If you’re one of the millions of people with a common heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation (a-fib), losing weight before treatment may increase the odds that your a-fib doesn’t come back. In a new study, patients with a-fib who were overweight or obese when they underwent ablation to correct their abnormal heart rhythm were…  read on >  read on >

The United States and Canada are investigating a multistate outbreak of norovirus illnesses linked to raw oysters from Canada. Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell these potentially contaminated raw oysters, which were harvested in the south and central parts of Baynes Sound, British Columbia, Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. The…  read on >  read on >

People who choose to skip sleep to study, work or play late into the night may find they’ve extended not just their waking hours but also their tummies. A small new study found that the basic problem sources back to the fact that people who don’t get enough sleep tend to eat more. Even worse,…  read on >  read on >

In a close vote, an advisory panel for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided not to recommend the approval of an experimental drug for the deadly neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The panel’s decision had been closely watched, with patient advocacy groups lobbying hard for fast-track approval. However, on Wednesday the panel ruled…  read on >  read on >

Avocado toast has become the favored breakfast of the healthy and fit, and now new research suggests their choice may protect their hearts. People who ate half an avocado twice a week had a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21% lower risk of heart disease, compared with people who never or rarely…  read on >  read on >

It takes a lot of will to successfully lose weight, but a new research review suggests that “motivational” conversations with a health provider may make little difference. The review looked at studies that tested the effects of motivational interviewing, where a health care provider asks questions to encourage patients to talk about what they’d like…  read on >  read on >

Despite months of intense lobbying by patient advocates, federal health officials on Monday posted a largely negative review of an experimental drug for the devastating illness known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In an analysis of Amylyx Pharmaceuticals’ drug, known for now only as AMX3005, regulators from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the…  read on >  read on >