WHO: Life Expectancy Nears Pre-COVID Levels; FDA Approves Growing Heart Valve

The World Health Organization said Friday that global life expectancy is close to the levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the outlook for years lived in good health is recovering more slowly. The WHO's assessment indicates that while overall lifespan has rebounded, the quality of those additional years remains a concern.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a new heart valve that grows with the patient, potentially reducing the number of open-heart surgeries for children born with certain heart defects. The valve is designed to accommodate a child's growth, addressing a major challenge in pediatric cardiac care.

A study published online Sept. 16 in Anaesthesia, coinciding with the annual meeting of the Association of Anaesthetists in Liverpool, England, found that in the United Kingdom, 2.9% of patients undergoing anesthesia reported receiving glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs). The study indicates that pulmonary aspiration and regurgitation under anesthesia are more likely with GLP-1 RAs.

Stewart's Shops Corp. of Saratoga Springs, NY, is recalling two flavors of half-gallon ice cream, Heavenly Medley and Vanilla-Chocolate-Strawberry, due to the potential presence of metal, according to a notice dated October 2, 2026. Separately, EAK Distribution of Casper, WY, is recalling HOME GROWN Green Sprouting Calabrese Broccoli Seeds, 8 oz, Heirloom, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people.

Medical experts are urging the public to get flu vaccinations soon, before influenza starts spreading widely, and to get up to date on protection against other fall respiratory viruses. Updated COVID-19 shots are available now, plus shots for people especially vulnerable to another winter risk called RSV.

The National Institutes of Health is rolling out a streamlined website to help the public find information more easily. The redesign is intended to streamline what was a sprawling and fractured information ecosystem, requiring users to understand NIH's organizational structure.

A new study reveals that more active teens report fewer sleep problems down the line. Insomnia symptoms during adolescence are linked to a range of adverse health and developmental outcomes, and while physical activity can be a good antidote to sleep issues, the study suggests it may help ease adolescent insomnia.