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

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 approved and widely used in Europe, Australia and part...

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

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 KFF Health News. "Many people still fee...

South Carolina Places 254 in Quarantine as Measles Cases Surge

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 region. Of 111 cases recorded there, 105 were in pe...

FDA Clears Home Brain-Stimulation Device to Help Treat Depression

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 Neuroscience, delivers low-level electrical stimulation to...

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

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 Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

D...

Virtual Nursing Doesn't Deliver, Hospital Nurses Say

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 patients, researchers said.

But these vi...

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

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 dexterity, researchers said Dec. 9 in the jour...

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

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.

“This test could revolutionize HCV c...

Experimental Drug Provides Lasting Relief For Bleeding Condition

More than half of people with a rare life-threatening bleeding condition received lasting relief from an experimental antibody treatment, clinical trial results show.

Ianalumab, a monoclonal antibody, helped patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) maintain safe platelet counts without serious bleeding episodes for at least a year, acco...

Less Is More For Melanoma-Fighting Immunotherapy, Study Argues

Less might be more when it comes to immunotherapy treatment of melanoma, a new study says.

Lower doses of a drug used to treat melanoma can provide better results while reducing side effects, researchers reported Dec. 8 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

“The results are highly interesting in oncology, as...

Suicide Deaths Fell Slightly in 2024, CDC Reports

The U.S. suicide rate dipped slightly in 2024, offering a small but hopeful improvement after years of increases, according to new provisional data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A little over 48,800 people died by suicide last year, about 500 fewer than in 2023. 

That translates to a national ra...

FDA Reviewing RSV Drugs for Infants, Though No Safety Issues Found

Federal regulators have begun a safety review of two RSV medicines used to protect infants, even though no safety problems have been reported.

The review covers Beyfortus (from Sanofi and AstraZeneca) and Enflonsia (from Merck), both monoclonal antibodies that help shield babies from respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. 

The mov...

Research Shows Imagining Positive Encounters Shapes Real-Life Feelings

Thinking about a positive moment with someone, even if it never happened, may actually make you like them more, new research shows.

A study published Dec. 10 in Nature Communications found that simply imagining a good interaction with a person can change your feelings toward them as well as how your brain stores informati...

FDA Looks Into Reports of Deaths After COVID Vaccination

Federal officials say the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing reports of possible deaths in adults and children following COVID-19 vaccination.

“FDA is doing a thorough investigation, across multiple age groups, of deaths potentially related to coronavirus vaccines,” said Andrew Nixon, spokesperson for the U.S....

Medical Imaging Contributing To Water Pollution, Experts Say

Contrast chemicals injected into people for medical imaging scans are likely contributing to water pollution, a new study says.

Medicare patients alone received 13.5 billion milliliters of contrast media between 2011 and 2024, and those chemicals wound up in waterways after people excreted them, researchers recently reported in JAMA Ne...