New Federal Plan Aims to Use More Donor Organs, Improve Transplant Safety

U.S. health officials unveiled proposed changes to the nation’s transplant system, hoping to help more patients get lifesaving organs, even when donations aren’t perfect.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said the plan would tighten oversight of organ procurement organizations, known as OPOs. 

Thes...

Gerber Recalls Arrowroot Baby Biscuits Over Possible Plastic, Paper Pieces

Gerber has announced a nationwide recall of some arrowroot biscuits made for babies after finding they may contain small pieces of soft plastic or paper, federal regulators said.

The recall affects specific batches of 5.5-ounce Gerber Arrowroot Biscuits with “Best Before” dates ranging from Oct. 16, 2026, through Dec. 16, 2026,...

U.S. Life Expectancy Hits Record High as Death Rates Fall Nationwide

Americans are living longer than ever.

U.S. life expectancy climbed to 79 years in 2024, the highest level on record, new federal data shows. Health officials say fewer deaths from COVID-19, along with drops in heart disease, cancer and drug overdoses, helped drive the increase.

“It’s pretty much good news all the way aro...

Salty Drinking Water Increases High Blood Pressure Risk, Review Concludes

People whose drinking water contains more salt have an increased risk of high blood pressure, a new evidence review says.

Particularly in coastal regions, salt in drinking water could be an overlooked contributor to elevated blood pressure, researchers reported recently in the journal BMJ Global Health.

Higher salt in drinki...

Afternoon Naps Are Good For The Brain — And Researchers Now Know Why

Having trouble powering through your afternoon workload?

A brief nap can rejuvenate your brain power, a new study says.

Even a short afternoon nap helps the brain recover and improve its ability to learn, researchers recently reported in the journal NeuroImage.

Napping helps reorganize connections between nerve cells c...

AI-Assisted Mammograms Catch More Hard-To-Detect Breast Cancers, Clinical Trial Shows

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help reduce the number of breast cancers found between mammogram screenings, clinical trial results show.

There was a 12% reduction in cancer diagnoses in the years following AI-supported breast cancer screening — a key test of effectiveness, researchers reported Jan. 29 in The Lancet.

...

Approved Immunotherapy Shrinks, Eliminates Rare, Aggressive Melanoma, Clinical Trial Finds

An already-approved immunotherapy drug can dramatically shrink — or even eliminate — tumors associated with a rare and aggressive form of melanoma, a new clinical trial has found.

About 71% of desmoplastic melanoma patients treated with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) had no detectable cancer remaining when it came time to surgically ...

Tylenol Safe For Babies, Clinical Trial Finds

Both acetaminophen and ibuprofen are safe for babies during the first year of life, a groundbreaking study has found.

Researchers found no link between using these over-the-counter painkillers and health problems like eczema or lung ailments, researchers reported Jan. 27 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

“Ou...

Stroke Survivors Are Twice As Likely To Have Another During Pregnancy, Researchers Find

Women who’ve survived a stroke need to put much thought and planning into pursuing a pregnancy, experts say.

That’s because they are more than twice as likely to suffer another stroke either during pregnancy or soon after delivery, according to a new study that will be presented at the American Stroke Association’s upcomi...

Medicare to Negotiate Lower Prices for Botox and 14 Other Major Drugs

Fifteen prescription medications, including Botox and the diabetes drug Trulicity, will be the focus of federal price negotiations that could lower prices for Medicare patients.

An outgrowth of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the talks aim to lower costs for some of the most expensive treatments used by seniors. Results of the fi...

South Carolina Measles Outbreak Now the Largest in Recent U.S. History

A fast-growing measles outbreak in South Carolina has eclipsed last year’s record-setting Texas surge.

As of Tuesday, South Carolina’s outbreak had reached 789 confirmed cases, the state Department of Public Health announced this week. (In all, 762 people were sickened in the 2025 Texas outbreak).

The new South Carolina t...

Common Parasite Hiding in Many People Is More Complex Than Scientists Thought

A parasite that lives inside as many as 1 in 3 people worldwide may be much harder to treat than once believed, according to new research from the University of California, Riverside.

The study, published Jan. 24 in the journal Nature Communications, found that Toxoplasma gondii hides inside the body in far more complex w...

Freshly Brewed Tea May Support Long-Term Health, Research Shows

If green tea is already part of your daily routine, you may be giving your health a boost without even realizing it.

New research suggests that drinking tea, especially green tea, is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and several types of cancer. 

It may also help protect the brain, slow muscle loss in ol...

Nearly Half Of American Adults Will Be Obese By 2035, Study Warns

Nearly half of American adults – some 126 million people – will be obese within 10 years, a new study projects.

Adult obesity in the U.S. is projected to affect 47% of the population by 2035, researchers reported Jan. 28 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

And that’s after obesity rates alre...

Opening Up, Sharing Can Be Best Thing For Stroke Survivors, Study Says

Dr. Dipika Aggarwal found her life turned upside down following her 2019 stroke.

At just 38, the neurologist from Kansas City, Missouri, went from a thriving career to months in intensive rehab, followed by isolation during the COVID lockdown.

“I lost my professional life, my engagement ended and there was no guarantee I’...

Strep Throat: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes, and Living With It

Strep throat is a common throat infection that often causes a sore throat, fever and trouble swallowing. It tends to come on quickly and may feel worse than a typical cold. While strep throat is most common in children and teens, people of all ages can get it.

The good news is that strep throat is usually easy to diagnose and treat. Gettin...

Electromagnetic Pulses Aid Stroke Recovery, Trial Results Indicate

Stroke survivors might benefit from electromagnetic pulses that stimulate their brains and spur on their recovery, a new study says.

This treatment — called electromagnetic network-targeted field (ENTF) therapy — significantly reduced disability in stroke survivors when combined with physical therapy, according to findings to b...

Driving Habits Provide Window Into Seniors' Brain Health

Larry Duncan valued driving as part of his independence.

But Duncan — a retired business owner from Pinehurst, North Carolina — started to become more nervous behind the wheel prior to his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease in 2023.

“Larry was fine driving in familiar areas, but in new places where he had to m...

Opinion: When Doctors Disagree: Understanding Different Medical Opinions

Why can’t doctors agree on what’s best for you? If you’ve ever received mixed advice from doctors or seen differing opinions expressed by professionals in the news, you’re not alone.

One specialist may strongly recommend a screening test, medication or treatment, while another urges caution or even advises against ...

New Discovery Could Change How Asthma Is Treated, Scientists Say

Scientists may have uncovered a new cause of asthma that could change how the disease is treated.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, say they’ve identified previously unknown molecules that may play a major role in asthma-related inflammation.

The findings suggest these chemicals, called “p...