Hospice Use Rising for Seniors Following ICU Stays

For many older Americans, the intensive care unit (ICU) is a place of aggressive, life-saving intervention.

However, a new national study reveals that more seniors are choosing a different path — transitioning from the high-tech world of the ICU to the comfort-focused environment of hospice.

The findings were published recently...

Turns Out Horses Don’t Just Whinny — They Whistle

The sound of a horse whinnying is one most people recognize instantly, but scientists are only now learning how it’s made.

A new study revealed that when a horse whinnies, it is making two sounds at the same time: One sound comes from vibrating vocal cords, like when people sing. The other comes from air rushing through the voice box...

New FDA Proposal Aims To Help Patients With Hard-To-Treat Diseases

U.S. health officials are proposing a new way to develop and approve custom-made treatments for people with rare and hard-to-treat conditions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just released a draft of guidelines that would create a special pathway for therapies designed for just a small number of people. Drug companies often avo...

Study Suggests Cutting Sugar Before Age 2 Could Lower Heart Disease Risk

Cookies, cupcakes, fruit snacks, juice boxes, oh my! These sweet treats are often part of childhood. 

But when it comes to babies and toddlers, new research suggests less sugar may be better for the heart later on.

Researchers found that people whose sugar intake was restricted before birth and during the first two years of life...

CDC's Deputy Secretary General Steps Down Just 2.5 Months Into the Job

Leadership uncertainty at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deepened this week after the agency’s second-in-command suddenly resigned.

On Monday, the CDC announced that Ralph Abraham, its deputy secretary general, stepped down effective immediately.

Abraham had been in the role for about two and a half m...

Gap In Preventable Deaths Widening Between Those With, Without A College Degree

A gap in preventable deaths is growing between people with and without a college degree, a new study says.

A steadily increasing number of people with a high school diploma or less are dying from illnesses that could have been prevented by health care, researchers reported in the American Journal of Public Health.

A growing ...