New Sunscreen Ingredient Could Soon Be Allowed in the U.S.

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Americans may soon have access to a new sunscreen ingredient already used around the world.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Dec. 11 that it is reviewing a proposal to allow bemotrizinol in sunscreens sold in the United States. 

The ingredient is already approve...

Many Older Americans Don’t See Themselves as Disabled, Survey Finds

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Americans may be getting older and need help doing things that were once routine, but a new survey finds only a fraction of seniors see themselves as having a disability.

"It’s a familiar story," Megan Morris, director of the Disability Equity Collaborative at New York University, told <...

South Carolina Places 254 in Quarantine as Measles Cases Surge

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — South Carolina health officials say a measles outbreak is growing amid holiday travel and low vaccination rates, and they warn the spread could continue for weeks.

As of Dec. 10, the state’s Department of Public Health has confirmed 114 cases, nearly all in the state’s upstate regi...

FDA Clears Home Brain-Stimulation Device to Help Treat Depression

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — An at-home device that sends a gentle electrical current to the brain to help treat depression has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Experts say the move could expand access to care for many folks.

The prescription headset, made by Sweden-based Flow Neuroscienc...

Smokers Who Vape More Likely To Quit Or Cut Back, Study Argues

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Smokers who use cigarettes and vape devices interchangeably might not be doing themselves as much of a disservice as once feared, a new study says.

These "dual users" are more likely to eventually quit smoking than people who smoke without vaping, researchers reported Dec. 10 in the journal

Virtual Nursing Doesn't Deliver, Hospital Nurses Say

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Virtual nurses aren’t an effective way to help hospitals deal with a lack of staffing, a new study says.

Hospitals struggling to attract and retain nurses are trying out virtual nursing programs, in which nurses in remote locations rely on video and messaging technologies to keep tabs on...

Improved Bionic Hand Has A Mind Of Its Own, Researchers Say

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The best way to improve amputees’ control over a bionic hand is to give the hand a mind of its own, a new study argues.

A bionic hand that’s controlled by an artificial intelligence (AI) program, but under the direction of the amputee, provides the best approximation of normal hand...

New 15-Minute Test For Hepatitis C Paves Way For Same-Day Treatment

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — People could learn within 15 minutes whether they are infected with hepatitis C, thanks to a rapid test developed by Northwestern University.

The test will allow doctors to diagnose infections during an office visit and kickstart patients’ treatment before they leave, researchers said.

Experimental Drug Provides Lasting Relief For Bleeding Condition

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — More than half of people with a rare life-threatening bleeding condition received lasting relief from an experimental antibody treatment, clinical trial results show.

Ianalumab, a monoclonal antibody, helped patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) maintain safe platelet counts without seri...

Less Is More For Melanoma-Fighting Immunotherapy, Study Argues

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Less might be more when it comes to immunotherapy treatment of melanoma, a new study says.

Lower doses of a drug used to treat melanoma can provide better results while reducing side effects, researchers reported Dec. 8 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

“The...

Suicide Deaths Fell Slightly in 2024, CDC Reports

THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. suicide rate dipped slightly in 2024, offering a small but hopeful improvement after years of increases, according to new provisional data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A little over 48,800 people died by suicide last year, about 500 fewer than in 2...

FDA Reviewing RSV Drugs for Infants, Though No Safety Issues Found

THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Federal regulators have begun a safety review of two RSV medicines used to protect infants, even though no safety problems have been reported.

The review covers Beyfortus (from Sanofi and AstraZeneca) and Enflonsia (from Merck), both monoclonal antibodies that help shield babies from respira...

Research Shows Imagining Positive Encounters Shapes Real-Life Feelings

THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Thinking about a positive moment with someone, even if it never happened, may actually make you like them more, new research shows.

A study published Dec. 10 in Nature Communications found that simply imagining a good interaction with a person can change your feelings towar...

FDA Looks Into Reports of Deaths After COVID Vaccination

THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Federal officials say the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing reports of possible deaths in adults and children following COVID-19 vaccination.

“FDA is doing a thorough investigation, across multiple age groups, of deaths potentially related to coronavirus vaccines,&rd...

Medical Imaging Contributing To Water Pollution, Experts Say

THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Contrast chemicals injected into people for medical imaging scans are likely contributing to water pollution, a new study says.

Medicare patients alone received 13.5 billion milliliters of contrast media between 2011 and 2024, and those chemicals wound up in waterways after people excreted t...

Financial Toxicity Common Among Families Of Childhood Leukemia Patients

THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Childhood leukemia can land a family in dire financial straights, a new study says.

Nearly a third of families develop serious financial difficulties while their child receives chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer, researchers reported Sunday ...

Leukemia Strikes Black Patients Earlier, With Higher Risk Of Death, Study Says

THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Leukemia poses a considerably higher risk to Black patients compared to white patients, a new study says.

Black patients are diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at a younger age and are more likely to die from the blood cancer, according to findings presented Saturday at a meeting of the A...

Social Media Draining Kids' Ability To Concentrate, Study Argues

THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Social media could be draining children of their ability to concentrate, a new study says.

Children who spend a lot of time on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter or Messenger gradually become less able to focus and pay attention, researchers reported Dec. 8 in the journal Ped...