Trending News Today: Ban on Trans Fats Linked to Fewer Heart Attacks

Data from a new study suggest that local bans placed on trans fats in restaurant foods has resulted in fewer heart attacks and strokes in several New York counties, according to The Washington Post. In 2015, the FDA required the food industry to eliminate artificial trans fats from American foods by next year. The findings suggest the potential for widespread health benefits from a nationwide ban, the authors concluded.

On marathon days, ambulances take longer to get elderly patients to the hospital compared with travel times in the weeks before and after races are held, reported The Wall Street Journal. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, investigators found that on average, ambulances took 4.4 minutes longer to get elderly patients to the hospital before noon on race day during the 11 largest marathons in the United States. The authors noted that similar delays were not seen on the evenings of marathon days, when the roads typically reopen.

A newly proposed bill in California would allocate $2 million to support valley fever research and monitoring, according to California Healthline. The legislation would use money from the state’s General Fund and allot it to an already existing valley fever fund operated by California’s Department of Public Health, which supports vaccine research for the condition. The money would be used to buy equipment, develop a tracking method, and conduct community research. The bill was authored by state Assemblyman Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield), and is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Health Committee next Tuesday.