FDA Moves Toward Faster Drug Approvals

• Deanna Neff HealthDay Reporter
• February 20, 2026
• Full Page

FRIDAY, Feb. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — In a major shift that could fundamentally change how new medicine reaches the pharmacy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is relaxing a long-standing drug approval requirement for common diseases.

Drugmakers must o...

Bhattacharya to Do Double Duty at Helms of CDC and NIH

• Deanna Neff HealthDay Reporter
• February 20, 2026
• Full Page

FRIDAY, Feb. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — An outspoken critic of the nation’s top public health agency has been tapped to lead it for the foreseeable future.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya will serve temporarily as acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control...

Study Links Advanced CTE From Head Trauma as Distinct Cause of Dementia

• Deanna Neff HealthDay Reporter
• February 20, 2026
• Full Page

FRIDAY, Feb. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For years, families of athletes and military veterans have watched loved ones slip into memory loss, suspecting the culprit was a lifetime of blows to the head.

Now, a major study from the Boston University CTE Center provid...

'Operation Stork Speed' Prepares to Overhaul Baby Formula Guidelines

• Deanna Neff HealthDay Reporter
• February 20, 2026
• Full Page

FRIDAY, Feb. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — During their first six months of life, many infants get some or all of their calories from formula, but federal rules governing what goes into those bottles haven't been updated in decades.

That may soon change under a feder...

Dental Guidelines Call For More Judicious Use Of X-Rays

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 20, 2026
• Full Page

FRIDAY, Jan. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) —  Everyone who’s had regular dental care knows the heavy lead apron that’s draped across your body before taking X-rays of your teeth.

But what has been an annual ritual of donning the apron and undergoing or...

Parents' 'Gut Feelings' Best Help Doctors Detect And Treat Serious Illness Among Children

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 20, 2026
• Full Page

FRIDAY, Feb. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Doctors would do well to heed any gut feelings parents might have about their child’s health, a new study says.

Nine times out of 10, children were seriously ill if their parents had a clear or strong concern about the...

One In Five U.S. Children Are Obese, Study Says

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 20, 2026
• Full Page

FRIDAY, Feb. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Obesity affects 1 in every 5 U.S. children, a new study says.

About 20% of American children between the ages of 2 and 19 have obesity, researchers report Feb. 10 in JAMA Network Open.

“In 2024, excess y...

Blood Test Estimates When Alzheimer’s Symptoms Will Start

• Deanna Neff HealthDay Reporter
• February 20, 2026
• Full Page

FRIDAY, Feb. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Imagine knowing exactly when your brain might start to fail. 

It sounds like a plot from a futuristic movie, but a new "biological clock" developed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis...

COVID-19 Boosters Tied to Lower Preeclampsia Risk in Pregnant Women

• Deanna Neff HealthDay Reporter
• February 20, 2026
• Full Page

FRIDAY, Feb. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 might offer protection against one of the most dangerous complications of pregnancy.

A large international study published online Feb. 18 in eClinicalMedicine followed more than 6...

Most Transgender People Have Been Victims Of Violence, Study Says

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 20, 2026
• Full Page

FRIDAY, Feb. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Most transgender and gender-diverse people have been victims of physical or sexual violence, a new evidence review says.

Overall, nearly two-thirds (64%) of transgender and gender-diverse people worldwide experienced physica...

Moderna’s mRNA Flu Vaccine Back Under FDA Review

• Deanna Neff HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2026
• Full Page

THURSDAY, Feb. 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — In a sudden reversal, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to review Moderna’s experimental mRNA influenza vaccine. 

The move comes just one week after the agency refused to evaluate the compan...

BJ’s Wholesale Club Issues Salmon Recall Across Seven East Coast States

• Deanna Neff HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2026
• Full Page

THURSDAY, Feb. 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — If you recently bought frozen salmon at BJ’s Wholesale Club, check the packaging before your next meal. 

Wellesley Farms Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon is being pulled from shelves across seven states after federal...

Sweetened Drinks Linked to Higher Anxiety in Teens

• Deanna Neff HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2026
• Full Page

THURSDAY, Feb. 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — While parents have long worried that too much sugar leads to cavities and weight gain, new research suggests that sugar rush might be followed by a worry crash. 

A study from Bournemouth University in the U.K. has ide...

Drug-Resistant Salmonella Linked to Moringa Supplement

• Deanna Neff HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2026
• Full Page

THURSDAY, Feb. 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — It's often touted as the "miracle tree" for its dense nutrient profile, but a popular moringa supplement is at the center of a superbug outbreak.

Federal health officials announced Feb. 13 that a multistate outbreak of hig...

It's Never Too Late For Cancer Patients To Become Active, Study Finds

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2026
• Full Page

THURSDAY, Feb. 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — It’s never too late for cancer survivors to become active, a new study reports.

Cancer survivors who engaged in even small amounts of exercise reduced their risk of cancer-related death, researchers reported Feb. 17 ...

Ultra-Marathon Running Depletes Athletes' Red Blood Cells, Study Finds

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2026
• Full Page

THURSDAY, Feb. 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Ultra-marathon runners must be incredibly fit to endure races that can extend more than 100 miles, but their bodies pay a price for their athleticism, a new study says.

Extreme endurance runners experience a breakdown of t...

Rates Of Hearing Loss, Tinnitus More Than Doubled Among Musicians

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2026
• Full Page

THURSDAY, Feb. 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Musicians suffer hearing loss in pursuit of their passion more than twice as often as average folks, a new evidence review says.

More than 2 in 5 musicians suffer from tinnitus and a quarter are affected by hearing loss, r...

Ancient Chinese Practice Lowers Blood Pressure As Well As Medications, Walking Program, Clinical Trial Shows

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2026
• Full Page

THURSDAY, Feb. 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — An ancient Chinese mind-body practice can lower a person’s blood pressure as well as medication or a program of brisk walking, a new study says.

Baduanjin is a widely practiced eight-movement sequence that combines s...

U.S. Parents Report Gaps in Accessing Mental Health Care for Their Child

• Deanna Neff HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2026
• Full Page

THURSDAY, Feb. 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Despite a growing mental health crisis among America’s youth, the system is still failing a massive number of children, a large study suggests. 

Nearly one-quarter of children who need mental health treatment ar...

Robotic Pets Help Dementia Patients Recover and Return Home

• Deanna Neff HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2026
• Full Page

THURSDAY, Feb. 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For a person living with dementia, a hospital stay can be a terrifying whirlwind of strange faces, loud noises and confusing tests. 

This disorientation often leads to a condition called delirium, which can slow down ...