Wildfire Smoke Puts Millions At Risk Across Midwest, Northeast

Millions of people across the Midwest and Northeast are breathing dangerous air this week as heavy smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota spreads across the region.

Minnesota officials issued an air quality alert running Tuesday through Friday for areas including the Twin Cities metro area, Alexandria and Two Harbors, according to th...

Blood Test May Predict Alzheimer's Risk Up To 10 Years Before Symptoms Begin

A simple blood test may accurately predict a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's symptoms up to a decade before they begin.

The test looks for an Alzheimer's biomarker called p-tau217.

"This is a critical step toward better understanding what p-tau217 can tell us about a person’s risk for cognitive impairment," said lead au...

AI Can Create 'Ghosts' Of Lost Loved Ones, But Would You Want To Meet Them?

Artificial intelligence simulations of the dead are already a reality. 

Services like HereAfterAI, Project December and Séance AI are converting the deceased's photos, text messages and other data into digital "ghosts" for loved ones to commune with.

Is the technology a helpful aid to assuage the grief of those left ...

Impulsivity In Third Grade Could Point To Future Struggles

Third-graders who often act out during a school day may be at higher risk of falling behind academically in high school and beyond, a new study finds.

Impulsive, sometimes disruptive youngsters may be setting a pattern for poor performance in school for decades to come, conclude a team led by Andrew Koepp. He's assistant professor of appli...

Are Microplastics Linked To Higher Heart Attack Risk?

Compared to healthier patients, people who suffer heart attacks tend to have higher concentrations of microplastics in their blood, a small new study has found.

In other studies, the tiny plastic particles — ubiquitous in modern environments — have been detected in organs and tissues throughout the body, researchers said in bac...

THC/CBD Combo Might Ease Agitation In Late-Stage Dementia

Agitation is a common and tough-to-control symptom of late-stage dementia. But a new trial suggests that a combination of two active ingredients in marijuana may help ease patients' agitation.

The specially formulated medication contains purified tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), given by mouth in an oil that's rapidly dige...

Lettuce Suspected In Growing Multistate Cyclospora Outbreak

Michigan health officials have identified lettuce and other salad greens as the leading suspected source of a growing multistate outbreak of Cyclospora, a parasite that causes watery diarrhea.

The illness it causes, known as cyclosporiasis, has now been reported in more than 30 states. Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite...

Why Are Family Doctors Leaving The Workforce? Retirement, Burnout Creating A U.S. Primary Care 'Brain Drain'

A bad back led Dr. Dale Block to retire from family medicine in 2019, after nearly four decades treating patients.

“I was one of those rare three-sport athletes” in high school and college, said Block, 67, who lives in Columbus, Ohio. “I played football in the fall, I played basketball in the winter, and I either played b...

Unruly Patients Are Stressing ER Staff, Undermining Care

Nevermind "The Pitt": Real-life drama in America's emergency rooms is wearing down doctors and perhaps impairing the care they can provide, a new study shows.

A lot of their anxieties are coming from angry, impatient and irritable patients and their loved ones, researchers say.

“Medicine is inherently uncertain and emotional, e...

Pain Patients Should Taper Opioids At Their Own Pace, Study Suggests

About 5 million Americans are thought to be using an opioid painkiller to ease their chronic pain. 

A new study suggests that the safest route to reducing use of the powerful drugs is best left up to the patient.

“For patients, I think the data are reassuring that if opioids are tapered the right way, meaning a patient-cen...