Fads, Outbreaks, and Health Policy

Howie and Harlan discuss health headlines including the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak; a recent FDA decision allowing pharmacies to compound certain peptides; and a concerning report from Medicare trustees on the program's financial future. They also dive into the health habits they're changing this year and a new feature from ChatGPT allowing users to connect medical records and health data to the platform. Watch a video edition of this episode. Show Notes: Healthy Habits Health & Veritas: Ezekiel Emanuel "What's Erythritol? And Is It Bad for You?" NIH: Aging and Alcohol "Low-plastic diet and urinary levels of plastic-associated phthalates and bisphenols: the randomized controlled PERTH Trial" Health & Veritas: Eric Topol Cyclosporiasis Outbreak CDC: Surveillance of Cyclosporiasis FDA: Investigation of 9-State Outbreak of Cyclospora Illnesses: Iceberg Lettuce (July 2026) "Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Iceberg Lettuce in 9 States" National Foundation for Infectious Diseases: Norovirus FDA: Cyclospora CDC: Clinical Overview of Cyclosporiasis CDC: About FoodNet CDC: About PulseNet FDA: FSMA Final Rule on Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods Peptides and the FDA Health & Veritas: Trust, Truth, and Moral Distress "Peptides: What they are, potential benefits, and safety concerns" "FDA committee votes to make peptides more widely available" LinkedIn: Ezekiel Emanuel The Future of Medicare OASDI: Trustees Report Summary U.S. Department of the Treasury: Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports H.R.1: An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14. IRS: Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 ChatGPT Ventures into Health "Launching Health in ChatGPT" "OpenAI makes Health in ChatGPT widely available, moving deeper into consumer health" "ChatGPT Led to a Man's Near-Fatal Health Crisis, Lawsuit Claims" LinkedIn: David Rhew A Record Measles Season Health & Veritas: Measles Outbreaks, Preventative Cardiology, and Other News CDC: Measles Cases and Outbreaks "Measles Cases in the U.S. Are at a 35-Year High" "What ProPublica Found in the Genetic Code of America's Measles Outbreaks" Pan American Health Organization Senator Bill Cassidy In the Yale School of Management's MBA for Executives program, you'll get a full MBA education in 22 months while applying new skills to your organization in real time. Yale's Executive Master of Public Health offers a rigorous public health education for working professionals, with the flexibility of evening online classes alongside three on-campus trainings. Email Howie and Harlan comments or questions.