Health Highlights, April 8, 2022

Medicare limits coverage of Aduhelm to patients in clinical trials. The latest decision is meant to protect Alzheimer’s patients while gathering more data on whether the pricey medication actually helps slow thinking declines, agency officials said. Read more

U.S. life expectancy declined again in 2021. Life spans fell for two years in a row, and the new analysis found America faring worse during the pandemic than 19 other wealthy countries — despite the arrival of COVID vaccines. Read more

Among vaccinated, COVID symptoms ease faster with Omicron. A new study finds that, on average, patients with Delta had symptoms for nine days; those with Omicron, for seven. Read more

Many U.S. water systems contain uranium. Two-thirds of U.S. community water systems have detectable levels of the potential toxin, and the highest levels are in Hispanic communities, a new report finds. Read more