Team Sports Score Big Points for Your Child's Brain, Study Finds

There may be something special about team sports in childhood that helps sharpen a kids' brain, new research shows.

Children who were on soccer or volleyball teams scored higher on tests of "executive function" -- thinking skills needed to organize, remember details, make decisions and stay focused -- compared to kids who didn't play sport...

U.S. Woman Living Healthy With Kidney Sourced From Pig

A 53-year-old woman from Alabama has a new lease on life after receiving a gene-edited kidney obtained from a pig, living healthily with the new organ for over a month, her New York City doctors announced Tuesday.

Towana Looney's road to kidney failure began with the ultimate gift: In 1999, she donated one of her kidneys to her ailing moth...

Feeling 'Techno-Strain' From Work? You're Not Alone

Research out of the United Kingdom finds workers often feel overwhelmed by digital technology and the need to always be connected online.

It's a worldwide issue, the study authors believe.

"What we have found in our research is that there is a potential dark side to digital working, where employees can feel fatigue and strain due t...

Denser Urban Neighborhoods Get People Walking

Does a crowded neighborhood make you move more?

Yes, says new research that found people who live in highly populated areas walk more than people who live in less densely populated areas.  

Since more walking is connected to better health, generally speaking, the extra steps can make a big difference in terms of promoting a...

Study Supports HPV Self-Testing for Cervical Cancer Screening

A self-administered test can help empower women in identifying risks for cervical cancer.

A new study published Dec. 12 in the journal PLOS Medicine shows the self-test for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection accurately identified women who either had cervical cancer or precancerous cells in their cervix.

"About 40% of wome...

Scientists Identify Genes That Shape People's Teeth

Ever wonder why your teeth look the way they do?

A group of genes drive the shape of each person’s teeth, including at least one gene inherited from Neanderthals, a new study published Dec. 12 in Current Biology found.

There are 18 sets of genes that influence the size and shape of teeth, 17 of which had not been previ...

Taxi Drivers' Brains May Leave Them Less Vulnerable to Alzheimer's

Taxi and ambulance drivers need to have quick wits and nimble reflexes to cut through traffic effectively.

Turns out that these traits might also protect them from Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study published Dec. 16 in the BMJ.

“The same part of the brain that’s involved in creating cognitive sp...

Allergies Have You Stuffed Up? Nose Fungi May Be to Blame

There’s fungus among us, and it might be making allergies and asthma worse.

People with allergy sniffles and asthma have different fungal colonies in their noses than folks who don’t suffer respiratory allergies, researchers report Dec. 16 in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.

“We showed that aller...

Could MRI Spot 'Pre-Cancer' Lesions of the Pancreas?

TUESDAY, Dec. 17, 2024 (HeathDay News) -- Pancreatic cancer can be a silent killer -- the organ is located deep inside the body, making cancer harder to detect before it becomes life-threatening.

A specific type of MRI scan, however, might help doctors better detect pancreatic cancer early, a new study finds.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging...

For Black Youth With Autism, Encounters With Police Bring Special Dangers

Parents of Black teens with autism worry that their kids’ condition might put them at greater risk during interactions with police.

A new study published Dec. 16 in the journal Autism shows that behaviors common among children with autism, such as reduced eye contact, might cause police to think they’re acting guilty.<...

As Daily Steps Rise, Depression Levels Fall

Can you literally step away from depression?

A new global review of data found that "increasing the number of daily steps, even at modest levels, was associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms."

The Spanish study found that up to a level of about 10,000 steps per day, the odds for depression decline as daily step levels rise....

Patient in Louisiana Hospitalized With First Bird Flu Case in That State

Louisiana has reported what appears to be the state's first case of bird flu.

In a health alert issued Friday, state officials said the case involves “a resident of southwestern Louisiana. The individual had exposure to sick and dead birds that are suspected to have been infected with H5N1,” the virus that causes bird flu. The ...

Texas Sues NY Doctor for Prescribing Abortion Pill by Telehealth

A New York doctor has been sued by the state of Texas for prescribing abortion pills via telehealth to a Dallas woman.

In a news release announcing the filing of the lawsuit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claims that Dr. Margaret Daly Carpenter violated state law by illegally providing abortion drugs across state lines.

"In this...

Trump Says He'll Try to Rid U.S. of Daylight Saving Time

President-elect Donald Trump is calling for an end to daylight saving time, a practice he described as inconvenient and costly.

“The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t!” Trump wrote in an X post on Friday.

The bi...

Bribing Kids With Holiday Gifts Popular With Parents, Poll Says

Do parents use Santa Claus to help guide kids to better behavior?

It happens often, a new poll shows.

One-quarter of parents of kids ages 3 to 5 said they’ve threatened misbehaving kids with no Santa or gifts if they don’t shape up, according to results from the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Ho...

Colon Cancer Rates Are Up Among the Young Worldwide

More young people around the world are falling prey to colon cancer, a new study shows.

Colon cancer rates in young adults have risen in 27 out of 50 countries around the world, including the United States, researchers found.

These rates among young adults are rising even as they’ve remained the same in middle-aged folks and se...

Omega-3 Rich Diet May Help Slow Prostate Cancer Growth

Men who opt for "watchful waiting" instead of treatment for a low-risk prostate cancer might improve their odds if they take fish oil supplements, early research suggests.

“Many men are interested in lifestyle changes, including diet, to help manage their cancer and prevent the progression of their disease," noted study author Dr. Wi...

Friendships Are Especially Powerful Late in Life, Poll Says

Close friendships are incredibly important to the mental health of middle-aged folks and seniors, a new study finds.

Older adults with worse mental or physical health were twice as likely to say they don’t have any close friends, according to results from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.

“With gr...

AI Guided Breath Test Could Speed COPD Diagnosis

Folks with difficulty breathing can learn if they have COPD from a new AI-guided lung test, a new study suggests.

The newly developed AI can accurately diagnose COPD using data from a single chest CT scan performed as a person inhales, researchers reported Dec. 12 in the journal Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging.

The AI also...

Study Supports Tamoxifen for DCIS Early Breast Cancers

The established hormone therapy drug tamoxifen can significantly decrease the risk of cancer recurring in women with an early, low-risk form of breast cancer, a new study says.

Women who took tamoxifen after undergoing a lumpectomy to remove ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were 44% to 51% less likely to have their cancer return in that bre...