One Of The Largest Epidural Studies Ever Delivers Reassuring News For Parents

• HealthDay Staff HealthDay Reporter
• July 16, 2026
• Full Page

Does having an epidural during labor increase the risk of harm to your baby?

One of the largest studies to investigate the question says the answer is no.

A team led by Dr. Rachel Kearns of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary in the U.K., reviewed data from nearly 500,000 ...

Brain 'Microstimulation' Works Long-Term To Restore Sense Of Touch After Spinal Cord Injury

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• July 16, 2026
• Full Page

A special brain-computer interface can restore a sense of touch to the hands of people who lose that vital sense after a spinal cord injury, researchers report.

For up to a decade, the breakthrough microstimulation technology has allowed five recipients to feel touch sen...

Could A Vaccine Prevent Pancreatic Cancer In Those At High Risk?

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• July 16, 2026
• Full Page

THURSDAY, July 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Pancreatic cancer can be a silent killer, especially for people who inherit mutant genes that greatly raise their risk for the disease.

However, there's new hope of preventing the cancer among these high-risk people: ...

'Night Owls' At Risk Of Wider Waistlines, Unhealthy Hearts

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• July 16, 2026
• Full Page

Higher levels of cholesterol and body fat are more likely in folks who stay up late, new research finds.

The study of 287 women in New Zealand found that "early birds" and "night owls" ate about the same amount of food each day, but it was the timing of their eating that...

Wildfire Smoke Puts Millions At Risk Across Midwest, Northeast

• Ellyn Vohnoutka HealthDay Reporter
• July 15, 2026
• Full Page

Millions of people across the Midwest and Northeast are breathing dangerous air this week as heavy smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota spreads across the region.

Minnesota officials issued an air quality alert running Tuesday through Friday for areas including t...

Blood Test May Predict Alzheimer's Risk Up To 10 Years Before Symptoms Begin

• HealthDay Staff HealthDay Reporter
• July 15, 2026
• Full Page

A simple blood test may accurately predict a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's symptoms up to a decade before they begin.

The test looks for an Alzheimer's biomarker called p-tau217.

"This is a critical step toward better understanding what p-tau217 can tell ...

AI Can Create 'Ghosts' Of Lost Loved Ones, But Would You Want To Meet Them?

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• July 15, 2026
• Full Page

Artificial intelligence simulations of the dead are already a reality. 

Services like HereAfterAI, Project December and Séance AI are converting the deceased's photos, text messages and other data into digital "ghosts" for loved ones to commune with.

Impulsivity In Third Grade Could Point To Future Struggles

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• July 15, 2026
• Full Page

Third-graders who often act out during a school day may be at higher risk of falling behind academically in high school and beyond, a new study finds.

Impulsive, sometimes disruptive youngsters may be setting a pattern for poor performance in school for decades to come, ...

Are Microplastics Linked To Higher Heart Attack Risk?

• July 15, 2026
• Full Page

Compared to healthier patients, people who suffer heart attacks tend to have higher concentrations of microplastics in their blood, a small new study has found.

In other studies, the tiny plastic particles — ubiquitous in modern environments — have been detec...

THC/CBD Combo Might Ease Agitation In Late-Stage Dementia

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• July 15, 2026
• Full Page

Agitation is a common and tough-to-control symptom of late-stage dementia. But a new trial suggests that a combination of two active ingredients in marijuana may help ease patients' agitation.

The specially formulated medication contains purified tetrahydrocannabinol (TH...

Lettuce Suspected In Growing Multistate Cyclospora Outbreak

• Ellyn Vohnoutka HealthDay Reporter
• July 14, 2026
• Full Page

Michigan health officials have identified lettuce and other salad greens as the leading suspected source of a growing multistate outbreak of Cyclospora, a parasite that causes watery diarrhea.

The illness it causes, known as cyclosporiasis, has now been reported...

Why Are Family Doctors Leaving The Workforce? Retirement, Burnout Creating A U.S. Primary Care 'Brain Drain'

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 14, 2026
• Full Page

A bad back led Dr. Dale Block to retire from family medicine in 2019, after nearly four decades treating patients.

“I was one of those rare three-sport athletes” in high school and college, said Block, 67, who lives in Columbus, Ohio. “I played football...

Unruly Patients Are Stressing ER Staff, Undermining Care

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• July 14, 2026
• Full Page

Nevermind "The Pitt": Real-life drama in America's emergency rooms is wearing down doctors and perhaps impairing the care they can provide, a new study shows.

A lot of their anxieties are coming from angry, impatient and irritable patients and their loved ones, researche...

Pain Patients Should Taper Opioids At Their Own Pace, Study Suggests

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• July 14, 2026
• Full Page

About 5 million Americans are thought to be using an opioid painkiller to ease their chronic pain. 

A new study suggests that the safest route to reducing use of the powerful drugs is best left up to the patient.

“For patients, I think the data are reass...

Heatwaves Raise Hospital Admissions For Mental Health Woes

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• July 14, 2026
• Full Page

TUESDAY, July 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Heatwaves are increasing in severity and duration for Americans, and research suggests they leave a rise in mental health crises in their wake.

A new international study tracked more than 2.6 million warm-season hospit...

U.S. Gun Suicides Hit Record High, Even As Firearm Deaths Decline Overall

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• July 14, 2026
• Full Page

The latest federal data finds U.S. gun deaths dipping slightly overall, even as rates of firearm-related suicides reached a record high. 

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data for 2024 found that guns were involved in the deaths of 44,447 people...

What Is An Aortic Dissection? The Condition That Killed Sen. Lindsey Graham

• Ellyn Vohnoutka HealthDay Reporter
• July 13, 2026
• Full Page

The sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham this weekend has drawn attention to a fast-moving and often fatal emergency: aortic dissection, a tear in the body's largest artery.

Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, died Saturday night at age 71. He had appeared healthy, ...

Weight-Loss Drugs Help, But Exercise Is Still The Key To A Healthier Heart

• HealthDay Staff HealthDay Reporter
• July 13, 2026
• Full Page

Weight-loss meds are transforming obesity treatment.

But when it comes to heart health, exercise may still be the game changer.

"The study shows that while medication supports weight maintenance, it is exercise — with or without medication — that improv...

Adderall Misuse Falls Sharply Among Young Adults, Study Finds

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 13, 2026
• Full Page

Half as many young adults are misusing Adderall, Ritalin and other ADHD medications these days to help them remain alert at study or work, a new evidence review says.

Misuse of ADHD stimulant meds among adults under 30 fell from 7.5% in 2016 to 3.7% in 2023, researchers ...

Smartphones Can Increase Seniors' Risk Of Depression

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 13, 2026
• Full Page

Smartphones can contribute to depression among seniors, depending on how they’re using the devices, a new study says.

Older folks who compulsively use their phones to scroll news, watch videos or play games alone are more likely to withdraw from others, increasing ...