Health

Research finds that what people expect from their own aging influences how socially connected they remain later in life. Negative expectations correlate with withdrawal. The authors say expectations may be a modifiable target.

An Ohio man pleaded guilty to laundering $3.4 million in proceeds from a health care fraud scheme. Prosecutors said the money moved through shell accounts. He faces sentencing later this year.

Analysis of trace elements is giving veterinary researchers new leads on the cause of dark eye lesions seen in cats. The condition can progress to serious disease. The findings point toward a metabolic rather than infectious origin.

Emails and text messages released by Senate Republicans indicate Dr. Anthony Fauci was informed of possible COVID-19 vaccine complications by senior public health officials in early 2021. The documents are part of a broader oversight release. Fauci's allies say the messages reflect routine internal review.

A Yale study estimates that universal health coverage in the United States could save roughly $1 trillion and prevent about 114,000 deaths annually. The model attributes savings largely to administrative simplification and earlier care. Critics question the assumptions behind the projections.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s effort to identify causes of autism has stalled, even as President Trump ordered changes to the childhood immunization schedule that researchers say lack supporting evidence. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician, called the overhaul a mistake and argued pro-life voters should be pro-vaccine. Public health groups have urged the administration to reverse course.

A new HHS report says Biden-era policies pressured hospitals to move children into medical gender transition, turning them into what the report calls lifelong 'captive patients.' Detransitioners quoted in the report say underlying problems were never addressed. Clinicians who supported the earlier guidance dispute the findings.

A study suggests that pushing a stroller alters running mechanics in ways that may lower the risk of overuse injuries. The changes include shorter strides and reduced impact loading. Researchers say more work is needed before recommending it as training.

Tommy John, the major league pitcher whose 1974 elbow reconstruction gave its name to the surgery that has saved thousands of throwing careers, died at 83. He returned from the operation to win 164 more games. He pitched 26 seasons in the majors.

Researchers found that a metabolite produced by gut bacteria can weaken the blood-brain barrier and promote changes associated with Alzheimer's disease. The finding strengthens a suspected gut-brain link in cognitive decline. Follow-up work will test whether altering the microbiome changes outcomes.

Four states are taking Meta to trial, alleging Facebook and Instagram were deliberately designed to hook children and that the company concealed evidence of mental health harms. It is the first case of its kind to reach a jury. Meta says its products are built with teen safety features and disputes the claims.

Researchers are studying whether tadalafil, sold as Cialis, has effects on longevity beyond its approved use. Observational data hint at cardiovascular and cognitive benefits. Scientists caution that no trial has yet tested the claim directly.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the deadliest the country has recorded, after already being the fastest growing on record. It is caused by Bundibugyo, a rare species of the virus. Health workers are struggling to contain spread in affected provinces.

Newly surfaced messages involving Dr. Anthony Fauci on vaccines and pregnancy are being cited in the ongoing legal fight over the abortion pill mifepristone. Advocates on both sides say the documents bear on how federal agencies weigh safety data. The litigation continues in federal court.

Researchers report restoring roughly two hours of sleep in brains affected by Alzheimer's disease by targeting an overactive response that disrupts rest. The team compares the mechanism to sprinklers flooding a house over a small kitchen fire. The work is early but points to a treatable pathway.

Researchers say early experiences shape a child's development even though almost no one retains explicit memories from infancy. Stress and caregiving in the first years leave measurable marks. The findings argue against dismissing the period as forgettable.

New research finds wildfire smoke now poses a greater prenatal risk than human-generated sources of air pollution. Smoke exposure has grown as fire seasons lengthen. Researchers link it to lower birth weights and preterm delivery.

Federal officials ordered a sweeping recall of eggs distributed across southern and southwestern states after a salmonella outbreak sickened dozens. Shoppers are being told to check carton codes and throw out affected cartons rather than wash them.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she has been putting money aside to freeze her eggs, opening a conversation about the cost of the procedure. Clinics typically charge five figures per cycle before storage fees.

GLP-1 drugs are showing effects far beyond the scale, from addiction and inflammation to heart and kidney outcomes. Researchers are still working out how one class of drug touches so many systems at once.

Doctors have developed a lung imaging technique that uses no ionizing radiation and detects disease earlier than existing scans. It is aimed first at children, who are most vulnerable to repeated radiation exposure.

New research indicates a Covid-19 infection can rouse viruses already sleeping in the body, which may worsen symptoms and prolong recovery. The finding offers a possible mechanism behind some long Covid cases.

Barbara Lavandeira described finding her brother, the blogger Perez Hilton, in a state of distress on Aug. 4, and said the family remains hopeful as he faces a long road to recovery.

Selena Gomez and her mother, Mandy Teefey, are accused in a new federal lawsuit of defrauding investors in Wondermind, the mental health startup the two founded together.

The Department of Health and Human Services warned Children's Medical Center of Dallas and UT Southwestern that they cannot withhold life-saving treatment from an infant named Gabriel on the basis of his heart defect.

It is 2 a.m. and a teenage girl, worrying about a friend, cannot sleep. Rather than wake her parents, she opens an AI app and types out her stress. Researchers lay out what parents should understand about a growing habit and how to keep children safe.

A third migrant held at Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey's largest immigration detention facility, has died following a medical emergency, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed.

A substantial global study published in the Journal of Mental Health finds that fulfilling friendships and close social relationships are strongly linked to excellent physical and mental health across 22 countries.

The biological parents of a baby boy born via surrogate are fighting for custody after the gestational carrier refused to have an abortion when a serious heart defect was found at 20 weeks.

A new study finds that wait times for cancer surgeries in the United States have reached their highest level in a decade and are still getting longer.

An analysis of her phone shows Lindsay Clancy searched online about hallucinations, psychosis and the side effects of several prescribed drugs in the weeks before she strangled her three young children in January 2023.

New CDC research finds that ticks carrying Lyme and other diseases keep pushing into new areas, including well to the south of their traditional range, raising questions about whether doctors there know what to look for.

Former professional boxer Prichard Colon has died at 33, nearly eleven years after head trauma in the ring ended his career. His father announced the death in a Facebook post.

Lenacapavir is a twice-a-year injection that is remarkably effective at preventing HIV infection, and distribution has begun. But questions are being raised about whether it is reaching the areas that need it most.

University of Pennsylvania research shows antiviral and antibacterial chewing gums reduce levels of three microbes associated with oral cancer, pointing toward cheaper and more effective preventive therapies.

A widely shared account of a vaccine-caused miscarriage circulated among right-wing accounts before the underlying details collapsed under scrutiny. The post had millions of views before corrections appeared. It is a reminder of how fast unverified medical claims travel in a friendly network.

Marco Rubio mocked the health secretary's all-meat-and-sauerkraut regimen as "a crazy diet," and described his own keto attempt as a "near psychotic event." The clip spread quickly among people who have watched the administration's food fights with amusement. Kennedy's allies shrugged it off.

A model trained on veterinary echocardiograms measures cardiac changes more consistently than manual reading, letting clinicians catch deterioration earlier in dogs. Vets say the value is in tracking the same animal over time. The tool is being tested in general practices.

Researchers found genetic changes in blood samples that preceded a cancer diagnosis by years, well ahead of what current screening detects. The signal is faint and would need enormous validation before clinical use. It points toward a much earlier intervention window.

Instead of gifts, a couple asked their wedding guests to fund a fledgling health venture, raising about $6,000. That seed money became an organization that has now won a $3 million global prize for its work. The founders say the first check was the hardest one to get.

House Democrats sent the Department of Veterans Affairs a list of questions about wait times and staffing shortages in mental health services. They cite internal data showing veterans waiting weeks for a first appointment. The department says hiring is underway.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio said she will undergo physical rehabilitation after being injured in what Toledo first responders described as a hit-and-run crash. The 21-term congresswoman posted a video thanking supporters and first responders, offering the first direct account of her condition since the collision.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez disclosed that she is freezing her eggs, documenting the process publicly and framing it as a rebuke of the Trump administration's approach to women's reproductive choices. In the same round of interviews she said she has not ruled out a run for president or Senate in 2028, drawing praise from unexpected quarters including Katie Miller.

A North Dakota mother faces murder and attempted murder charges after allegedly stabbing her five-month-old and three-year-old to death inside their home. Officials described the scene as horrific and said responding officers were left traumatized by what they found.

Joan Jett underwent orthopedic surgery for fractured vertebrae, forcing the cancellation of her remaining 2026 concerts including a September appearance at the Bourbon & Beyond festival.

A 12-week University of Toronto study found that three daily servings of full-fat dairy can be added to a diet without raising cholesterol or causing weight gain, adding evidence to a long-running nutrition argument.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office is doing everything in its power to seek the truth in the state's investigation of Dr. Anthony Fauci, questioning why a pardon would be necessary for someone who did nothing wrong. The probe runs alongside renewed scrutiny of Fauci's newly published pandemic-era diaries.

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya cut off CBS anchor Margaret Brennan during a Sunday interview, refusing to let the conversation move past what he says was his censorship by the previous administration during the pandemic.

Analysis of occupational mortality data shows taxi drivers and other navigation-heavy professions die of Alzheimer's disease at unusually low rates. Researchers suspect the constant spatial reasoning the job demands may be doing something protective to the brain.

Abortion numbers are up in the United States, and a growing online backlash against hormonal birth control may be part of the explanation. Researchers are trying to untangle how much of the shift is driven by social media skepticism about the pill.