Stigma, Shame Hit Many Gay Men Affected by Mpox Outbreak

A British study finds that beyond the physical pain and turmoil of an mpox diagnosis, many of the mostly gay and bisexual men infected during the 2022 outbreak faced stigma, homophobia and shame.

Mpox is spread largely through skin-to-skin contact, and the outbreak in Europe and the United States was largely localized to men who have sex ...

Calories, Not Meal Timing, Key to Weight Loss: Study

A head-to-head trial of obese, pre-diabetic people who ate the same amount of daily calories -- with one group following a fasting schedule and the other eating freely -- found no difference in weight loss or other health indicators.

So, despite the fact that fasting diets are all the rage, if you simply cut your daily caloric intake, weig...

Dietary Changes May Beat Meds in Treating IBS

The right diet may be the best medicine for easing the painful symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), new research shows.

In the study, two different eating plans beat standard medications in treating the debilitating symptoms of the gastrointestinal disease. One diet was low in “FODMAPs,” a group of sugars and carbohydrates foun...

Screen Pregnant Women for Syphilis, Ob-Gyn Group Advises

All expecting mothers should get a blood test for syphilis three times during pregnancy, new guidance issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends.

The practice advisory calls on doctors to test for syphilis at a pregnant woman’s first prenatal care visit, then again during the third trimester and at birth...

Even With Weight Gain, Quitting Smoking in Pregnancy Still Best for Health

Women who smoke and become pregnant may worry that the weight gain that comes with quitting might bring its own harms to themselves or their baby.

However, a new study confirms the health benefits of quitting smoking still far exceed any weight-linked concerns.

Weight gain can occur once women decide to forgo cigarettes, but even tha...

A-Fib Is Strong Precursor to Heart Failure

The dangerous heart rhythm disorder known as atrial fibrillation is mainly known for increasing people’s risk of stroke.

But people with A-Fib actually have a much higher risk of developing heart failure than suffering a stroke, a new study shows.

In fact, the risk of heart failure associated with A-Fib is “twice as large as the ...

One Neurological Factor Keeps Black, Hispanic Patients From Alzheimer's Clinical Trials

Black and Hispanic patients with Alzheimer’s disease are greatly underrepresented in clinical trials, even though they’re more likely to get dementia than whites.

However, racial discrimination may not be driving this disparity, a new study finds.

Instead, Black and Hispanic people are being judged ineligible for Alzheimer’s tr...

Managing Blood Sugar After Stroke Could Be Key to Outcomes

Managing a stroke victim’s blood sugar levels after they receive powerful clot-busting drugs might help them survive their health crisis, a new trial finds.

People with high blood sugar levels were more likely to suffer a potentially deadly brain bleed after clot-busters reopened their blocked brain arteries, researchers found.

The...

Check Your Fridge for Trader Joe's Fresh Basil, Linked to Salmonella

Fresh organic basil tainted with salmonella and sold by Trader Joe's in 29 states has sickened at least 12 people, according to an alert issued Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

One person was so ill that hospitalization was required.

"Throw away any Infinite Herbs organic basil purchased from Trader...

Rising Number of Americans Sent to ERs Last Year During Heat Waves

As climate change threatens another long hot summer for Americans, new data shows last summer's record-breaking temperatures sent a rising number of people to emergency departments.

At special risk of heatstroke and other heat-related issues: Working-age Americans, who often found themselves far from air conditioning when triple-digit te...

Urine Test Might Help Men Skip Prostate Biopsies

When prostate cancer strikes, one question is paramount: Is it aggressive and requiring immediate treatment, or slow-growing and worthy of monitoring only?

Right now, an invasive biopsy is the only way to answer that query, but researchers say they've developed a urine test that could do the job instead.

The test, called MyProstateSc...

Report Finds High Levels of Pesticides in 20% of Fruits, Veggies

Nearly 20% of fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables that Americans eat contain concerning levels of pesticides, a new report finds.

Pesticides posed significant risks in popular choices such as strawberries, green beans, bell peppers, blueberries and potatoes, the review from Consumer Reports found.

"One food in particular,...

Big Health Care Disparities Persist Across the U.S., New Report Finds

Deep-seated racial and ethnic disparities persist in health care across the United States, even in states considered the most progressive, a new report shows.

For example, California received a score of 45 for the care its health system provides Hispanic Americans. The Commonwealth Fund report gives each state a 0-to-100 score for each pop...

Teens Often Bullied Online About Their Weight: Study

Teenagers are frequently bullied about their weight on social media, and the bullying increases with each hour they spend on these sites, a new study reveals.

Nearly one in five teens (17%) said they’d experienced weight-related bullying online, according to results published April 17 in the journal PLOS One.

“This exper...

Work That Challenges Your Brain Helps You Stay Sharp With Age

Jobs that challenge your mind could help your brain age more gracefully, a new study suggests.

The harder your brain works on the job, the less likely you are to have memory and thinking problems later in life, researchers reported April 17 in the journal Neurology.

“We examined the demands of various jobs and found that ...

Urine Test Might Spot Head-and-Neck Cancers Early

A newly developed at-home urine test could potentially help doctors catch head and neck cancers earlier, a new study suggests.

The test looks for tiny DNA fragments sloughed off by tumor cells, which pass from the bloodstream into urine through the kidneys, researchers said.

These fragments are too small to be caught by current urine...

Many Seniors Are Overmedicated, But ChatGPT Might Prevent That

AI could help doctors cut back on the bewildering variety of medications that seniors frequently are prescribed, a new study suggests.

More than 40% of seniors are prescribed five or more meds, and this increases a person’s risk of adverse drug interactions, researchers said.

When asked to evaluate faux medication lists of seniors,...

Antipsychotics May Do Great Harm to People With Dementia: Report

Antipsychotics can substantially increase dementia patients’ risk of many serious health problems, a new study warns.

Dementia patients prescribed antipsychotics have increased risk of stroke, blood clots, heart attack, heart failure, bone fractures, pneumonia and kidney damage, researchers reported April 17 in the BMJ.

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Two-Drug Combo Curbs Drinking for People Battling Severe Alcoholism

A combo of an allergy drug and a blood pressure med appears to lower daily drinking in folks battling severe alcoholism, French researchers report.

The two generic drugs are the antihistamine cyproheptadine and prazosin, which treats high blood pressure and urinary urgency, noted a team led by Henri-Jean Aubin, of the Université Paris-Sac...

Most Homeless Americans Are Battling Mental Illness

Two-thirds of homeless people are experiencing some form of mental health disorder, a large, new review of data on the subject.

The analysis found that men who are homeless are more likely to be battling mental illness than women, although rates were high for both genders compared to the general population.

There are signs that rates...