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 approved and widely used in Europe, Australia and part... Full Page

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 region. Of 111 cases recorded there, 105 were in pe... Full Page

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 Neuroscience, delivers low-level electrical stimulation to... Full Page

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 Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

D... Full Page

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 patients, researchers said.

But these vi... Full Page

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 dexterity, researchers said Dec. 9 in the jour... Full Page

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.

“This test could revolutionize HCV c... Full Page

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 serious bleeding episodes for at least a year, acco... Full Page

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 results are highly interesting in oncology, as... Full Page

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 2023. 

That translates to a national ra... Full Page

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 respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. 

The mov... Full Page

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 toward them as well as how your brain stores informati... Full Page

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,” said Andrew Nixon, spokesperson for the U.S.... Full Page

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 them, researchers recently reported in JAMA Ne... Full Page