Obamacare Enrollment Drops After Premium Subsidies Expire

THURSDAY, Jan. 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Fewer Americans are signing up for Obamacare this year after extra financial help that lowered monthly premiums expired, new counts show.

As of early January, 22.8 million people had enrolled in Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans for coverage starting Jan. 1. That’s down from 24.2 ...

FDA Moves To Remove Suicide Warnings From GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs

THURSDAY, Jan. 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Federal health regulators say popular weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound do not increase the risk of suicidal thoughts, and they have asked drugmakers to remove those warnings from medication labels.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Tuesday that its latest safety revi...

Burn Pits Loaded Veterans' Lungs With Carbon, Study Says

THURSDAY, Jan. 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to open-air burn pits during post-9/11 military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan likely caused lung damage in some U.S. veterans, a new study says.

Veterans with deployment-related lung disease had higher levels of carbon-based particles in their lungs compared to healthy controls,...

Can Teens Use Social Media Too Little For Their Own Good? Maybe, Study Says

THURSDAY, Jan. 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — There appears to be a “Goldilocks zone” when it comes to social media use among teenagers.

Too much social media use can negatively affect a teenager’s well-being, a new study finds, dovetailing with results of previous research.

But too little social media use also c...

Genetics, Virus Play Key Roles In MS, Studies Suggest

THURSDAY, Jan. 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Genetics appear to help determine who develops multiple sclerosis (MS), a pair of new studies says.

A person’s genetics interact with an infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) to cause a severe autoimmune reaction that leads to multiple sclerosis, researchers reported this week in the...

Depression Might Signal Brain Disease Risk Among Seniors

THURSDAY, Jan. 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Depression in old age could be an early sign of serious brain disease, a new study says.

Depression occurs more often and earlier in seniors who go on to develop Parkinson’s disease or Lewy body dementia, researchers recently reported in the journal General Psychiatry.

T...

Elevated Blood Pressure Increases Pregnancy Risks, Study Finds

THURSDAY, Jan. 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Managing an expecting mother’s blood pressure could improve her odds of an overall healthy pregnancy, a new study says.

Just a 10-point increase in a pregnant woman’s systolic blood pressure — the top number in a blood pressure reading — is linked to an increased risk...

This Device Might Help Seniors Avoid Dementia, Study Finds

THURSDAY, Jan. 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Some seniors are loathe to don a hearing aid, worried that the devices will be a hassle or make them look old.

But that hearing aid might help them avoid dementia, a new study says.

People prescribed a hearing aid had a 33% lower risk of dementia, researchers reported Jan. 14 in the jo...

Medical Debt Linked To Rent and Mortgage Problems, Study Says

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — People burdened with medical bills may also be more likely to struggle to keep a roof over their heads, a new study finds.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health report that adults with medical debt were much more likely to face housing problems, including trou...

Judge Orders Trump Administration To Restore $12M to American Academy of Pediatrics

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A judge has ruled that the Trump administration must restore millions in funding to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), saying the cuts may have been intended to punish the group for its public health positions.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell's ruling temporarily restores seven fede...

Scientists Find Key to Making Rare But Healthier Sugar

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Sweet without the regret has long been the goal of sugar substitutes, and they rarely live up to the promise. 

But researchers now say they’ve found a rare sugar that comes closer than most, thanks to a new, cheaper way to make it.

A new study from Tufts University outlines...

EPA May Stop Assessing Health Benefits When Setting Air Pollution Rules

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may soon stop putting a dollar value on the health benefits of cleaner air.

The move, experts warn, could lead to weaker protections against some of the most dangerous pollutants.

Internal agency emails and documents reviewed by The N...