy didn’t sign on for additional seasons.

The show aired for six seasons. The final episode aired one month after beloved "Mob Wives" cast member Angela Raiola, known as "Big Ang," died from complications of lung cancer.

'MOB WIVES' STAR RENEE GRAZIANO OVERDOSED ON FENTANYL: 'I WAS DEAD'

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Gorsky authored the book "Anger Management: 101," providing insights on how individuals can avoid engaging in or propelling arguments. She details coping skills, tools and information for an alternative to anger, which she initially applied to her own life.

"I had a tremendous amount of anger, friction, yelling, screaming, arguing, and it was just a roller coaster," she said, describing her childhood. "It wouldn’t stop."

"Anger is a pretty healthy emotion that provides you with a cue that something is wrong," Gorsky said.

The court-approved book is written in short chapters, and clients are encouraged to work through them gradually.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

"The end goal is to make better decisions because you have better skills to resolve conflicts," Gorsky said.

"Even if you’re the most reactive individual, most of the time, everything is preplanned," she said. "All your plans, situations, people, events, gatherings; you know whom you’re with. You know who the people are. You know what the usual conflicts are."

Gorsky recommends planning management of expectations and responses versus flying blind and welcoming the alternative.

"Usually circumstances are predictable," she said.

As health officials report a surge of winter viruses, health experts are warning that heart disease symptoms can sometimes mimic respiratory illnesses.

Four viruses are circulating in the U.S., sparking concerns of a possible "quademic."

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, COVID-19 and norovirus are all at "very high levels" around the country, experts warn. 

NEW BIRD FLU STRAIN DETECTED ON POULTRY FARM AS EXPERTS MONITOR MUTATIONS

The American Heart Association (AHA) confirmed that certain viruses have been linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke. 

"The highest risk is within three days of infection, but remains heightened for up to 90 days," the AHA stated on its website.

Johanna Contreras, M.D., a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital in New York City, said she has seen people mistaking virus symptoms for serious heart complications.

Some patients who experience shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, swelling and palpitations may assume their symptoms are linked to a cold when these could be signs of heart failure, she said in a release sent to Fox News Digital.

FEELING EXTRA TIRED? THIS VIRUS COULD BE THE CULPRIT, STUDY SUGGESTS

Weakness, fever, dizziness and chest pain could also mask potentially life-threatening conditions.

Those may include pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs), heart attack, pericarditis (inflammation around the lining of the heart), heart failure or viral myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), according to Mount Sinai cardiologists.

Viruses can provoke an inflammatory condition, which can lead to or worsen cardiac conditions, according to Dr. Icilma Fergus, director of cardiovascular disparities for the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City.

"Typically, those [viruses] that make one sicker and promote a hypercoaguable state (an increased tendency to form blood clots) are more dangerous," she told Fox News Digital. 

THIS DISEASE KILLS MORE PEOPLE THAN ALL CANCERS AND ACCIDENTS COMBINED

"The focus has now been increasingly placed on RSV and norovirus on top of the known influenza and COVID viruses."

Anuradha Lala, M.D., another cardiologist at Mount Sinai in New York City, noted that the body’s immune system creates an inflammatory response to fight and eliminate the virus — but this inflammation could inadvertently harm cardiac tissue. 

"If you have a known heart condition, viral infections can bring on exacerbations — or a worsening of the underlying tissue — whether it is atrial fibrillation, coronary heart disease or heart failure," she noted in the release.

A recent patient at the hospital recently experienced severe shortness of breath, weakness, palpitations and fatigue, fearing they had heart failure, she noted. 

"After they had bloodwork taken, there was a frantic moment when we could not reach the patient to share results that revealed a significantly elevated troponin level, which can be linked to a heart attack," she shared in the release. 

"Although we suspected the worst, we eventually reached the patient and they were hospitalized with influenza A and severe viral myocarditis. They were treated appropriately and luckily there was a good outcome."

DIABETES, HEART DISEASE CASES SKYROCKET — AND SCIENTISTS SUGGEST A KEY REASON

Older adults — as well as those who are immunocompromised or have a history of heart issues or other underlying conditions — are particularly at risk for cardiac complications, according to the Mount Sinai cardiologists. 

"Anyone is susceptible, even healthcare providers — and anyone who is not paying attention to their symptoms may get sick with potentially life-threatening complications," Fergus said in the report.

Patients who notice persistent chest pain and palpitations after a viral illness should consider ruling out myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, according to Contreras.

It is important to discuss any post-virus symptoms with a healthcare professional, especially for those in high-risk groups, health experts told Fox News Digital.

Specific symptoms that warrant emergency attention include chest pain, difficulty breathing or staying awake, feelings of passing out, or extremes of blood pressure.

Swelling of the legs may also be linked to cardiac events — especially if there is also an underlying heart condition or risk factors such as obesity, diabetes or a family history of heart disease, Lala stated in the Mount Sinai release.

During the cold, damp winter months, certain viruses may thrive and become more virulent, Fergus told Fox News Digital. 

"People should stay vigilant and observe for symptoms of an impending cold," she advised. "Get tested to know what virus you have, as the antiviral treatments are different."

People should take measures to avoid exposure to winter illnesses and seek treatment if they become ill, especially if they have an underlying condition, Fergus advised.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

It is recommended that those who are in vulnerable groups get vaccines when available, the cardiologist added.

The American Heart Association recommends following the below precautions to reduce the chances of contracting a virus: 

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association.

The Food and Drug Administration has reclassified a recall of chocolate products to its most serious level. 

On Dec. 12, 2024, the Cal Yee Farm LLC of Suisun Valley, California, issued a recall for several of its chocolate and yogurt-covered products, as well as its trail mix and toffee, due to undeclared allergens. 

"People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk, soy, wheat, sesame, FD&C #6 and almonds run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products," according to a release from Cal Yee Farm that was published on the FDA's website at the time.

WALMART RECALLS OVER 12,000 CARTONS OF CHICKEN BROTH IN 9 STATES

The products were sold in nine states — California, Arizona, Virginia, New Mexico, Texas, Tennessee, Oregon, Ohio and Pennsylvania — the release said. 

The company also operates an online store. 

In the Jan. 29 weekly enforcement report, the FDA classified the recall of eight Cal Yee Farm products as a "Class I" designation.

A "Class I" recall is "a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death," according to the FDA's website. 

THIS AMOUNT OF DARK CHOCOLATE DAILY COULD REDUCE DIABETES RISK, STUDY FINDS

These eight products involved are:

All but the Cal Yee's Cajun Sesame Hot Sticks and New Orleans Hot Mix products were recalled due to undeclared milk. 

The Cajun Sesame Hot Sticks and New Orleans Hot Mix were both recalled due to undeclared wheat and soybean oil, the FDA's website said.

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

Two fruit basket products, various butter toffee products and a mango with chili product that were part of the initial recall announcement were not included in the FDA's most recent enforcement report and have not been classified. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

No illnesses related to the candies have been reported, the FDA's website said.

"The recall was initiated after an FDA inspection of our facility where it was discovered that products containing milk, soy, wheat, sesame, FD&C #6 and almonds were distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of milk, soy, wheat, sesame, FD&C #6 and almonds," said a release from Cal Yee Farm that was published by the FDA. 

Those with allergies to those foods and who believe they might have the recalled products "should not consume the product and should dispose of them or return them to us for a full refund," the release said. 

The top Republican on the Senate's chief health committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., indicated Thursday during Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s second confirmation hearing of the week that his vote for Trump's nominee to head Health and Human Services was not a lock, noting that he was "struggling" to confirm Kennedy over his inability to admit vaccines are safe and don't cause autism.

Kennedy faced two separate hearings in front of Senate lawmakers this week in his bid to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy was probed frequently over his views on vaccines, which have been a sticking point for many senators as they figure out whether to vote in favor of Kennedy's nomination or not.

RFK JR RIPS DEM SENATOR FOR PUSHING ‘DISHONEST’ NARRATIVE ON PAST VACCINE COMMENTS: ‘CORRECTED IT MANY TIMES’

During the hearings, Kennedy refused to reject claims he has posited publicly in the past that vaccines cause autism and argued he is not anti-vaccine but rather "pro-safety." Kennedy added during the hearings that his plan as HHS secretary would be to "follow the science," noting that if the science says he is wrong on vaccines, he will publicly apologize. 

But senators, like Cassidy, have suggested during Kennedy's confirmation hearings that the science says vaccines are safe — and they don't cause autism.

"My responsibility is to learn, try and determine, if you can be trusted to support the best public health," Cassidy, a former physician, said during his closing remarks at Kennedy's Thursday confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). "A worthy movement called ‘MAHA,’" Cassidy continued, "to improve the health of Americans, or to undermine it, always asking for more evidence, and never accepting the evidence that is there … That is why I've been struggling with your nomination." 

DOCTOR DEFENDS RFK JR'S VACCINE STANCE: ‘HE’S NOT AGAINST VACCINES'

Cassidy repeatedly asked Kennedy during the Thursday hearing to publicly declare that vaccines don't cause autism, but he refused. "That would have an incredible impact," Cassidy said. 

"There are issues we are, man, ultra-processed food, obesity, we are simpatico. We are completely aligned," Cassidy continued during his closing remarks. "And as someone who has discussed immunizations with thousands of people, I understand that mothers want reassurance that the vaccine their child is receiving is necessary, safe and effective. We agree on that point, the two of us, but we've approached it differently. And I think I can say that I've approached it using the preponderance of evidence to reassure, and you've approached it using selective evidence to cast doubt."

Meanwhile, Cassidy pointed out the massive "megaphone" Kennedy has as a descendant of former President John F. Kennedy, and questioned whether he will use his credibility "to support" or "to undermine" the nation's public health and its confidence in vaccines.

"I got to figure that out, for my vote," Cassidy said.