New guidelines advise earlier cholesterol testing and aiming for even lower cholesterol levels to significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

• Earlier Cholesterol Testing Can Reduce Heart Attacks and Strokes, New Guideline Says — The New York Times Health -
• Get Your Cholesterol Even Lower and Start Younger, New Guideline Says — The New York Times Health -

Concerns about the safety of plasma donation are rising following two deaths at paid plasma clinics in Canada, prompting questions about the health effects of frequent donations.

• Two People Die After Paid Plasma Donation at Clinics in Canada — The New York Times Health -
• How Safe Is Plasma Donation? Deaths in Canada Raise Concerns. — The New York Times Health -

Challenges in healthcare affordability are evident as many Americans cut spending or borrow money, while Medicaid is expanding to cover inmate healthcare aiding their transition back to the community.

• A New Lifeline Helps Inmates Transition to Life Outside the Bars — The New York Times Health -
• A Third of Americans Have Cut Spending or Borrowed Money for Health Care — The New York Times Health -

The Environmental Protection Agency is moving to weaken limits on ethylene oxide, a gas crucial for sterilizing medical devices but linked to cancer and other ailments with long-term exposure.

• E.P.A. Moves to Weaken Limits on Ethylene Oxide — The New York Times Health -

A Harvard lab studying aging faced significant research fund cuts, illustrating the upheaval caused by budget reductions in key medical research areas.

• His Harvard Lab Was Thriving. Then Came the Cuts. — The New York Times Health -