Cats Now Have an FDA-Approved Pill to Treat Their Diabetes

Owners whose cats have diabetes now have a new option to care for the condition in their otherwise healthy pets.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first pill to improve control of diabetes in some cats.

The drug, called Bexacat (bexagliflozin tablets), is not insulin and is not meant for cats who have t...

Are Retired NFL Players Aging Faster Than Other Men?

Former elite football players may age faster than their more average peers, a new study suggests.

NFL players, especially former linemen, had fewer disease-free years and earlier high blood pressure and diabetes diagnoses. Two age-related diseases, arthritis and dementia, were also more commonly found in former football players than in ot...

Twins Study Shows Exercise Altering How Genes Behave

One might expect identical twins to have the same health outcomes.

But it’s not just genetics that makes a notable difference in their weight and in how their genes behave, according to a new study. Exercise can alter genetic markers of metabolic disease -- any of the diseases or disorders that disrupt normal metabolism.

The study...

Your Dog's Behavior Is in Its DNA

Is your pooch a herder or a hunter? You can try taking them to a trainer, but new research shows much of their behavior is hardwired in their DNA.

For the new study, researchers analyzed DNA samples from more than 200 dog breeds and surveyed 46,000 pet-owners to try to suss out why certain breeds act the way they do.

“The largest, ...

Just Being Healthy Might Prevent Many Cases of Crohn's, Colitis

Folks who follow a handful of healthy habits can dramatically reduce their risk of developing an inflammatory bowel disease, a new study reports.

Adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can prevent up to 60% of cases of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, according to research published Dec. 6 in the journal .

"To our surp...

Buying Testosterone on the Internet Comes With Dangers: Study

With more American men turning to testosterone therapy as a way to boost energy levels, build muscle and tackle erectile dysfunction, it’s no wonder that web-based merchants have stepped into the breach, seeking to grab market share away from doctors and pharmacies.

But are online testosterone purchases safe? No, a new investigation...

FDA OKs Bivalent COVID Boosters for Kids 6 Months and Older

The updated bivalent COVID-19 boosters are now approved for use in children as young as 6 months of age, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today.

Children can receive either a Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster shot, although the rules differ depending on their age and what type of vaccine they got as their primary s...

Vitamin D Might Help Shield the Aging Brain

Older adults who harbor more vitamin D in their brains may stay mentally sharper, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that when older adults had higher levels of vitamin D in their brain tissue, they tended to perform better on standard tests of memory and thinking. They were also less likely to have dementia or milder cognitive i...

Celine Dion Reveals Stiff-Person Syndrome Diagnosis, Cancels Tour

Singer Celine Dion announced Thursday that she is living with a rare neurological condition called stiff-person syndrome.

Dion said she has canceled and postponed tour dates to deal with her health issues.

“As you know, I’ve always been an open book and I wasn’t ready to say anything before, but I’m ready now. I’ve been dea...

AHA News: He Collapsed After 2-on-2 Basketball Game Against His Son. His Teammate Saved His Life.

On a sunny fall day, Baltimore dads Joe Greco and John Holschuh teamed up to take on their teenage sons in a game of 2-on-2 basketball in the Greco family's driveway.

The boys were tough foes. Teammates on their high school squad, the teens pushed their dads hard for an hour, leaving Greco and Holschuh tired and needing a break.

The ...

Antibody Drug Boosts Survival for Type of Advanced Breast Cancer

A relatively new drug is boosting survival rates for women with a specific type of advanced breast cancer who haven't responded to other treatments, according to a pair of clinical trials.

The targeted antibody drug — trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd, sold under the brand name Enhertu) — dramatically outperformed an older antibody dr...

Breast Cancer Survivors Can Safely Pause Longer-Term Meds During Pregnancy

Pausing longer-term hormonal therapies to have a baby will not raise a breast cancer survivor's risk of her tumor recurring, a new clinical trial concludes.

Women whose cancer is fueled by female hormones such as estrogen often are treated with medications -- such as aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen -- that suppress those hormones or bl...

Melanoma Patients Who Fail Standard Meds May Have Another Option

An experimental therapy that uses the body's own immune system cells may beat a standard treatment for patients with advanced melanoma, a new clinical trial finds.

Researchers found that the therapy doubled the amount of time melanoma patients lived without their skin cancer progressing, versus a long-used drug called ipilimumab (Yerv...

Lasik Surgery Should Carry Warnings of Possible Complications, FDA Says

THURSDAY, Dec. 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Lasik eye surgery is a common vision-correcting procedure that many Americans view as safe and effective, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now drafted guidance that warns of potential complications.

Although many patients are happy with the results after surgery, the recommended new ...

Statins May Lower Risk of Deadly 'Bleeding' Strokes

Statins may do more than help your heart: New research shows the cholesterol-lowering drugs may also lower your risk for a bleeding stroke.

An intracerebral hemorrhage, which involves bleeding in the brain, comprises about 15% to 30% of strokes, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. It is also the most deadly. Wit...

Battling High Blood Pressure? Adding Yoga to Your Workout Might Help

Adding a little yoga to an exercise routine can be the fix someone needs to drop high blood pressure, a small study suggests.

“As observed in several studies, we recommend that patients try to find exercise and stress relief for the management of hypertension [high blood pressure] and cardiovascular disease in whatever form they find mos...

Is a Ban on Menthols Enough to Thwart Big Tobacco?

A proposed U.S. federal ban on menthol cigarettes doesn't go far enough and needs to include other menthol products, from pipe tobacco to cigarette tubes, researchers say.

New evidence shows both the appeal and the addiction potential of these substitutes in adults who smoke menthol cigarettes, said scientists from Rutgers University Cent...

Special Human-Cat Bond May Have Started 10,000 Years Ago

That special link you may have with a purring, four-legged friend has been going on between the species for millennia, new research shows.

The human-cat relationship was probably forged over a shared interest in rats more than 10,000 years ago, investigators say. As farming became a way of life, cats served as ancient pest control, killing...

More Americans Are Moving to Wildfire-Prone Areas

Some Americans appear to be moving from areas with frequent hurricanes and heat waves to places threatened by wildfire and rising heat.

They’re trading in the risk of one set of natural disasters for another because the wildfires are only beginning to become a national issue, according to researchers.

"These findings are concernin...

Paxlovid Soon Won't Be Free for Americans

The antiviral Paxlovid has kept people from getting really sick and dying from COVID-19 since it became available -- at no cost to them.

But by the middle of next year, the U.S. government will stop subsidizing the medication. Instead, it will be billed for like many other medications.

While the Biden administration has paid about ...