Fate Worse Than Death: Many Long-Term Care Residents Lose All Independence, Study Says

A significant number of long-term care patients consider their state a fate worse than death, as they become completely powerless and vulnerable due to their severe disabilities, a new study says.

About 20% of people newly admitted to long-term residential care become permanently unable to make everyday decisions for themselves within five...

New Smart Insoles May Help Spot Early Signs of Dementia and More

MONDAY, April 28, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Imagine if your shoes could tell you when something's wrong with your health. 

A new "smart insole" system might make that possible, helping spot early signs of dementia, orthopedic injuries and other health problems, a recent study shows.

The technology, described in the journal <...

Landmark Women's Health Study Saved From Funding Cuts

MONDAY, April 28, 2025 (HealthDay News) — In a sudden about-face, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it won't slash funding for the Women's Health Initiative, a major research project focused on preventing disease in older women.

The decision follows concerns about a move to end contracts supporting the whole...

USDA Drops Plan to Limit Salmonella in Poultry Products

MONDAY, April 28, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has dropped plans to require poultry companies to limit salmonella bacteria in chicken and turkey products, ending a Biden administration effort to reduce foodborne illness.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said last week that it wa...

Bacterial Toxin Implicated In Young Adult Colon Cancers

Colon cancer cases have been increasing among younger adults, and now researchers think they’ve identified a potential culprit.

A bacterial toxin called colibactin, produced by certain strains of E. coli, appears to alter gut DNA in a way that prompts colon cancer, researchers report in the journal Nature.

Col...

Exposure Therapy For Peanut Allergy Effective In Adults

Adults with peanut allergies can be safely treated using exposure therapy to increase their resistance, new clinical trial results show.

More than two-thirds of participants (67%) gained the ability to tolerate at least five peanuts without an immune reaction, researchers report in the journal Allergy.

This is the first tria...

Program Matches Breast Cancer Patients To Exercise, Rehab

Breast cancer patients fare better if they continue to exercise during their treatment, and a new program can help women get the activity they need to boost their odds, researchers say.

The Comprehensive Oncology Rehabilitation and Exercise (CORE) program assesses women’s physical activity needs based on the stage to which their canc...

AI Predicts Wasting Syndrome In Cancer Patients

A newly developed AI can predict which cancer patients are at risk for a life-threatening wasting syndrome, a new study says.

The syndrome, called cachexia, accounts for about 20% of all cancer-related deaths, statistics show.

“Cancer cachexia is a serious complication affecting many patients with cancer and is characterized by...

Ready-Made Immune Therapy Effective Against Leukemia

A ready-made version of a cutting-edge cancer immunotherapy can effectively defeat blood cancers, a new study says.

Researchers have prepared an off-the-shelf version of CAR immune cell treatment that can be administered more easily to patients with blood cancers.

The new treatment, which uses a type of immune cell called natural kil...

Ultra-Processed Foods Increase Risk Of Early Death

The more ultra-processed food a person regularly eats, the higher their risk of an early death, a new evidence review has concluded.

Each 10% increase in ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet increases their risk of early death from any cause by 3%, researchers reported today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine...

Head Injuries Are a Growing Risk for Anesthesiologists, Experts Warn

SUNDAY, April 27, 2025 (HealthDay News) — One moment, Dr. Cornelius Sullivan was standing over a patient during surgery. The next, he woke up in an ambulance on the way to the emergency room.

The anesthesiologist had hit his head on a monitor that had been moved behind him at a surgery center — a serious accident that landed hi...

Where Have All The Insects Gone — And Why?

SATURDAY, April 26, 2025 (HealthDay News) — From beetles to moths, leafhoppers and butterflies, the world's insects are vanishing at a breakneck pace.

Since 2017, when European researchers reported that insect populations had declined 75% in fewer than 30 years, scientists have churned out study after study trying to parse out exact...

Novavax COVID Vaccine Moves Closer to Full FDA Approval

FRIDAY, April 25, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine could soon receive full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the company said Wednesday.

The update sent Novavax’s stock up more than 21% in early trading. It also helped ease fears that the decision had been delayed by the Trump Ad...

Nearly Half of Americans Breathe Unhealthy Air, New Report Finds

FRIDAY, April 25, 2025 (HealthDay News) —Breathing the air in nearly half of the United States could be putting your health at risk.

A new American Lung Association report shows that 156 million people live in areas with unhealthy air.

The group’s annual "State of the Air" report found that smog and soot pollution are ge...

California Gives $25 Gift Cards To Boost Bird Flu Testing

FRIDAY, April 25, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Health officials in California are now offering gift cards to encourage folks near farms to get tested for bird flu.

The project is a partnership between the state and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to CBS News.

Clinics run by a state vendo...

Four-Gene Combo Might Predict Lethality Of Stomach Cancer

FRIDAY, April 25, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Four specific genes serve as a telltale clue to how potentially deadly stomach cancers will develop and progress, a new study says.

Testing for these genetic mutations could enable doctors to offer targeted treatments and spare some patients from going through aggressive measures like surgery...

Blood Test Can Predict Fatty Liver Disease

Doctors can accurately predict a person’s risk of fatty liver disease as early as 16 years before symptoms develop, a new study says.

A blood test looking for five specific proteins can predict metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), more commonly known as fatty liver disease, researchers are scheduled to re...

These Three Bad Habits Can Harm Your Health As Young As Your Mid-30s

Bad habits like smoking, heavy drinking and skipping exercise can start to impact a person’s health as early as their mid-30s, a new study says.

In fact, those three specific vices mean poorer physical and mental health starting at age 36, researchers report today in the Annals of Medicine.

“Our findings highligh...

Umbilical Cord Could Contain Clues For Child's Future Health

Doctors might be able to predict a newborn's long-term health outlook, by analyzing their umbilical cord blood, a new study says.

Genetic clues found in cord blood can offer early insight into which infants are at higher risk for health problems like diabetes, stroke and liver disease later in life, researchers will report at the upcoming ...

Colon Cancer Screening Program Cut Cases, Deaths, Eliminated Racial Gaps

FRIDAY, April 25, 2025 -- A Kaiser Permanente colon cancer screening initiative put a huge dent in cancer cases and deaths over two decades, a new study says.

The systematic outreach program doubled colon cancer screening rates, researchers are scheduled to report at the upcoming Digestive Disease Week meeting in San Diego.

As a resu...