The holiday spirit is infectious, even for people suffering from dementia.

But family and friends might need to make some slight adjustments to help a dementia patient better enjoy the holidays, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) says.

“Dementia doesn’t prevent someone from feeling the warmth, love and laug... Full Page

An outbreak of salmonella linked to cucumbers has now been tied to 100 known cases of the illness across 23 states, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported Thursday.

That's up from 68 cases reported in the FDA's last tally in early December.

Many of the illnesses are severe.

"Of the 90 people for whom information is ava... Full Page

FRIDAY, Dec. 20, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Holy chip! Frito-Lay has issued a limited recall of select 13-oz bags of Lay’s Classic Potato Chips due to the potential presence of undeclared milk, which could pose a serious health risk to individuals with a milk allergy.

According to a report released by the U.S. Food and Drug Admini... Full Page

Just over 300 people have been sickened in norovirus outbreaks on three different cruise ships in December, new government data shows.

This is the only month this year in which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported three confirmed norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships.

In all, 301 passengers and crew members... Full Page

A baby’s gentle murmurs and coos can melt even the stoniest heart.

But those giggles and babbles are more than just music to a doting parent’s ears.

These vocalizations actually are signs that a baby’s heart is working rhythmically in concert with their developing speech, researchers report in the Proceedings of the... Full Page

Sexism is incredibly toxic to women’s lives, resulting in lower pay, fewer career opportunities, worse health care and a greater risk of violence.

It also can be toxic to their brain health, a new study says.

U.S. women born in the most sexist states experience a faster memory decline in later years than women born in states wi... Full Page

In a pivotal move, the United States Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it will review South Carolina's controversial decision to cut off state funding for Planned Parenthood clinics, which provide critical health services to low-income residents.

A media report published by The Washington Post shows said that this move was ma... Full Page

Seniors with an infection can take antibiotics without fear of harming their brain health.

Antibiotics don’t appear to increase the risk of cognitive decline or dementia in older adults, researchers report in the journal Neurology.

“Given that older adults are more frequently prescribed antibiotics and are also a... Full Page

An existing drug might be able to treat an autoimmune disorder that causes dry eye, dry mouth, fatigue and muscle or joint pain.

Baricitinib (Olumiant), a drug currently used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, appears to effectively curb the symptoms of Sjögren’s disease, according to results from lab mice published in a new study.<... Full Page

Abortion pills are safe and effective, but some pain will be part of the process for most women.

However, many women are surprised by exactly how much pain is involved in a medication abortion, a new study says.

They’re frequently told that the pain is akin to period cramps, but for many that simply isn’t so.

&ldquo... Full Page

Who’s more likely to send money in response to a Nigerian prince’s email, or hand over a password in response to a phishing attempt?

Young people are more likely to report -- and gripe about -- cybercrimes, but a new study shows seniors are at higher risk of serious consequences from online scams and schemes.

Seniors 75 a... Full Page

THURSDAY, Dec. 19, 2024 (HeathDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants to redefine the meaning of healthy food, issuing a new rule Thursday that changes the way food companies can claim their products are indeed nutritious.

What foods will qualify for the new designation?

Under the final rule, pretty much everyth... Full Page

Millions of American adults are struggling with Long COVID, and a fifth have symptoms so debilitating they interfere with daily activities, a new report finds.

"Frequently reported symptoms include fatigue that interferes with daily life, difficulty thinking or concentrating, cough and heart palpitations," explained a team of researchers a... Full Page

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration re-issued a decision first made by the agency in October that a shortage of the diabetes/weight-loss med tirzepatide is over.

Tirzepatide includes blockbuster injected GLP-1meds Mounjaro (for diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss).

The FDA first announced two months ago that any shortage of the... Full Page

It's a perhaps unexpected consequence of climate change that periods of deep cold now occur more frequently during American winters, despite an overall trend to warmer temperatures year round.

That uptick in cold snaps, along with other possible factors, has been linked to a doubling of U.S. deaths from freezing temperatures since 1999, ac... Full Page

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a public health emergency on Wednesday as bird flu continues to spread among the state’s dairy cattle.

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom explained in a news re... Full Page

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a civil complaint against CVS Pharmacy Inc., accusing the nation’s largest pharmacy chain of unlawfully filling prescriptions for highly addictive opioids and violating federal health care laws.

According to a news release published Dec. 18, 2024, the complaint also accuses CVS of seekin... Full Page

Sleep apnea is known to wreak havoc with the body, contributing to heart problems, diabetes and liver disease.

The sleep disorder also appears to have direct effects on brain health, a new study shows.

People with sleep apnea appear to experience accelerated aging of the brain’s white matter, which serves to connect the various... Full Page

Teenagers who land in an ER with a mental health crisis can be effectively helped by a community-based program.

New research shows that troubled teens placed in such a program were significantly less likely to return to the ER or require inpatient psychiatric care due to a follow-up crisis.

The program did not reduce risk of a subseq... Full Page

The sicker a senior becomes, the more likely they’re going to develop kidney problems on top of their other health challenges.

A new study published Dec. 17 in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS), shows that as a person’s number of chronic illnesses increases, a decline in their kidney function becomes bo... Full Page