Vesuvius Eruption Turned One Ancient Resident's Brain Into Glass

The cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. created temperatures so hot that one poor soul's brain was transformed into glass, researchers report.

Archaeologists working at the site of Herculaneum -- the other city wiped out in the eruption, alongside Pompeii -- discovered small bits of black glass inside the skull of one of ...

New Drug Could Help Stop Blindness From Thyroid Eye Disease

The newly approved drug teprotumumab can offer hope to adults with thyroid eye disease, a rare and potentially blinding condition.

It's the first treatment specifically approved for thyroid eye disease. The drug was approved Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It will be marketed under the brand name Tepezza.

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Can Online Reviews Help Health Inspectors Keep Tabs on Restaurants?

Could that nasty online review you wrote about your neighborhood restaurant help the local health inspector do a better job?

Yes, according to researchers who found that such reviews may help monitor a restaurant's cleanliness between health inspections.

Because local health departments have to deal with so many restaurants ...

What Parents Can Do to Prevent Teens From Driving Drunk

Older teens who know that their parents disapprove of drinking are less likely to drive impaired as young adults, a new study finds.

"As kids get older, we tend to step away from them. We think: 'They've got this.' But if kids think we approve or disapprove of them drinking, that can have a powerful effect," said lead author Dr. Federi...

When Dementia Harms Speech, Native Language Matters

Dementia patients may develop distinct speech and reading problems depending on their native language, a new study finds.

The study included 20 English-speaking and 18 Italian-speaking patients with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a neurodegenerative disorder that affects language areas in the brain. It is often associated with deme...

Opioid Addiction Med Under-Used in Younger People, Study Finds

Treatment with the opioid addiction drug buprenorphine is on the rise among most age groups in the United States, but falling among 15- to 24-year-olds, a new study finds.

"While it's encouraging to see an overall increase in prescription rates for buprenorphine, the data suggest that the youngest group is having difficulty accessing t...

Are Antibiotics a Recipe for Obesity in Childhood?

Children who receive multiple antibiotic prescriptions early in life may be vulnerable to obesity, two new studies suggest.

In one study, researchers found that 4-year-olds who'd received more than nine antibiotic prescriptions in their lives were twice as likely to be obese as their peers with no antibiotic exposure.

The sec...

Allow Dead Men to Be Sperm Donors, Medical Ethicists Say

Should a dying man be allowed to let doctors harvest his sperm for possible use by strangers after death? Yes, say two medical ethicists in the United Kingdom.

Writing in an article published Jan. 20 in the Journal of Medical Ethics, Drs. Nathan Hodson and Joshua Parker said that such donations would be akin to the organ donor ...

'Yo-Yo' Blood Pressure Numbers in Youth a Bad Sign for Health Later

If your blood pressure numbers swing from low to high and back again in your 20s, that could bode ill for heart health in middle age, new research shows.

In fact, every 4 mm Hg spike in systolic blood pressure -- the top number in a reading -- during young adulthood was tied to a 15% higher risk for heart disease in midlife, the re...

Eating More Veggies Won't Stop Prostate Cancer: Study

Eating a diet high in vegetables and fruits does not slow or cure prostate cancer, according to a new study.

U.S. guidelines say prostate cancer patients might benefit from eating a vegetable-rich diet.

This study included 478 men, ages 50 to 80. All had been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer and were under active su...

AHA News: Can Social Media Be Good for Your Health?

Combine the vast power and reach of social media, the unlimited resources of websites and apps, and the unquenchable thirst for health information and motivation. The result is a powerful tool for researchers, health care providers and patients. But like many aspects of the internet, it can be a mixed blessing.

"Social media are an in...

This Year's Flu Season Taking Deadly Aim at Kids

How bad or how long this year's flu season will be remains to be seen. But one thing is already clear: It's proving to be an especially lethal season for infected children.

Fueled by a strain of influenza that children may be especially vulnerable to, less than two months into flu season 39 children have already died, according to data...

Super-Cooled Injections Might Ice Away 'Deep Fat'

The Harvard-associated lab that created the "CoolSculpting" process of reducing fat says it's on the trail of the next advance in nonsurgical slimming.

CoolSculpting freezes fat cells by applying an ice-cold gel pad to the skin, causing cells to die off and either be flushed away or absorbed by the body, said lead researcher Dr. Lilit Ga...

Vaping Is the Darling of Instagram

Vaping has been deemed hazardous for your health by public officials across America, but you wouldn't know it by scrolling through Instagram.

Instead, researchers discovered that Instagram posts that promote use of the devices outnumber anti-vaping content by a shocking ratio of 10,000 to 1.

Nearly one-third of U.S. teens use...

Flame Retardants, Pesticides Remain Threat to U.S. Health: Study

While health problems from childhood exposure to lead and mercury are on the decline, these and other toxic chemicals continue to take a toll, a new study reports.

The progress likely owes to decades of restrictions on use of heavy metals. But researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City said that exposure to oth...

Using Pot to Help With Sleep? Benefits May Not Last

Medical marijuana may not provide long-term relief of sleep issues in people battling chronic pain, a new study finds, mainly because users may develop a tolerance to the drug.

The finding is important "considering the aging of the population, the relatively high prevalence of sleep problems in this population, along with the increasin...

First U.S. Patient With China Coronavirus Is Diagnosed in Washington State

The first U.S. case of a new coronavirus illness that originated in central China has been identified in a patient in Washington State, federal health officials announced on Tuesday.

In a news briefing, officials said that the male patient was hospitalized with pneumonia last week and had recently traveled to Wuhan, a city of 11 milli...

For Cancer Survivors, Financial Hardship Is Common: Survey

Many American cancer survivors struggle to pay for their medical care and have to cut back on spending, dip into their savings, or change their living situation.

These problems are more common among those under 65 than among older survivors, a new survey reveals.

Researchers focused on 401 cancer survivors, ages 18 to 64, and...

Brain Waves Offer Insight Into Autism-Linked Sleep Struggles

Shallower-than-normal brain waves may play a role in serious sleep problems in children with autism, a new study suggests.

Previous research has shown that between 40% and 80% of children with autism have sleep issues, such as trouble falling asleep or waking frequently during the night and rising early. These problems can be s...

Could a Kid's Microbiome Alter Their Behavior?

Young school-aged children with behavior problems may have different bacteria in their guts than their well-behaved peers, new research suggests.

The study also noted that parents may play a key role in development of the particular bacteria in their child's gut (collectively known as the microbiome). That role even extends beyond the...