New guidelines from the American College of Cardiology strongly recommend heart patients get vaccinated against respiratory illnesses like RSV, COVID-19, and the flu. This recommendation contradicts recent moves by the U.S. government to limit vaccine access. Doctors are urged to vaccinate patients or strongly advise them to do...
Childhood vaccination rates are declining in the US, with 17 states showing over 5% of kindergarteners having non-medical exemptions in 2024-2025. This increase in exemptions, fueled by misinformation and conflicting health advice, worries school nurses and health experts. Easier access to exemption forms, both online and via letter,...
A 43-year-old New Mexico man contracted the plague, the state's first human case this year. He was hospitalized but has since recovered. Health officials believe he was exposed while camping in a neighboring county. Plague, caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, is found in western US wildlife. ...
The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), a federal-state partnership tracking foodborne illnesses, has reduced its surveillance to only salmonella and E. coli. Six other pathogens are no longer actively monitored, raising concerns among food safety experts. This reduction, due to insufficient funding, might hinder the timely detection and...
Eli Lilly's anti-obesity pill, orforglipron, showed promising results in a new trial, achieving a 10.5% average weight loss in overweight individuals with diabetes. This follows an earlier trial showing a 12.4% weight loss in participants without diabetes, though slightly below expectations. The results boost Lilly's plans to seek...
A new study published in Nature reveals that the Mediterranean diet may significantly reduce dementia risk, especially for individuals with the APOE4 gene, a major Alzheimer's risk factor. Researchers tracked 5,700 people for over 30 years and found that those with two APOE4 genes who followed the diet lowered...
The US confirmed its first human case of the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, in a Maryland resident who recently traveled to El Salvador. The parasite, whose larvae feed on living tissue, poses a low risk to the public but is a major threat to livestock. The...
New research suggests eating more broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables (like cauliflower and kale) can significantly lower your risk of colon cancer. A meta-analysis of 17 studies involving nearly 640,000 participants showed that those consuming the most cruciferous vegetables had a 17% lower risk. About 20 grams daily...
The first human case of New World Screwworm, a parasitic infestation caused by fly larvae, has been confirmed in the U.S. The patient recently returned from El Salvador. The CDC and Maryland's health department investigated. While the risk to the public is considered low, this infestation causes severe...
Scientists successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig lung into a brain-dead person, keeping it functional for nine days. This xenotransplantation—using animal organs to replace human ones—aims to address the critical organ shortage. While promising, experts emphasize it's a preliminary step. The pig lung showed some damage and inflammation despite...
