Tree Rings May Reveal Hidden Clues About Water History

TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Trees don’t just clean the air, they also keep a quiet record of the past.

New research suggests that tree rings may help scientists uncover missing pieces of environmental history, especially when it comes to water in the midwest. 

By studying how different tree species resp...

Metal Shards Spark Nationwide Recall of Ready-to-Eat Holiday Kielbasa

TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Olympia Provisions has recalled about 1,930 pounds of ready-to-eat holiday sausage.

The recalled meat is wrapped and vacuum-sealed in 16-ounce clear pouches and labeled “OLYMPIA PROVISIONS UNCURED HOLIDAY KIELBASA.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and ...

Any Regular Weed Use Is Bad for Teenagers, Study Finds

TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Teens don’t have to use weed all that often for it to have a negative effect on their lives, according to a new study.

Even using marijuana once or twice a month is linked with worse school performance and more emotional turmoil among teenagers, researchers reported today in the journal...

A Quarter Of American Families Face Financially Overwhelming Medical Expenses

TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — More than 1 in 4 Americans are struggling with financial toxicity, with big medical bills dragging down both their money and their health, a new study says.

Nearly 27% of U.S. residents faced high medical expenses or skipped needed health care because they couldn’t afford it between 201...

Faulty Genes Don't Always Lead To Vision Loss, Blindness

TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Genetics aren’t necessarily destiny for those with mutations thought to always cause inherited blindness, a new study says.

Fewer than 30% of people with these genetic variants wind up blind, even though the faulty genes had been thought to cause blindness in 100% of those with them, ac...

Cancer Diet Essential To Protect Against Foodborne Illness, Trial Finds

TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Doctors always restrict the diet of patients undergoing treatment for blood cancers, to protect them from foodborne illnesses while their immune system is knocked down.

That remains a wise course of action, a new study says.

A diet designed to limit exposure to foodborne pathogens effec...

New AI Tool May Help ICU Patients Get the Nutrition They Need

TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Critically ill patients who need breathing machines often miss getting enough nutrition, especially during the first few days in intensive care.

Now, a new study suggests artificial intelligence (AI) could help doctors spot that problem sooner.

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicin...

U.S. Medical School Enrollment Hits Historic Milestone, Surpassing 100,000 Students

TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — More people than ever are entering medical school, and with the number of applicants increasing, it is harder to get in.

For the first time, enrollment in U.S. medical schools surpassed 100,000.

New data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) shows how a record-breakin...

One Roadblock Keeps Most Cancer Patients From Joining Clinical Trials, Experts Say

TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Cutting-edge cancer drugs are being tested all the time, potentially saving or extending the lives of patients who take part in clinical trials.

So why don’t more cancer patients enroll in these trials for experimental drugs?

It comes down to money, a new study says.

Financi...

U.S. Teen Substance Use at Historic Lows for Fifth Year, Survey Finds

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For the fifth consecutive year, the number of American teenagers using drugs and alcohol remains at a historic low. 

New survey data show that the dramatic decrease in substance use that began during the COVID-19 pandemic has not reversed, signaling a long-term shift in youth behavior.

Trump Administration Seeks to Cut Funding for Transgender Youth Care

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Medical care for transgender kids could soon become much harder to access with Trump administration health officials planning to penalize hospitals and doctors who offer it.

Under proposed new rules from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), hospitals that offer treatments su...

CBD Use Is Common on College Campuses, New Research Shows

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — CBD products are fast becoming a common part of college life, with nearly half of students saying they’ve tried them at least once, according to new research from the University of Georgia.

A survey of more than 4,100 undergraduates revealed that 48% had used CBD, often in social setting...

Holiday Carbon Monoxide Risks Families Should Know

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Holiday gatherings often mean more cooking, heating and travel, but they can also raise the risk of a dangerous threat many people never see or smell: Carbon monoxide.

So far this holiday season, the New Jersey Poison Control Center has helped care for 58 people, including children, who were e...

Doctors' Questionnaires Confusing To Patients, Create Misleading Responses

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Ever felt your eyes glazing over as you fill out the questionnaire you’ve been given by a doctor’s receptionist, trying to make heads or tails of it before your appointment?

You’re not alone, a new study says.

Confusion over symptom questionnaires is common, and likely ...

Misconceptions Over Preventing Peanut Allergy Persist Among Parents, Study Shows

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Feeding babies foods containing peanut as early as possible can help prevent peanut allergy.

But many parents remain confused about this tactic and require more support to get it right, according to results published Dec. 18 in JAMA Network Open.

Mistaken beliefs lead some paren...

Specific Symptoms of Middle-Age Depression Tied To Later Dementia Risk

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Depression in middle age has previously been linked to an increased risk of dementia.

But this relationship appears to be driven by a small cluster of six specific symptoms, rather than by depression overall, according to new research in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Focusing on these ...

Reversing Prediabetes Key To Protecting Heart Health, Experts Say

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — People on the verge of type 2 diabetes can cut their risk of death from heart disease by more than 50% if they bring their blood sugar levels back to normal, a new study says.

Patients with prediabetes reduced their heart risk by up to 58% when they successfully lowered their blood sugar, rese...

Metabolism Might Play A Role In Recurring Miscarriages, Researchers Say

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Women who have recurrent miscarriages might be suffering from a metabolic problem that affects their ability to sustain a pregnancy, a new pilot study says.

Blood tests of women who’d suffered two or more consecutive lost pregnancies showed that their bodies might have differences in the...

Sports Injuries Worse During An Athlete's Period, Study Says

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Sports injuries sustained by female athletes tend to be worse during their period, a new study reports.

Injuries are more severe and take longer to heal during menstruation, researchers recently reported in the journal Frontiers in Sports and Active Living.

For example, female a...

A Lifestyle Rx For Keeping Your Brain Young

SUNDAY, Dec. 21, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Think the good thoughts.

Manage stress. 

Get your Zzzzzs. 

And build a strong social support system.

New research shows that these factors — all of which are within your control — are powerful anti-aging tools. 

"You can learn how to perceive ...