One Of The Largest Epidural Studies Ever Delivers Reassuring News For Parents

THURSDAY, July 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Does having an epidural during labor increase the risk of harm to your baby?

One of the largest studies to investigate the question says the answer is no.

A team led by Dr. Rachel Kearns of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary in the U.K., reviewed data from nearly 500,000 births in Scotland ov...

Brain 'Microstimulation' Works Long-Term To Restore Sense Of Touch After Spinal Cord Injury

THURSDAY, July 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A special brain-computer interface can restore a sense of touch to the hands of people who lose that vital sense after a spinal cord injury, researchers report.

For up to a decade, the breakthrough microstimulation technology has allowed five recipients to feel touch sensations whenever they...

Could A Vaccine Prevent Pancreatic Cancer In Those At High Risk?

THURSDAY, July 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Pancreatic cancer can be a silent killer, especially for people who inherit mutant genes that greatly raise their risk for the disease.

However, there's new hope of preventing the cancer among these high-risk people: A vaccine that trains their immune systems to hunt and kill the rogue ...

'Night Owls' At Risk Of Wider Waistlines, Unhealthy Hearts

THURSDAY, July 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Higher levels of cholesterol and body fat are more likely in folks who stay up late, new research finds.

The study of 287 women in New Zealand found that "early birds" and "night owls" ate about the same amount of food each day, but it was the timing of their eating that mattered.

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Wildfire Smoke Puts Millions At Risk Across Midwest, Northeast

WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Millions of people across the Midwest and Northeast are breathing dangerous air this week as heavy smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota spreads across the region.

Minnesota officials issued an air quality alert running Tuesday through Friday for areas including the Twin Cities metro...

Blood Test May Predict Alzheimer's Risk Up To 10 Years Before Symptoms Begin

WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A simple blood test may accurately predict a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's symptoms up to a decade before they begin.

The test looks for an Alzheimer's biomarker called p-tau217.

"This is a critical step toward better understanding what p-tau217 can tell us about a person&rs...

AI Can Create 'Ghosts' Of Lost Loved Ones, But Would You Want To Meet Them?

WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Artificial intelligence simulations of the dead are already a reality. 

Services like HereAfterAI, Project December and Séance AI are converting the deceased's photos, text messages and other data into digital "ghosts" for loved ones to commune with.

Is the technology...

Impulsivity In Third Grade Could Point To Future Struggles

WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Third-graders who often act out during a school day may be at higher risk of falling behind academically in high school and beyond, a new study finds.

Impulsive, sometimes disruptive youngsters may be setting a pattern for poor performance in school for decades to come, conclude a team led ...

Are Microplastics Linked To Higher Heart Attack Risk?

WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Compared to healthier patients, people who suffer heart attacks tend to have higher concentrations of microplastics in their blood, a small new study has found.

In other studies, the tiny plastic particles — ubiquitous in modern environments — have been detected in organs and ti...

THC/CBD Combo Might Ease Agitation In Late-Stage Dementia

WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Agitation is a common and tough-to-control symptom of late-stage dementia. But a new trial suggests that a combination of two active ingredients in marijuana may help ease patients' agitation.

The specially formulated medication contains purified tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (...

Lettuce Suspected In Growing Multistate Cyclospora Outbreak

TUESDAY, July 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Michigan health officials have identified lettuce and other salad greens as the leading suspected source of a growing multistate outbreak of Cyclospora, a parasite that causes watery diarrhea.

The illness it causes, known as cyclosporiasis, has now been reported in more than 30 state...

Why Are Family Doctors Leaving The Workforce? Retirement, Burnout Creating A U.S. Primary Care 'Brain Drain'

TUESDAY, July 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A bad back led Dr. Dale Block to retire from family medicine in 2019, after nearly four decades treating patients.

“I was one of those rare three-sport athletes” in high school and college, said Block, 67, who lives in Columbus, Ohio. “I played football in the fall, I played...

Unruly Patients Are Stressing ER Staff, Undermining Care

TUESDAY, July 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Nevermind "The Pitt": Real-life drama in America's emergency rooms is wearing down doctors and perhaps impairing the care they can provide, a new study shows.

A lot of their anxieties are coming from angry, impatient and irritable patients and their loved ones, researchers say.

“M...

Pain Patients Should Taper Opioids At Their Own Pace, Study Suggests

TUESDAY, July 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — About 5 million Americans are thought to be using an opioid painkiller to ease their chronic pain. 

A new study suggests that the safest route to reducing use of the powerful drugs is best left up to the patient.

“For patients, I think the data are reassuring that if opioids ...

Heatwaves Raise Hospital Admissions For Mental Health Woes

TUESDAY, July 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Heatwaves are increasing in severity and duration for Americans, and research suggests they leave a rise in mental health crises in their wake.

A new international study tracked more than 2.6 million warm-season hospital admissions across Brazil, Canada, Chile and New Zealand from 2000 t...

U.S. Gun Suicides Hit Record High, Even As Firearm Deaths Decline Overall

TUESDAY, July 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The latest federal data finds U.S. gun deaths dipping slightly overall, even as rates of firearm-related suicides reached a record high. 

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data for 2024 found that guns were involved in the deaths of 44,447 people that year — a r...

What Is An Aortic Dissection? The Condition That Killed Sen. Lindsey Graham

MONDAY, July 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham this weekend has drawn attention to a fast-moving and often fatal emergency: aortic dissection, a tear in the body's largest artery.

Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, died Saturday night at age 71. He had appeared healthy, which is part of what m...

Weight-Loss Drugs Help, But Exercise Is Still The Key To A Healthier Heart

MONDAY, July 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Weight-loss meds are transforming obesity treatment.

But when it comes to heart health, exercise may still be the game changer.

"The study shows that while medication supports weight maintenance, it is exercise — with or without medication — that improves vascular health," sa...

Adderall Misuse Falls Sharply Among Young Adults, Study Finds

MONDAY, July 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Half as many young adults are misusing Adderall, Ritalin and other ADHD medications these days to help them remain alert at study or work, a new evidence review says.

Misuse of ADHD stimulant meds among adults under 30 fell from 7.5% in 2016 to 3.7% in 2023, researchers report in the Journ...