Health News

Latest Health Headlines

38 minutes ago

1st non-resident uses Vermont’s aid in dying law

ABC News’ Morgan Norwood has the details on a Connecticut woman who has become the first non-resident to use Vermont’s aid in dying law.
38 minutes ago
VIDEO: 1st non-resident uses Vermont’s aid in dying law
1 hour ago

Crib videos offer clue to mysterious child deaths, showing seizures sometimes play a role

Crib cameras are offering a clue to a rare but devastating tragedy _ when seemingly healthy young children suddenly die in their sleep and autopsies can’t tell why
1 hour ago
This family photo shows Hayden Fell, of Bel Air, Md. At 17-months-old, Hayden had become one of several hundred seemingly healthy U.S. toddlers and preschoolers a year who suddenly die in their sleep and autopsies can’t tell why. But Hayden’s crib cam was recording all night _ and offered a clue. (Family Photo via AP)
1 hour ago

There's a glimmer of hope for broader health coverage in Georgia, but also a good chance of a fizzle

Long-held Republican opposition to broader health care coverage may be softening in Georgia and Mississippi
1 hour ago
FILE - Southwest Georgia Regional Medical Center in Cuthbert, Ga., seen here on Oct. 7, 2022, closed in 2020. Some Republican legislative leaders say they want to examine broader health care coverage through Georgia's Medicaid program in 2024, which could aid the finances of rural hospitals. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File)
2 hours ago

Connecticut woman among 1st non-residents to use Vermont’s medical aid in dying law

Lynda Bluestein suffered from terminal ovarian and fallopian tube cancer.
2 hours ago
 Lynda Bluestein suffered from terminal ovarian and fallopian tube cancer.
2 hours ago

New York governor pushes for paid medical leave during pregnancy

Pregnant people in New York would have 40 hours of paid leave to attend prenatal medical appointments under a new proposal by Gov. Kathy Hochul
2 hours ago
FILE - New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at the state Capitol, Feb. 1, 2023, in Albany, N.Y. Pregnant people in New York would have 40 hours of paid leave to attend prenatal medical appointments under a proposal announced by Hochul on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, part of her agenda for the state's Legislative session. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)
2 hours ago

COVID-19 and RSV cases on the rise

ABC News contributor Dr. Alok Patel talks about the rise of illnesses like COVID-19, RSV and the flu during the winter months and what you can do to protect yourself.
2 hours ago
VIDEO: COVID-19 and RSV cases on the rise
January 04

Woman becomes among 1st non-residents to use this state's medical aid in dying law

Lynda Bluestein is suffering from terminal ovarian and fallopian tube cancer.
January 04
Lynda Shannon Bluestein smiles during an interview in the living room of her home, Feb. 28, 2023, in Bridgeport, Conn.
January 04

Drugstore chain Walgreens cuts quarterly dividend to get more cash to grow its business

Walgreens is chopping its dividend nearly in half as the drugstore chain looks to strengthen its balance sheet
January 04
A palm tree is reflected in the window of a Walgreens pharmacy in Los Angeles, Friday, March 10, 2023. Walgreens is chopping its dividend nearly in half as the drugstore chain looks to strengthen its balance sheet. The health care giant said Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024 that reducing its quarterly payout to shareholders to 25 cents per share will help free up capital to spend growing its pharmacy and health care businesses. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
January 04

Striking doctors in England say hospitals haven't shown an urgent need for them to return to work

The longest planned strike in the history of Britain’s state-funded National Health Service has entered its second day of six with doctors in England at loggerheads with hospitals over requests for some to return to work to cover urgent needs
January 04
Junior doctors and members of the British Medical Association (BMA) demonstrate outside St Thomas' Hospital, London, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, as they take to picket lines for six days. Doctors in the early stages of their careers in England have started a 72-hour strike in their long-running dispute over pay levels. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)
January 04

Successful evacuation from burning Japan Airlines jet highlights dogged devotion to safety

The swift and safe evacuation of a Japan Airlines jet that caught fire after hitting a Coast Guard aircraft while it was landing Tuesday at Tokyo’s Haneda airport reflects the carrier's dogged dedication to safety, born of hard experience
January 04
Police investigator look at the burn-out wreckage of Japan Airlines plane at Haneda airport on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. A transcript of communication between traffic control and two aircraft that collided and burst into flames at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport showed that only the larger Japan Airlines passenger flight was given permission to use the runway where a coast guard plane was preparing for takeoff. (Kyodo News via AP)
January 03

Oregon police confirm investigation into medication theft amid report hospital patients died

Oregon police and medical officials have confirmed that they are investigating the theft of medications prescribed to patients at a hospital in the southern part of the state
January 03
January 03

Hearing aids may help you live longer, study shows

The findings highlight the importance of encouraging people to use hearing aids.
January 03
The findings highlight the importance of encouraging people to use hearing aids.
January 03

Hearing aids may help you live longer, but barriers to their use persist

The findings highlight the importance of encouraging people to use hearing aids.
January 03
A woman holds a hearing aid in front of her ear.
January 03

More hospitals are requiring masks as flu and COVID-19 cases surge

More U.S. hospitals are requiring masks and limiting visitors as health officials face a post-holiday spike in flu and other illnesses
January 03
Taikwan Wright waits outside while his nephew is treated for asthma in the ICU in Bellevue Hospital in New York on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2023. The previous week, New York City resumed a mask mandate for the city’s 11 public hospitals. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon)
January 03

Flooding at Boston hospital disrupts IVF services for 200 patients, leaving some devastated

Flooding from a burst water main at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital has disrupted services for about 200 patients seeking to have children through in vitro fertilization
January 03
FILE - Pedestrians walk past the Shapiro Building at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Jan. 20, 2015, in Boston. Some women who spent months preparing for in vitro fertilization procedures have been left devastated after flooding from a burst water main at the hospital on Christmas Eve, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, disrupted services for about 200 IVF patients. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
January 03

Court rules Texas doctors don't need to perform emergency abortions: What to know

The ruling refuted guidance from the Biden administration.
January 03
College students and abortion rights activists hold signs during a rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol, in Austin, Texas.
January 03

Alzheimer's drugs might get into the brain faster with new ultrasound tool, study shows

Scientists have found a way to help Alzheimer's drugs seep inside the brain faster — using sound waves to jiggle a temporary opening in its protective shield
January 03
These PET scan images provided by the New England Journal of Medicine in January 2024 show a reduction in amyloid-beta levels in an Alzheimer's patient after focused ultrasound treatment to open the blood-brain barrier after 26 weeks. Red is associated with higher levels of amyloid-beta levels. Scientists have found a way to help Alzheimer’s drugs seep inside the brain faster _ by temporarily breaching its protective shield. (New England Journal of Medicine via AP)
January 03

It took decades, but San Francisco finally installs nets to stop suicides off Golden Gate Bridge

Suicide-prevention barriers at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge have been completed more than a decade after officials greenlighted a project to install stainless-steel mesh nets on both sides of the 1.7-mile bridge
January 03
A U.S. Coast Guard boat passes below a suicide deterrent net on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. The barrier at the bridge is near completion more than a decade after officials approved it. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
January 03

Partial mask mandate returns to New York City public hospitals

COVID and flu cases have been rising across the United States.
January 03
COVID and flu cases have been rising across the United States.
January 03

Public hospitals in this city bring back mask mandates in certain areas

COVID and flu cases have been rising across the United States.
January 03
Pedestrians dressed for cold weather walk in Lower Manhattan in New York City, January 2, 2024.
January 03

Quick and easy New Year’s resolutions that everyone can do

Dr. Alok Patel breaks down easy resolutions anyone can do as we enter 2024.
January 03
VIDEO: Quick and easy New Year’s resolutions that everyone can do
January 03

Young adults turning away alcohol for Dry January

The alcohol-free trend is taking off, especially for younger adults, it's going beyond the beginning of the year.
January 03
VIDEO: Young adults turning away alcohol for Dry January
January 03

Thousands of doctors in Britain walk off the job in their longest-ever strike

Thousands of doctors have walked off their jobs in Britain at the start of a six-day strike that's set to be the longest in the history of the state-funded National Health Service
January 03
Junior doctors and members of the British Medical Association (BMA) demonstrate outside St Thomas' Hospital, London, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, as they take to picket lines for six days. Doctors in the early stages of their careers in England have started a 72-hour strike in their long-running dispute over pay levels. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)
January 02

Health officials in Suffolk County, New York, report recent whooping cough outbreak

Whooping cough cases in 2023 were nearly twice as high as in 2019.
January 02
A general practitioner examining a coughing patient in a clinic, using a stethoscope.
January 02

In Texas case, federal appeals panel says emergency care abortions not required by 1986 law

A federal appeals court in New Orleans says the Biden administration cannot use a 1986 emergency care law to require that Texas hospitals provide abortions for women whose lives are at risk due to pregnancy
January 02
FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2015 file photo, college students and abortion rights activists hold signs during a rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol, in Austin, Texas. The Biden administration cannot use a 1986 emergency care law to require hospitals in Texas hospitals to provide abortions for women whose lives are at risk due to pregnancy, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. It's one of numerous cases involving abortion restrictions that are playing out in state and federal courts after the U.S. Supreme Court ended abortion rights in 2022. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
January 02

Frank Ryan, the last quarterback to lead the Cleveland Browns to an NFL title, has died at 87

Frank Ryan, the quarterback who led the Cleveland Browns to their last NFL title in 1964, has died
January 02
FILE - Cleveland Browns quarterback Frank Ryan gestures in the dressing room as he talks with reporters after the Browns defeated the Indianapolis Colts 27-0 in the NFL championship football game in Cleveland, Ohio, Dec. 27, 1964. Ryan, the quarterback who led the Cleveland Browns to their last NFL title in 1964, died Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. He was 87. (AP Photo/File)
January 02

22 hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning after attending LDS church in Utah

It's unclear what the source is of the carbon monoxide poisoning.
January 02
The Monroe East chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Monroe, Utah.
January 02

US women stocking up on abortion pills, especially amid news about restrictions

New research shows thousands of women in the U.S. have stocked up on abortion pills just in case they need them
January 02
FILE - Bottles of abortion pills mifepristone, left, and misoprostol, right, are shown, Sept. 22, 2010, at a clinic in Des Moines, Iowa. Thousands of women stocked up on abortion pills just in case they needed them, according to new research published Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in JAMA Internal Medicine, with demand peaking in the past couple years at times when it looked like the medications might become harder to get. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
December 31

Sen. Fetterman says he thought news about his depression treatment would end his political career

Sen. John Fetterman acknowledges having “dark conversations” about harming himself before he hit “the emergency brake” and sought treatment for depression
December 31
FILE - Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., takes an escalator at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. This is Fetterman's first week back after being treated for clinical depression for six weeks. The first-term Pennsylvania Democrat held a deeply personal and introspective interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, Dec. 31. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
December 31

For decades he wasn't allowed to donate blood. Under new FDA rule, he can

The new screening process focuses on individual risk factors.
December 31
Chris Van Bibber, 35, from Salt Lake City, Utah, made history by being one of the first openly gay men to donate under the FDA’s new blood donation screening process.
December 31

The New Year offers a clean slate for long-elusive resolutions. Will 2024 be the year to keep them?

It’s an annual end-of-year exercise in futility for many
December 31
2024 glasses are displayed ahead of New Year's Eve in Times Square, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
December 30

How to succeed with your New Year's health and wellness resolutions

Research shows resolutions can be hard to maintain as the year goes on.
December 30
Writing goals for 2024 for New Year.
December 30

California is expanding health care coverage for low-income immigrants in the new year

California will soon become one of the first states to provide free health care to all low-income immigrants living in the state illegally
December 30
FILE - California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a Clean California event in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. California becomes one of the first states to provide free health care to all low-income adults regardless of their immigration status starting Monday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
December 29

US seizes more illegal e-cigarettes, but thousands of new ones are launching

U.S. officials are seizing more shipments of unauthorized electronic cigarettes
December 29
FILE - Varieties of disposable flavored electronic cigarette devices manufactured by EB Design, formerly known as Elf Bar, are displayed at a store in Pinecrest, Fla., Monday, June 26, 2023. U.S. officials are seizing more shipments of unauthorized electronic cigarettes. But industry data shows thousands of new flavored products continue pouring into the country from China. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
December 29

Judge allows lawsuit that challenges Idaho's broad abortion ban to move forward

An Idaho judge has denied a request by the state’s top legal chief to throw out a lawsuit seeking to clarify the exemptions tucked inside the state’s broad abortion ban
December 29
Jennifer Adkins and her husband, John, from Caldwell, Idaho talk to the media outside the Ada County Courthouse Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023 in Boise, Idaho. The two are plaintiffs in a case concerning access to abortive care in Idaho. An attorney for Idaho asked a judge on Thursday to throw out a lawsuit seeking clarity about the medical exemptions to the state's broad abortion bans, saying it was based on hypothetical situations rather than current facts. (AP Photo/Kyle Green)
December 29

California becomes first state to offer health insurance to undocumented immigrants

About 700,000 adults between ages 26 and 49 will be eligible as of Jan. 1
December 29
About 700,000 adults between ages 26 and 49 will be eligible as of Jan. 1
December 29

West Virginia starts distributing funds from the settlement of opioid lawsuits

West Virginia is issuing the first checks from a fund established up by the settlement of opioid lawsuits
December 29
FILE - West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey speaks with reporters to announce a $68 million settlement with the Kroger pharmacy chain over its role in perpetuating the opioid crisis, during a news conference at the state Capitol in Charleston, W.Va., May 4, 2023. West Virginia is issuing the first checks from a fund established by the settlement of opioid lawsuits in the state, which has by far the nation’s highest drug overdose death rate. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File)
December 29

Nebraska governor stands firm on rejection of federal money to feed food-insecure children

Nebraska’s governor is standing firm on his plans to reject $18 million in federal funding to help feed children who might otherwise go hungry while school is out
December 29
FILE - Then Nebraska Governor-elect Jim Pillen answers a question while taking part in a panel discussion during a Republican Governors Association conference, Nov. 16, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. Nebraska governor Pillen is standing firm on his plans to reject $18 million in federal funding to help feed children who might otherwise go hungry while school is out. Pillen issued a statement Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, defending his decision not to allow the state to participate in the 2024 Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children, or Summer EBT, program. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
December 29

More inclusive blood donation for LGBTQ donors following new FDA rule

The FDA approved a new blood donation risk assessment that is the same for every donor regardless of how they identify, making donation more inclusive for LGBTQ donors.
December 29
The FDA approved a new blood donation risk assessment that is the same for every donor regardless of how they identify, making donation more inclusive for LGBTQ donors.
December 29

How to actually follow through on your New Year’s resolutions

ABC News contributor Dr. Alok Patel talks about some beneficial New Year’s resolutions and how you can actually stick to them in 2024.
December 29
VIDEO: How to actually follow through on your New Year’s resolutions
December 29

Cali. becomes first state to offer health insurance to all undocumented immigrants

About 700,000 adults between ages 26 and 49 will be eligible as of Jan. 1
December 29
In this Sept. 14, 2021, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks in San Francisco.
December 29

Mexican president inaugurates centralized 'super pharmacy' to supply medicines to all of Mexico

Mexico's president is trying to end the woes of patients throughout the country, who are often told they need a specific medicine — but the hospital in question doesn't have it
December 29
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador greets supporters as he arrives to a ceremony to inaugurate a "mega-pharmacy" warehouse in Huehuetoca, Mexico, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. It is the president's solution to help end a supply issue for hospitals that don't have specific medicine needed by patients. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
December 29

Dr. Patel talks toddler ear pain and testosterone replacement therapy

ABC News contributor Dr. Alok Patel shares health advice on the topics that matter most to you.
December 29
VIDEO: Toddler ear pain and testosterone replacement therapy
December 29

Ohio’s GOP governor vetoes ban on gender-affirming care and transgender athletes in girls' sports

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has broken from his party and vetoed legislation banning all gender-affirming care for minors and transgender athletes’ participation in girls and women’s sports
December 29
FILE - Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine pauses as he speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at The Ohio Governor's Residence in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. DeWine vetoed a measure Friday, Dec. 29, that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors and transgender athletes’ participation in girls and women’s sports, in a break from members of his party who championed the legislation.(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
December 29

Ohio’s GOP governor vetoes a ban on gender-affirming care and transgender athletes playing girls sports

Ohio’s GOP governor vetoes a ban on gender-affirming care and transgender athletes playing girls sports
December 29
December 29

7 medical breakthroughs in 2023 to be excited about

There were major breakthroughs in Alzheimer's and sickle cell treatment.
December 29
From the first-ever RSV vaccines to the first drug fully approved to treat Alzheimer's disease, here are seven of the biggest medical breakthroughs in 2023.
December 29

Documents show toxins in Air Force nuclear missile capsules

Documents show the risks toxic substances posed in the underground capsules and silos where Air Force nuclear missile crews have worked since the 1960s
December 29
Doreen Jenness, the widow of Air Force Capt. Jason Jenness, pulls out a portion of his uniform during an interview with the Associated Press in Missoula, Mont., Aug. 26, 2023. Capt. Jenness was a Malmstrom missileer who died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2001 at the age of 31. (AP Photo/Tommy Martino)
December 29

For transgender youth in crisis, hospitals sometimes compound the trauma

A North Carolina hospital network is referring transgender psychiatric patients to treatment facilities that do not align with their gender identities
December 29
Callum Bradford, center, and his team, carry their boat to the ramp as they get ready for a rowing club practice at Jordan Lake, Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, in Apex, N.C. Bradford, a transgender teen from Chapel Hill needed mental health care after overdosing on prescription drugs. He was about to be transferred to another hospital due to a significant bed shortage. A North Carolina hospital network is referring transgender psychiatric patients to treatment facilities that do not align with their gender identities. Though UNC Hospitals policy discourages the practice, administrators say a massive bed shortage is forcing them to make tough decisions. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
December 29

For transgender youth in crisis, hospitals sometimes compound the trauma

A North Carolina hospital network is referring transgender psychiatric patients to treatment facilities that do not align with their gender identities
December 29
Callum Bradford, center, and his team, carry their boat to the ramp as they get ready for a rowing club practice at Jordan Lake, Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, in Apex, N.C. Bradford, a transgender teen from Chapel Hill needed mental health care after overdosing on prescription drugs. He was about to be transferred to another hospital due to a significant bed shortage. A North Carolina hospital network is referring transgender psychiatric patients to treatment facilities that do not align with their gender identities. Though UNC Hospitals policy discourages the practice, administrators say a massive bed shortage is forcing them to make tough decisions. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
December 28

Top medical breakthroughs of 2023

From the first-ever RSV vaccines to the first drug approved to treat Alzheimer's disease, here are seven of the biggest medical breakthroughs in 2023.
December 28
From the first-ever RSV vaccines to the first drug approved to treat Alzheimer's disease, here are seven of the biggest medical breakthroughs in 2023.