Talk Therapy On The Rise, Psychiatric Meds Used Less Often

FRIDAY, May 9, 2025 (HealthDay News) — More talk and fewer pills are being employed to help Americans maintain their mental health, a new study says.

Psychotherapy is assuming a larger role in mental health care, while medications prescribed without accompanying therapy are becoming less common, according to results published in earl...

Blood Testing Could Catch Cancers Early, Projections Say

FRIDAY, May 9, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Blood tests could catch as many as half of cancers at an earlier, more treatable stage, a new study says.

If conducted every year or every other year, the multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood test could help more people survive cancer, researchers reported May 8 in BMJ Open.

...

Smoking Doesn't Explain Increased COPD Risk For Women

Smoking can't explain why women are more at risk for COPD, a new study says.

Women are about 50% more likely than men to develop COPD even though they are less likely to smoke, researchers reported May 8 in the journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research.

Smoking tobacco is the main cause of COPD, the umbrella term for chronic bre...

Moderna's Combo Flu and COVID Shot Shows Promise

THURSDAY, May 8, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A new vaccine that combines flu and COVID-19 protection in one shot shows promising results, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it wants more data before it can be approved.

Moderna researchers reported that the combo shot produced a stronger immune response against COVID-19 ...

When Statins Aren't Enough, This Drug May Help Lower 'Bad' Cholesterol

THURSDAY, May 8, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A new drug combo lowers "bad" LDL cholesterol for people whose levels remain high even after taking statins.

The new pill pairs a new drug called obicetrapib with an existing one, ezetimibe. In a Phase 3 clinical trial, this combo reduced LDL levels by nearly 49% over about three months, accor...

Trump Administration Ends CDC's Key Infection Control Committee

THURSDAY, May 8, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A federal committee that helped set national rules for infection control in hospitals has been shut down, raising concerns from health experts.

The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) was terminated March 31, though members weren't told until early May, according...

Face Mask Can Detect Kidney Disease Via Breath

THURSDAY, May 8, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Wearing a face mask to protect others from infectious disease continues to be hotly debated in the United States.

But what about wearing a face mask to detect chronic kidney disease?

A modified surgical face mask containing a specialized breath sensor can accurately detect when someone h...

Worried About Prostate Cancer Screening? New Study Shows Better Judgment In Treatment

Some men would rather skip screening for prostate cancer due to fears that they’ll be rendered impotent or incontinent from cancer surgery.

But new research says those fears are unwarranted, thanks to improvements in the way doctors approach prostate cancer.

The number of unnecessary surgeries to treat low-risk prostate cancer ...

Down Syndrome Patients Have Higher Stroke, Heart Attack Risk

People with Down syndrome have a much higher risk of stroke than people without the genetic disorder, a new study says.

Down syndrome patients have a 5.14 times higher risk of a stroke caused by a brain bleed, and more than 4 times higher risk of a stroke caused by a blood clot, researchers reported May 7 in the Journal of Internal Med...