Winter Blues? It Could Be SAD

If winter gets you down, you may have a form of depression called SAD.

That's short for seasonal affective disorder.

SAD brings on mood changes during fall and winter, when there is less sunlight, and symptoms typically ease up in the spring. But the American Psychiatric Association says SAD goes beyond the "winter blues." Its sympt...

You Don't Have to Smoke to Get Lung Cancer

Tobacco use is far and away the leading cause of lung cancer, but non-smokers are also at risk, experts say.

People who smoke have the highest risk, and smokeless tobacco is also a threat. About 90% of lung cancer cases could be prevented by eliminating tobacco use, according to the World Health Organization.

"There are many other ri...

Three New Studies Confirm Power of Booster Shots Against Omicron

Booster shots are keeping the Omicron variant from landing millions of Americans in hospitals, emergency rooms and urgent care clinics across the country, three new government studies show.

In one study, published Friday in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)...

After Heart Attack, Cardiac Rehab Begins Road to Recovery

Your heart is in an incredibly vulnerable state if you've suffered a heart attack or are fighting heart failure, and cardiac rehabilitation could be an important part of your recovery.

Unfortunately, not enough older folks appear to be taking advantage of this life-saving therapy.

Fewer than one in 10 eligible Medicare beneficiaries ...

COVID Vaccine Won't Affect Fertility, But Getting COVID Might

One less excuse to avoid that COVID vaccine: The shots don't affect fertility in either men or women, new research shows, but coronavirus infection could cause short-term fertility problems in men.

"Many reproductive-aged individuals have cited concerns about fertility as a reason for remaining unvaccinated," said lead study author Amelia ...

Exposing Kids to Safe Levels of Peanut When Young Might Prevent Allergy

Some kids might be able to get over their peanut allergy if they start immunotherapy while they're still toddlers, a major new clinical trial reports.

In the trial, a group of 1- to 3-year-olds with severe peanut allergies were safely fed gradually increasing daily doses of a peanut protein flour to help accustom their immune systems to th...

AHA News: Worried About Her Health, She Lost 163 Pounds – And Inspired Her Husband to Drop 55

A few weeks before Thanksgiving, Ken and Morgan House of Newington, Connecticut, spent a week at one of her favorite places – Disney World. They walked to all the theme parks, went on countless rides and shared healthy meals.

Every day, Morgan would smile broadly at Ken and shoot him an expression that said, "Do you even believe this?"

COVID Rapid Test Makers Struggling to Meet Demand

Shortages of both supplies and workers are wreaking havoc on the efforts of COVID at-home test makers to deliver enough of the tests to Americans, even as the federal government pledges to provide 500 million free, at-home kits.

Like many other businesses, test kit manufacturers "have too many of their staff out with COVID. Thus, even if t...

Many Marijuana Vendors Aim Advertising at Kids: Study

Some recreational pot shops are using tricks from the old playbooks of alcohol and tobacco companies to target underage users on social media, a new study reports.

Despite state laws restricting such marketing, researchers found marijuana retailers on social media promoting their wares with posts that:

• Featured cartoon character...

COVID Boosters Keep Older Americans Out of Hospitals: CDC

The risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 among older Americans is far higher for those who are unvaccinated than for those who are fully vaccinated and have had a booster shot, new government data shows.

The differences were stark: In December, unvaccinated people 50 and older were 17 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 tha...

Few Countries Do Well Caring for the Dying

Americans don't like to dwell on dying, so maybe it isn't surprising that compared to other nations, the United States does just a middling job of providing a good death.

The United States ranked in the middle of 81 countries rated on how well their health care systems provide end-of-life care.

Only six countries — the United Kingd...

L.A. County Scenario Suggests COVID 'Herd Immunity' Is Unlikely

Herd immunity against COVID-19 is unlikely, and coping with the disease will likely hinge on vaccination, treatment and ensuring adequate hospital capacity, a new study conducted in Los Angeles County claims.

With herd immunity, most people have antibodies from vaccination or prior infection, so a virus has fewer people to infect and stops...

Spit Test: Saliva Alerts Babies to Close Relationships

Sharing food and smooching are two ways babies can suss out whom they can depend on to take care for them, a new study suggests.

The tell-tale clue common to both is a surprising one: saliva.

“Babies don’t know in advance which relationships are the close and morally obligating ones, so they have to have some way of learning thi...

Arthritis & the COVID Vaccine: What You Need to Know

Some arthritis drugs may reduce the effectiveness of COVID vaccines, according to the Arthritis Foundation, which also offers advice on booster shots.

Research is limited, but evidence suggests that disease-modifying drugs used for arthritis may reduce the response of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, according to the fou...

Hit Your Head? Look for These Warning Signs of Concussion

If you or someone you know has suffered a concussion, a medical evaluation is crucial, an expert says.

A concussion is "a short-lived functional brain injury typically caused by a bump or blow to the head," Cleveland Clinic concussion specialist Dr. Richard Figler said in a clinic news release.

"A concussion sets off a chemical proc...

Visiting a 'Dental Fear' Clinic Can Help Improve a Child's Smile

THURSDAY, Jan. 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- If the sound of a dental drill sends shivers up your spine, you're likely in good company: Finnish researchers say that one of every two adults fear the dentist at least a little, while one in 10 are very afraid.

But the researchers added that a local dentistry program has foun...

'Artificial Pancreas' Can Help Kids With Type 1 Diabetes

THURSDAY, Jan. 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Having a child with type 1 diabetes can be a challenging health condition for parents to manage, but new research suggests an "artificial pancreas" system may beat standard treatment in controlling the blood sugar disease in young children.

Forms of the technology — whic...

Another Study Finds Vaccine Booster 'Neutralizes' Omicron

If you need more proof that a third shot of COVID vaccine is needed, new British research confirms that boosters can "neutralize" the virus' Omicron variant.

To arrive at that conclusion, they analyzed 620 blood samples from 364 health care workers and staff at the Francis Crick Institute and the National Institute for Health Research UCLH...

Doctors Transplant Gene-Modified Pig Kidneys Into Brain-Dead Patient

In another breakthrough for animal-to-human organ transplantation, U.S. researchers say they've transplanted two genetically modified pig kidneys into a living human.

The recipient was Jim Parsons, 57, a brain-dead man on life support whose family agreed to allow the surgical team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to use his...

AHA News: A Healthy Thyroid Can Be Key to a Healthy Heart

Make a list of the ABCs of heart health, from arrhythmia to Zumba classes, and you might not think to include a T – for thyroid. But the small gland that produces crucial hormones can have a big effect on the cardiovascular system.

"Both an overactive thyroid and an underactive thyroid can have bad cardiac consequences," said Dr. Anne Ca...