More than 7,500 people were killed last year after being struck by vehicles while walking along or across U.S. roadways — the most pedestrian deaths in more than four decades, according to a new report.

This sobering trend was not surprising to experts who track the numbers. But they were dismayed by the consistent increase — up 77% since 2010.

“This is unacceptable. It's real...

The maker of three popular drugs that treat weight loss and diabetes said Tuesday that it has begun legal proceedings against businesses that are selling compounded versions of its products that are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In a sta...

Using gas stoves can increase indoor air levels of benzene, a chemical linked to higher risk of leukemia and other blood cell cancers, a new study reports.

Analysis of dozens of stoves revealed that a single gas cooktop burner on high or a gas oven set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit can raise indoor levels of benzene above those typically released by secondhand tobacco smoke, the researchers r...

Pfizer Inc. warned doctors this week of an impending shortage of Bicillin, its long-acting, injectable form of penicillin.

The medication is not commonly used for children because alternatives such as amoxicillin are preferred over the Bicillin shot, the company explained in a stat...

Extreme heat can be dangerous, but you can stay cool and safe this summer if you take the right precautions.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) offers some tips for doing so.

“No matter your age, it is critical to be able to recognize the signs of heat-related illness,” said

U.S. health officials are urgently trying to reach people who've recently had medical procedures at clinics in Matamoros, Mexico, because they may be at risk of potentially fatal fungal meningitis.

Those at risk had procedures done under epidural anesthesia between Jan. 1 and May 13 at River Side Surgical Center and Clinica K-3 in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, the U.S. Centers for Disease Contr...

Consider yourself a lifesaver if you opt for an electric vehicle next time you buy or lease a new car.

Electric cars can save millions of lives and reduce health care costs by improving air quality so people can breathe better and freer, according to a new report by the American Lung Association. Zero-emission electric vehicles don't emit exhaust gas or other pollutants into the atmospher...

Wildfires that have been spreading throughout Canada in recent weeks are now spewing tons of smoke southward into the United States.

The smoke was so thick on Tuesday that New York City's skyline could not be seen clearly and air quality alerts were issued to residents from parts of the N...

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies like ChatGPT someday may make a big difference for people seeking answers to questions such as "How can I stop smoking?" They may even offer resources to someone who was sexually assaulted.

But they're not quite there yet, a new study reveals.

Researchers wanted to see how well ChatGPT performed for people seeking information and resources ...

With the United States facing a high number of drug shortages, a Chinese company may help to boost the supply of one in particular, the chemotherapy agent cisplatin.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with the Chinese drugmaker Qilu Pharmaceutical to import the widely used cancer drug. The Canadian pharmaceutical company Apotex will distribute the medication in 50-milli...

It's tempting to treat little skin bumps on your own, but that delays proper diagnosis and treatment that may work better, federal regulators cautioned.

Among the many types of skin conditions a person can contract are a virus called molluscum, which look like white, pink or flesh-colored bumps.

Products marketed as treatments for molluscum have not been approved by the U.S. Food an...

Patients taking semaglutide for type 2 diabetes or weight loss should be careful about where they're getting the medication, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Tuesday.

Shortages of the drug, ...

Providing sick leave to restaurant workers could help prevent the spread of foodborne illness because ill workers are key drivers of outbreaks at restaurants, a new government report shows.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published data on Tuesday covering 800 outbreaks of foodborne illness at restaurants between 2017 and 2019.

The cases were reported by 25 stat...

Be cautious when heading to Florida's beaches this summer, an expert warned, as a 5,000-mile floating mass of sargassum seaweed has begun washing up on the state's shores.

It can be low risk in some instances, but it also has the potential for triggering serious respiratory health issues.

“The sargassum itself is not dangerous. It can have different jellyfish and sea creatures i...

Emergency departments aren't perceived as safe for professionals or their patients, according to an international survey from the European Society of Emergency Medicine (EUSEM).

More than 90% of emergency professionals surveyed said they felt at times the number of patients exceeded the capacity the emergency department (ED) had to provide safe care. Overcrowding was a problem, they said...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a second nasal spray for reversing an opioid overdose.

To be sold as Opvee, the spray contains the medication nalmefene hydrochloride and will be available to Americans aged 12 and older with a prescription, the FDA said.

"The agency continues to advance the FDA Overdose Prevention Framework and take actionable steps that enc...

Cases of vision loss and deaths are mounting in an investigation into eye drops contaminated with a rare strain of a drug-resistant bacteria.

In all, four people have died, with one new death now being reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, ...

Most cases of mpox are spread from skin-to-skin contact, but it is possible to catch the virus by touching a contaminated surface in a house or a hospital room, according to a new study.

Researchers studying this found temperature made a difference. The virus could survive at room temperature on a surface for up to 11 days. At 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit), it could survive f...

Public health officials are urging people at risk of contracting mpox, the virus previously called monkeypox, to get vaccinated.

They are concerned that a slowdown in infections since last summer may not continue.

“There's a very real risk of there being a surge in mpox cases over the next few months. Most likely, it won't be anywhere near as big as it was last year, and that is ...

Black and Hispanic communities in the United States are more often poor — and also more likely to have harmful levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in their drinking water, a new study reveals.

Sources of PFAS pollution — including major manufacturers, airports, military bases, wastewater treatment plants and landfills — are disproportionately sited near watersheds t...

Cases of mpox around the world have dropped dramatically, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday to declare an end to the global health emergency.

The virus is no l...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday finalized the elimination of certain restrictions that prevented healthy gay and bisexual men from donating blood.

Instead of requiring men who have sex with men or the women who have sex with them to abstain for sexual contact for three months, the FDA has created an individual risk assessment for all donors.

These questions are m...

The first U.S. cases of drug-resistant ringworm infection have been reported in New York City.

The cases of two women with highly contagious skin infections caused by Trichophyton indotineae are reported in the May 12 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's