Health A-Z News

Drug overdose deaths among people over 65 more than tripled in the last 20 years, and the deaths from alcohol abuse rose 18% from 2019 to 2020, according to government data released Wednesday.

Pregnant women in states with legal cannabis should be screened for its use, according to scientists who say the women are 4.6 times more likely to report using the substance than women in states where use is still strictly controlled.

Amazon is encouraging patients to “skip the waiting room” with the launch of Amazon Clinic, a virtual health care service that aims to offer treatment for nearly 2 dozen common health conditions. Here's what to know.

Second in a series examining the impact and potential of artificial intelligence in health care.

Air pollution is linked to almost 1 million stillbirths each year, according to new research published in Nature Communications, accounting for almost half the total number of stillbirths that occur around the world.

A first in a series examining the impact and potential of artificial intelligence in health care.

New research links air pollution to respiratory infections and the diminished immune systems of many older adults.The study, published in Nature Medicine, found that inhaled particles accumulated in immune cells in lymph nodes associated with the lungs. That weakened the cells’ resistance to respiratory infections.

The World Health Organization plans to rename monkeypox to “MPOX” in an effort to remove stigma from the illness.

A new report finds about 7.7 million people died in 2019 from infection with one of 33 common types of bacteria.

A new study finds organizations that receive organs for transplant patients are less likely to choose one from an older donor.

An attempt by the federal government to stop a practice known as “chemical restraint” at nursing homes may have resulted in many residents being given different medications to achieve the same results: anticonvulsants.

Organizations like the American Red Cross and others are stepping up efforts to recruit previously banned blood donors after the FDA lifted its restrictions on people who had been overseas amid outbreaks of mad cow disease.

Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the blood testing startup Theranos, was sentenced Friday to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for defrauding investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars.

As many as 1.35 billion young people worldwide are at risk of hearing loss due to “unsafe listening,” a new study shows.

Sperm counts have been falling at a rate of 2.6% a year around the world, according to a new study. Building on past research, the study in Human Reproduction Update says sperm counts dropped by 1.2% a year from 1973 to 2000 – and 2.6% a year between 2000 and 2018.

The global population is projected by the United Nations to reach 8 billion, prompting conversations about the impacts of continued population growth.

Amazon launched its latest version of virtual medical care Tuesday in 32 states. Called Amazon Clinic, the service skips phone and video calls and instead works through secure messaging between patients and providers.

A new sensor technology can determine what's in a person's blood in minutes of a fingerprint touch as simple as the one found on many smartphones.

Most people have blood types like A, B and O and now there is a new group called "Er" with five more blood types that people could have.

The National Park Service is warning visitors this week to avoid licking the large Sonoran Desert toad – which, supposedly, some people do to get a hallucinogenic high from the toxin that the amphibians secrete.

Laboratory-grown red blood cells have been transfused for the first time into human recipients, potentially paving the way for groundbreaking treatments for people with rare blood types or those with blood disorders such as sickle cell disease.

The CDC issued its highest-level warning to public health officials regarding the surge of respiratory viruses, particularly among children, that are overwhelming some health systems across the nation. In addition to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the flu, the warning mentioned rhinovirus and enterovirus.

Although cases of monkeypox are decreasing, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services extended the official public health emergency on Wednesday, as there's still a strong presence of the virus in the country.

CVS and Walgreens, the country’s largest pharmacy chains, said Wednesday they would pay about $5 billion each to settle opioid lawsuits.

New research says it doesn’t take as much extra weight as we might think to cause trouble in the knees, including pain, stiffness, and mobility limitations that can lead to the need for knee replacement surgery.