Home-Delivered Food Boxes Improve Diabetes Control, Experts Say

Folks with diabetes might fare better if health care professionals pick out and deliver their groceries, a new study says.

Folks with diabetes who received home deliveries of diabetes-appropriate grocery boxes for three months had better blood sugar control by the end of the experiment, researchers reported in the December issue of the

Doing Nothing Appears Best Approach To Common Heart Defect Among Preemies

Doing nothing at all to manage a common fetal heart defect might improve the survival odds of babies born prematurely, compared to treatment with drugs, a new clinical trial suggests.

A “wait and see” approach to patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) doubled a preemie’s chances of survival, compared with using drugs to treat the...

Some Can Slowly Taper Off Antidepressants Without Risk Of Relapse, Review Concludes

It’s safe to slowly taper some people off antidepressants after their depression fades, rather than continuing the drugs indefinitely, a new evidence review says.

People who slowly tapered off antidepressants while receiving psychological counseling had a similar risk of relapse to those who kept taking the drugs with or without ther...

Mothers' Milk Might Be Key To Avoiding Childhood Food Allergies

Farm kids tend to have far fewer allergies than urban children, and a new study offers one possible explanation: The milk provided by breastfeeding moms.

Children who grow up in farming communities have immune systems that mature faster, with higher levels of protective antibodies during their first year of life, researchers reported Dec. ...

Most Receive Shock Therapy Without Psychological Counseling, Survey Says

Most people receiving shock therapy for mental health problems aren’t receiving any sort of psychological counseling before having their brains zapped, a new study says. 

Only a third of patients said they’d been asked about recent stressful events or childhood traumas like abuse or neglect before being given electroconvul...

How to Head Off Tendon Trouble

Injure a tendon and you might not notice right away, but beware: These injuries often fail to heal properly, putting everyday activities at risk. 

"No matter how strong your muscle is, you’re not going to be able to have the functionality and the stability you need if a tendon is impaired," Nelly Andarawis-Puri, a bioengineering...

Ignore the Influencers: Simple Showers Are Still Best

Listen to the influencers, skin-care specialists say, and your daily shower could do more harm than good.

"Your skin is a barrier," said Dr. Nicole Negbenebor, a dermatologic surgeon at University of Iowa Health Care, told The Associated Press. "So you want to treat it right, and then sometimes there can be too much of a good thin...

New Sunscreen Ingredient Could Soon Be Allowed in the U.S.

Americans may soon have access to a new sunscreen ingredient already used around the world.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Dec. 11 that it is reviewing a proposal to allow bemotrizinol in sunscreens sold in the United States. 

The ingredient is already approved and widely used in Europe, Australia and part...

Many Older Americans Don’t See Themselves as Disabled, Survey Finds

Americans may be getting older and need help doing things that were once routine, but a new survey finds only a fraction of seniors see themselves as having a disability.

"It’s a familiar story," Megan Morris, director of the Disability Equity Collaborative at New York University, told KFF Health News. "Many people still fee...

South Carolina Places 254 in Quarantine as Measles Cases Surge

South Carolina health officials say a measles outbreak is growing amid holiday travel and low vaccination rates, and they warn the spread could continue for weeks.

As of Dec. 10, the state’s Department of Public Health has confirmed 114 cases, nearly all in the state’s upstate region. Of 111 cases recorded there, 105 were in pe...

FDA Clears Home Brain-Stimulation Device to Help Treat Depression

An at-home device that sends a gentle electrical current to the brain to help treat depression has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Experts say the move could expand access to care for many folks.

The prescription headset, made by Sweden-based Flow Neuroscience, delivers low-level electrical stimulation to...

Smokers Who Vape More Likely To Quit Or Cut Back, Study Argues

Smokers who use cigarettes and vape devices interchangeably might not be doing themselves as much of a disservice as once feared, a new study says.

These "dual users" are more likely to eventually quit smoking than people who smoke without vaping, researchers reported Dec. 10 in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

D...

Virtual Nursing Doesn't Deliver, Hospital Nurses Say

Virtual nurses aren’t an effective way to help hospitals deal with a lack of staffing, a new study says.

Hospitals struggling to attract and retain nurses are trying out virtual nursing programs, in which nurses in remote locations rely on video and messaging technologies to keep tabs on patients, researchers said.

But these vi...

Improved Bionic Hand Has A Mind Of Its Own, Researchers Say

The best way to improve amputees’ control over a bionic hand is to give the hand a mind of its own, a new study argues.

A bionic hand that’s controlled by an artificial intelligence (AI) program, but under the direction of the amputee, provides the best approximation of normal hand dexterity, researchers said Dec. 9 in the jour...

New 15-Minute Test For Hepatitis C Paves Way For Same-Day Treatment

People could learn within 15 minutes whether they are infected with hepatitis C, thanks to a rapid test developed by Northwestern University.

The test will allow doctors to diagnose infections during an office visit and kickstart patients’ treatment before they leave, researchers said.

“This test could revolutionize HCV c...