Treatments
California considers allowing doctors to prescribe abortion drugs anonymously
If passed, the law would protect doctors from legal risk by letting them omit their names from prescription labels for abortion pills. It would affect the many doctors who use California pharmacies.
The silent killer increases your risk of stroke and dementia. Here’s how to control it
New recommendations for early treatment for hypertension to prevent strokes, heart attacks and dementia come as an experimental medication is shown to lower blood pressure in hard to treat patients.
HHS responds to report about autism and acetaminophen
A report that health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has promised will come out this month will look at the causes of autism. Many worry it will have claims unsupported by science.
‘One and done’ dose of LSD keeps anxiety at bay
People with generalized anxiety disorder improved significantly after they got a single dose of LSD powerful enough to induce a psychedelic trip.
In the brain, a lost limb is never really gone
Even years after an arm is amputated, the brain maintains a detailed map of the limb and tries to interact with this phantom appendage.
These brain implants speak your mind — even when you don’t want to
Brain-implanted devices that allow paralyzed people to speak can also decode words they imagine, but don't intend to share.
The quest to create gene-edited babies gets a reboot
There's a fresh push to edit the genes of human embryos to prevent diseases and enhance characteristics that parents value. Bioethicists say just because it's possible doesn't mean it should be done.
How surgeons build a new bladder for cancer patients like Deion Sanders
University of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders announced he got a new bladder this week as part of his cancer treatment. Here's how doctors construct a new bladder from a patient's small intestine.
Scientists are developing artificial blood that could save lives in emergencies
A research team has successfully tested a blood substitute in animals, and human trials may not be far off. The powdered blood could help medics respond faster in a crisis.
Why a new opioid alternative is out of reach for some pain patients
Journavx is the first truly new painkiller approved by the Food and Drug Administration in more than 20 years. But the drug is expensive, and many people can't get it yet.
After quitting antidepressants, some people suffer surprising, lingering symptoms
The symptoms can include nerve pain, emotional numbness and sexual dysfunction and can last for years after stopping the drugs. Patients are pushing for recognition and more research.
Ancient miasma theory may help explain Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine moves
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apparently embraces the outdated "miasma theory" of disease instead of the widely accept "germ theory" of disease, which may help explain some of the actions he's been taking.
NIH scientists call on director to protect biomedical research
In a public letter, hundreds of scientists expressed their dissent to the Trump administration's policies affecting the National Institutes of Health and called on its director to support the agency.
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.
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.
