ER Patients in Massachusetts Wait: Any visit to hospital must be treat with uttermost urgency, especially when it is the visit to the ER. What is worse is waiting a long time to see a doctor or a medical team even during an ER visit. A new analysis by health insurance experts at Compare the Market finds that the US has the lowest number of hospitals, per capita, in the world, which means 1.84 hospitals per 100,000 citizens. This is what makes the waiting time longer.

This has placed US behind countries like Chile which has 1.85 hospitals per 100,000 citizens and Thailand with 1.89 hospitals per 100,000 citizens. According to the same analysis, South Korea ranks top with 7.38 hospitals per 100,000 citizens, followed with Japan with 6.64 hospitals per 100,000 citizens. Among the 54 countries evaluated in the analysis, the United States ranked 29.

ER Patients in Massachusetts: Longest Wait Hours In US

The top on the list was Maryland with 228 minutes, or almost 4 hours, followed by Delaware with 195 minutes.

ER Patients in Massachusetts: Long Wait Hours Leads To Death

There have been cases where long ER waits have led to patients' deaths in the US. A KKTV report from 2022 notes a 77-year-old North Carolina patient who went to New Hanover Regional Medical Center waited for more than 5 hours. The patient met with a triage at 8.43pm and was given an urgent designation, but was told to sit in the waiting room. Investigation revealed that she was not assessed until the next day at 8.am for her vitals to be taken. The woman was pronounced dead at 4.25am.

A Fortune report from 2025 interviewed an Illinois family who lost their father Bill Speer to ER boarding. Tracy Balhan, the daughter revealed that her father died after struggling with dementia. She took him to the emergency room at Endeavor Health's Edward Hospital in Chicago suburb of Naperville. However, Speer spent 12 hours in the ER.

An older report by EMS World from 2011, revealed a case of a Texas man who died after waiting for 16 hours for treatment in ER.

This is not just the case in the US, but a very recent case reported by Health and Me was of a 44-year-old Indian origin man, Prashant Sreekumar, who died at a Canadian hospital's ER after an 8-hour weight. His father, Kumar Sreekumar told the Global News that he was checked in at triage and then seated in the waiting room. When his father reached the hospital, he told him, "Papa, I cannot bear the pain." "It went up, up, and up. To me, it was through the roof," his father said. He was finally called for treatment after more than eight hours of wait." After sitting maybe 10 seconds, he looked at me, he got up and put his hand on his chest and just crashed," his father said.

ER Patients in Massachusetts: What Is ER Boarding?

Read: “Papa, I Can’t Bear the Pain”, Says Indian-Origin Man Who Dies After Eight-Hour ER Wait in Canada

ER boarding is a common term that is used to highlight the health care system's struggle which includes shrinking points of entry for patients seeking care outside of ERs and hospitals prioritizing beds for procedures insurance companies often pay more for, and for making patients wait long hours for ER visits.

1 in 6 visits to the ER in 2022 that resulted in hospital admission had a wait of four or more hours, as per an Associated Press and Side Effects Public Media data analysis.

Catherine O'Hara's cause of death is pulmonary embolism, confirmed medical examiner. She died on January 30 in a Los Angeles hospital, at the age of 71. The Schitt's Creek star also had blood clot in her lungs and her death certificate also listed rectal cancer as the long term cause of death.

She had been receiving treatment for the cancer since March 2025.

Catherine O'Hara Cause Of Death: What Is Pulmonary Embolism?

As per the National Health Service (NHS), a pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening condition that happens when a blood vessel in the lungs is blocked by a blood clot.

The common symptoms may include:

• Difficulty in breathing
• Chest pain
• Cough up blood

The blood clot starts in a deep vein in the leg and travels to the lung in most cases. Rarely, the clot forms in a vein in another part of the body, noted Mayo Clinic. When a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body, it is called a deep vein thrombosis or DVT.

Other symptoms of pulmonary embolism include:

• irregular heartbeat
• lightheadedness or dizziness
• excessive sweating
• fever
• leg pain or swelling, usually at the back of lower leg
• clammy or discolored skin

As per Cleveland Clinic, about a third of people with a pulmonary embolism die before diagnosis and treatment, highlighting the condition's severity.

Catherine O'Hara Cause Of Death: She Also Had Rectal Cancer

Catherine O'Hara also was battling rectal cancer, which had been a long-term health challenge for her. The diagnosis was kept private. As per TMZ and The Associated Press, the diagnosis was kept private with only close family and her medical team aware of the details. Her struggle with cancer was not widely known, which made her news of rectal cancer more shocking to her fans and many in the industry.

Rectal cancer is a serious and often aggressive disease. According to the Mayo Clinic and the American Cancer Society, it typically starts as abnormal growths known as polyps in the rectum and can require intensive treatment, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Colorectal cancer—which includes cancers of both the colon and rectum—remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. This year, nearly 50,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with rectal cancer, while colorectal cancer overall is projected to claim around 55,000 lives nationwide.

Rectal cancer too can increase the risk of developing blood clots, making complications like pulmonary embolism, more common among cancer patients.

Catherine O'Hara Cause Of Death: She Was Born With A Rare Genetic Condition

Speaking in previous interviews, O'Hara revealed that she was born with a rare genetic condition called situs inversus. This means the organs are mirrored from their usual positions. Her heart, for instances, pointed to the right side of her chest, a condition known as dextrocardia. While this is a harmless condition, situs inversus could sometimes be associated with other complications.

Wegovy pill by Novo Nordisk is now under scrutiny after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised concerns over a television advertisement. FDA said that the commercial includes "false and misleading" claims about the obesity drug's benefits.

In a letter (reported first by Bloomberg) dated February 5, the FDA said the advertisement misbrands the oral weight loss drug. FDA said that it made its distribution a potential violation of federal law. FDA has asked the Danish drugmaker to take immediate corrective action, which include:

• Pulling the ad
• Revising all advertisements that contain misleading statements

Wegovy Pill: FDA Questions Claims of Superiority and Emotional Benefits

As per the letter, the FDA found that the ad misleadingly suggests the Wegovy pill offers superior benefits when compared to other approved GLP-1 weight loss drugs. The regulator flagged phrases such as “live lighter” and “a way forward,” saying they imply greater weight loss and added advantages without evidence to support those claims.

The FDA also took issue with what it describes as emotional and psychological messaging, saying that the ad appears to imply benefits beyond physical weight loss, including emotional relief, reduced psychological burden, hope, or direction in life. FDA notes that this claim positions the drug as a solution to broader life challenges rather than just a treatment to obesity.

Furthermore, FDA said that the ad failed to adequately present risk information in both audio and text formats, which is mandatory requirement for television drug advertising.

Wegovy Pill: Novo Nordisk Responds To FDA Notice

Novo Nordisk confirmed on Monday that it has received the FDA’s letter. The company clarified that while the advertisement has been running since the pill’s launch, it is not linked to its Super Bowl advertising.

“We take all regulatory feedback seriously and are in the process of responding to the FDA to address their concerns regarding the advertisement’s presentation,” said Liz Skrbkova, Novo Nordisk’s head of US media and stakeholder relations, in a statement.

Novo Nordisk is already under pressure to defend its position in the weight loss market, as it is facing a stiff competition from rival Eli Lilly. Furthermore, on Monday, Novo also filed a lawsuit against telehealth company Hims & Hers, seeking to block the mass marketing of compounded versions of its Wegovy pill and injections.

Read: Wegovy Pills Now Available At Your Pharmacies, Here's What To Know About Its Usage

Wegovy Pill: How Effective Is It?

After injection by Novo Nordisk, of the same name, Wegovy, which has been on the market since 2021, its popularity grew so much that it was in short supply until February 2025. The pill version has now come out, which many experts believe will expand its accessibility. As the monthly supply of pill is expected to be cheaper than the monthly supply of the weight loss injection.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine show that a 25 milligram Wegovy pill led to 13.6% reduction in weight on average over 64 weeks. When compared to placebo, the result was only 2.2% of weight loss. Novo Nordisk says that those who stayed on the treatment and reduced their calorie intake, it would lead to a loss of 16.6% of their weight.

Wegovy Pill: What Are The Side Effects?

Digestive problems such as nausea and vomiting remain the most common side effects of GLP-1 drugs. These issues were also reported in studies of the pill versions. Around 7 percent of participants taking the Wegovy pill stopped treatment because of side effects, compared with 6 percent in the placebo group. In orforglipron’s trial, up to 10 percent of patients discontinued treatment, compared with 3 percent on placebo.

One key difference lies in how the medications are used. The Wegovy pill must be taken on an empty stomach with a small amount of water. Patients are advised not to eat, drink, or take other medicines for at least 30 minutes afterward. Doctors say this requirement has limited the use of Rybelsus, the pill form of semaglutide approved for diabetes, compared with Ozempic.

Two years before Jeffrey Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell, he claimed that US President Donald Trump may be suffering from dementia.

The United States Department of Justice recently released more of the harrowing Epstein Files that lift the lid on years' worth of horrific crimes committed by the convicted American child sex offender, serial rapist and human trafficker.

Among the files, eagle eyed readers found an email sent to journalist and Trump biographer Michael Wolff on Dec. 29, 2017, where Epstein claimed that Trump has begun showing signs of memory loss during his first presidency after he failed to recognize some of his own friends.

In the email to the Landslide author, the convict wrote: "Some at dinner with donald last night, were concerned about dementia. tons of makeup. did not recognize old friends.”

And Epstein isn't alone. Former White House chief strategist and Trump associate, Steve Bannon allegedly believed the president had "early-stage dementia," according to former 60 Minutes producer Ira Rosen’s book Ticking Clock.

Bannon claimed that Donald “had no attention span, didn't read, and now doesn't listen. He said Donald repeats himself a lot, telling the same story minutes after he told it before," per Rosen's account, which the former chief strategist later denied.

The producer also claimed in the book that “Bannon tried to build support to have Trump removed” from office due to his concerns.

Family Members Say Trump Has Dementia

Mary Trump, a well-known critic of her uncle who frequently speaks about him on her YouTube channel, has implied that he could be suffering from Alzheimer's disease, noting similarities to her late grandfather, who also suffered from the neurodegenerative disease.

As per UK Express, Mary highlighted that she has seen resemblances to Fred Trump, Donald's late father and former real estate magnate, who battled Alzheimer’s before passing away in 1999 at the age of 93.

Speaking last year, Mary recounted witnessing her grandfather’s decline and suggested that Donald sometimes doesn’t seem “oriented,” pointing to a particular look. Talking about her grandfather, she told New York Magazine: "One of the first times I noticed it was at some event where he was being honored. And I looked at him and saw this deer-in-the-headlights look, like he had no idea where he was."

In further remarks, Mary said she now notices what the publication described as “flashes” of her grandfather in her uncle when she sees him on stage, pointing out the same “deer-in-the-headlights” expression.

She added: "Sometimes it does not seem like he's aware of time or place. And on occasion, I do see that deer-in-the-headlights look."

Trump Rejects Memory Loss Claims

Despite multiple reports, Trump and his team have consistently rejected such claims, noting that he has “aced” three cognitive tests and there is no possibility of him having Alzheimer's disease.

In a conversation with the New York Magazine, Trump also reflected on his father’s diagnosis: "He had one problem. At a certain age, about 86, 87, he started getting what do they call it?"

His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, supplied the term for Trump, who referred to it as an “Alzheimer’s thing,” asserting that he did not “have it.” The health of the 79-year-old has been the subject of much public speculation recently, with observers noting bruises on his hands, what appear to be swollen ankles, and rambling speech.

READ MORE: New FDA Approved Blood Test Can Predict Alzheimer’s Disease Before Symptoms Appear

What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common forms of dementia and mostly affects adults over the age of 65.

About 8.8 million Indians aged 60 and above are estimated to being living with Alzheimer's disease. Over seven million people in the US 65 and older live with the condition and over 100,00 die from it annually.

Alzheimer's disease is believed to be caused by the development of toxic amyloid and beta proteins in the brain, which can accumulate in the brain and damage cells responsible for memory.

Amyloid protein molecules stick together in brain cells, forming clumps called plaques. At the same time, tau proteins twist together in fiber-like strands called tangles. The plaques and tangles block the brain's neurons from sending electrical and chemical signals back and forth.

Over time, this disruption causes permanent damage in the brain that leads to Alzheimer's disease and dementia, causing patients to lose their ability to speak, care for themselves or even respond to the world around them.

While there is no clear cause of Alzheimer's disease, experts believe it can develop due to genetic mutations and lifestyle choices, such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and social isolation.

Early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include forgetting recent events or conversations. Over time, Alzheimer's disease leads to serious memory loss and affects a person's ability to do everyday tasks.

There is no cure to this progressive brain disorder and in advanced stages, loss of brain function can cause dehydration, poor nutrition or infection. These complications can result in death.