Arkansas, Indiana Push to Ban Candy, Soda From SNAP Program

WEDNESDAY, April 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Republican governors in Arkansas and Indiana are asking the federal government for permission to ban soda and candy purchases with food stamps.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said her goal is to improve the health of the nearly 350,000 people in her state who use the Supplemental Nut...

Blood Test Can Predict Melanoma Recurrence

A new blood test can help predict if melanoma survivors will have a future bout with skin cancer, researchers say.

The test looks for DNA fragments that are shed by tumors and float free in a person’s bloodstream.

About 80% of later-stage melanoma patients who had detectable levels of these DNA fragments before cancer treatment...

Brisk Walking Lowers Risk Of Heart Rhythm Disorders

Long brisk walks might lower a person’s risk for heart rhythm problems, a new study says.

Folks who stride faster than 4 miles per hour have a 43% lower risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm, compared with those who amble at a pace of less than 3 miles an hour, researchers reported April 15 in the journal Heart.

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Timing Might Be Everything With Asthma Inhalers

Folks with asthma might better control their symptoms by precisely timing when they use their inhaler, a new study says.

A single daily preventive dose of inhaled corticosteroid is best taken at mid-afternoon for effective asthma control, researchers reported April 15 in the journal Thorax.

That timing will suppress the usua...

Gene Test Predicts Urinary Problems From Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is commonly used to treat prostate cancer, but it can cause embarrassing urinary problems in some men.

But a new genetic test appears capable of sussing out which men are at greater risk of urinary side effects from radiation treatment, a new study says.

The test, PROSTOX, successfully predicted which men would even...

Heavy Weed Use Increases Risk Of Dementia

Middle-aged folks and seniors whose weed use lands them in the hospital are at higher risk for developing dementia within a matter of years, a new study says.

An ER visit or hospitalization due to cannabis use is associated with a 72% increased risk of a dementia diagnosis within five years compared to the general population, researchers r...