Treatments
Memory cafes offer camaraderie and fun for people with dementia — and their caregivers
'Memory cafes' are small social gatherings for individuals with dementia — and their caregivers, too. As public health funding shrinks, memory cafes are cheap to run and can offer measurable benefits.
Can this nasal spray slow down Alzheimer’s? One couple is helping scientists find out
Joe Walsh is the first Alzheimer's patient to be treated with an experimental nasal spray designed to reduce inflammation in the brain.
The pros and cons of PSA tests for prostate cancer for midlife and older men
With Biden's prostate cancer in the news, men may be wondering whether and at what age to be screened. Advice about the value PSA tests has fluctuated. Here's what to know.
Doctors urged to treat pain for IUD insertion and other procedures
A major medical group now recommends pain-blocking treatments for IUD insertion and other procedures amid a growing recognition that women's pain should be treated.
A promising genetic treatment tailor-made for a baby born with a rare disorder
For the first time, doctors have created a customized treatment using the revolutionary gene-editing technique known as CRISPR to treat a baby with a rare, life-threatening genetic disorder.
Trump administration’s universal flu vaccine project puzzles scientists
The Trump administration has launched a $500 million project to develop a universal flu vaccine that won't need yearly updates. But vaccine experts are mystified by its focus on a dated technology.
Medicaid payments barely keep hospital mental health units afloat. Federal cuts could sink them
Patients seeking mental health care are more likely to be on Medicaid than patients in more profitable areas of care, such as cancer or cardiac treatment.
As a diversity grant dies, young scientists fear it will haunt their careers
The Trump administration defunded the National Institute of Health's MOSAIC grant program, which launched the careers of scientists from diverse backgrounds.
Stem cells to treat Parkinson’s? Two small studies hint at success
Two new studies suggest that Parkinson's disease can potentially be treated with stem cells placed in a patient's brain.
Pig kidney transplant fails after patient rejection
Surgeons at NYU Langone Health in New York City had to remove a genetically modified pig kidney from Towana Looney, 53, of Gadsden, Ala., because her body rejected the organ. She's back on dialysis.
Pain pathway in a dish could aid search for new analgesic drugs
Scientists have recreated a pathway that senses pain, using clusters of human nerve cells grown in a dish.
The (artificial intelligence) therapist can see you now
Many AI products claim to deliver mental health therapy, but with little quality control. But new research suggests with the right training, AI can be effective at helping people.
Latest Alzheimer’s lab tests focus on memory loss, not brain plaques
New tests of blood and spinal fluid can identify people experiencing memory loss from Alzheimer's disease.
March Madness is a season for betting, but help for problem gambling is hard to find
For people with gambling disorder, the proliferation of gambling opportunities makes it difficult to fight their addiction. Investment in treatment lags behind other addiction disorders.
Doctors still seeking cure for brain cancer that struck former Utah Rep. Mia Love
Mia Love, the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, died three years after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, a brain cancer that is nearly always fatal.
Patients scramble as cheaper obesity drug alternatives disappear
Compounding pharmacies have been allowed to essentially make a cheaper version of Eli Lilly's Zepbound, but they have to stop Wednesday. That's left many patients wondering what to do next.
5 years since the pandemic started, long COVID patients are still hoping for a cure
They're pushing for more funding to find effective treatments. Researchers are finally starting to make headway but have a way to go.
Nominee to run NIH faces Senate scrutiny
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford professor of health policy, appears before the Senate HELP committee, which will vet his nomination to become the next director of the National Institutes of Health.
Alzheimer’s was taking her memory, so she started taking a new drug
Myra Solano Garcia, who has Alzheimer's, says the drug Kisunla may be one reason she can still drive, cook, and sing.
Did an Alzheimer’s drug give Sue and Ken Bell more time? Maybe
Sue Bell became one of the first Alzheimer's patients in the U.S. to receive the drug now marketed as Leqembi. Her husband isn't sure if it made a difference.
When online weight-loss drugs are too good to be true
A telehealth company partnered with a pharmacy that lacked a required license, raising doubts about the safety and efficacy of the weight-loss medicines it mailed to patients.
His genes forecast Alzheimer’s. His brain had other plans.
Doug Whitney was supposed to develop Alzheimer's by 50. Now scientists are trying to understand why his brain remains healthy at 75.
