Health

ALBANY, N.Y. — Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the iconic media personality who rocketed to fame as the nation’s sex therapist in the 1980s, now has a new title to add to her resume: She’s now New York’s — and by extension,... Read More

WASHINGTON — A new initiative announced by the White House this week aims to fundamentally change how the nation approaches and funds research into women’s health, closing a gender gap that has long had serious consequences for more than half... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Up to 30 million of the poorest Americans could be purged from the Medicaid program, many the result of error-ridden state reviews that poverty experts say the Biden administration is not doing enough to stop. The projections... Read More

WASHINGTON — As you age, you may find you have more aches and pains. You may struggle with something as simple as squatting down to pick something up. Humans naturally lose muscle, strength and bone density as they get older.... Read More

WASHINGTON — The holiday season is upon us, and Thanksgiving is next week. A holiday centered around eating and drinking may cause stress if you’re trying to eat healthy. Thanksgiving is only one day — or maybe a few days,... Read More

The popular weight-loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of serious heart problems by 20% in a large, international study that experts say could change the way doctors treat certain heart patients. The research is the first to document that an... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration has approved the sale of the first over-the-counter antigen test for COVID-19. The product, ACON Laboratories’ Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test, originally authorized for emergency use in 2021, is now the second home... Read More

ATLANTA — The number of babies born with syphilis increased 755% between 2012 and 2021, mostly due to lack of timely testing and adequate treatment during pregnancy, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.... Read More

WASHINGTON — A new smartphone app that can track and analyze a person’s ability to move could help clinicians better plan patient surgeries and assess the results of treatment procedures. According to the research team that developed the app with... Read More

WASHINGTON — Monica Bertagnolli, an expert in the role gene mutation and inflammation play in the growth of cancer, has been confirmed to be the next director of the National Institutes of Health. The Senate vote on Tuesday was 62-36... Read More

WASHINGTON — Reducing overall calorie intake may rejuvenate your muscles and activate biological pathways important for good health, according to a new study from researchers at the National Institutes of Health.  Decreasing calories without depriving the body of essential vitamins... Read More

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Two people in Southern California have come down with dengue fever without traveling outside the United States, where the mosquito-borne illness is rare, health officials said. A Pasadena resident was confirmed to have dengue last... Read More

WASHINGTON — Welcome to November. We’re well into autumn and it’s time to “fall back” — daylight saving time has ended, there’s plenty of beauty to see and holidays to look forward to. But as the weather gets colder and... Read More

WASHINGTON — A whistleblower former employee of Meta Platforms Inc. told a Senate panel Tuesday that top executives of the social media giant knew their Facebook platform harmed young people but covered it up to avoid interfering with their profits.... Read More

WASHINGTON — We’ve all woken up feeling groggy and dreading the day ahead. When you’re busy and stressed, it’s hard to get to bed early. Even if you manage an early bedtime, sometimes you can’t fall asleep. The CDC states... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — As U.S. doctors scale back their use of opioid painkillers, a new option for hard-to-treat pain is taking root: ketamine, the decades-old surgical drug that is now a trendy psychedelic therapy. Prescriptions for ketamine have soared in recent years,... Read More

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Abortion access is expected to play a central role in the 2024 elections. The preview comes next week, when Ohio voters decide whether to enshrine reproductive rights in their state Constitution. The amendment is the only abortion question on... Read More

Buried amidst the recent wave of headlines about Medicare’s forthcoming round of drug price negotiations, there was an announcement from a little-known economic group attempting to shape how those negotiations will unfold — with potentially devastating consequences for patients today... Read More

WASHINGTON — A new federal campaign aims to provide hospital leaders with the critical, evidence-based resources they need to improve workplace policies and reduce burnout among their staff of health care professionals. As previously reported in The Well News, physician... Read More

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a series of recommendations for hepatitis C screening for infants and children who have been exposed to the virus in the womb. The recommendations, which are spelled out in... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Wezlana, a biosimilar interchangeable with Stelara for the treatment of multiple inflammatory diseases. The agency said its approval of Wezlana, which is manufactured by Amgen, was based on a comprehensive... Read More

WASHINGTON — Your to-do list starts the minute you wake up in the morning. Shower, coffee, breakfast, take kids to school and head to work. Maybe you’d like to go to the gym before you start your day, but you... Read More

For more than a year, the Environmental Protection Agency investigated whether Louisiana officials discriminated against Black residents by putting them at increased cancer risk. Federal officials said they had found evidence of discrimination and were pressuring the state to strengthen oversight of... Read More

WASHINGTON — Attention fall enthusiasts: we’ve reached peak foliage season in Washington, D.C.! The end of October into November is the best time to see the brightest orange, yellow, and red leaves on trees. They’ll hang around a little longer,... Read More

WASHINGTON — The temperature is dropping, the leaves are colorful and your thoughts are probably turning to comfort foods like soups, stews and baked goods. You may be adding squash, pumpkin and apples to your recipes. There’s a reason these... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators are warning consumers not to use more than two dozen varieties of over-the-counter eyedrops because of the risk of infections that could lead to blindness. The Food and Drug Administration advisory applies to lubricating drops sold... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is launching a multi-agency effort to encourage states and cities to convert more empty office buildings into housing units, with billions of federal dollars available to help spur such transitions. The new initiative, announced... Read More

WASHINGTON — We’re all familiar with the mid-afternoon slump. Time drags, your eyelids droop, you lose focus and your remaining energy dwindles. While reaching for another cup of coffee to power through the rest of your workday is understandable, it... Read More

WASHINGTON — A looming physician shortage threatens to push the nation’s already struggling health care system past its breaking point, potentially placing millions of future patients at risk, the president of the American Medical Association said on Wednesday. Worse, Dr.... Read More

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending the rationing of doses of an injection to protect young infants from RSV due to shortages of the recently approved product Beyfortus. In a health alert issued Monday, the... Read More