Up to 155,000 COVID Deaths May Not Have Been Counted, Study Finds

A new study suggests the true number of COVID-19 deaths in the early days of the pandemic may be much higher than official counts show.

Researchers estimate that as many as 155,000 additional deaths linked to COVID may have gone unrecognized in the United States during 2020 and 2021. 

During that same period, about 840,000 COVID...

FDA Drops Plan To Ban Tanning Beds for Minors Nationwide

A long-debated plan to block teens from using tanning beds nationwide will not move forward.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said earlier this week it is withdrawing a proposed rule that would have banned anyone under age 18 from using tanning beds.

The rule, first proposed in 2015, would have also required adults to sign...

Survey Shows More People Struggling To Afford ACA Insurance

Rising health insurance costs are pushing some Americans to drop their coverage, a new survey finds.

About 1 in 10 people who had Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans last year are now uninsured, according to a report from the health policy group KFF. 

The change follows a sharp increase in premiums following expiration of extra fede...

Heart Benefits From GLP-1 Drugs Fade After Stopping, Study Finds

Drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are known to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke, but a new study suggests those benefits may not last if people stop taking them.

Researchers found that heart risks begin to rise again within six months after stopping GLP-1 medications, and much of the benefit may be gone within about 18 months.

High Blood Pressure Deaths Quadruple Among Young Women, Study Finds

High blood pressure-related deaths are skyrocketing among young women, with rates up more than fourfold during the past two decades, a new study says.

Nearly 5 of every 100,000 deaths among 25- to 44-year-old women in 2023 owed to heart disease caused by high blood pressure, compared to about 1 in 100,000 in 1999, researchers are to report...

Meningitis Vaccine Doesn't Protect Gay, Bisexual Men From Gonorrhea, Clinical Trial Concludes

A meningitis vaccine does not protect against gonorrhea spread between men, a new clinical trial has concluded.

Experts had hoped that a meningococcal B vaccine called 4CMenB might prevent the spread of gonorrhea, based on an earlier study that linked the vaccine to a 38% reduced risk of the sexually transmitted infection.

But a clin...

'Early Bird' Exercisers Get The Most Health Benefits, Study Finds

“Early bird” exercise provides better health benefits for people, a new study says.

People who regularly exercise in the early morning are significantly less likely to develop clogged arteries, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or obesity, researchers are slated to report at the upcoming meeting in New Orleans of the America...

Social Media Poses Risks to Children's Mental Health, Review Concludes

Social media is bad for kids, increasing their risk of depression, self-harm, substance use and behavior problems, a major evidence review has concluded.

The risk social media poses to kids’ health is “comparable with other modifiable lifestyle factors, such as physical inactivity and unhealthy diet,” concluded the resear...

Some Patients With ADHD and Addiction History Missing Out

For millions of teens living with ADHD, the transition into adulthood adds more complexity and temptation to daily life. Substance abuse, on top of ADHD, can become a tricky landscape to navigate.

New research from Penn State College of Medicine reveals that the very patients who could benefit from ADHD medication the most — those al...

Does Closing Your Eyes Help You Hear Better?

Everybody’s done it: You’re at a noisy party and someone is telling you something in your ear. You squeeze your eyes shut to focus and try to hear what they’re saying.

For generations, the common wisdom has been that turning off our vision frees up brain power to boost our hearing. But a surprising new study suggests that...

Gut Microbiome May Take Years to Recover From Antibiotic Use

Antibiotics are often hailed as miracle drugs for their ability to wipe out dangerous infections, but new research suggests they leave a more lasting footprint on our bodies than previously thought.

A study of nearly 15,000 adults found that certain antibiotics can alter the community of helpful bacteria in our digestive system for nearly ...

The Math Behind Eczema Flare-Ups May Finally Add Up

Eczema flare-ups can feel random and hard to control, but new research suggests there may be a way to better predict and manage them.

Scientists say something from a complex field of mathematics called nonlinear dynamics could help explain why symptoms suddenly worsen and how much treatment a person may need.

The study — publis...

Both Types Of Diabetes Increase Dementia Risk

Both types of diabetes dramatically increase a person’s risk of dementia, a new study says.

People with type 1 diabetes are nearly three times more likely than those without diabetes to develop dementia, and folks with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to do so, researchers reported March 18 in the journal Neurology.

Aldi Recalls Spinach Bites Over Possible Contamination

Frozen spinach bites sold at Aldi are being pulled from shelves after a possible contamination issue, federal health officials said.

The recall involves Simply Nature Spinach Bites, which may contain rodent hair. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the issue led to a Class II recall, meaning the product could cause...

Pesticide Exposure Before Pregnancy Might Risk Newborn Health

Pesticides can affect a newborn’s health before they’re even conceived, a new study says.

Women exposed to agricultural pesticides prior to pregnancy are up to three times more likely to give birth to sickly babies, researchers reported this month in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.

Premature Menopause Increases Heart Disease Risk

Premature menopause can increase a woman’s long-term risk of heart disease from clogged arteries by 40%, a new study says.

This risk is particularly important among Black women, as they are three times more likely to experience menopause prior to age 40, researchers reported March 18 in JAMA Cardiology.

The results sug...

Drug Smoking Linked To Surge In Severe Burn Cases

Illicit drug users are fueling a surge of severe burn cases at hospitals, as more choose to smoke their dope rather than inject it, a new study says.

More than half of Medicaid patients treated for burns in Oregon hospitals and emergency rooms were using smokable drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine, researchers reported March 16 in

U.S. Teen Obesity Hits Record Highs While Efforts to Slim Down Drop

Late-night study sessions and the constant hum of social media make high school a stressful time, and a new study suggests that stress is contributing to a growing weight and health crisis.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) analyzed a decade’s worth of data from more than 85,000 students. Their findings — publi...

Thymus Gland Health May Be Key to Long Life and Fighting Cancer

For decades, medical students were taught that the thymus — a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the upper chest — was essentially inactive once a person hit puberty. 

But new research suggests this overlooked organ may actually be a master switch for how well people age and survive life-threatening diseases.

Researche...

What To Know About Fatty Liver Disease and Why It’s So Common

Fatty liver disease is when too much fat builds up in the liver. The liver is the body’s filter. It helps clean your blood, store energy and process nutrients that you eat. If too much fat stays in the liver, it can harm the organ and lead to serious health problems.

New name: MASLD

Doctors used to call this co...