Family Recordings Might Ease ICU Delirium

A comforting voice from home might be enough to soothe ICU patients on ventilation, a new study says.

As many as 4 in 5 ICU patients on mechanical ventilation develop delirium, or sudden confusion, panic, upset and anger.

But playing recorded messages from a family member can reorient patients and help them remain calm, researchers r...

Meat Allergy Caused By Tick Bites Becoming More Common In US, Experts Say

A once-rare meat allergy caused by tick bites is dramatically increasing across the United States, researchers said.

There’s been a 100-fold increase in positive test results for the allergy, called alpha-gal syndrome, between 2013 and 2024, researchers reported last week at the American College of Gastroenterology’s annual mee...

Tobacco Still Top Cancer Killer, Despite Falling Smoking Rates

Tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of cancer death in the U.S., despite a dramatic decline in smoking, a new American Cancer Society report says.

More than 80% of lung cancer deaths are linked to tobacco, according to data from the inaugural release of the American Heart Association’s U.S. Tobacco Atlas.

Tha...

AI-Powered Smartwatch Can Detect Heart Disease

Artificial intelligence (AI) can use smartwatch data to detect heart disease, a new study says.

AI fed heart sensor data from an Apple Watch accurately detected heart problems like weakened pumping ability, damaged valves or thickened heart muscle, according to findings that will be presented Nov. 7 at the American Heart Association’...

Low-Dose Aspirin Might Benefit Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Study Says

Low-dose aspirin is no longer universally recommended to prevent heart health emergencies, but it might help people with type 2 diabetes, a new study says.

People with type 2 diabetes who took low-dose aspirin were less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, according to findings that will be presented Nov. 9 at the upcoming annual meeti...

Kids Need CPR More Promptly Than Adults Following Cardiac Arrest

Thousands of U.S. kids each year collapse from cardiac arrest and need CPR to save their lives.

But CPR must start for them in half the time required for adults, according to results that will be presented at the American Heart Association annual meeting in New Orleans on Nov. 9.

The time window to initiate successful CPR might be ha...

Blood Pressure Medication Recalled Over Cancer Risk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled over half a million bottles of a widely prescribed blood pressure medication, prazosin hydrochloride, because of concerns about a potentially cancer-causing chemical.

New Jersey-based Teva Pharmaceuticals and drug distributor Amerisource Health Services initiated the voluntary recall...

New Study Links COVID in Pregnancy to Autism Risk in Children

Kids born to women who were infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy were more likely to be diagnosed with autism or other developmental delays by age 3, a new study found.

The research, published last week in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, looked at more than 18,100 births in Massachusetts from early 2020 through mid-202...

FDA Warns Against Fluoride Tablets for Young Children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is moving to limit the use of prescription fluoride for children, warning that most kids should not be given fluoride tablets or drops unless they are at high risk for tooth decay.

These products are often prescribed in areas where tap water does not contain enough fluoride, a mineral that helps ...

FDA Issues Safety Alert for Radiofrequency Microneedling

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers, patients and healthcare providers about the potential risk for serious complications from radiofrequency (RF) microneedling procedures.

RF microneedling devices are commonly used to improve skin appearance of the face and neck — often referred to as “resurfacing,...

Long-Term Melatonin Might Harm Heart Health, Study Says

Folks using melatonin supplements as a sleep aid might be putting themselves at risk for future heart problems, a new study says.

Adults with insomnia who’d been using melatonin for a year or more had 90% higher odds of heart failure, researchers are scheduled to report Nov. 10 in New Orleans at a meeting of the American Heart Associ...

Three-Pronged Blood Test Highlights Heart Attack Risk

A new three-pronged blood test can highlight people with a nearly tripled risk for heart attack, a new study says.

The test relies on three blood markers linked to heart disease: lipoprotein a [Lp(a)], remnant cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP], researchers are slated to report at a Nov. 10 meeting of the American ...

Light Pollution Harming Heart Health, Study Says

The bright lights of the big city might seem dazzling, but they can be hard on your heart health, a new study says.

People exposed to high levels of artificial light have an increasingly higher risk of heart disease, researchers are scheduled to report at a Nov. 10 meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans.

Higher expo...

Device Provides 'Smart Toilet' Feedback On Health

A new “smart toilet” device aims to help people track their health by analyzing their bathroom trips.

The Dekoda device clamps around the rim of any standard toilet, where it uses advanced sensors to scan a person’s waste, says its manufacturer, Kohler Health.

With this data, folks can monitor their hydration and gu...

Rural Counties Will Be Hardest Hit By U.S. Visa Fee Hike, Experts Say

A recent hike in U.S. visa fees could cause a medical brain drain in America’s rural regions.

Rural areas have nearly twice the percentage of medical professionals working under H-1B visas as urban counties, researchers reported Oct. 29 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Likewise, the percentage of H-1...

Most Women Don't Seek Medical Help For Menopause

Women are gritting out menopause without seeking any treatment for their symptoms, a new Mayo Clinic study says.

More than 4 out of 5 women said they did not seek medical care for menopause symptoms, researchers reported in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

“Menopause is universal for women at midlife, the symptoms are common a...

Study Finds Surprising Link Between Gut and Brain Rhythms

The human body is packed with natural rhythms, from your sleep-wake cycle to the steady pulsing of blood through the brain to heart rate and pulse. 

Now, scientists say the gut may hold the key to understanding how this complex coordination happens in the brain’s blood vessels.

Researchers at the University of California S...

Scientists Find the Genetic Clues That Let Humans Walk on Two Legs

Two small changes in human DNA may have played a big role in helping our ancestors walk upright, researchers say.

The study, recently published in the journal Nature, found that these tweaks changed how a key hip bone developed.

This allowed early humans to stand, balance and walk on two legs instead of moving on all fours l...

Can Texting Your Therapist Work? New Study Says Yes

A growing number of Americans are turning to therapy by text message, and new research suggests it can be just as effective as traditional video sessions for some patients.

In a study published Oct. 30 in JAMA Network Open, researchers found that people with mild to moderate depression who used text-based therapy showed similar im...

FDA to Ease Copycat Drug Rules, Speeding Access to Cheaper Drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday that it will relax certain rules for approving low-cost versions of some high-priced medications, in an effort to speed up access to cheaper alternatives.

The decision affects biosimilars — medicines that are near-identical copies of biologic drugs made from living cells...