Ebola Infections Climb, Could Take Year To Contain, Health Officials Say

A growing Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa could become the worst on record if infections are not brought under control soon, health officials warned this week.

The outbreak could last as long as a year and sicken thousands more people if current transmission rates continue, officials said Tuesday at an emergency conference of Afr...

Feeling Sleepy During the Day? It Could Be a Warning Sign for High Blood Pressure

Feeling excessively sleepy during the day could be a warning sign for high blood pressure — especially if you also have trouble falling asleep at night.

That's according to a new study from Penn State College of Medicine, which found that adults who experience an uncontrollable urge to sleep during the day were more ...

Women Might Lower Their Heart Risk By Lifting Weights, Study Says

Aerobic exercise comes immediately to mind when one thinks of ways to reduce heart disease risk through physical activity.

But women might be able to lower their risk of heart disease through consistent strength training as well, a new study says.

Women who lift weights appear to have a reduced risk of heart problems, especially if t...

Major League Pitchers Might Avoid Elbow Injuries By Altering Their Approach, Simulation Suggests

Elbow injuries are common among pro baseball pitchers, with Toronto Blue Jays right-hander José Berrios recently undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair an elbow ligament torn during spring training.

But pitchers might be able to avoid these injuries without cutting down their fastball’s velocity, a new study suggests.

M...

Personalized Brain Implant Provides Step-By-Step Walking Boost For Parkinson's Patients

A new type of brain implant can help improve walking among Parkinson’s disease patients by providing real-time stimulation in response to each stride, a new study says.

The implanted brain stimulator can detect neural signals associated with each step and automatically adjust its electrical pulses within fractions of a second, resear...

Birth Control Pills Might Increase Binge Eating Risk, Study Finds

Birth control pills might increase some women’s risk of binge eating, a new study reports.

Women taking the combination pill were more likely to engage in emotional eating than when they were taking a placebo, researchers reported June 17 in JAMA Network Open.

Emotional eating is “the tendency to overeat or binge...

U.K. Moves To Ban Social Media For Children

The United Kingdom plans to bar kids under 16 from using social media, joining a growing list of countries trying to shield young people from apps built to be addictive.

At a news conference on Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. would go further than other nations by also blocking potentially harmful functions, such as lives...

Pregnant Woman Exposed to 45 Common Chemicals, Study Finds

Pregnant women are exposed to dozens of common chemicals linked to early delivery and low birth weight, according to a new study.

Researchers tested urine samples from more than 5,000 women who gave birth between 2000 and 2021, and compared the findings with pregnancy outcomes.

They screened for 113 chemicals commonly found in food, ...

Lower Risk Of Death, Clots Among Autoimmune Patients Taking GLP-1 Drugs

People with an autoimmune disease and obesity might lower their risk of dangerous blood clots and death by taking Ozempic or Zepbound, a new study says.

Autoimmune diseases like celiac disease, vitiligo, psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis increase the risk of severe heath emergencies because they cause inflammation and malfunctioning immune...

Surgical Menopause Tied To Worse Sexual And Urinary Symptoms

Women tend to have worse sexual and urinary symptoms if they enter menopause because of surgery as opposed to naturally, a new study says.

Women with surgical menopause needed to pee more often, had painful urination and suffered sexual symptoms like dryness and reduced desire at a higher rate than women in natural menopause, researchers r...

Post-Op Delirium Common In Seniors, But Not All Hospitals Screen For It

Many seniors experience delirium after surgery, suffering from confusion and disorientation as they emerge from anesthesia.

But some hospitals are better than others at identifying and treating post-op delirium, researchers say.

Hospitals certified for geriatric surgery screen nearly all patients for delirium following an operation, ...

Minimally Invasive Procedure Eases Arthritis Knee Pain, Study Finds

A minimally invasive procedure can ease knee pain by cutting off abnormal blood flow to the joint, a new study says.

The procedure, genicular artery embolization (GAE), reduced knee pain and improved function among nearly 200 people with knee arthritis, researchers reported June 16 in the journal Radiology.

“In our coh...

CDC, FDA Tackle New World Screwworm Including Drug Authorization

Federal health officials are mobilizing against the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite recently detected in animals in the southwest United States. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has activated an emergency operations center to coordinate its response. The agency is supporting the U.S. Department o...

Lifestyle Changes Can Reduce Your Risk For Multiple Chronic Diseases

Diet and exercise may be more powerful than a popular diabetes medication when it comes to preventing chronic diseases.

Researchers followed more than 1,100 adults who took part in a landmark Diabetes Prevention Program launched in the 1990s.

They tracked the development of 15 chronic conditions over two decades, including heart dise...

At-Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Reduces Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke

Prompting patients to keep tabs on their blood pressure at home can reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke and heart disease, a new study says.

People were 34% less likely to be hospitalized or die from heart attack, stroke or heart failure if they self-monitored their blood pressure at home and shared the readings with their doctors.

Family Finances Shape Children’s Brain Development, Study Finds

A family’s financial situation has more impact on their children’s brain development than parenting style, a new study says.

Family finances and opportunities in a child’s neighborhood account for about 16% of the variability in kids’ brain function — far more than IQ, health history or how their parents raise...

People Walk, Exercise Less After Starting Ozempic, Zepbound

Folks losing weight on Ozempic or Zepbound tend to start slacking off when it comes to exercise, a new study says.

People’s daily step count and physical activity declined after starting a GLP-1 medication, researchers reported Saturday at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago.

“While many assume that we...

Many Men Are Prescribed Testosterone Without Proper Testing

Men prescribed testosterone might not be getting important and required testing beforehand, a new study says.

A little over 1 in 10 men (12%) received testing that would accurately diagnose them with low testosterone levels prior to being prescribed the hormone, researchers reported Saturday at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting ...

Organic Baby Formula Recalled Following Botulism Cases

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating a multistate outbreak of infant botulism linked to Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula.

Three infants in California, Pennsylvania and Washington have been diagnosed with toxin type A infections after consuming formula in April or May.

Nara Organics Powd...

FDA Approves First Over-the-Counter Glucose Monitor for Children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the first over-the-counter wearable device to track blood sugar in young children.

The continuous glucose monitor (CGM) — called the Stelo Glucose Biosensor System — is for use in children as young as 2 years old who do not use insulin.

This marks the first time a CG...