FDA Approves New Drug to Treat Alzheimer's

A new drug to treat Alzheimer's disease was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday.

In clinical trials, donanemab (Kisunla) modestly slowed the pace of thinking declines among patients in the early stages of the memory-robbing disease. But it also carried significant safety risks, including swelling and bleeding in th...

U.S. Government to Pay Moderna $176 Million to Develop mRNA Flu Vaccine

U.S. health officials announced Tuesday that the federal government will pay Moderna $176 million to speed development of a pandemic flu vaccine based on mRNA technology.

Such a vaccine could be used to treat bird flu in people, as concern grows about H5N1 cases spreading in dairy cows across the country, the U.S. Department of H...

Supreme Court to Hear Case Challenging FDA's Ban of Flavored Vapes

In a case that will test the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's authority to approve or reject new vaping products, the U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday it will weigh whether the agency was legally allowed to ban flavored e-cigarettes.

In recent years, the FDA has declined to approve flavored vapes, saying they pose a health risk because t...

Tattoo Inks Can Be Contaminated With Bacteria: Study

TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Getting inked could make you sick.

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers detected bacteria in commercial tattoo and permanent makeup inks, demonstrating that they could cause human infections.

"Our findings reveal that unopened and sealed tattoo inks can harbor anaerobic bacteria, known ...

Biden Administration Proposes Rule to Tackle Extreme Heat in the Workplace

As millions of Americans grapple with blistering heat this summer, the Biden Administration on Tuesday proposed a new rule to address excessive heat in the workplace.

If the first major federal safety standard of its kind becomes final, the measure would aim to protect an estimated 36 million U.S. workers from injuries related to heat expo...

Exercise May Prevent the Nerve Damage That Comes With Chemotherapy

Simple exercises performed during rounds of chemotherapy can help people avoid nerve damage normally associated with the cancer-killing drugs, a new study suggests.

About twice as many cancer patients on chemo wound up with long-lasting nerve damage if they didn’t exercise, compared with two groups assigned different exercise regimens, r...

Another Study Suggests GLP-1 Meds Could Ease Alcoholism

Cutting-edge weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic can help treat alcoholism, a new study says.

People taking semaglutide had 50% to 56% decreased odds for either becoming alcoholic or relapsing into alcoholism, researchers reported recently in the journal Nature Communications.

Few drugs are now available to treat alcoh...

Some Genes Might Send Girls Into Puberty Earlier

A girl’s genetics can indirectly influence the age when she has her first period, by accelerating her weight gain in childhood, a new study finds.

A number of other genes also can directly affect the age of puberty, some with profound effects, researchers added.

More than 1,000 genetic variants are tied to the age of a girl’s fir...

Use of 'Benzo' Sedatives Like Valium, Xanax Won't Raise Dementia Risk: Study

Benzodiazepines do not appear to increase dementia risk, but could have subtle long-term effects on brain structure, a new study reports.

Researchers found no link between use of the sedative drug and a higher risk of dementia in a group of more than 5,400 adults in the Netherlands, according to findings published July 2 in the journal

Ultrasound May Be Unreliable in Spotting Endometrial Cancer in Black Women

Ultrasound cannot reliably rule out endometrial cancer in Black women given how readings are now assessed, a new study argues.

Transvaginal ultrasound is commonly used to screen for cancer by measuring the thickness of the endometrium, the inner wall of the uterus.

This screening method is supposed to be 99% to 100% accurate for ruli...

Most Americans Don't Know That Family Doctors Can Prescribe Anti-Opioid Meds

Most people addicted to opioids and their loved ones are unaware that their primary care doctor can prescribe a medication to treat the disorder, a new nationwide survey reveals.

"We've made great strides in making it easier for primary care doctors to prescribe these safe and effective treatments, but our study indicates a critical discon...

How Handing a Child a Screen During a Tantrum Could Backfire Long-Term

When your preschooler pitches a fit, handing them a smartphone or tablet is probably the fastest -- and the worst -- way to stop it, a new study suggests.

"If parents regularly offer a digital device to their child to calm them or to stop a tantrum, the child won't learn to regulate their emotions," said first author Veronika Konok, of Eö...

Prosthetic Legs Controlled by Person's Own Neural System Bring Natural Gait

“Smart” prosthetic legs can help amputees achieve a natural walking gait, but it’s done through robotic sensors and algorithms that drive the limb forward at predetermined rates.

A better way would be to give people full control over the limb through their nervous system -- and that’s just what an MIT research team says it’s done...

FDA Study Shows Pasteurization Kills Bird Flu in Milk

As bird flu continues to spread among U.S. dairy cows, reassuring new government research finds the pasteurization process widely used in the industry effectively kills all bird flu virus in milk.

In a health update posted Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the results are the latest to show that pasteu...

All Diamond Shruumz Edibles Recalled Over High Levels of Mushroom Toxin in Products

All Diamond Shruumz edibles have been recalled after the company found high levels of a mushroom toxin in them that may have sickened 39 people in 20 states.

The recall includes Diamond Shruumz cones, chocolate bars and gummies "because such products contain muscimol, a chemical found in mushrooms of the genus amanita," California-based Pr...

Americans' Interest in Microdosing Psychedelics Is Growing

A study based on online Google searches suggests surging U.S. interest in microdosing psychedelics, such as psilocybin, as rules around the use of such drugs begin to relax.

But the safety of these drugs isn't entirely clear, said study lead author Dr. Kevin Yang.

"As public interest in using psychedelics and cannabis for health grow...

Diets Heavy in Ultra-processed Foods Linked to Earlier Death: Study

People who eat more ultra-processed foods are more likely to suffer an early death, particularly from heart disease or diabetes, a new study warns.

Older adults who consume higher amounts of ultra-processed foods are about 10% more likely to die than those who eat less processed foods, over an average 23-year follow-up.

In particular...

Common Chemo Drug May Be Linked to Hearing Loss

MONDAY, July 1, 2024 (HealthDay news) -- A 14-year study of testicular cancer survivors suggests that a chemotherapy drug could greatly raise patients' long-term odds for hearing loss.

The drug in question, cisplatin, has been a mainstay of cancer chemotherapy for decades. It's often used to fight a range of cancers, including including b...

Women Less Likely to Get a 'Secondary Condition' Fixed During a Heart Surgery

You're getting heart surgery, but your surgeon notices a new anomaly that perhaps could be fixed at the same time.

That's more likely to happen if you're a man than a woman, new studies find.

The findings came as little surprise to lead researcher Dr. Catherine Wagner, an integrated thoracic surgery resident at University of Michigan...

Not 'Out of Your League': Folks Tend to Marry People as Attractive as They Are

People largely date and marry people in their own “league,” as far as beauty is concerned, a new review finds.

Men and women are fairly accurate at rating their own physical attractiveness, and they tend to choose mates who have similar views of their own beauty, researchers report.

For example, fellows who rated themselves as at...