RFK Jr. to Change Vaccine Testing Rules

FRIDAY, May 2, 2025 (HealthDay News) — U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to change how vaccines are tested in the U.S., a decision that could impact how quickly and widely vaccines are made available.

The department said the new plan will promote transparency, but many health experts warn it could ...

More Than 1.8 Million Ninja Pressure Cookers Recalled for Burn Risk

FRIDAY, May 2, 2025 (HealthDay News) — More than 1.8 million Ninja Foodi pressure cookers are being recalled due to a risk of burns, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The recall affects roughly 1,846,400 Ninja Foodi OP300 Series Multi-Function Pressure Cookers. These cookers have a 6.5-quart capacity an...

Medetomidine, a Pet Sedative, Spreads in U.S. Illegal Drug Supply

FRIDAY, May 2, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A sedative used in animals is showing up more often in illegal drugs and may be making opioid overdoses harder to treat, U.S. health officials warn.

The drug, called medetomidine, is used by veterinarians to sedate pets. It's similar to xylazine, another animal drug that has already made the U.S...

Common Diabetes Drug Effective Against Knee Arthritis Pain

A common diabetes drug can be repurposed to help overweight and obese people with knee arthritis, a new study says.

Metformin reduced knee arthritis pain during a six-month treatment period, potentially delaying the need for knee replacement surgery, researchers reported recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association....

Middle-Age Exercise Protects Brain Against Alzheimer's

FRIDAY, May 2, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Want to protect your aging brain? Get off the couch and get moving, researchers urge.

Boosting exercise in middle age might help people prevent Alzheimer’s disease, a new study says.

People who increased their physical activity to meet recommended guidelines between ages 45 and 65 ha...

Mindfulness Meditation Counters Opioid Cravings

Mindfulness meditation can help rewire the brain to reduce opioid cravings in people addicted to narcotics, a new study says.

People assigned to mindfulness training had 50% less opioid cravings than others who received supportive group therapy, researchers reported April 30 in JAMA Psychiatry.

“Opioid addiction decrea...

Your Loving Partner Can Protect You From Chemo Brain

FRIDAY, May 2, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A cancer patient’s bond with their partner can be a key factor in helping them ward off chemotherapy-related “brain fog,” a new study says

Patients in a satisfying intimate relationship were more likely to resist chemo brain, the cognitive impairment that can occur during or af...

Scooter Riders Were High Or Drunk In A Quarter Of Wrecks

Don’t drink and drive is a message the public has largely accepted.

Now how about don’t drink and scoot?

A quarter of people injured in electric scooter accidents were drunk or high when their mishap occurred, researchers recently reported in the journal The American Surgeon.

“In today’s landsca...

High Blood Pressure, Diabetes More Fatal For Men

Men are more likely than women to die from high blood pressure, diabetes and HIV/AIDS, after shrugging off medical care for the conditions, a new study says.

These differences crop up even though men and women are as likely to develop either high blood pressure or diabetes, researchers reported May 1 in the journal PLOS Medicine.<...

FDA Commissioner: No Major Reorganization, Just Smart Reforms

THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Dr. Marty Makary had just finished his last surgery at Johns Hopkins when he stepped into one of the most powerful roles in American public health. 

Now, as the new commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), he's wasting no time charting a new course for the agency.

Study Finds Flourishing Doesn’t Always Mean Happiness

THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Flourishing is more than just being happy, and a new global study finds some countries are doing better than others when it comes to overall well-being.

Take it from researchers at Baylor and Harvard universities, who unveiled a study Wednesday that included more than 207,000 people from 22 co...

Florida Moves to Ban Fluoride in Drinking Water

THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Florida state lawmakers have approved a bill to ban the addition of fluoride to public drinking water, a move that public health experts say could harm dental health across the state.

The bill now heads to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval. DeSantis has criticized fluoridation in the past...

Epilepsy, Anxiety Meds Don't Increase Suicide Risk

THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A class of drugs used to treat epilepsy, nerve pain and anxiety do not appear to increase a person’s risk of self-harm, a major new study says.

Gabapentinoids – which include gabapentin and pregabalin – have been associated with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and beha...

Ozempic Can Treat Fatty Liver Disease

The cutting-edge weight-loss drug Ozempic/Wegovy can stop and even reverse fatty liver disease, a new clinical trial has found.

Nearly twice as many people taking semaglutide stopped their fatty liver disease without further scarring of the organ — 63%, compared with 34% of those taking a placebo, researchers reported April 30 in the...

ADHD Athletes Take Longer To Recover From Concussion

THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) — High school athletes with ADHD take longer to recover from a sport-related concussion, a new study says.

Those with a concussion took about 16% longer to return to the classroom and 17% longer to return to sports, compared to athletes without ADHD, researchers reported April 29 in the Jour...