FDA Approves Clinical Trials for Pig Kidney Transplants in Humans

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first-ever clinical trials testing pig kidney transplants in people with kidney failure, marking a major step forward in cross-species transplantation.

Two biotechnology companies, United Therapeutics Corporation and eGenesis, have been cleared to begin their studies this year.

Parents Call for Water Bead Ban After Child’s Brain Injury

They're small, colorful and marketed as safe sensory toys but water beads have sent thousands of kids to the emergency room -- and now, experts and parents want their sale to be banned.

Water beads can expand up to 100 times their size when exposed to water. If swallowed, they can cause intestinal blockages, breathing problems and even tox...

Scientists Find More Microplastics in Human Brains

Tiny microplastics are making their way into the human brain, and new research suggests the problem is getting worse.

The new study, published Feb. 3 in the journal Nature, found that brain samples collected in 2024 contained significantly more microplastics than those taken eight years earlier.

Researchers say the amount of...

Firearms Injuries Shot Up Following Pandemic, Study Says

Hospitalizations for firearm injuries sharply increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic after years of steady decline, a new study says.

Overall, 34% more people landed in the hospital for a gunshot injury in 2020 and 2021 than would have been predicted based on pre-pandemic trends, researchers reported Jan. 27 in JAMA Network Ope...

Many Americans Misguided On Daily Aspirin, Survey Finds

Many Americans don’t see anything wrong with taking daily low-dose aspirin, even though experts have concluded its risks outweigh its benefits, a new survey has found.

Nearly half (48%) of people incorrectly think that the benefits of taking low-dose aspirin daily to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke outweigh the risks, accor...

Heart Health At Risk For New Moms Of Twins

New moms who’ve just had twins run a high risk of heart disease in the coming weeks and months, a new study suggests.

Women have a doubled risk of hospitalization for heart problems within a year of delivering twins, researchers reported Feb. 3 in the European Heart Journal.

Their risk is even higher -- more than eight...

At-Home Urine Test Can Detect Aggressive Prostate Cancer

It’s tough for a man to know what to do following a diagnosis of prostate cancer.

The treatment is often worse than the risk posed by the cancer itself, causing some men to suffer incontinence and impotence even though their tumor wouldn’t have killed them.

It’s sometimes better -- but unnerving -- to simply live wi...

Ultra-Processed Foods Make Up Nearly Half of Calories for Canadian Kids

Canadian youngsters are munching loads of ultra-processed foods, increasing their lifelong risk of obesity, a new study says.

“We saw that ultra-processed foods contributed to almost half of a child’s total daily energy intake,” senior researcher Kozeta Miliku, an assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the Univers...

Heart Patients Aren't Taking Lifesaving Meds

Drugs like blood thinners, cholesterol-lowering statins and blood pressure meds can protect the health and extend the lives of people with heart disease.

But only if patients take the drugs -- and many around the world aren’t, a new study says.

Overall, fewer than half of heart patients from 17 countries who could benefit from ...

Key CDC Health Websites Vanish Following Trump Orders

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has taken down multiple health-related websites and datasets, including those on HIV, LGBTQ health and more, following executive orders from the Trump administration.

The orders require federal agencies to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and to recognize onl...

Severe Infections Double Risk of Heart Failure

Landing in the hospital with COVID or the flu can put your heart health at dire risk, a new study suggests.

Adults hospitalized for a severe infection are more than twice as likely to develop heart failure years later, according to findings published Jan. 30 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

The results under...

Cold Water Plunges Might Offer Some Benefit

Cold showers or ice baths have become a trendy way to recuperate after a heavy-duty workout, but do they actually help?

A new evidence review suggests there’s some science to back up the hype.

People report lower stress, improved sleep and better quality of life following cold-water immersion, researchers reported Jan. 29 in th...

Lifetime Cancer Risk Might Be Set Before You're Born

A person’s lifetime risk of cancer might be partly established before they are even born, a new mouse study says.

Researchers identified two distinct genetic states that arise during fetal development and are linked to cancer risk, according to a report published recently in Nature Cancer.

One of these states is associ...

F.A.S.T. Acronym Can Speed Bystander Stroke Response

A simple acronym -- F.A.S.T. -- can help bystanders recognize the first signs of stroke and call 911 right away, a new study says.

Both F.A.S.T and another acronym, BE-FAST, helped people remember the symptoms of stroke, according to findings to be presented Wednesday at a meeting of the American Stroke Association.

However, people r...