Close Bond With Your Teen Can Keep Them Physically Healthy, Too: Study

Ask your teen about their day and try to spend more quality time together.

It matters, a new study found.

Teens who report better relationships with their moms and dads are healthier both mentally and physically and less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol as young adults, according to researchers.

“Teens who reported higher lev...

How to Find a Caregiver: A Guide

Choosing a caregiver for a loved one is a decision no one takes lightly.

Figuring out the level of care your loved one needs can help make the process go more smoothly. That’s why it’s a great place to start your journey.

“The goal is to pick up clues early, before they start to impact day-to-day life in a significant way, so ...

U.S. Tuberculosis Cases Rose in 2022: CDC

Tuberculosis cases climbed again in 2022, U.S. health officials announced Thursday.

Still, the 5% increase, which amounted to 8,300 cases, didn't reach higher pre-pandemic numbers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The message is loud and clear — TB is still here. For the second year in a row, TB...

1 in Every 36 U.S. 8-Year-Olds Has Autism

More American children have autism than previously thought, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

It also finds that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed diagnosis for many, which could have lasting impact.

Data from 11 communities in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, which tracks the numbe...

Weaker Bones, Weakening Brain? Study Makes the Connection

For some older adults, thinning bones may be a harbinger of waning memory, a new study suggests.

The study, of more than 3,600 older adults, found that those with relatively low bone density were at greater risk of being diagnosed with dementia within the next decade. The one-third of participants with the lowest bone mass at the hip faced...

Drug Shortages Rose by 30% in 2022, U.S. Senate Report Shows

Americans are facing shortages of drugs critical for cancer treatment, breathing problems and more — shortages that increased nearly 30% between 2021 and 2022, a new report shows.

The report, commissioned by the U.S. Senate and discussed during a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday, found a record five-year high of 295 active drug shor...

Warming Climate Could Bring Flesh-Eating Bacteria to More U.S. Waters

Global warming is fostering the spread of a deadly flesh-eating bacteria along the northeastern coast of the United States, researchers report.

Vibrio vulnificus bacteria grow in warm shallow coastal waters and can infect a person via a cut or insect bite during contact with seawater. The bacteria is found as far north as Philade...

Too Much Social Media Could Raise Risk for Eating Disorders

Curated images of perfect bodies -- often highly filtered and unrealistic -- are common on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

And a broad new review of 50 recent studies across 17 countries finds that relentless online exposure to largely unattainable physical ideals may be driving up the risk for eating disorders, particularly amon...

AHA News: Back From Deployment, Air Force Member Diagnosed With Congestive Heart Failure

As a logistics planner with the U.S. Air Force, Kassandra Benson deployed to Pakistan, where she worked long days and nights coordinating and troubleshooting special operations troops' equipment and travel needs.

After a year abroad, she returned home. A post-deployment health check at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia showed that her blo...

Global Review Finds Vaccination Cuts Odds of Long COVID in Half

A review of studies from around the world finds that getting vaccinated halves the risk of long COVID-19.

For the review, a team led by researchers from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom looked at data from 41 studies involving more than 860,000 patients to gauge risk factors for the array of symptoms that can linger afte...

Drink Up: Coffee Won't Affect Your Heart Rhythms

A new study has some heartening news for coffee lovers: That morning cup is unlikely to make your heart skip a beat.

The study, published March 23 in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that drinking coffee does not seem to predispose healthy people to premature atrial contractions.

PACs are a normal occurrence for a ...

Feds Propose Overhaul of U.S. Organ Transplant System

A single nonprofit has what amounts to a monopoly over all organ transplants performed in the United States, but the federal government said Wednesday that it plans to change that.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which has contracted with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to run the Organ Procurement an...

Living Near Noisy Roads Can Raise Your Blood Pressure

That road noise outside your window could be wreaking havoc on your blood pressure.

A new study published March 22 in JACC: Advances found that the roaring engines, blaring horns and wailing sirens can themselves elevate high blood pressure (hypertension) risk, aside from questions about the impact of air pollution.

“We we...

New Parasite Is Killing Sea Otters, and Might Pose Threat to People

A rare strain of the parasite Toxoplasma has killed four sea otters along the California coast, raising concerns about a potential public health risk.

“The appearance of this lethal type of Toxoplasma in coastal California is concerning for two main reasons: First, because of potential population health impacts on a th...

When Kids Lose a Parent, New Therapy Might Prevent Long-Term Mental Harm

The death of a parent is heartbreaking for a child or teenager, and those who experience it are known to be at an increased risk for depression and other mental health issues later in life.

But a new study finds that children who participated in a bereavement program with their families following the loss of a parent were significantly les...

Dealing With Caregiver Stress & Burnout: A Guide

If you’ve been suffering from caregiver stress, you've got plenty of company.

It affects about 36% of the 53 million unpaid family caregivers in the United States, according to a recent report by the AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving -- and it can ultimately lead to caregiver burnout.

To give you some tools to better r...

'Muted' Immune Response May Explain Why COVID Is Tougher for Obese People

Obesity is a well-known risk factor for severe COVID-19, and researchers think they’ve uncovered a possible reason why.

Obese folks appear to have a blunted inflammatory response to COVID, leaving their immune systems less capable of fighting it, according to a recent study.

The findings were a surprise to researchers, given that s...

New Technique 80% Effective in Selecting a Baby's Gender

It's a controversial notion, but couples undergoing fertility treatments may soon be able to select the sex of their baby — with an 80% chance of success, doctors say.

Sperm-sorting techniques have been tried and offered before, but the new procedure — which separates sperm cells based on weight — appears much more accurate and ...

Florida Bill Would Ban Elementary School Kids From Learning About Menstruation

A proposed bill in Florida would prevent children from learning about menstruation in elementary school, even though some girls get their first periods in those years.

The bill would also ban other sex education topics through the fifth grade.

Sponsored by Republican Florida state Rep. Stan McClain, the bill advanced out of the House...

From a Lock of Hair, Beethoven's Genome Gives Clues to Health, Family

Genetic analysis of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair has provided new clues into the cause of the great composer’s death in 1827 — as well as evidence of a family scandal.

The analysis revealed that Beethoven suffered from a hepatitis B infection that could have contributed to his death from liver disease.

Researchers found DNA evid...