FDA Weighs Strongest Black Box Warning for COVID Vaccines

• I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter
• December 15, 2025
• Full Page

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering adding the strongest safety warning available to COVID-19 vaccines.

The move has alarmed many outside health experts, who say there is no scientific basis for the warning.

People familiar with the plan told...

Too Much Drinking Contributes To Cancer Risk, Study Says

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 15, 2025
• Full Page

A new evidence review offers some sobering info for folks preparing to raise more than a couple celebratory glasses during Christmas or New Year’s.

Alcohol significantly increases a person’s risk of developing a wide range of cancers, and that risk rises furt...

Home-Delivered Food Boxes Improve Diabetes Control, Experts Say

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 15, 2025
• Full Page

Folks with diabetes might fare better if health care professionals pick out and deliver their groceries, a new study says.

Folks with diabetes who received home deliveries of diabetes-appropriate grocery boxes for three months had better blood sugar control by the end of...

Doing Nothing Appears Best Approach To Common Heart Defect Among Preemies

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 15, 2025
• Full Page

Doing nothing at all to manage a common fetal heart defect might improve the survival odds of babies born prematurely, compared to treatment with drugs, a new clinical trial suggests.

A “wait and see” approach to patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) doubled a preem...

Some Can Slowly Taper Off Antidepressants Without Risk Of Relapse, Review Concludes

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 15, 2025
• Full Page

It’s safe to slowly taper some people off antidepressants after their depression fades, rather than continuing the drugs indefinitely, a new evidence review says.

People who slowly tapered off antidepressants while receiving psychological counseling had a similar r...

Mothers' Milk Might Be Key To Avoiding Childhood Food Allergies

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 15, 2025
• Full Page

Farm kids tend to have far fewer allergies than urban children, and a new study offers one possible explanation: The milk provided by breastfeeding moms.

Children who grow up in farming communities have immune systems that mature faster, with higher levels of protective ...

Most Receive Shock Therapy Without Psychological Counseling, Survey Says

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 15, 2025
• Full Page

Most people receiving shock therapy for mental health problems aren’t receiving any sort of psychological counseling before having their brains zapped, a new study says. 

Only a third of patients said they’d been asked about recent stressful events or ch...

How to Head Off Tendon Trouble

• Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
• December 14, 2025
• Full Page

Injure a tendon and you might not notice right away, but beware: These injuries often fail to heal properly, putting everyday activities at risk. 

"No matter how strong your muscle is, you’re not going to be able to have the functionality and the stability you...

Ignore the Influencers: Simple Showers Are Still Best

• Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
• December 13, 2025
• Full Page

Listen to the influencers, skin-care specialists say, and your daily shower could do more harm than good.

"Your skin is a barrier," said Dr. Nicole Negbenebor, a dermatologic surgeon at University of Iowa Health Care, told The Associated Press. "So you want to t...

New Sunscreen Ingredient Could Soon Be Allowed in the U.S.

• I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter
• December 12, 2025
• Full Page

Americans may soon have access to a new sunscreen ingredient already used around the world.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Dec. 11 that it is reviewing a proposal to allow bemotrizinol in sunscreens sold in the United States. 

The ingred...

Many Older Americans Don’t See Themselves as Disabled, Survey Finds

• Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
• December 12, 2025
• Full Page

Americans may be getting older and need help doing things that were once routine, but a new survey finds only a fraction of seniors see themselves as having a disability.

"It’s a familiar story," Megan Morris, director of the Disability Equity Collaborative at New ...

South Carolina Places 254 in Quarantine as Measles Cases Surge

• I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter
• December 12, 2025
• Full Page

South Carolina health officials say a measles outbreak is growing amid holiday travel and low vaccination rates, and they warn the spread could continue for weeks.

As of Dec. 10, the state’s Department of Public Health has confirmed 114 cases, nearly all in the sta...

FDA Clears Home Brain-Stimulation Device to Help Treat Depression

• I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter
• December 12, 2025
• Full Page

An at-home device that sends a gentle electrical current to the brain to help treat depression has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Experts say the move could expand access to care for many folks.

The prescription headset, made by Sweden...

Smokers Who Vape More Likely To Quit Or Cut Back, Study Argues

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 12, 2025
• Full Page

Smokers who use cigarettes and vape devices interchangeably might not be doing themselves as much of a disservice as once feared, a new study says.

These "dual users" are more likely to eventually quit smoking than people who smoke without vaping, researchers reported De...

Virtual Nursing Doesn't Deliver, Hospital Nurses Say

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 12, 2025
• Full Page

Virtual nurses aren’t an effective way to help hospitals deal with a lack of staffing, a new study says.

Hospitals struggling to attract and retain nurses are trying out virtual nursing programs, in which nurses in remote locations rely on video and messaging techn...

Improved Bionic Hand Has A Mind Of Its Own, Researchers Say

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 12, 2025
• Full Page

The best way to improve amputees’ control over a bionic hand is to give the hand a mind of its own, a new study argues.

A bionic hand that’s controlled by an artificial intelligence (AI) program, but under the direction of the amputee, provides the best appro...

New 15-Minute Test For Hepatitis C Paves Way For Same-Day Treatment

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 12, 2025
• Full Page

People could learn within 15 minutes whether they are infected with hepatitis C, thanks to a rapid test developed by Northwestern University.

The test will allow doctors to diagnose infections during an office visit and kickstart patients’ treatment before they lea...

Experimental Drug Provides Lasting Relief For Bleeding Condition

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 12, 2025
• Full Page

More than half of people with a rare life-threatening bleeding condition received lasting relief from an experimental antibody treatment, clinical trial results show.

Ianalumab, a monoclonal antibody, helped patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) maintain safe plate...

Less Is More For Melanoma-Fighting Immunotherapy, Study Argues

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 12, 2025
• Full Page

Less might be more when it comes to immunotherapy treatment of melanoma, a new study says.

Lower doses of a drug used to treat melanoma can provide better results while reducing side effects, researchers reported Dec. 8 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute...