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Injected Birth Control Could Be Game-Changer to Curb Stray Cat Populations

Millions of stray cats roam the world over, and surgical sterilization has long been the primary method of population control.

But a small new study shows promising results for a one-and-done contraceptive injection.

Researchers say this first-of-its-kind approach appears safe and effective.

“A non-surgical contraceptive...

Longer Breastfeeding in Infancy, Better School Grades for Kids?

Could breastfeeding lay the groundwork for good grades in high school?

That's what the findings of a new British study suggest, although the differences were small between those who were breastfed and those who weren't when it came to standardized test scores and grades.

"Breastfeeding promotes the development of the brain, which may...

AHA News: Celebrating Pride Month With Mental Health in Mind

As rainbow flags flutter in the June breeze for Pride Month, many LGBTQ+ people will feel tension in the air.

"It's been a really rough go for LGBTQ Americans" of late, said psychiatrist Dr. Natalia Ramos, an assistant clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

In the wake ...

Can Some Cancer Patients Safely Skip Radiation Therapy? New Studies Say Yes

Radiation therapy might not be necessary in treating some forms of rectal cancer and lymphoma, sparing patients from the toxic treatment, a pair of new clinical trials shows.

One trial found that rectal cancer patients whose tumors shrink in response to chemotherapy can safely skip the radiation therapy that’s normally provided prior to ...

Money Troubles Can Delay Cancer Diagnoses, Putting Survival in Jeopardy

Money woes have long been linked to worse health care. Now, a new study finds financially strapped patients often put off cancer screenings -- only to learn they have the disease when it's advanced and tougher to treat.

Researchers studied the financial background of nearly 102,000 patients diagnosed with cancer between 2014 and 2015....

Targeted Drug May Lower Odds for Breast Cancer's Return in Some Patients

Here's some good news for women with the most common type of breast cancer: Adding a targeted breast cancer drug to hormonal therapy reduced the risk of cancer returning by 25% for women with early-stage disease, a new clinical trial shows.

Hormone-receptor (HR) positive/HER2 negative breast cancer accounts for about 70% of breast can...

Opdivo Could Boost Outcomes for People Battling Hodgkin Lymphoma

The widely used immunotherapy drug nivolumab (Opdivo) is safer and more effective in treating adults and children with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma than the targeted therapy now used as standard care is, new clinical trial results show.

Nivolumab outperformed the drug brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris), extending progression-free survival by 94% ...

More U.S. Kids, Teens Are Getting Weight-Loss Surgeries

As obesity rises among U.S. kids and teens, the number of weight-loss surgeries is growing, too.

Metabolic and bariatric surgeries among 10- to 19-year-olds rose by nearly 20% between 2020 and 2021, after climbing since 2016, a new study finds.

The jump is especially notable among those from racially and ethnically diverse backg...

Could a Nitroglycerin Patch Ease Hot Flashes?

A new study on using nitroglycerin patches to help women with frequent hot flashes caused by menopause has delivered mixed results.

The benefits of wearing these patches — long used as chest pain medication — were modest. They also were short-lived, with any benefits appearing to wear off over time, according to researchers from the U...

Another Reason to Hate Mondays: Higher Risk for Severe Heart Attacks

Monday can be a downer as folks leave weekend play behind. Now, researchers say Monday might also be the most common day for deadly heart attacks.

Doctors at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland determined this by analyzing patient data in Ireland, though they can’t determine the reason wh...

Chinese Company May Help Ease U.S. Shortage of Cancer Drug

With the United States facing a high number of drug shortages, a Chinese company may help to boost the supply of one in particular, the chemotherapy agent cisplatin.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with the Chinese drugmaker Qilu Pharmaceutical to import the widely used cancer drug. The Canadian pharmaceutical company...

One Form of Menopause Hormone Therapy Might Raise Blood Pressure

Women who use estrogen to ease menopause symptoms may see their blood pressure rise — but the way they take the hormone may determine that, a large new study suggests.

The study, of over 100,000 menopausal women on estrogen therapy, found that pills seemed to have a greater effect on blood pressure than estrogen delivered via skin patch,...

New Drug Could Be Advance Against Glioma Brain Tumors

An experimental targeted therapy can dramatically slow the progress of common slow-growing brain cancers, a new clinical trial finds.

The oral drug vorasidenib nearly tripled progression-free survival in patients with grade 2 gliomas compared to placebo, nearly 28 months versus 11 months, according to results presented Sunday at the Americ...

Wegovy, Saxenda Help Folks Lose Pounds They Regained After Weight-Loss Surgery

When people regained weight after obesity surgery, it wasn’t entirely clear what to do next. Now, it appears the weight-loss medications Wegovy and Saxenda can help.

Both work by controlling appetite and satiety. Wegovy (semaglutide), however, may be superior to Saxenda (liraglutide), a new study finds.

“Our research found that n...

AHA News: This Tick Season, Beware the Tiny Bugs That Can Carry Lyme Disease – a Danger to the Heart

Warmer weather is drawing people outdoors to enjoy nature. But for those who spend time working in the garden or walking along wooded or grassy trails, it also means greater exposure to a menace so tiny they may never even see or feel it.

Lyme disease – spread by ticks that can be as small as a pinhead – affects at least 30,000 people ...

Consistent Breast Cancer Screening Cuts Odds of Dying From the Disease by 72%

Screening mammograms saves lives, and consistency counts for a lot.

That's the main message from a new study that looked at how regularly women received mammograms before a breast cancer diagnosis. The closer a woman adhered to guidelines on a year-to-year basis, the less likely she was to die of breast cancer.

“It is quit...

Loneliness Can Cut Survival After a Cancer Diagnosis: Study

There’s a "loneliness epidemic" in the United States, and feelings of isolation have been linked to heart disease, stroke and other health conditions.

Now, new research suggests that cancer survivors who feel lonely may be more likely to die than survivors who have more social support.

“Loneliness may be linked to worse survival ...

Men: Here Are the Health Screenings You Need

Many men will put off going to the doctor unless they are really sick, but men's health screenings help catch problems before symptoms appear.

So, how can you tell if a health screening or preventive care appointment is right for you?

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the...

Many Kids Wait Too Long for Mental Health Care After Gun Injury

U.S. gun deaths and injuries in children have risen at astronomical rates. Yet, among kids on Medicaid, only about two of every five children who get shot receive mental health care within six months of these traumatic incidents, researchers say.

The need is great, given that more than 11,250 U.S. kids experienced nonfatal firearm in...

Prostate Cancer: The Basics Every Man Needs to Know

No man wants to hear that he has prostate cancer, but if he is diagnosed he will need to learn about the disease and how it is treated.

Prostate cancer affects one in seven men. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), it is the second most common type of cancer among men after skin cancer. With an estimated 288,300 new cases in the...