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A push by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to slash funding for “indirect” research costs like lab equipment and computers could delay or end lifesaving medical studies all over the country, scientists say.

“These funds keep the lights on — literally and figuratively,” says Harlan Krumholz, MD, a professor and the director of the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

These funds pay for things like lab space, compliance with regulations, IT infrastructure, administrative support, and expenses required for maintaining a safe and functional research environment, Dr. Krumholz says. Without these funds, research would grind to a halt.

“It would be like giving funding for cars and drivers, but not for the roads. Or for planes and pilots, but not for the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] or airports,” Krumholz says. “It’s not excess — it’s essential.”

How the NIH Funds Critical Research

Typically, these grants earmark 27 to 28 percent of funds for indirect costs, the NIH said. Some grants, however, set aside more than 60 percent of funds for indirect costs. Going forward, the NIH said it will cap indirect costs at 15 percent of grant funds.

The Courts Have Halted the Cuts — for Now

“Right now, it is causing distraction and despair, in the context of so many attacks on NIH,” says Theodore Iwashyna, MD, PhD, an intensive care doctor and a professor at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. “Some of my staff and some younger trainees have asked, ‘Should I be looking for another job?’”

The costs the NIH is trying to cut over cover supplies that can be used on multiple research projects — spending that actually saves money in the long run, Dr. Iwashyna says.

“Computers are indirect costs. They are essential for research, but don’t get used up,” Iwashyna says. “Research office space, lab space, staplers, libraries — all of these are not specific to only a single project, so they are covered under indirect costs.”

If the research cuts are implemented, “it will be devastating,” Iwashyna says. “Cutting indirect costs like this means making lots of research impossible. So my children and grandchildren will be sicker and die sooner, because discoveries will not be made, and the biomed-fueled economy so important in so many places will fall apart.”

Indirect Costs Allow for Efficient Use of Resources

Nora Becker, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, studies women’s health, reproductive health, and chronic disease management. She works with massive data sets that can’t be analyzed on a regular computer.

“One option would be for me and everyone who wants to work with similar data to each buy an incredibly expensive high-performance computer,” Dr. Becker says. “But each of those expensive computers would only be usable by one researcher. So instead, my university takes indirect funds from grants and funds a university-wide high-performance server — a shared resource that all faculty and staff can use.”

Sharing resources enables more efficient use of grant funds and enables more research overall to get completed, Becker says.

NIH Funding Has Saved Countless Lives

Many advances in medicine like the ones that have already transformed countless lives will not be possible if the NIH drastically reduces research funding. NIH funds have helped fight everything from cancer and HIV to diabetes and obesity.

“Thirty years ago, HIV was the leading cause of death among men [ages 25 to 44] in the United States,” Becker says. “Now it’s a treatable chronic disease with almost normal life expectancy.”

Cancers that were previously deadly now have effective treatments with excellent survival odds, Becker adds.

As for diabetes and obesity, “When I was a medical student, drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic didn’t exist,” Becker says. “Now they’re first-line treatments.”

NIH funding is the reason the United States is the world leader in scientific and medical innovation and discovery, Becker says. If the NIH goes ahead with slashing grant funds for indirect costs, “research will stop, new discoveries will not be made, and more people will die,” Becker says.

Ankylosing spondylitis is characterized by inflammation in certain joints, mainly the sacroiliac joints (where the spine attaches to the pelvis), the spine, and the hips. This inflammation causes symptoms such as low back pain and stiffness.

Ankylosing spondylitis isn’t the only form of arthritis linked to heart disease, says David Pisetsky, MD, a rheumatologist and professor of medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.

“Most rheumatic diseases are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Pisetsky says. “AS, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and lupus all have inflammatory components, and when the immune system gets inflamed, it may play out in the cardiovascular system as much as the joints.”

• Heart failure
• High blood pressure
• Ischemic stroke

• Coronary heart disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart valve disease

People with ankylosing spondylitis are also more likely to have high cholesterol and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and to be overweight or obese — all factors that further increase heart disease risk, says Susan Goodman, MD, a rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

Costochondritis Pain vs. Heart Attack

With the help of family, friends, and possibly a social worker at your hospital or through an organ transplant organization, you’ll want to gather information about transplant centers that fit your needs. Things to consider include the facility’s location, whether it’s covered by your insurance, and whether it offers support groups.

The Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network (OPTN) has a searchable list of transplant centers.

Since waiting for a transplant can be a stressful and emotional time for both the patient and their family, it’s not uncommon to experience anxiety or depression. You may want to seek out an in-person or online support group specifically for transplant patients to help you work through your feelings and concerns.

Once an organ becomes available, you will need to get to the hospital and transplant center as soon as possible. Make sure your transplant team has your phone number (and a backup number) and keep your phone near you at all times.

• Toothbrush
• Comb or hairbrush
• Bathrobe and slippers
• Toiletries
• Mobile phone, computer, or tablet
• Paper, pen, and reading materials
• Small amount of cash

The app builds community by allowing participants to post photos, share updates, and encourage each other. The app also lets members give and get virtual hugs and likes. It’s a good way to share the highs and lows of managing the disease — and to know you’re not alone.

“When someone receives a diagnosis for a condition like UC, they often don’t know anyone else with the condition, and their ‘in real life’ and Facebook friends just don’t get what they’re going through,” says Mary Ray, the cofounder and chief operating officer of MyHealthTeams, a company that creates social network apps focused on numerous health conditions. “MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam changes that, instantly breaking down barriers and providing a trusted community.”

Ray noted that members have conversations about everything from the daily burden of the disease to life hacks that help them better manage flares and improve their quality of life at home and work.

“Overall, people with IBD should incorporate all types of fiber in their diet.” That said, if you’re experiencing a flare, it helps to limit certain types of fiber until your symptoms improve. These include:

Insoluble Fiber

“Insoluble fiber or fiber consumed in large quantities during active inflammation can [worsen] symptoms by irritating the gut lining and increasing stool bulk, which may lead to discomfort or diarrhea,” says Dr. Nahar.

• Wheat bran
• Whole nuts and seeds
• Leafy greens
• Legumes
• Quinoa
• The skins of fruits and vegetables

Those actively experiencing IBD symptoms often benefit from reducing their intake of insoluble fiber and replacing it with foods rich in soluble fiber instead. For example, swapping out berries for bananas, or opting for oatmeal rather than bran cereal.

Still, this is highly dependent on personal factors, Prieto-Jimenez says. “When someone is going through an IBD flare-up, adjusting fiber depends on symptoms, disease location, and type to define the best individualized plan,” she says.

FODMAPs

• Legumes
• Wheat
• Lactose-containing dairy
• Processed and marinated meat
• Certain fruits
• Vegetables like onions, garlic, artichokes, mushrooms, and cauliflower
• Fruits, especially stone fruits like peaches, avocado, and cherries
• Sugar substitutes

Everyone’s FODMAP tolerance is unique, so it’s helpful to work with a registered dietitian to pinpoint which FODMAPs may trigger your symptoms specifically and which ones you should limit during a flare.

“Our work shows that short-term exposure to air pollution can significantly impact upon several dimensions of cognition,” says coauthor Francis Pope, PhD, an environmental scientist and professor at the University of Birmingham in England.

“In particular, it shows that selective attention is affected, which can diminish an individual’s ability to concentrate on everyday tasks. It could also make it more difficult to avoid distractions, meaning that our ability to perform tasks effectively will be reduced,” says Dr. Pope.

Exposure to Air Pollution Harms Decision-Making Ability

Investigators aimed to find out whether short-term exposure to air pollution affects brain function and whether breathing through the nose or mouth plays a role in how or how much it affects different types of brain functions.

A total of 26 adults participated in four different conditions. They were exposed to either clean air or high levels of pollution for one hour, with some participants wearing a nose clip to restrict nasal breathing.

Before and four hours after exposure, participants completed four cognitive tests measuring skills like working memory, attention, emotion recognition, and reaction time.

Researchers found that selective attention and emotion recognition were negatively affected by air pollution — regardless of whether subjects breathed normally or only through their mouths.

Selective attention helps decision-making and goal-directed behavior, such as prioritizing items on your shopping list in the supermarket, while ignoring other products and resisting impulse buys, according to the authors.

Socio-emotional cognition involves detecting and interpreting emotions in oneself and others, and helps guide socially acceptable behavior.

The pollution exposure didn’t affect working memory or reaction time.

Why does pollution affect some types of brain function? “The exact mechanisms linking air pollution to cognition are not fully understood, but the working hypothesis is that air pollution leads to inflammation, which has been linked in other studies to reduced cognitive performance,” says Pope.

Mouth Breathing Won’t Protect Your Brain From Harmful Fumes

The method of inhalation — through the nose or through the mouth — did not seem to affect the results, suggesting that the lung-brain pathway, rather than the nasal pathway, might be responsible for the cognitive effects, according to the authors.

That finding corroborates studies on the long-term effects of air pollution, says Anthony Wexler, PhD, a researcher and professor at UC Davis in California. Dr. Wexler was not involved in this current study.

“There’s other literature that talks about the particles that get into our brain through the olfactory bulb, but this study didn’t see that, and my research team didn’t see that either in our research,” he says. The olfactory bulb is the first part of the brain that receives information about what’s been inhaled through the nose.

That suggests that trying to avoid the effects of air pollution through mouth breathing won’t make much if any difference, says Wexler.

Because the study is short-term, it was able to look at the effects in humans rather than lab rats; that’s a strength of the research.

“Performing a long-term study that examined the cognitive impact of this kind of pollution on humans would not only be unethical, but it would also likely be prohibitively expensive,” says Wexler.

Poor Air Quality Could Hinder Innovation and Worker Productivity

“The implications of the paper are quite profound. Improved air quality will not only improve your physical health, which is well known — it will also help lead to better educational outcomes and workplace productivity,” says Pope.

Reduced productivity impacts economic growth, further highlighting the urgent need for stricter air quality regulations and public health measures to combat the harmful effects of pollution on brain health, particularly in highly polluted urban areas, he says.

C. botulinum can cause potentially life-threatening food poisoning. No illnesses have been reported to date.

Recalled cans have best-by dates in 2027 and 2028. A full list of UPC codes can be found on the FDA’s website.

The recalled tuna was sold at the following stores in the following states:

• H-E-B label, sold in Texas
• Trader Joe’s label, sold in Delaware; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Maryland; Michigan; Minnesota; Missouri; Nebraska; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Virginia; Washington, DC; and Wisconsin
• Genova (7 oz), sold at Costco in Florida and Georgia
• Genova (5 oz), sold at Harris Teeter, Publix, H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Walmart, and independent retailers in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Texas
• Van Camp’s label, sold at Walmart and independent retailers in Pennsylvania, Florida, and New Jersey

If you have any of the recalled tuna, you should return it for a full refund at the place of purchase or throw it out. You should not eat the tuna, even if it doesn’t look or smell spoiled, Tri-Union says.

What Is Botulism?

• Difficulty swallowing
• Muscle weakness
• Double vision
• Drooping eyelids
• Blurry vision
• Slurred speech
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty moving the eyes

Foodborne botulism may also cause:

• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Diarrhea

Botulism is a medical emergency. If you think you have it, you should seek medical care immediately.

Plantar fasciitis surgery generally describes cutting into the plantar fascia, or the tissue affected by the condition, in order to relieve tension and promote healing.

“The original theory of plantar fascia surgery was to take a piece of plantar fascia out and stimulate a healthy healing response to get a normal plantar fascia,” says Lance M. Silverman, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Silverman Foot and Ankle in Atlanta. Depending on their training and the patient’s needs, providers may prefer different techniques.

Plantar Fasciotomy (or Plantar Fascia Release) Surgery 

One type of surgery for plantar fasciitis is plantar fasciotomy or plantar fascia release surgery. This involves snipping part of the plantar fascia to release tension and reduce inflammation. “It’s important that you don’t release the entire plantar fascia,” says Kevin Schafer, MD, an assistant professor in the department of orthopedic surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “If you do, the arch sags and collapses and you overload the outside of your foot, and there’s really no solution for that.”

The outpatient procedure can involve numbing the leg and foot below the knee, as well as the choice between general anesthesia and induction into a sort of “twilight” state, Silverman says. While surgeons vary in the specifics of their technique, Silverman typically makes a small incision on the inside of the heel and cuts a centimeter by centimeter section of plantar fascia. Often, he works to release a nerve or nerves trapped by the scar tissue built up in the plantar fascia, too.

Endoscopic Plantar Fascia Release Surgery

Heel Spur Surgery 

Sometimes, when surgeons are operating, they’ll find and remove a heel spur, or a bony growth that likely resulted from the strain on the foot’s ligaments. That’s why plantar fasciitis can also be called “heel spur syndrome,” says Ravi Kamble, a doctor of podiatric medicine in private practice in Staten Island, New York. “It’s a myth that the heel spur is actually causing the pain: It’s a result of the [plantar fasciitis] condition, not the cause of the condition.”

Gastrocnemius Recession 

• Calories: 211
• Protein: 7 grams (g)
• Fat: 1 g
• Carbs: 43 g
• Fiber: 2 g

Compare these nutrition facts to those of the alternative kinds of pasta below to get an idea of which options you want to add to your pantry.

1. Edamame Pasta

This single-ingredient pasta is Derocha’s absolute favorite. “It has a mild flavor that’s pretty close to regular spaghetti. It’s great with pesto,” she says.

Whether you’re looking to increase protein or fiber, this choice has you covered. The name of the product is slightly misleading. “Soy spaghetti” would be more appropriate; this pasta is made from 100 percent soybean flour. Edamame, on the other hand, are young soybeans that are typically eaten fresh, not dried.

Here’s what you’ll find in 2 oz of Explore Cuisine Edamame Spaghetti (1 cup cooked):

• Calories: 180
• Protein: 24 g
• Fat: 3.5 g
• Carbs: 20 g
• Fiber: 13 g

2. Brown Rice Pasta

Pasta made from rice is anything but “alternative” for many people. “In Asian cultures, there are a lot of different rice noodle dishes,” says Derocha. “I’ll use brown rice pasta when I’m making an Asian noodle dish, but I wouldn’t use it in a red sauce or an Italian-inspired dish.”

If you can’t eat gluten, and you like the flavor and texture of brown rice pasta, it may be something you want to keep on hand. But if you’re looking for fiber and protein, you may want to try a different type.

Here’s what you’ll find in 2 oz of Simple Truth Gluten Free Brown Rice Penne Pasta (1 cup cooked):

• Calories: 190
• Protein: 5 g
• Fat: 2 g
• Carbs: 42 g
• Fiber: 2 g

3. Chickpea Pasta

People seem to either love chickpea pasta or hate it. You’ll need to try it for yourself to learn which camp you fall into.

For the best taste and texture, many fans recommend cooking chickpea pasta for less time than the package directions state and rinsing it before serving. Derocha prefers chickpea pasta in chilled dishes, such as pasta salad.

Here’s what you’ll find in 2 oz of Banza Chickpea Pasta (1 cup cooked):

• Calories: 190
• Protein: 11 g
• Fat: 3 g
• Carbs: 35 g
• Fiber: 5 g

4. Quinoa Pasta

Quinoa pasta isn’t the same thing though. “I haven’t seen one brand where quinoa is the top ingredient. The name is misleading,” says Derocha. Typically, quinoa is the second or third ingredient, behind rice flour, corn flour, or both. If you want extra protein or fiber in your diet, Derocha recommends choosing something else.

Here’s what you’ll find in 2 oz of Edison Grainery Quinoa Pasta:

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 5 g
• Fat: 1.5 g
• Carbs: 42 g
• Fiber: 1 g

5. Lentil Pasta

Lentil pasta has benefits that are similar to edamame and chickpea pastas in that you’ll get more protein and fiber than in traditional pasta.

Here’s what you’ll find in 2 oz of Barilla Red Lentil Pasta (1 cup cooked):

• Calories: 190
• Protein: 14 g
• Fat: 1.5 g
• Carbs: 34 g
• Fiber: 6 g

6. Added-Protein Pasta

People looking to add extra grams of protein without sacrificing the mild flavor and familiar texture of traditional pasta might want to try an added-protein version. These kinds of pasta are mostly semolina flour (the type of flour that gives classic pasta its signature taste and texture), with bean flour and pea protein added. It also has twice the fiber of regular pasta. “Sometimes if you’re just in the beginning stages of trying new things to improve your diet, this can be a good step,” says Derocha.

Here’s what you’ll find in 2 oz of Barilla Protein+ Pasta (1 cup cooked):

• Calories: 190
• Protein: 10 g
• Fat: 1 g
• Carbs: 38 g
• Fiber: 5 g