Updates ·
Health notices · Thursday 17 September
3 notices from the agencies today, in plain words, each with the original linked.
CDC report found many syphilis test results in Alaska correctional facilities
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · Guidance
CDC reports the results of opt-out syphilis screening (routine testing unless declined) done in Alaska correctional facilities from October 2023–September 2025.
Among 5,163 adults screened, 4.6% had reactive RPR results. Reactive RPR results often indicate a past or current syphilis infection.
CDC also reports 2.2% of screened people had newly identified syphilis, and most of those people completed syphilis treatment during this period.
This matters for people who were detained or incarcerated in these Alaska facilities and received testing, because the report shows syphilis was found and treated frequently.
FDA approval of FARXIGA (dapagliflozin) for key conditions
FDA · Approval
If you have chronic kidney disease, heart failure, or type 2 diabetes, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved FARXIGA (dapagliflozin). It is also for some patients aged 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes.
FARXIGA is an SGLT2 inhibitor, a medicine that works through the kidneys. “eGFR” is a blood test that estimates kidney function, and the approval includes reducing the risk of worsening kidney outcomes and some heart-failure outcomes.
FARXIGA is not recommended to improve blood sugar control in type 1 diabetes, and it is not recommended for certain people with low eGFR or specific kidney conditions (including polycystic kidney disease or needing recent immunosuppressive therapy for kidney disease).
FDA approves divalproex sodium for several conditions
FDA · Approval
If you take DIVALPROEX SODIUM may be an option for acute manic or mixed episodes in bipolar disorder. A manic episode is abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, and mixed episodes include both mania and major depression symptoms.
If you have certain seizure types, DIVALPROEX SODIUM is indicated for monotherapy or add-on treatment of complex partial seizures, and for simple and complex absence seizures. Absence seizures cause brief lapses in awareness.
If you have migraine headaches, the approval includes prophylaxis (prevention). Your healthcare provider should continually reassess whether long-term use is still worth the risks for you.