内容摘要：Air plants bloom only once, their small pink, coral, purple or white flowers signaling their impending death. But no worries: The flowers will give way to offshoots, or “pups,” that can be separated into new plants once they grow to about one-third the size of their mother.

Air plants bloom only once, their small pink, coral, purple or white flowers signaling their impending death. But no worries: The flowers will give way to offshoots, or “pups,” that can be separated into new plants once they grow to about one-third the size of their mother.

“The point of these medications is to improve health,” he said. “The majority of people won’t need the most effective medication.”The trial included 751 people from across the U.S. who were overweight or had obesity and at least one other weight-related health problem, but not diabetes. Participants received weekly injections of the highest tolerated doses of Zepbound, either 10 milligrams or 15 milligrams, or Wegovy, 1.7 milligrams or 2.4 milligrams.

By the end of the trial, those who took Zepbound lost about 20% of their body weight on average, compared with a nearly 14% loss for those who took Wegovy. The tirzepatide group trimmed about 7 inches (17.8 centimeters) from their waist circumference, compared to about 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) with semaglutide. In addition, nearly 32% of people taking Zepbound lost at least a quarter of their body weight, compared to about 16% of those taking Wegovy, the study found.Weight loss was about 6% lower in men than in women in both groups, the authors noted. As participants in both groups lost more weight, they saw improvements in health markers such as blood pressure, blood fat and blood sugar levels.More than three-quarters of patients taking both drugs reported at least one side effect, mostly mild to moderate gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting. About 6% of participants taking Zepbound left the trial because of adverse events, compared with 8% of those taking semaglutide.

The GLP-1 drugs have become increasingly popular, with at least 1 in 8 U.S. adults reporting their use, according to a 2024 survey by KFF, a independent health policy research organization. Zepbound generated $4.9 billion in global sales last year. Wegovy brought in nearly $8.8 billion (58.2 billlion Danish kroner).Access and affordability have limited wider use of the drugs. Tirzepatide and semaglutide were removed recently from a list of drug shortages by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Both manufacturers recently released programs that cut costs to about $500 per month or less, depending on the dose.

Other factors can affect access. This week, CVS Health said

on its standard formulary, orLISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal’s anti-immigration Chega party notched

on Wednesday after it was assigned the second-most seats in parliament — meaning it will become the head of the parliamentary opposition to the new government.That shatters the pattern of Portugal’s center-right and center-left mainstream parties alternating between heading a government or leading the opposition.

Chega’s strides since thecoincide with gains elsewhere by far-right forces. In Europe, those include France’s National Rally, the Brothers of Italy and Alternative for Germany, which are now in the political mainstream.