NIH Ends Funding for the Effects of Climate Change on Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will no longer fund new research on how climate change affects people’s health, according to records reviewed by ProPublica.

The new directive was shared internally with staff last week. It follows other action to stop NIH support for studies related to gender identity, LGBTQ+ health, ...

Chinese Woman Is Third Person To Get a Gene-Edited Pig Kidney

A Chinese woman is the third person in the world living with a gene-edited pig kidney, and nearly three weeks after surgery, doctors say she’s doing well.

The woman, reportedly 69 years old, had kidney failure for eight years before receiving the pig kidney.

The operation took place at Xijing Hospital of the Fourth Military Med...

Heart Problems Linked To Brain Shrinkage

Heart disease might contribute to the sort of brain shrinkage seen in dementia, a new study says.

People with early signs of heart problems are more likely to have brain changes associated with dementia, researchers reported on March 26 in the journal Neurology.

Specifically, people whose hearts aren’t pumping blood ef...

Scent Test Can Sniff Out Cognitive Decline

The nose might know whether a person is showing early signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, a new study says.

Older adults who’ve developed mild cognitive impairment -- a precursor to dementia and Alzheimer’s -- score lower on a peel-and-sniff test than people with normal brains, according to findings published March ...

U.S. Foreign Aid Cuts Could Devastate Global Progress Against HIV/AIDS

HIV could explode worldwide in the wake of U.S. cuts to foreign aid, resulting in millions of AIDS deaths and soaring rates of infection, a new analysis says.

President Donald Trump has floated the notion of ending the President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program created under President George W. Bush that combats H...

Obesity More Likely Among Kids Of Obese Moms, Smokers

A mom’s health and lifestyle choices can affect her kids’ risk of obesity as adults, a new study says.

Specifically, a child is 3 to 4 times more likely to become an obese adult if their mom was obese, researchers reported March 26 in PLOS One.

A mom’s smoking also increased their kid’s risk of adult ...

Highly Educated Folks Face Steeper Brain Decline Following Stroke

The higher you fly, the harder you fall, the old saying goes.

There might be something to that when it comes to the aftermath of a stroke, a new study suggests.

People with higher education face a steeper decline in their ability to plan, organize and problem-solve following a stroke, compared to those with less than a high school de...

AI Improves IV Nutrition For Preemies

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help improve how premature babies are fed, giving them a better chance at normal growth and development, a new study says.

Currently, preemies in a neonatal intensive care unit are fed by IV, receiving a drip-drop handmade blend of nutrients that doctors call total parenteral nutrition, or TPN.

This i...

Gum May Be a Hidden Source of Microplastics

That stick of gum you’re chewing? It might be minty fresh, but it could also come with a little something extra: tiny bits of plastic.

A new study finds that one piece of gum can release hundreds -- possibly thousands -- of microplastics into your saliva. 

And researchers warn it may be a hidden source of plastic exposure ...

Federal Government Pulls Back $11.4B in COVID Health Funds

The federal government is clawing back $11.4 billion in COVID funding, a move that could affect local and state public health efforts across the country.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said the money is no longer needed.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer do...

Trump Administration Ends Dozens of LGBTQ Health Grants

Dozens of research projects focused on LGBTQ health have been canceled by the U.S. government, alarming scientists who say the move will harm public health and slow scientific progress.

At least 68 grants to 46 institutions were terminated last week, according to a federal website.

These grants, in total, were worth nearly $40 millio...

Tobacco Control Has Saved Nearly 4 Millions Lives, Study Estimates

Tobacco control measures like anti-smoking campaigns and cigarette taxes have prevented nearly 4 million lung cancer deaths during the past five decades, a new American Cancer Society study estimates.

More than 3.8 million lung cancer deaths were averted due to substantial reductions in smoking, gaining a little more than 76 million years ...

New Moms Benefit From Regular Workouts

Childbirth is an overwhelming accomplishment, but new mothers would do best not to rest on their laurels following delivery, a new guideline says.

New moms should clock at least two hours a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity in the first months following birth, experts recommend.

Two to four hours of exercise per week can...

New Material Allows Amputees To Adjust Prosthetic Limb Fit Via Smartphone

Chafing, blisters and sores are common problems for people fitted with an artificial limb.

The artificial limb’s fixed, rigid shape can’t adapt to changes in a person’s body, ultimately causing it to rub against a person’s residual limb.

“Ultimately, no matter how sophisticated the limb itself is, if it ...

Black Americans Twice As Likely To Die During Childhood As Whites

Black babies and children are more than twice as likely to die as white kids, and that gap has grown since the 1950s, a new study says.

Black kids died at a rate 2.15 times that of white children in the 2010s, researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

That’s up slightly from the 1950s when the death rate...

Powerful MRI Scans Aid Epilepsy Surgery

The first sign of seizures for Amanda Bradbury were auras in her vision that cropped up around age 19.

Then came frequent bouts of anxiety, struggling to maintain focus and follow conversations, forgetting things, and having difficulty speaking or even swallowing.

“One of the things that would happen before a seizure is I'd get...

Colon Cancer Increases Risk Of Heart-Related Death

Colon cancer is a particularly deadly form of the disease, the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.

But patients diagnosed with colon cancer also need to be concerned about their heart health, especially if they’re younger adults, a new study says.

Colon cancer patients under 50 are 2.4 times more likely to die...

Shared Your DNA With 23andMe? Experts Say It’s Time To Delete It

If you’re one of the 15 million people who shared your DNA with 23andMe, stop whatever you're doing.

Experts say now is the time to delete your data.

The genetic testing company filed for bankruptcy March 23 and is looking to sell its assets.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a "consumer alert" on March 21, acc...

Susan Monarez Named CDC Director

President Donald Trump has chosen Susan Monarez to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) permanently. She has served as acting director since January.

If approved by the Senate, Monarez would become the first person without a medical degree to head the CDC in more than 50 years.

She is an infectious disease r...

Novo Nordisk to Pay $2 Billion for New Weight Loss Drug

Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company, has signed a major deal worth up to $2 billion for the rights to a new obesity and diabetes drug, the company announced March 24.

The drug, called UBT251, is being developed by United Bio-Technology (Hengqin) Co., a Chinese pharmaceutical company.

Novo Nordisk will pay $200 million up fr...