New Federal Plan Aims to Use More Donor Organs, Improve Transplant Safety

U.S. health officials unveiled proposed changes to the nation’s transplant system, hoping to help more patients get lifesaving organs, even when donations aren’t perfect.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said the plan would tighten oversight of organ procurement organizations, known as OPOs. 

Thes...

Gerber Recalls Arrowroot Baby Biscuits Over Possible Plastic, Paper Pieces

Gerber has announced a nationwide recall of some arrowroot biscuits made for babies after finding they may contain small pieces of soft plastic or paper, federal regulators said.

The recall affects specific batches of 5.5-ounce Gerber Arrowroot Biscuits with “Best Before” dates ranging from Oct. 16, 2026, through Dec. 16, 2026,...

U.S. Life Expectancy Hits Record High as Death Rates Fall Nationwide

Americans are living longer than ever.

U.S. life expectancy climbed to 79 years in 2024, the highest level on record, new federal data shows. Health officials say fewer deaths from COVID-19, along with drops in heart disease, cancer and drug overdoses, helped drive the increase.

“It’s pretty much good news all the way aro...

Salty Drinking Water Increases High Blood Pressure Risk, Review Concludes

People whose drinking water contains more salt have an increased risk of high blood pressure, a new evidence review says.

Particularly in coastal regions, salt in drinking water could be an overlooked contributor to elevated blood pressure, researchers reported recently in the journal BMJ Global Health.

Higher salt in drinki...

Afternoon Naps Are Good For The Brain — And Researchers Now Know Why

Having trouble powering through your afternoon workload?

A brief nap can rejuvenate your brain power, a new study says.

Even a short afternoon nap helps the brain recover and improve its ability to learn, researchers recently reported in the journal NeuroImage.

Napping helps reorganize connections between nerve cells c...

AI-Assisted Mammograms Catch More Hard-To-Detect Breast Cancers, Clinical Trial Shows

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help reduce the number of breast cancers found between mammogram screenings, clinical trial results show.

There was a 12% reduction in cancer diagnoses in the years following AI-supported breast cancer screening — a key test of effectiveness, researchers reported Jan. 29 in The Lancet.

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