Once Again, Tuberculosis Becomes World's Top Infectious Disease Killer

In the highest tally ever recorded for tuberculosis cases, the World Health Organization reported Tuesday that over 8 million people worldwide were diagnosed with the lung disease last year.

Of that number, 1.25 million people died of TB, the new report found, meaning that it is once again the leading cause of deaths f...

Half of U.S. Teens Stare at Screens More Than 4 Hours Per Day

Half of young Americans between the ages of 12 and 17 spend at least four hours each day on their smartphones, computers or televisions, a new survey shows.

"As technology has become more integrated into teenagers’ lives, the time spent in front of screens has continued to rise in the United States," noted a team of researchers from ...

How AI Might Help Men Fighting Prostate Cancer

Artificial intelligence might be able to help doctors detect the prostate cancers most likely to be life-threatening to men, a new study suggests.

An AI program successfully identified and outlined 85% of the most aggressive prostate tumors seen on MRI scans of more than 700 patients, researchers said.

The larger tumors found by the ...

Marijuana Use Has Fallen 'Dramatically' Among U.S. Teens

Weed use among U.S. teenagers fell dramatically over the past decade, a new study shows.

By 2021, only about 16% of teens said they were currently using marijuana, down from 23% in 2011, researchers found.

All grades experienced a notable decline in current weed use, particularly among ninth graders, researchers said.

Further, ...

More Than Half of Heat Deaths Can Be Blamed on Global Warming: Study

Researchers looking at the sweltering European summer of 2022 estimated that more than half of the heat-linked deaths occurring on the continent would not have happened if human-led climate change wasn't in place.

"Without strong action, record temperatures and heat-related mortality will continue to rise in the coming years,” said s...

Colonoscopy Still Beats New Blood Tests at Spotting Colon Cancer

Middle-aged folks facing a colon cancer screening now have a blood test they can choose over a standard colonoscopy.

However, the blood test isn't as effective as colonoscopy at detecting and preventing colon cancer, a new review finds.

About two and a half times more colon cancer deaths can be expected to occur in people taking the ...

AI Might Help Pick Up Heart Trouble in Dogs

Artificial intelligence can accurately detect heart murmurs in dogs, a new study finds.

The AI program detects heart murmurs in canines with 90% accuracy, similar to the accuracy of expert cardiologists, researchers report.

And in more than half the cases tested, the AI completely agreed with a cardiologist’s assessment of the ...

You Can Take Weeks-Long Breaks in Weight Training and Muscles Bounce Back

For many reasons, bodybuilders and others involved in weight training might have to take a break from the gym.

However, new Finnish research finds that even weeks-long interruptions in training won't hamper muscle-building efforts.

“Of course, the break slows progress some, but it is comforting to know that it is possible to r...

Childhood Attention Issues Show Links to Later Risk for Psychosis, Schizophrenia

Most kids with attention issues won't go on to develop serious psychiatric conditions like psychosis or schizophrenia.

However, a new study finds poor attention spans in childhood, plus certain genes, could play a role in raising the risk for these conditions.

Of course, much more research is needed to pinpoint precursors to psych...

Being Too Heavy, Too Skinny in Childhood Can Impair Lung Function

Here's another good reason to help your child reach and maintain a healthy weight: A new study warns that kids who are either too skinny or too fat are at risk for impaired lung function.

However, if their weight can be normalized before they reach adulthood, this impairment can be offset, results showed.

“This highlights how i...

Having a Preemie Baby Can Harm Job Prospects, Income

The health problems of preemie babies cause untold heartache for new parents.

But these families also face a strained financial future, a new study finds.

About 30% of parents with a very low birth weight baby, under 3.3 pounds, have had to make serious decisions about their employment and career based on their child’s health, ...

Weed Use During Pregnancy May Harm Kids' Behavior, Thinking Skills

Smoking marijuana during pregnancy may quell your morning sickness, but it could also harm your child’s development, a new study warns.

Cannabis exposure in the womb is associated in early childhood with poorer thinking skills, researchers reported Oct. 28 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

These kids also have behaviora...

McDonald's Quarter Pounder Beef Patties Not Source of E. Coli Contamination

McDonald's Quarter Pounder beef patties have tested negative for E. coli contamination as an outbreak that has sickened 75 people in 13 states continues, the company announced Sunday.

Federal health officials had already identified slivered onions that had been used on the burgers as the likely culprit in the outbreak, which has landed 2...

Ozempic Curbs Kidney Disease in Obese People Without Diabetes

The weight-loss drug Ozempic can guard against kidney disease in obese people, a new study shows.

Patients taking semaglutide -- the active agent in Ozempic and Wegovy -- had as much as a 52% reduction in kidney damage, as measured by urine testing, researchers reported Oct. 25 in the journal Nature Medicine. The results will also...

1 in 5 Americans' Drinking Water Tainted With PFAS Chemicals

More than 20% of people in the continental United States might have drinking water contaminated with “forever chemicals,” a new study suggests.

Between 75 and 95 million Americans rely on groundwater that contains detectible concentrations of these chemicals, known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), the U.S. Geolo...

New Hope Against a Rare, Aggressive Form of Thyroid Cancer

Most thyroid cancers are slow-moving and, if caught early, curable.

But some patients can present with what's known as an anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) -- a rare and very aggressive tumor with a very poor prognosis. 

Now, a clinical trial offers new hope to patients with a certain subtype of this tumor.

Combining can...

Skin Patch Uses 'Imperceptible' Electric Zaps to Heal Wounds Without Drugs

An experimental electric bandage might help doctors stop bacterial infections without using any drugs, a new study suggests.

Imperceptible low-level electric current applied through a skin patch caused a nearly 10 times reduction in amounts of Staphylococcus epidermidis, a common bacterium found on human skin, researchers reported...

Every Minute Counts: Speedy Defibrillator Delivery Saves Lives From Cardiac Arrest

Every minute spent waiting for a first shock from a defibrillator cuts the odds of surviving cardiac arrest by 6%, a new Dutch study finds.

"Our research shows that every minute of delay in giving the first shock has a major impact," said study first author says Remy Stieglis, a researcher at Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC).

Hospice Care Saves Medicare Lots of Money, Study Finds

Hospice care is a compassionate and heartfelt enterprise, involving a medical team dedicated to maintaining a person’s comfort and dignity as they face the final curtain.

Now, new research shows hospice is also incredibly cost-effective as a health care service, a new report says.

For-profit hospice providers generate substanti...

Halloween Can Be Extra Scary for Folks With Dementia. An Expert Offers Caregiver Tips

Halloween is meant to be a spooky season, but it can be downright terrifying to someone suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

“Halloween is full of scary sights and frightful sounds that create additional challenges for someone living with dementia, which is why being a proactive caregiver is so important,” said...