Veterans Affairs Chief on Harassment: 'Behavior is Either Acceptable or It is Not'

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is drafting vets and survivors, caregivers and health workers, as well as visitors to VA centers nationwide in a war on sexual harassment and assault.

"There is no wrong door for reporting harassment or sexual assault," VA Secretary Douglas Collins wrote Dec. 29 in an email to vets and benefici...

Why Your Gut May Stall Out And What To Do About It

Does it sometimes feel like your supper is sitting like a boulder in your gut?

You may have a condition called gastroparesis.

About 1 in 4 people have symptoms of the disorder, which causes the stomach to empty slowly, according to the National Institutes of Health.

“Patients don’t come in telling you they have a ga...

Doubting Your Doubts May Help You Stick to Big Life Goals, Research Shows

When people start doubting whether they can reach an important life goal, it often feels like a sign to give up. 

But a new study suggests questioning those doubts can actually strengthen commitment.

The research — led by Patrick Carroll, a psychology professor at Ohio State University — found that people who were en...

Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Raw Oysters Sickens 64 in 22 States

Health officials are warning seafood lovers to think twice before eating raw oysters amid a salmonella outbreak that has sickened people in more than 20 states.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 64 people have been infected with a rare strain of Salmonella Telelkebir.

The investigation is being c...

Passengers' Brain Signals May Help Self-Driving Cars Make Safer Choices

Cars from companies like Tesla already promise hands-free driving, but recent crashes show that today’s self-driving systems can still struggle in risky, fast-changing situations.

Now, researchers say the next safety upgrade may come from an unexpected source: The brains of the people riding inside those cars.

In a new study, C...

Study Finds Wildfire Smoke Releases More Harmful Gases Than Expected

Wildfires may be sending far more harmful pollution into the air than scientists once believed, according to new research.

A study published Dec. 29 in Environmental Science & Technology, a journal of the American Chemical Society, found that wildfires and prescribed burns release more air-polluting gases than earlier estimate...

Head Injuries Linked To Suicide Risk, Researchers Say

A serious knock on the noggin might substantially increase a person’s risk of suicide, a new study says.

People who’ve sustained a head injury are 21% more likely to attempt suicide than those without such an injury, researchers recently reported in the journal Neurology.

“Our findings show that the impact ...

Early IBD Linked To Changes In Gut Bacteria, Evidence Shows

Early changes in a person's gut bacteria might herald the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a new evidence review has found.

This finding could help doctors diagnose IBD earlier, and, researchers added, potentially fuel efforts to find new treatments for the condition.

Researchers found that people with the most common types...

Where A Senior Lives Can Hinder Their Recovery From A Broken Hip, Experts Say

Where a senior resides might factor into whether they lose their independence to a broken hip, a new study says.

Elderly folks are less able to return home following a fall-related hip fracture if they live in a poorer neighborhood, researchers found.

Seniors living in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods spent about 23 fewer days at...

Visiting Abroad In The Coming Year? Antibiotics Becoming Less Effective Against Traveler's Diarrhea, Study Warns

Planning some international travel as one of your New Year’s resolutions?

Then be forewarned: Traveler’s diarrhea is becoming harder to treat.

The antibiotics typically used to treat traveler’s diarrhea are becoming less effective, researchers recently reported in JAMA Network Open.

Specifically, the ...

Gestational Diabetes Increasing Steadily In The U.S.

Gestational diabetes rose every single year in the United States since 2016, putting both mother and baby at risk during these pregnancies, a new study says.

The condition increased by 36% between 2016 and 2024, increasing from 58 to 79 cases for every 1,000 births, researchers reported Dec. 29 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

&ld...

Understanding Childhood Obesity: Causes, Treatments and How to Reduce Stigma

While childhood obesity has become more common in recent years, this is a condition that is about more than just weight.

Childhood obesity reflects our modern environment of ultra-processed foods, digital devices and psychological stressors.

To address childhood obesity, clinicians and families must work together to create a more n...

Singer Barry Manilow Announces Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Surgery

Barry Manilow, the singer behind hits like "Copacabana," "Can’t Smile Without You" and "Mandy," announced that he has lung cancer and is postponing upcoming concerts to undergo surgery.

Manilow, 82, shared the news in a post on Instagram last week. He said the cancer was discovered after he dealt with bronchitis for several weeks, ca...

Aetna to Cover Fertility Care for Same-Sex Couples Nationwide

For years, many same-sex couples have had to pay tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket to try to have children, even when their insurance covered fertility care for straight couples.

That’s now set to change.

In a landmark legal settlement approved last week, Aetna agreed to cover fertility treatments for same-sex couples ...

Officials Declare 99 Wisconsin City Schools Safe After Major Lead Cleanup

Officials say nearly 100 public schools in Wisconsin’s largest city are now safe after months of urgent repairs to fix lead paint hazards found earlier this year.

The work wrapped up about two weeks ahead of a Dec. 31 deadline, even after the city of Milwaukee temporarily lost federal support during the cleanup. All affected building...

American Academy of Pediatrics Sues Feds Over Millions in Lost Child Health Funding

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), seeking to stop nearly $12 million in federal funding cuts that it says put children’s health programs at risk.

The AAP says the government abruptly cut several grants earlier this month, forcing the organization to consider shut...

Video Games An Effective Stress Reliever For Young Adults

Did a younger sibling or cousin get a Nintendo Switch 2 for Christmas this year?

Young adults feeling stressed or burned out might want to hop on and play a few rounds, a new study says.

Popular video games like those in the Super Mario Bros. or Yoshi series can offer meaningful emotional benefits for young adults, mainly by evoking ...

CBD No Good For Pain Relief, Experts Conclude

CBD and other cannabis derivatives are a bust when it comes to pain relief, a new evidence review has concluded.

Products containing mainly or only cannabidiol (CBD) demonstrated almost no ability to manage a person’s pain, according to a review of recent clinical trials.

“This may be surprising to people,” said lea...

Money Worries Speed Up Heart Aging, Increase Risk Of Death

Fretting over making ends meet ages your heart just as much as classic risk factors for heart disease, a new Mayo Clinic study says.

Financial strain and food insecurity are the strongest drivers of accelerated heart aging, researchers reported in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

The heart aging associated with money and...

Recovery Tougher For Seniors With Spinal Cord Injury

It’s tougher for older folks to recover from a spinal cord injury, a new study reports.

Seniors recover just as well as young people when it comes to healing their nervous system, including getting their strength back and regaining sensory function.

But they have worse recovery of their functional capabilities, winding up less ...