Outdated Medicare Rule Keeps Seniors In Hospital Longer Than Necessary

TUESDAY, Feb. 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) — An outdated Medicare policy is keeping seniors in hospitals longer than necessary, wasting their time, hospital resources and federal health funding, a new study says.

Established in 1965, the “three-day rule” was intended to justify the expense of sending a patient to a skilled n...

Food Allergies Aren't Entirely Driven By Genetics, Review Finds

TUESDAY, Feb. 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Genes aren’t the only factor at play in determining which children will develop a food allergy, a new evidence review says.

Antibiotic use, the presence of other immune system diseases, and delayed introduction of allergenic foods all also can play a role in the start of childhood food ...

Most Women Wary Of At-Home Cervical Cancer Tests, Researchers Find

TUESDAY, Feb. 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) — At-home cervical cancer screening is meant to be a revolution in preventive care, by providing an easy option for women who’d rather not be poked and prodded at a doctor’s office.

But most women aren’t buying it, at least for now, a new study says.

About 3 out of 5 wom...

NFL Launches Contest To Redesign Football Helmet Facemasks To Cut Concussion Risk

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The National Football League is asking inventors, engineers and researchers to help make football helmets safer, starting with the facemask.

At a Super Bowl innovation event last week, the league announced a new HealthTECH Challenge focused on redesigning helmet facemasks to better protect play...

Hims Pulls Cheaper Wegovy Pill After Federal Scrutiny

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Hims & Hers says it will stop selling a low-cost copy of a new weight-loss pill made by Novo Nordisk, after federal officials raised concerns that the product may violate drug laws.

The online health company announced the move Saturday, just two days after introducing the pill.

The de...

New TrumpRx Site Aims To Cut Drug Costs for Popular Prescription Drugs

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The Trump administration has rolled out a new website called TrumpRx, aimed at offering consumers lower prices on certain prescription drugs. 

The site, launched last week, lists discounted medications from more than a dozen drug companies.

But it’s unclear how much it will low...

California Warns Against Foraging as Toxic Mushrooms Kill Four

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — California health officials are urging people to stay away from wild mushrooms entirely after a sharp rise in poisonings tied to the deadly death cap mushroom.

Since Nov. 18, more than three dozen people have been poisoned after eating death caps, according to the California Department of Publi...

AI-Powered Stethoscope Doubles Detection Of Heart Problems

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — An artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled stethoscope more than doubles a doctor’s ability to detect heart murmurs, a symptom of severe heart disease, a new study says.

Doctors armed with the AI-powered stethoscope accurately identified heart valve disease 92% of the time, versus 46% when u...

Young People At Risk From Psychiatric Drug Combos, Study Says

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — About 1 in 4 young people could be at risk from prescription medicines they’re taking for psychiatric conditions, new research shows.

About 26% of children and young adults taking these meds have been prescribed a combination that could cause serious drug interactions, researchers reporte...

Experimental Pill Slashes 'Bad' Cholesterol Levels

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A daily experimental pill can slash levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, a new clinical trial has found.

Enlicitide cut people’s LDL cholesterol levels by up to 60%, according to results published Feb. 4 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

“These reduction...

Therapy Dogs Ease Loneliness Among People Hospitalized For Mental Illness

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Regular visits by a therapy dog can aid the healing of people hospitalized for treatment of mental disorders, a new study says.

Therapy dogs eased the loneliness and isolation of patients in a hospital for psychiatric care, helping their treatment, researchers recently reported in the journal <...

Statin Drugs Are Safer Than Warnings Suggest, Evidence Shows

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Packaging for cholesterol-lowering statin drugs come with a disturbingly long list of potential side effects.

But don’t be scared — statins cause hardly any of the side effects listed in these warnings, a new evidence review says.

Taking a statin didn’t cause any meaning...

Water-Damaged Homes, Heavy Air Pollution Increase Asthma Risk In Kids

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Children are more likely to develop asthma if they are raised in damp homes or neighborhoods with heavy air pollution, a new study says.

On the other hand, having a dog in the home reduces a child’s risk of asthma, researchers found.

“Our research shows that to truly understan...

What to Know About Nipah Virus After New Cases in India

SUNDAY, Feb. 8, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Reports of new Nipah virus cases in India have raised worries about yet another deadly outbreak. 

Nipah is a rare virus that can cause severe brain swelling and breathing problems, and there are no approved vaccines or treatments.

Health officials say the latest cases appear to be co...

Watching the Super Bowl? Doctors Warn About Hidden Health Risks for Fans

SATURDAY, Feb. 7, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Planning to watch the Super Bowl this weekend as the Seattle Seahawks face off against the New England Patriots? 

Doctors say the big game can also bring big health risks, from heart strain to food poisoning and alcohol-related emergencies, especially for folks with underlying medical co...

Air Ambulances Linked to Higher Survival After Severe Injuries

People with life-threatening injuries may have a better chance of surviving if care arrives by helicopter, a new U.K. study suggests.

Researchers looked at nearly a decade of data from an air ambulance service in southeast England and found that trauma patients treated by helicopter crews survived at higher rates than expected.

The f...

FDA Makes It Easier for Foods to Say 'No Artificial Colors'

FRIDAY, Feb. 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will now allow food labels to claim products have “no artificial colors” as long as they avoid petroleum-based dyes.

Before this change, announced Wednesday, food companies could usually make that claim only if a product had no added color...

American Medical Association Says Gender Surgeries for Minors Should Wait

FRIDAY, Feb. 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Another major medical group says most gender-related surgeries for minors in the U.S. should be postponed until adulthood.

The American Medical Association (AMA) said Wednesday that surgical interventions for children and teens seeking gender-related care should usually be deferred until patien...