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...

Does Your Kid Need a Summer Vacation From Smartphones?

Summer vacation has begun for some families and screen use may already feel like too much.

A psychiatrist from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston offers some tips for making sure smartphones and tablets are put to good use and not used to excess.

Dr. Laurel Williams, a professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral...

Tips to Checking Your Skin for Skin Cancer

Skin cancer can pop up anywhere on your skin, including the soles of your feet and even under your fingernails.

That’s what happened to Isabel Lievano, who was diagnosed with melanoma when her dermatologist determined that a persistent black spot under her fingernail was the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Lievano, 69, lost her nai...

Get in the Swim: Summer Pool Safety Tips

Summer is here and so, too, is swimming season.

As fun as a pool can be, it’s also a major safety risk if you don’t take the appropriate precautions.

An expert from Huntington Health, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, offers some tips for a safe pool season.

“If children or non-experienced swimmers will be i...

Drug Might Help Slow Nearsightedness in Kids

There is no cure for nearsightedness, but medicated eye drops can slow down its progression in children, a new trial finds.

The study tested the effects of eye drops containing a very low dose of the drug atropine — the same medication used to dilate the pupils during an eye exam.

Researchers found that when children with nearsight...

Biden Set to Name New CDC Director

A former Obama administration official with extensive experience in federal and state health services could be the next leader of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Former North Carolina Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen is the likely pick, according to sources with knowledge of the plan, the Washington Post repo...

U.S. Has Lagged Other Rich Nations in Life Expectancy for Decades

Americans aren't living as long as people in dozens of other developed nations — and the problem is worse than previously thought, a new study reveals.

People in more than 50 countries on six continents have been outliving Americans for more than 70 years, according to the new research.

“The new study challenges two assumptions t...

Erectile Troubles in Middle Age a Bad Sign for Men's Brains

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been tied to an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Now, research suggests that erectile woes during late middle age may also be linked to a man’s chances of developing memory issues later on.

“Because subtle changes in erectile function were related to memory decline, o...

AHA News: After Surviving a Heart Attack at 35, She 'Felt Like a Ticking Time Bomb'

Jennifer Valentine's colleague, longtime friend and neighbor Rebecca McCormack picked her up early at her home in York, South Carolina, for a ride to the airport. The oncology technicians at a cancer center were off to a conference in Salt Lake City.

At the airport, they had breakfast at a fast-food restaurant before the 4.5-hour flight. V...

CDC Warns of Potentially Fatal Bacterial Illness on U.S. Gulf Coast

A potentially deadly germ has made its way to the U.S. Gulf Coast, health officials warned this week.

So far, three cases of infection from the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei have been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bacteria causes melioidosis, which can be fatal if left untreated.

"...

Is a Liver Dialysis Device on the Horizon?

A new liver dialysis device might soon be able to save patients on the edge of death from liver failure, early clinical trial results show.

The DIALIVE device safely improved organ function and alleviated symptoms in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure, compared with others receiving standard care, the researchers reported.

...

Medicare Will Cover New Class of Alzheimer's Drugs if Fully Approved by FDA, With Limits

Medicare will soon cover a new class of Alzheimer's drugs if they receive full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with some key limits.

Along with being full approved, drug makers will also have to gather and keep data in a registry showing how the drugs are working in the real world, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Med...

No Need to Avoid Exercise After Prolapse Surgery, Study Finds

It may not be necessary for people who have prolapse surgery for pelvic floor disorders to wait to get started exercising again.

A new study challenges standard restrictions, finding that those who resume exercising soon after the procedure do just as well as those who wait several weeks.

“This study is a paradigm shift for urogyne...

Gene Changes Made This Season's Bird Flu More Severe

Genetic mutations caused this latest bird flu season to become more severe, increasing the risk it poses to humans and other mammals, a new study finds.

The H5N1 avian influenza virus gained the ability to severely infect the brains of mammalian test subjects like ferrets, researchers with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital found.

1 in 6 Unvaccinated People Struggle With Symptoms 2 Years After Getting COVID

People unvaccinated for COVID-19 have significant odds of lingering illness if they get the virus, with one in six still suffering symptoms two years later, new research shows.

A study from Switzerland found that 17% of that group did not return to their previously normal health, and 18% reported COVID symptoms such as shortness of br...

What to Do When Tough-to-Treat Lymphoma Strikes During Pregnancy

Not a lot is known about how physicians should handle cases in which a pregnant woman is diagnosed with relapsed/refractory lymphoma.

A new study may provide some perspective.

Though uncommon, this issue is still experienced by about one in 4,000 women, according to background notes with the study published June 1 in Blood A...