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Latest Health Headlines

December 26

Patient Endured 9 Years of Chemotherapy for Cancer He Never Had

This is a MedPage Today story. This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Anthony Olson wanted a career, children, a partner with whom he could hike Montana's trails. Despite the diabetes diagnosis at age 4, the anemia, the kidney transplant that failed at age 29, the dialysis, he clung to those dreams. He attended community college and later moved from his parents' house in Helena to study accounting at Montana Tech in Butte. He thought he might live a nearly normal life. All of that was taken away in early 2011 when an oncologist at St. Peter's, Helena's only hospital, diagnosed him with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a blood disorder that's often described as pre-leukemia. The life expectancy of MDS patients is short. "He told me that without treatment, I'd be dead before the end of the year," Olson said. He was 33. "That...
December 26
December 25

Oregon house cat died after eating pet food that tested positive for bird flu

Oregon authorities say a house cat died after eating raw frozen pet food that tested positive for bird flu
December 25
Northwest Naturals is voluntarily recalling one batch of Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after it was tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus.
December 24

How to avoid the ER during the holidays

Here’s how to stay safe during the holiday season.
December 24
Christmas ornament with snowy fir branches and glowing lights.
December 24

How to stay out of the ER this holiday season

Dr. Neil Bhavsar, an ABC News Medical Unit fellow and emergency medicine resident at New York Presbyterian Hospital, discusses the best ways to stay healthy during the holidays.
December 24
VIDEO: How to stay out of the ER this holiday season
December 23

Biden signs defense bill despite objections to ban on transgender health care for military children

President Joe Biden has signed the annual defense authorization bill into law despite his objections to language banning transgender health care for military children
December 23
President Joe Biden speaks during a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
December 23

Here are 5 of the biggest medical breakthroughs in 2024

There were major breakthroughs in drug development and disease treatment.
December 23
From a pig kidney transplant to restoring genetic deafness, 2024 was a year full of medical breakthroughs.
December 23

Abortion foes target pills with lawsuits, proposed laws, and potential federal action

The battles over abortion in the U.S. are increasingly focusing on the pills that are now the most common way pregnancies are ended
December 23
FILE - A patient prepares to take the first of two combination pills, mifepristone, for a medication abortion during a visit to a clinic in Kansas City, Kan., Oct. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
December 22

What is the benefit of 'dry January?'

Kelley Kitley, a licensed clinical social worker and author, joins ABC News Live to discuss the benefits of participating in “dry January.”
December 22
What is the benefit of 'dry January?'
December 21

Protecting your health this holiday season

Emergency medicine physician Dr. Neil Bhavsar outlines the steps you should take to protect yourself and your loved ones from illness this holiday season.
December 21
VIDEO: Protecting your health this holiday season
December 21

The power of relaxing your mind

Renowned spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar discusses the benefits of meditation in alleviating loneliness, stress and depression.
December 21
VIDEO:  The power of relaxing your mind
December 20

A judge says Missouri's abortion ban isn’t enforceable, but there's no start date for abortions

A judge has ruled that Missouri’s near-total abortion ban is unenforceable under a new constitutional amendment
December 20
FILE - Missouri residents and abortion-rights advocation react to a speaker during Missourians for Constitutionals Freedom kick-off petition drive, Feb. 6, 2024 in Kansas City, Mo. Abortion-rights advocates will ask a judge Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 to overturn Missouri’s near-total ban on the procedure, less than a month after voters backed an abortion-rights constitutional amendment. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File)
December 20

FDA approves 1st medication for obstructive sleep apnea

In a study, people who took Zepbound had fewer breathing interruptions.
December 20
An Eli Lilly & Co. Zepbound injection pen arranged in the Brooklyn borough of New York, March 28, 2024.
December 20

Texas man whose execution was halted in shaken baby case is again stopped from testifying

A Texas man facing execution did not appear at the state Capitol after two failed attempts by lawmakers to issue a subpoena for his testimony
December 20
FILE - Texas lawmakers meet with Robert Roberson at a prison in Livingston, Texas, Sept. 27, 2024. (Criminal Justice Reform Caucus via AP, File)
December 20

How safe is the food supply as US sees several multi-state outbreaks?

The CDC says there is not an unusually high number of outbreaks this year.
December 20
In this Oct. 24, 2024, file photo, a McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburger and coke are shown in New York.
December 20

Fentanyl fuels record homeless deaths in Oregon's Multnomah County, home to Portland

Fentanyl fueled a record number of homeless deaths last year in Oregon’s Multnomah County, home to Portland
December 20
FILE - A homeless person smokes fentanyl on Friday, June 28, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
December 20

Genetically modified pigs offer hope for human transplant organ shortage

ABC News visits scientists raising pigs with genetically modified organs.
December 20
Pigs born on the Revivicor farm in Blacksburg, Virginia, are genetically modified to delete certain pig genes and add human genes, so the recipient's body is less likely to reject the organ.
December 20
FILE - A sign for flu vaccination is displayed outside of a grocery store in Glenview, Ill., Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
December 20

How safe is the food supply as US sees several multi-state outbreaks?

The CDC says there is not an unusually high number of outbreaks this year.
December 20
The CDC says there is not an unusually high number of outbreaks this year.
December 19

FDA: Knockoff versions of Lilly obesity drug must come off the market

The federal government is phasing out off-brand copies of two blockbuster drugs used to treat obesity and diabetes
December 19
FILE - A sign for Eli Lilly & Co. stands outside their corporate headquarters in Indianapolis on April 26, 2017. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)
December 19

FDA updates the definition of 'healthy' foods

Packaged foods in the U_S_ must follow new rules in order to call themselves “healthy.”
December 19
FILE - Canadian certified organic farm-raised King Salmon filets are placed on a tray in a store in Fairfax, Va., April 10, 2015. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
December 19

California declared an emergency over bird flu. How serious is the situation?

California officials have declared a state of emergency over the spread of bird flu, which is tearing through dairy cows in that state and causing sporadic illnesses in people in the U.S. That raises new questions about the outbreak of the virus, also ...
December 19
FILE -This colorized electron microscope image released by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on March 26, 2024, shows avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles (yellow), grown in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells (blue). (CDC/NIAID via AP, File)
December 19

Possible link found in undiagnosed disease in Congo

As of Dec. 14, 592 cases have been reported.
December 19
A view of the general Hospital Panzi in southwestern Congo, Dec. 5, 2024.
December 18

DOJ files complaint against CVS for facilitating unlawful sale of prescription opioids

The Justice Department has unsealed a civil complaint alleging CVS Pharmacy Inc. and various subsidiaries filled unlawful prescriptions in violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act
December 18
FILE - The CVS Pharmacy logo is displayed on a store on Aug. 3, 2021, in Woburn, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
December 18

Arizona governor urges the state to stop collecting abortion data, citing patient privacy

Arizona's governor wants to repeal the state law requiring an annual abortion report
December 18
FILE - Anti-abortion protesters gather for a news conference after Arizona abortion-rights supporters delivered more than 800,000 petition signatures to the state Capitol to get abortion rights on the November general election ballot, July 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
December 18

California declares state of emergency in response to bird flu

This comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the first case of severe bird flu in in Louisiana.
December 18
VIDEO: California declares state of emergency in response to bird flu
December 18

MacKenzie Scott gives rare third gift to medical debt relief group

MacKenzie Scott continues to make medical debt relief a priority in her mysterious giving
December 18
FILE - Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, March 4, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
December 18

CDC confirms 1st case of severe bird flu in US

The patient was hospitalized in Louisiana, the health agency said.
December 18
Three influenza A (H5N1/bird flu) virus particles (rod-shaped). Note: Layout incorporates two CDC transmission electron micrographs that have been inverted, repositioned, and colorized by NIAID. Scale has been modified.
December 18

The fate of the first-ever White House Gender Policy Council is uncertain in Trump's administration

During the transition period between President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump, there has been at least some coordination on West Wing affairs
December 18
FILE - White House Gender Policy Council director Jennifer Klein speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Jan. 22, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
December 18

Bird flu: Louisiana patient is first severe case and California declares emergency

Health officials have confirmed the first case of severe illness in the U.S. caused by bird flu
December 18
FILE -This colorized electron microscope image released by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on March 26, 2024, shows avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles (yellow), grown in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells (blue). (CDC/NIAID via AP, File)
December 18

A person in Louisiana has the first severe illness caused by bird flu in the US, health officials say

A person in Louisiana has the first severe illness caused by bird flu in the US, health officials say
December 18
December 18

Accident or homicide? Medical rulings in arrest-related deaths can dictate what happens to police

Police in the United States rarely face criminal charges when civilians die after the use of force such as physical blows, restraints or Tasers
December 18
Jen Dold, whose brother, Alex Dold, lived with schizophrenia and died after a 2017 encounter with sheriff's deputies and police officers, adjusts one of her favorite photos of her brother on her living room shelf at her home Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Edmonds, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
December 17

Inside the farm raising gene-edited pigs for human kidney transplants

ABC News' Morgan Norwood visits a farm and the scientists raising pigs with genetically-modified organs to transplant them into humans for a second chance at life -- all with the FDA's permission.
December 17
Inside the farm raising gene-edited pigs for human kidney transplants
December 17

Couple drops lawsuit that led to Alabama frozen embryo ruling

A couple has dropped a lawsuit that led the Alabama Supreme Court to rule earlier this year that frozen embryos are what it called "extrauterine children."
December 17
December 17

Roadside bomb kills 3 police officers escorting polio workers in northwest Pakistan

Pakistan's police say a roadside bomb has exploded near a vehicle carrying police officers assigned to protect polio workers in northwest Pakistan
December 17
A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a slum area in Lahore, Pakistan, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
December 17

Global demand spurring Indonesia's mining boom comes at a cost for many communities

Indonesia's mining industry is rapidly expanding on demand for the minerals needed to help power the global energy transition, like nickel, cobalt and bauxite
December 17
Ilyas, 70, who has been complaining of itchy skin rashes, sits for a photograph at his house on Kabaena Island near nickel mining activities in Indonesia, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
December 17

Clinician Recall Worse After Biased Handoffs

This is a MedPage Today story. Residents and medical students recalled clinical information with less accuracy after hearing a patient handoff rife with biased language, a survey study found. Those who heard handoffs with blame-based bias had less accurate recall than those who heard neutral handoffs (77% vs 93%, P=0.005), according to Austin Wesevich, MD, MPH, MS, of the University of Chicago, and colleagues. In addition, participants had less positive attitudes toward patients as measured by Provider Attitudes Toward Sickle Cell Patients Scale (PASS) scores after hearing biased handoffs (mean scores 22.9 vs 25.2, P<0.001), they reported in JAMA Network Open. "People are getting it right more often when they hear the neutral [version]," Wesevich told MedPage Today. "It's pretty compelling that there's some sort of distraction or cognitive effect of having to neutralize out the biased phrases." In an invited commentary, Somnath Saha, MD, MPH, and Mary Catherine Beach, MD, MPH, of...
December 17
December 17

Most US teens are abstaining from drinking, smoking and marijuana, survey says

Teen drug use hasn’t rebounded from its drop during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic
December 17
FILE - A person smokes cannabis outside the Smacked "pop up" cannabis dispensary location, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
December 17

Who wants a pig organ? Patients sick and tired of waiting years for a transplant

People worried they'll never get a scarce human transplant want to know when they might get a pig kidney instead
December 17
Dr. Silke Niederhaus exams patient Eric Lyons at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, Md., on May 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Shelby Lum)
December 17

An Alabama woman is doing well after the latest experimental pig kidney transplant

An Alabama woman received a pig kidney transplant last month and is free from dialysis for the first time in eight years
December 17
Pig kidney recipient Towana Looney stands with transplant surgeons Dr. Jayme Locke, left, now of the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration and Dr. Robert Montgomery of NYU Langone Health, center, on Dec. 10, 2024, at NYU Langone Health, in New York City. (AP Photo/Shelby Lum)
December 17

An Alabama woman is recovering well after a pig kidney transplant last month that freed her from eight years of dialysis

An Alabama woman is recovering well after a pig kidney transplant last month that freed her from eight years of dialysis
December 17
December 17

Takeaways from the AP's reporting on nuclear bunkers

Global security leaders are warning nuclear threats are growing as weapons spending has surged to $91.4 billion last year
December 17
The owner, who asked not to be identified because of concerns about his privacy, walks up the steps of his underground shelter in an undisclosed Southern California city, on Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
December 17

Nuclear bunker sales increase, despite expert warnings they aren’t going to provide protection

Global security leaders are warning nuclear threats are growing as weapons spending surged to $91.4 billion last year
December 17
Ron Hubbard, owner of Atlas Survival Shelters, talks about the bunker his company is building for a client during a tour of his operations in Sulphur Springs, Texas, on Aug. 27, 2024, (AP Photo/LM Otero)
December 16

Peloton instructor’s advice to step up your fitness journey

Matty Maggiacomo offers tips on how to keep fit through the holidays and become motivated to embark on a fitness plan in the new year.
December 16
VIDEO: Peloton instructor’s advice to step up your fitness journey
December 16

RFK Jr.’s vaccine views based on ‘fraudulent’ study: Doctor

Dr. Todd Ellerin, the director of infectious diseases at South Shore Health, discusses President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
December 16
VIDEO: RFK Jr.’s vaccine views based on ‘fraudulent’ study: Doctor