From AI to Wearables: WHO Outlines Global Plan for Digital Health Tools

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Make way for digital health. Smart watches and health apps aren’t just for fitness enthusiasts and people with access to advanced care — the World Health Organization (WHO) is looking to these and other digital tech devices to enhance health and wellness across the globe.

As the wor...

U.S. Stillbirth Rate Falls 2%, but Nearly 20,000 Losses Still Reported

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. stillbirth rate dropped slightly last year, offering some hope after several years of uncertainty, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The report, released Dec. 3, found a 2% decline in stillbirths in 2024. Even with that improvement, n...

Self-Swab HPV Tests Now Supported for Cervical Cancer Screening

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Routine cervical cancer screening is getting a new option: Self-swab HPV tests, according to updated guidance released Dec. 4 by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Experts say offering a test that women can collect themselves — sans speculum exam — could make screening less stressfu...

San Francisco Sues Food Giants Over “Addictive” Processed Foods

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — San Francisco is taking some of the country’s biggest food companies to court, claiming they knowingly sold ultraprocessed foods that harm health and are designed to keep people eating more.

The lawsuit, announced Tuesday, argues that products like sugary drinks, packaged snacks and proce...

Germophobes Can Breathe Easy On Airplanes, In Hospitals, Experts Say

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Germophobes can breathe a little easier when visiting a hospital or taking an airplane trip, a new study says.

The ambient air on planes and in hospitals mostly contains harmless microbes typically associated with human skin, researchers reported Dec. 4 in the journal Microbiome.<...

Weed Extract Might Lower Dog Aggression

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A marijuana extract appears to help soothe the nerves of aggressive dogs, a new study says.

Canines given cannabidiol (CBD) supplements long-term wind up less aggressive than other dogs, researchers reported recently in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

“This long-term ...

Fewer Opioids Needed After "Needle" Knee Surgery

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) —  Knee surgery patients use fewer opioids and recover more quickly following an innovative “needle” surgical technique, a new study says.

Patients who underwent knee surgery using minimally invasive “needle arthroscopy” needed half the opioids to manage pain the day ...

Air Pollution Contributing To Clogged Arteries, Study Suggests

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Air pollution could be contributing to clogged arteries, a new study says.

People exposed long-term to common air pollutants have an increased risk of advanced heart disease caused by hardened arteries, researchers reported Thursday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North Ame...

Substantial Progress Made Against Childhood Cancers, Report Says

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Leanna Munir was a 6-year-old bundle of energy two years ago, until one day her vim and vigor vanished without warning.

“I couldn’t force her to come in the house after school or sit down,” recalled her mom, Adrian Horn. “Then, she just started slowing down a lot and it ...

Grandma Likely Has A Naughty Secret, Survey Says

FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Mom or grandma likely has a naughty secret stashed in their dresser or nightstand, a new study says.

Many women 60 or older have a sex toy they use for self-pleasure, at least occassionally, according to a new study published recently in the journal Menopause.

And nearly half use...

Shredded Cheese Recalled Over Possible Metal Fragments, FDA Says

THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A large recall of shredded cheese sold under several popular grocery store brands is now underway after the manufacturer reported the product may contain small metal fragments, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The recall involves more than 250,000 cases of shredded ch...

CDC Panel May Change Longtime Rule on Hepatitis B Shots for Newborns

THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A CDC advisory group is meeting today and preparing to vote on whether newborns should still get a hepatitis B vaccine within the first 24 hours of life, a significant change from guidance that has been in place since the early 1990s.

For decades, doctors have been advised to give every baby ...

Millions of Abbott Glucose Sensors Recalled After Faulty Readings Linked to Deaths

THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Millions of people rely on continuous glucose monitors to help manage diabetes. But a new alert from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that some sensors from Abbott may give incorrect blood sugar readings, which could lead to unsafe treatment decisions.

The issue affects about...

Fourth FDA Drug Chief This Year Steps Down, Raising Stability Concerns

THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is facing even more leadership changes as drug regulator Dr. Richard Pazdur prepares to retire at the end of the month, the agency confirmed this week.

Pazdur, who has worked at the FDA for 26 years, told senior leaders on Tuesday that he plans to s...

Who Are The Loneliest Americans?

THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Middle-aged Americans are most likely to feel the pinch of loneliness in their lives these days, a new AARP survey has found.

About 1 out of 4 U.S. adults 45 and older (40%) say they’re lonely, up from 35% in 2018 and 2010, survey results show.

Middle-aged folks 45 to 59 are most ...

People With Diabetes Face Dramatically Higher Odds Of Sudden Cardiac Death

THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) —  Diabetes can be literally heart-stopping, a new study asserts.

People with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes have a dramatically higher risk of sudden cardiac death, which occurs when the heart stops beating, researchers reported today in the European Heart Journal.

They a...

Poor Kidney Health Might Influence Dementia, Alzheimer's Risk

THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Your brain health might be linked to how well your kidneys are working, a new study says.

People with impaired kidney function have higher levels of proteins in their blood that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease, researchers reported Dec. 4 in the journal Neurology.

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Background AI Scribe Can Help Doctors During Patient Visits

THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Artificial intelligence (AI) tools that "eavesdrop" on patient visits can significantly cut down on doctors’ paperwork burden, a new study says.

Doctors using a AI scribe software to help document office visits cut their paperwork time by nearly 10%, researchers reported in the New ...