Dreams Affect Your Morning Mood In Surprising Ways, Study Finds

MONDAY, April 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Bad dreams can affect your morning mood, but not if a little joy is sprinkled into your slumber, a new study says.

People who had dreams filled with fear were more likely to be in a rotten mood the following morning, researchers recently reported in the journal Sleep.

But if th...

Naloxone's OD-Reversing Powers Challenged By Today's Opioids, Tests Show

MONDAY, April 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The overdose-reversing drug naloxone has been rightly hailed as a lifesaving breakthrough, saving countless lives from opioid ODs.

But a new study warns that the wonder drug has its limits, especially when confronted with overdoses involving the powerful new wave of synthetic opioids like fen...

Extra Antibiotic Doesn't Reduce Infection Risk During Surgery To Fix Complex Fractures, Trial Finds

MONDAY, April 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Adding an extra antibiotic powder doesn’t further reduce a person’s risk of infection during surgery to repair complex bone fractures, a new study says.

People had about the same rate of post-surgery infections whether doctors sprinkled one or two antibiotic powders into their sur...

New Clues Explain Why Immunotherapy Fails in Pancreatic Cancer

SUNDAY, April 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Immunotherapy has largely failed as a treatment for cancer of the pancreas, and researchers have zeroed in on a key reason.

Pancreatic tumors reprogram immune cells that normally shut down tumor-killing cells, according to a team at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. 

Does My Child Have a Language Disorder?

SATURDAY, April 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Baby’s first words are a source of pride for parents, but when they’re late in coming, it can be a source of worry.

While most kids catch up, those whose language troubles persist may have a condition called DLD.

Short for developmental language disorder, DLD can affect a ...

New Weight Loss Research Questions Need for GLP-1 Drugs

FRIDAY, April 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A new approach to weight loss research is challenging one of the biggest assumptions behind popular weight loss drugs: Are GLP-1s actually needed to achieve weight loss?

In a new study published April 15 in the journal Molecular Metabolism, researchers tested a drug that targets two ...

Trump Names CDC Director Pick

FRIDAY, April 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — After months of leadership changes, President Donald Trump has chosen a new candidate to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The White House announced Thursday that Dr. Erica Schwartz, a physician and former deputy surgeon general, is the new nominee. 

"...

Rising Colon Cancer Deaths Hit Younger Adults Without Degrees Hardest

FRIDAY, April 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A growing number of younger adults are dying from colon cancer, but the increase isn’t affecting everyone in the same way.

New research, published April 16 in JAMA Oncology, shows the rise in colon cancer deaths is happening mostly among adults without a four-year college degre...

FDA To Review Whether To Allow More Access To Certain Peptides

FRIDAY, April 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon review whether certain peptides should be allowed in customized medications made by compounding pharmacies.

Peptides are small chains of amino acids that are marketed for a wide range of uses, including treating wounds, obesity, insomnia a...

Most People Would Take A Blood Test For Alzheimer's, Study Says

FRIDAY, April 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Most people would want to take a blood test that can assess their risk of Alzheimer’s disease, rather than remain anxious about their odds, a new study says.

About 85% of primary care patients said they’d take a blood test that looks for the toxic proteins linked to Alzheimer&rsqu...

Memory Problems? Your Salt Intake Could Make Matters Worse, Study Says

FRIDAY, April 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Reaching for the salt shaker could have long-lasting implications for your memory and brain health, a new study says.

Higher sodium intake appears to affect episodic memory, the type of memory used to recall personal experiences and specific events from your past, researchers report in the Ju...

Ultra-Processed Foods Linked To Fatty Muscles, Potential Knee Arthritis

FRIDAY, April 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Ultra-processed foods don't just contribute to flab around your middle, but also to fat inside your muscles, a new study has found.

A diet high in ultra-processed foods is associated with larger amounts of fat stored inside thigh muscles, regardless of a person’s calorie or fat intake, ...

This Sexually Transmitted Infection Linked To Heart Attack, Stroke

FRIDAY, April 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Syphilis is on the rise in the United States, and with it the threat that a long-term untreated infection could pose to a person’s heart health, a new study says.

The sexually transmitted disease (STD) doubles a person’s risk of ruptured blood vessels and dramatically increases th...

New Depression Treatment Matches ECT with Less Memory Loss, Study Says

FRIDAY, April 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For patients with severe depression, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has long been the go-to when other treatments haven’t helped.

However, the fear of losing memories or experiencing confusion often leads patients to steer clear of ECT, which uses an electric current to induce seizure ...

How Playtime at Age 2, Especially with Parents, Shapes Teen Fitness Habits

FRIDAY, April 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — If you thought your toddler’s relentless energy was just a phase to be managed, think again. 

New research suggests those early years of running, jumping and playing are actually the foundation for their health as teens.

A study from the University of Montreal found that the ...

One Lot of Xanax Recalled Nationwide Over Quality Issue, FDA Says

THURSDAY, April 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A widely used anxiety medication is being pulled from shelves due to "failed dissolution specifications," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.

The agency's enforcement report said that one lot of Xanax has been recalled nationwide by the company Viatris.

The recall, issue...

Rising ACA Costs Leave Many Unable To Pay for Coverage

THURSDAY, April 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Higher health insurance costs are forcing some people to walk away from coverage even after signing up.

About 14% of people who enrolled in Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans for 2026 did not pay their first monthly premium, according to a new analysis from Wakely Consulting Group, an actuaria...