Health news watch: what patients read about in March

Here, we look at the clinical stories patients might be reading in the mainstream news media and provide the original evidence behind the stories so that you can answer any questions that may come up. Cahal McQuillan reports.

Medicines shortages and the war in Iran

The UK is ‘weeks away from medicines shortages’ if the Iran war continues, reported multiple outlets on 28 March.

Speaking with The Guardian, Mark Samuels, chief executive of Medicines UK, which represents manufacturers of generic drugs accounting for 85% of medications used by the NHS, warned that if the conflict continues, drug shortages could arise within a matter of weeks.

Meanwhile, on 30 March, the head of the NHS in England, Sir Jim Mackey, expressed fears that some medicine and equipment supplies could run out in a matter of days due to the conflict.

The Guardian’s story highlights that these concerns primarily stem from India’s central role in the manufacture of global generic medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients, with India producing around a third of all UK medicines.

As a result of the conflict, airports across the Middle East are operating on limited schedules, which is significantly slowing deliveries from countries like India.

Pharmaceutical companies have had to reroute shipments, with many increasingly relying on sea transport. However, shipping is also under severe strain due to the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz – a narrow waterway located between Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Mr Samuels added, ‘We’re not in a crisis currently but it’s still a serious situation.’

Stopping GLP-1s reverses cardiovascular benefits

Stopping GLP-1 medications used for weight loss and diabetes can rapidly reverse their cardiovascular health benefits, according to a new study reported on by The Independent on 19 March.

Published in BMJ Medicine, the study followed more than 333,000 US veterans with type 2 diabetes who were using GLP-1s or sulfonylureas for three years. Compared to continued use, they found that stopping or interrupting GLP-1 treatment for as little as six months was linked to a significant increase in the risk of major cardiovascular events.

The researchers found that the longer the gap in treatment, the bigger the jump in risk — up to a 22% increase for heart attack, stroke and death after two years off GLP-1s, which largely erased the cardiovascular benefits gained during treatment.

On 1 April 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence announced plans to recommend semaglutide injection for more than a million people on the NHS to help prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Recreational drugs increase stroke risk

Several recreational drugs, particularly cocaine, amphetamines, and cannabis, significantly increase stroke risk, according to a new study reported on by The Times and The Guardian on 8 March.

The systematic review and meta-analysis, which was published in the International Journal of Stroke, included 32 studies comprising more than 100 million total participants across administrative, hospital-based, and population-based datasets.

Testing for associations between seven substance use disorders and multiple stroke subtypes, the researchers found that amphetamine use was associated with a 122% increase in stroke risk, cocaine with a 96% increase, and cannabis with a 37% increase. Meanwhile opioid and nicotine use were not significantly associated with overall stroke risk.

A Mendelian randomisation analysis – which is based on genetic data – was subsequently used by the researchers to determine whether a causal rather than correlative link existed. They found that cannabis, cocaine, and alcohol use disorders were causally linked to strokes.

Notably, amphetamines could not be assessed in the Mendelian analysis due to a lack of suitable genetic data.

Snake oils: the future of weight loss medicine?

Does a python’s metabolism hold the secret to the future of weight loss medicine? That was the question at the heart of a study reported on by The Sun on 19 March.

The study, published in Nature Metabolism, examined how these reptiles can go months – or even years – without eating after consuming a massive meal, all while remaining healthy.

Ultimately, the researchers identified a previously unknown molecule in pythons’ blood that signals to the brain when they’ve eaten enough. The molecule, called para-tyramine-O-sulphate (pTOS), was found to increase dramatically – by 1,000-fold – after eating. While pTOS is also present in humans and rises after meals, the increase is far more modest, typically by around two-to-five times.

pTOS rises as part of the digestion process and signals satiety to the brain, which helps to curb appetite. When it was given to obese or lean mice as part of additional studies by the same researchers, high doses triggered weight loss without causing gastrointestinal problems, muscle loss or tiredness.

Interestingly, the authors say that GLP-1 drugs were inspired by another reptile, the Gila monster, whose venom contains a hormone similar to human GLP-1.

Lyme disease vaccine

A vaccine for Lyme disease has shown good efficacy in a phase 3 clinical trial, according to a story in Reuters from 23 March.

Pfizer and Valneva’s vaccine candidate – PF-07307405 (LB6V) – demonstrated more than 73% efficacy in preventing Lyme disease in individuals aged five years and above. It was also well tolerated with no serious safety concerns identified during the trial.

The trial did, however, fall short of reaching a key statistical requirement meant to ensure reliability. The researchers largely attribute this shortfall to fewer Lyme diseases cases being recorded than expected during the study, which limited the available data. Despite this, Pfizer is currently planning submissions to regulatory authorities.

Lyme disease is a growing issue in the UK, the UK Health Security Agency reported 1,581 laboratory confirmed cases of Lyme disease in England in 2024, compared to just 60 cases in the whole of the UK in 2001.

Sleep apps may worsen anxiety

Sleep tracking apps could worsen stress and anxiety for people with insomnia, suggests new research covered by The Independent on 20 March.

Published in Frontiers In Psychology, this Norwegian study assessed how 1,002 adults used and perceived the effects of sleep apps through an online questionnaire.

About 15% of respondents said the apps improved their sleep, while 2.3% of respondents reported worse sleep. Interestingly, the study found that people with insomnia reported more negative effects of sleep apps.

The team suggested several possible explanations for this, including that people with insomnia often experience excessive cognitive activity and have heightened vigilance around sleep-related threats as well as negative expectations about sleep interventions.

The authors identified age as the most influential factor in shaping users’ experiences. Younger age groups (18–35 and 36–50) were more likely to report beneficial effects, including improved sleep and a greater tendency to prioritise it.