An over-the-counter heartburn remedy is showing some potential as a symptom reliever for COVID-19, a small study finds.

Famotidine, sold under the brand name Pepcid, appeared to improve symptoms in a group of 10 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, researchers reported online June 4 in the journal Gut.

The patients' self-... Full Page

More than 1 in 5 adults getting dialysis for kidney failure are sorry they started it, a new study finds.

Patients who began treatment to make their doctors or family members happy are least pleased with the decision, researchers reported.

On the other hand, patients who said they'd discussed life expectancy with their docto... Full Page

A wristband that zaps a key nerve may help quell the uncontrollable tics of Tourette syndrome, according to British researchers.

"We think we've come up with a safe and effective piece of technology that we believe is relatively cheap that will give control over tics to people with Tourette syndrome," said lead researcher Stephen Jack... Full Page

Most Americans have winced watching one of those nurse-administered COVID-19 nasal swab tests, where the swab reaches painfully farther up the nose than anyone would want.

Well, the days of "nasopharyngeal" swab tests, administered only by health care workers, may be drawing to a close: A new study finds a much more comfortable swab te... Full Page

Black children appear to be particularly vulnerable to the rare but severe inflammatory syndrome striking kids with COVID-19, a new French study suggests.

The syndrome may be a delayed immune response to the virus that happens several weeks after infection, the researchers said.

Many patients suffer abdominal pain, vomiting a... Full Page

Current federal law requiring restaurants to post calories on their menus would help diners make healthier choices and could ultimately lead to fewer cases of heart disease and diabetes, according to new research.

Between 2018 and 2023, the public's response to the nutritional labels at restaurants could prevent 14,698 cases of cardiovas... Full Page

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's become clear that many people with the infection lose their sense of smell and taste. And doctors are concerned that some will never get back to normal.

At this point, it's hard to know how common the symptom is. First, there were anecdotal reports of COVID-19 patients who had lost their a... Full Page

You've watched police brutality protests unfold across America and you want to take part, but you fear that choice could raise your risk of coronavirus infection. Is there a way to express your outrage without endangering your health?

Yes, say doctors who offer tips on safely joining large protests on the streets of cities across the c... Full Page

As the U.S. coronavirus case count eclipsed 1.8 million and the death toll passed 107,000 on Thursday, America's jobless rolls swelled to nearly 43 million. That's close to one-quarter of the country's work force.

The U.S. Labor Department reported 1.9 million more people filed new unemployment claims last week, a sobering reminder of ... Full Page

Face masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19, but some people find them awkward, uncomfortable or downright unbearable to wear.

There's another good option available for people who just can't get used to strapping on a face mask while out in public, experts say.

Plastic face shields offer another means of deterring COVID-19... Full Page

For many, work-at-home orders aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic have had an unintended side effect: sleep loss.

"We've seen a significant increase in reports of stress-related insomnia in recent months," said Julio Fernandez-Mendoza of the Penn State Health Sleep Research and Treatment Center in Hummelstown, Penn.

Stre... Full Page

There's been a nearly 60% drop in broken bones among U.S. children during the coronavirus pandemic, but the rate of fractures that occur at home has climbed, a new study finds.

The researchers analyzed data on 1,735 youngsters treated for acute fractures at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) between March 15 and April 1... Full Page

In the thick of the coronavirus pandemic, it might be hard to tell if you've come down with COVID-19, spring allergies or a cold, which all have some similar symptoms.

Fever and dry cough are common symptoms of COVID-19, along with shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, sore throat, diarrhea, fatigue, chills, muscle pain, loss o... Full Page

Whether pot use increases the risk of stroke has been hotly debated, and now a new study adds to evidence that it doesn't.

"Our observational study looked specifically at recent cannabis use by reviewing drug testing data for people admitted to the hospital. While more research is needed with larger numbers of people, our study lends s... Full Page

Handgun owners are at substantially heightened risk of suicide in the years after buying their first gun, a large new study finds.

The study of more than 26 million California residents found that first-time handgun owners were nearly four times more likely to die by suicide in the coming years versus non-owners.

Their risk o... Full Page

Hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug touted and reportedly used by President Donald Trump as a preventative for COVID-19, appears not to have lived up to its hype, a new study shows.

Unlike some prior studies, this new trial was a "gold standard" prospective, randomized clinical trial. It found that hydroxychloroquine could not prevent... Full Page

Visits to U.S. emergency departments are down by 42% compared to the same time last year, and that's not good news, researchers report.

Fears of contracting the new coronavirus while visiting the ER are keeping people away, experts say.

But hesitating to seek help can be a fatal mistake.

So, "wider access is ne... Full Page

Screening for breast and ovarian cancer genes might be added to the list of medical tests that can be safely and effectively done from home, new research suggests.

The study looked at screening for BRCA1, BRCA2 and other gene mutations linked to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have ... Full Page

If a child is infected with the new coronavirus, being obese appears to greatly raise the odds for developing a severe form of COVID-19, a new study finds.

The report was based on 50 cases of pediatric COVID-19 severe enough to require admission to a New York City hospital.

Eleven (22%) of the 50 kids were obese, and six ... Full Page

The blood plasma of people who have recovered from the new coronavirus infection may help critically ill COVID-19 patients recover, a new study finds.

Of 25 sick patients given plasma transfusions, 19 improved and 11 left the hospital, the researchers reported. None of the patients had side effects from the transfusion.

"Whil... Full Page