Pandemic Is Changing Addiction Care, for Better and Worse

The COVID-19 pandemic is shaking up America's approach to addiction treatment, but the fallout hasn't been all bad, experts say.

In-person support meetings either aren't happening or have been severely curtailed, and addiction centers are facing financial ruin because folks are too afraid of the coronavirus to seek treatment.

The Long-Term Harm of Missing School

Missing lots of school between kindergarten and eighth grade may have consequences when kids grow up, a new study suggests.

When they reached their early 20s, frequent absentees were less likely to vote and more likely to have economic problems and poor educational outcomes, researchers found.

The results suggest early scho...

Can Probiotics Help Ease Depression?

Probiotic supplements might help ease depression symptoms in some people, a new research review suggests.

Researchers found that across seven small clinical trials, various probiotics seemed to improve symptoms in patients with clinical depression -- at least in the short term.

The studies build on a growing research interest...

Many Cases of 'Penicillin Allergy' Might Be Mistaken

Penicillin allergy is often unconfirmed in hospital patients, meaning many unnecessarily receive other antibiotics that may be less effective and even harmful, a new study finds.

The researchers analyzed records of nearly 11,000 patients at 106 U.S. hospitals and found that 16% of those with a self-reported penicillin allergy were ...

Streetlights Could Be Harming Your Teen's Sleep, Mental Health: Study

New research is suggesting links between street lights, neon signs and other forms of nighttime outside lighting and sleeplessness and mood disorders among teens.

The study of more than 10,000 American kids aged 13 to 18 couldn't prove cause and effect. However, it found that teens living in areas with high levels of artificial outdoor...

AHA News: Why Stay in Touch While Keeping Distant? It's Only Human

If you've been keeping a healthy distance from other people because of COVID-19, you probably feel smart. But if you're also feeling lonely and stressed, it doesn't mean anything is wrong. It could simply mean you're human.

The need to be around people is hard-wired into our brains, researchers say. We crave company in the same way we hu...

Trump Pushes for Schools Reopening While U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top 3 Million

WEDNESDAY, July 8, 2020 (HealthDay News)-- The tally of U.S. coronavirus cases passed 3 million on Tuesday, even as President Donald Trump pushed for schools across the country to reopen in the fall.

The pressure to find a way to resume classes in person was put on governors, mayors and other local officials during a day of conference ...

From 'Dead Man Walking' to Dancing Once More: One Man's Cancer Journey

After spending much of 2016 healing following the deaths of both his partner of 25 years and his mother, Oswald Peterson -- a professional carnival dancer in New York City -- was convinced 2017 would be his year to start again.

But life had other plans. Peterson, now 53, woke up on New Year's Day 2017 feeling awful.

"I coul...

How the Pandemic Is Changing Summer Camp

If your children are going to summer school or camps this year, you may need to prepare them for safety precautions that will be in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, an expert says.

"Social interaction, engaging learning opportunities and physical activity are critically important for kids' emotional and physical well-being. And h...

Tech Is Keeping More Americans in Touch With Doctors

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, nearly 50% of Americans have used technology to communicate with their doctors, a new study finds.

But less than one-quarter have talked with their doctors about using health information technology, the researchers found.

"The results of our statewide survey indicate patients are us...

Trump Administration Makes It Official: U.S. Cuts Ties With WHO

Critics are slamming U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The United States' notice of withdrawal, effective July 6, 2021, has been submitted to the U.N. secretary general, who is the depository for the WHO," a senior administration off...

COVID-19 Outbreaks at Meat Processing Plants Are Hitting Minorities Hard

Ethnic and minority groups make up nearly all meatpacking employees who've been infected during COVID-19 outbreaks at their plants, a new government study reveals.

The stats show that nearly 1 of every 10 workers in affected plants were diagnosed with COVID-19, based on figures from 14 states that reported the total number of workers i...

Healthier School Meal Programs Helped Poorer Kids Beat Obesity: Study

Just how healthy has the introduction of healthier new meals at America's schools been for kids? A new study ties the policy move to about a half-million fewer obese U.S. children.

The study covered kids aged 10 to 17. It found that after the introduction in 2012-2013 of school meals with less fat/sugar and more whole grains, the risk...

Brazilian Man Is Free of HIV After Drug Treatment, Researchers Say

A Brazilian man could be the first person to achieve long-term remission from HIV after treatment with a custom blend of antiviral drugs, but experts not involved in the case are skeptical.

Blood tests don't show any signs of lingering HIV infection in the unidentified 35-year-old man, and he also doesn't seem to have detectable antibo...

75 or Older? Statins Can Still Benefit Your Heart

Older adults with healthy hearts probably would benefit from taking a cholesterol-lowering statin, a new study contends.

People 75 and older who were free of heart disease and prescribed a statin wound up with a 25% lower risk of death from any cause and a 20% lower risk of heart-related death, researchers reported July 7 in the ...

U.S. Air Pollution Still at Deadly Levels, Study Finds

Fine particulate air pollution remains at levels deadly to older Americans, a new study finds.

If U.S. air quality standards for fine particulate pollution ((PM2.5) complied with World Health Association guidelines, more than 140,000 lives could be saved over a decade, say researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Healt...

Sleepless After Bypass Surgery? Try a Morning Walk

If you have trouble sleeping after heart bypass surgery, regular morning walks may provide relief, a new study suggests.

"Many patients have trouble sleeping after heart bypass surgery," said researcher Dr. Hady Atef, of Cairo University in Egypt.

"When this persists beyond six months, it exacerbates the heart condition and ...

New Guidelines Could Double Number Eligible for Lung Cancer Screening

CT scans have been proven to help spot lung cancer early and save lives. Now, updated expert recommendations could double the number of Americans who are eligible for the yearly screening.

The recommendations -- from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) -- would expand the definition of "high risk" for lung cancer. That's e...

Exposure to Iodine in the NICU May Affect Infant Thyroid Function

Exposure to iodine in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may increase a baby's risk for loss of thyroid function, a new study suggests.

Iodine solutions are often used as disinfectants on the skin before surgical or other medical procedures. Iodine also is given internally for imaging procedures used in infants, researchers expla...

Zika May Have Damaged More Infants' Brains Than Expected

It's a virus some might not even remember, but babies born to mothers infected with Zika who appeared normal at birth still experienced neurological or developmental problems, new research suggests.

A hallmark of infection with the mosquito-borne Zika virus in pregnant women is delivering a baby with an abnormally small head -- a condi...