ATVs: How to Avoid Injuries This Summer

For many Americans, summer is synonymous with All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs).

These rigs are popular with adults and kids alike -- and injuries suffered in crashes of ATVs and other off-highway vehicles claim about 700 lives each year in the United States. About 100,000 people are treated in the nation's emergency rooms for injuries resultin...

High-Tech Pacemaker Reads Body Signals, Dissolves After Use

Researchers are another step closer to bringing heart patients a temporary "smart" pacemaker that simply dissolves once it's no longer needed.

Pacemakers are devices that are implanted to help control certain abnormal heart rhythms, by sending electrical pulses to the heart muscle. They are normally permanent, but in some cases patients on...

After Another Senseless Tragedy, Study Shows Guns Now Leading Killer of U.S. Youth

Days after the second-deadliest elementary school shooting in U.S. history, experts note that guns are now the leading cause of death for American children.

Nineteen children and two teachers were killed at the shooting massacre in Uvalde, Texas, spurring calls for urgent action to reduce such deaths.

"We must reverse this deeply tro...

9 Monkeypox Cases Confirmed in United States

Nine cases of monkeypox had been confirmed in seven states as of Wednesday, and there are likely to be more cases as a worldwide outbreak continues, U.S. health officials say.

The nine cases of the disease, which does not occur naturally in the United States, were identified in Massachusetts, Florida, Utah, Washington, California, Vir...

Not Just 'Gluten-Sensitive': What People With Celiac Disease Want You to Know

Hayden Bishop can't help but feel terribly self-conscious when she goes out to eat with friends and family.

Bishop has celiac disease, a serious autoimmune disorder in which even the least exposure to gluten creates an antibody response that damages the small intestine, resulting in debilitating symptoms.

Unfortunately, the glut...

Devastating Injuries When Children Swallow Button Batteries

Those button batteries that power your watch, key fob and other devices can be deadly if a child swallows them, and researchers want to make the danger clear.

The tiny but powerful batteries can burn holes in a child's throat, paralyze vocal cords or fuse their esophagus and trachea together. In severe cases, burning can continue into a ma...

U.S. Making It Easier to Access COVID Treatment Paxlovid

Getting ahold of the COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid could get easier, the White House announced on Thursday.

"We want to make Paxlovid as widely available across the entire country, so that if you do end up getting a breakthrough infection, you’re still protected against serious illness," said White House Covid-19 Coordinator Dr....

Expert Tips to Help Parents Cope With Baby Formula Shortage

As U.S. parents struggle to find formula to feed their infants during a nationwide shortage, they may not know what to do.

Experts from Penn State Health Children’s Hospital offer some safe suggestions for navigating the issue.

To start with, consider trying a different brand of formula if you can’t find the one you would typical...

Almost 2,000 Years Later, Scientists Map Genome of Resident of Pompeii

The DNA of a man who died in Pompeii, Italy, after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD is revealing surprising new secrets about the ancient world.

Scientists recently completed the first successfully sequenced human genome from a Pompeii victim. Until now, only short stretches of DNA had been sequenced from human and animal remains at...

When States Legalize Pot, More Teens Light Up

Pot use among U.S. minors increases when states legalize recreational cannabis for adults, according to a new study.

University of California, San Diego researchers tracked more than 6,900 youths and almost 15,000 adults, using data from a national assessment. The team found that in states where recreational cannabis use was legal for thos...

Dangerous Tanning Is on the Rise, Suntan Myths Persist: Poll

While most people probably know it's not safe to get a sunburn, many may not realize that tanning also increases the risk of skin cancer and premature skin aging.

A new survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) found a sharp rise in both tanning and number of sunburns last year, compared to 2020. An...

Sperm Counts Rebound When Obese Men Shed Pounds

When men shed extra pounds and keep them off, the health benefits may extend all the way to their sperm count, a new study finds.

The study, of nearly 50 men with obesity, found that those who lost weight by following a low-calorie diet improved their sperm count by about 40%. But there was a catch: They needed to keep the weight off to ma...

Breastfeeding May Boost a Child's Brainpower, Study Shows

Breastfeeding has long been thought to help boost a child's IQ, but other factors such as mom's education level and/or social standing could also be responsible for some of this benefit.

Now, a new study shows that babies who were breastfed for six months or longer scored higher on tests measuring verbal and spatial relations skills up unt...

Talking to Your Kids About the Shooting Tragedy in Texas

After a gunman killed at least 19 students and two teachers Tuesday at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, this week, horrified parents may be wondering how to talk with their children about it.

From toddlers and teens to young adults, kids look to their parents to feel safe -- especially so after these mass shootings that have plagued...

AHA News: Her 2-Year-Old Niece Noticed Something Wrong During a Video Chat. It Was a Mini-Stroke.

Exhausted at the end of a workday, Dawn Turnage plopped into a comfortable chair on her patio to soak up some sun before going to bed early.

Her phone buzzed. It was a FaceTime call from her sister, April Washington.

Washington was calling because her 2-year-old daughter, Naomi, wanted to talk to "Aunty Dawn" -- or "TeTe," as the you...

Autopsy Helps Confirm Cause of Mysterious Paralyzing Illness in Kids

Researchers may finally have definitive proof of what's caused recent outbreaks of a rare polio-like illness in U.S. children: a respiratory virus that is usually harmless.

The condition, called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), attacks tissue in the spinal cord, causing muscles and reflexes to weaken suddenly. In some cases, it also impairs b...

Lidocaine Infusions May Ease Tough-to-Treat Migraines

A multi-day intravenous infusion of the local anesthetic lidocaine appears to offer some pain relief to patients battling otherwise untreatable daily migraines.

That's the takeaway from a new study that examined the effectiveness of lidocaine infusion treatment -- a much debated therapy that requires a hospital stay -- as ...

More Shipments of Baby Formula Heading to Store Shelves Soon

At least some American parents and caregivers needing formula for their infants will be able to find it on store shelves as soon as this weekend.

About 60 tons of formula arrived at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, as part of the Biden Administration’s Operation Fly Formula. It contains hypoallergenic Nest...

Diabetes Drug Metformin Disappoints in New Breast Cancer Treatment Trial

A landmark clinical trial finds that a hoped-for treatment for early-stage breast cancer isn't the answer in most cases.

The international trial tested the inexpensive diabetes medication metformin and found that it did not stop or prevent the spread of the most common types of breast cancer, despite hope that it might do so.

"The re...

Vitamin D Supplements Won't Help Prevent Diabetes

While vitamin D may have other benefits, preventing type 2 diabetes in high-risk adults does not appear to be one of them.

A new Japanese trial found no significant difference among study participants who used a vitamin supplement and those who took a placebo.

"Although treatment with eldecalcitol [an active form of vitamin D used to...