Large Review Finds Limited Proof Behind Many Medical Cannabis Uses

MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Medical marijuana is often seen as a safer, natural way to ease pain, anxiety or sleep issues. But a large new review suggests that for many of these uses, the science simply isn’t there.

It adds that a significant share of folks, roughly 30%, using cannabis for medical reasons may actua...

COVID Vaccines Cut ER Visits for Children, CDC Reports

MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — COVID-19 vaccines given to children last fall helped keep many out of emergency rooms (ER) and urgent care, new data shows.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that COVID vaccines reduced the risk of ER visits by 76% in kids under age 4 and by 56% in kids ages 5 ...

FDA Approves Two New Antibiotics to Treat Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea

MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Doctors now have new tools to fight gonorrhea, a common sexually transmitted infection that has grown harder to treat over time.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two new antibiotics: Zoliflodacin and gepotidacin.

This is the first new major treatment for gonorrhea...

FDA Weighs Strongest Black Box Warning for COVID Vaccines

MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering adding the strongest safety warning available to COVID-19 vaccines.

The move has alarmed many outside health experts, who say there is no scientific basis for the warning.

People familiar with the plan told CNN the FDA i...

Too Much Drinking Contributes To Cancer Risk, Study Says

MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A new evidence review offers some sobering info for folks preparing to raise more than a couple celebratory glasses during Christmas or New Year’s.

Alcohol significantly increases a person’s risk of developing a wide range of cancers, and that risk rises further as more is imbibed,...

Home-Delivered Food Boxes Improve Diabetes Control, Experts Say

MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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, resear...

Doing Nothing Appears Best Approach To Common Heart Defect Among Preemies

MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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 s...

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

MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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...

Mothers' Milk Might Be Key To Avoiding Childhood Food Allergies

MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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...

Most Receive Shock Therapy Without Psychological Counseling, Survey Says

MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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 ab...

How to Head Off Tendon Trouble

SUNDAY, Dec. 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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 im...

Ignore the Influencers: Simple Showers Are Still Best

SATURDAY, Dec. 13, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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 th...

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

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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 approve...

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

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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 <...

South Carolina Places 254 in Quarantine as Measles Cases Surge

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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 regi...

FDA Clears Home Brain-Stimulation Device to Help Treat Depression

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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 Neuroscienc...

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

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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

Virtual Nursing Doesn't Deliver, Hospital Nurses Say

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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...

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

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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...

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

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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.