Premature Menopause Increases Heart Disease Risk

THURSDAY, March 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Premature menopause can increase a woman’s long-term risk of heart disease from clogged arteries by 40%, a new study says.

This risk is particularly important among Black women, as they are three times more likely to experience menopause prior to age 40, researchers reported March 18 ...

Drug Smoking Linked To Surge In Severe Burn Cases

THURSDAY, March 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Illicit drug users are fueling a surge of severe burn cases at hospitals, as more choose to smoke their dope rather than inject it, a new study says.

More than half of Medicaid patients treated for burns in Oregon hospitals and emergency rooms were using smokable drugs like fentanyl and met...

U.S. Teen Obesity Hits Record Highs While Efforts to Slim Down Drop

THURSDAY, March 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Late-night study sessions and the constant hum of social media make high school a stressful time, and a new study suggests that stress is contributing to a growing weight and health crisis.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) analyzed a decade’s worth of data from more ...

Thymus Gland Health May Be Key to Long Life and Fighting Cancer

THURSDAY, March 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For decades, medical students were taught that the thymus — a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the upper chest — was essentially inactive once a person hit puberty. 

But new research suggests this overlooked organ may actually be a master switch for how well people age and ...

Study Finds Little Proof Cannabis Helps Most Mental Health Conditions

WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Cannabis-based medications are often used to treat mental health problems, but a new review suggests they may not work as well as many people hope.

Researchers looked at decades of studies and found little evidence that cannabis helps with most mental health or substance-use disorders.

Meningitis Outbreak Tied to Students Leaves 2 Dead and 11 Sick in England

WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Health officials in southern England are investigating a meningitis outbreak that has led to the deaths of two young people and sickened at least 11 others.

Many of the cases were linked to students in the city of Canterbury, about 60 miles southeast of London, the UK Health Security Agenc...

Women More Likely To Survive Cancer Than Men — At A Cost

WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Women are more likely to survive cancer than men, but they’re also more likely to develop severe side effects to treatment, a new evidence review says.

Female cancer patients have a 21% lower risk of death than men across 12 different types of advanced cancers, researchers recently r...

Belly Fat Linked To Heart Failure Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Want to figure out your heart health risk?

Look at your belly fat, not your body mass index, a new study says.

Excess fat stored around the waist is more strongly associated with heart failure risk than BMI, an estimate of body fat based on height and weight, researchers will report ...

Ultra-Processed Foods Linked To Heart Attack, Stroke, Cardiac Arrest

WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Munching down loads of ultra-processed foods can increase your risk of suffering or dying from a heart attack, stroke or heart disease, a new study says.

Each additional daily serving of ultra-processed foods increases a person’s risk of a major cardiac event by 5%, researchers repor...

The Sunshine Vitamin and COVID: New Study Finds Mixed Results for Recovery

WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Since the pandemic’s early days, many people have looked to vitamin D as a possible shield against the worst effects of COVID-19. 

Studies have yielded mixed results, with no clear benefit to vitamin D supplementation when it comes to COVID.

But a new major clinical trial ...

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Diagnosed With Early Breast Cancer

WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles says she will keep working as she undergoes treatment for early-stage breast cancer.

The diagnosis was shared publicly Monday, with President Donald Trump saying Wiles has an "excellent" prognosis and will remain "virtually full time at the White Hous...

Too Much Smartphone Use Linked to Disordered Eating in Teens

WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For many teenagers, a smartphone is essentially an extra limb. 

But new research suggests that spending too much time peering into that digital world might be altering how young people view their bodies and their relationship with food.

A comprehensive review from King’s C...

Shingles Vaccine Protects Heart Failure Patients From Heart Attack, Stroke

WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Getting the shingles vaccine can be an insurance policy for better health among people who develop heart disease, a new study says.

Heart disease patients who got a shingles jab have nearly half the rate of heart attacks, strokes and other serious heart emergencies than those who weren&rsq...

E. Coli Outbreak Tied To Raw Cheddar Cheese Sickens 7 People

WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Federal health officials are investigating an ongoing E. coli outbreak linked to raw cheddar cheese, with several cases involving young kids.

As of March 14, seven infections have been confirmed across three states: Five in California, one in Florida and one in Texas, according to...

Norovirus Sickens Close to 200 People on Caribbean Cruise

TUESDAY, March 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A Caribbean vacation took an unpleasant turn for dozens of cruise passengers after a stomach virus spread across their ship.

Nearly 200 people aboard a Princess cruise vessel became sick with norovirus during a recent trip, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CD...

Federal Judge Pauses Kennedy’s Changes to Childhood Vaccine Schedule

TUESDAY, March 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A federal judge has stopped a major effort to change the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule.

The ruling, issued Monday in Massachusetts, blocks U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to revise vaccine recommendations for children. 

The decision stems from ...

Listening to Music for 24 Minutes May Ease Anxiety, Study Finds

TUESDAY, March 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A short music session may help ease anxiety and researchers say there’s a "sweet spot" for how long to listen.

A clinical trial found that listening to specially designed music for 24 minutes can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms. The music was paired with auditory beat stimulation...