Millions of Americans have sought help for gambling addiction in the wake of a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed states to legalize sports betting. That’s among the key findings in a new study published Feb. 17 in JAMA Internal Medicine.  “Sportsbooks have expanded from a single state to 38 states, with hundreds of billions…  read on >  read on >

Nearly 50 million Americans live in counties with no local gastroenterologist. Gastroenterologists diagnose and treat disorders affecting the GI tract — from gallstones and gastric reflux to colon cancer. A team led by Dr. Xiaohan Ying of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City analyzed federal data to determine where gastroenterologists work.  Ying’s team recently…  read on >  read on >

Flu season is in full swing, making it more important than ever to take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. Dr. Priya Soni, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s Health Center in Los Angeles, shares what to expect this season and how to stay healthy. What type of flu activity…  read on >  read on >

In the first 18 months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, most states with abortion bans saw a rise in infant deaths, new research reveals. Two studies, published Feb. 13 in JAMA, show that states that enforced complete or near-total abortion bans after six weeks of pregnancy saw a 6% overall rise…  read on >  read on >

There appears to be limited evidence supporting the use of epidural steroid injections for certain types of chronic lower back pain, new guidance from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) finds.  Epidural steroid injections are treatments in which a steroid or corticosteroid medication is injected into the spine.  In a systematic review published Feb. 12…  read on >  read on >

FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) – When it comes to testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), many young adults prefer the privacy and convenience of at-home testing, a new survey suggests. Fully 91% of survey participants aged 14-24 said they would use free STI self-collection kits, the survey showed. STI home kits involve collecting a urine…  read on >  read on >

Most people who are working after age 50 say staying on the job boosts their health and well-being, and those over 65 report the most benefit, a new University of Michigan poll finds. The poll of 3,486 U.S. adults aged 50-94 found that 67% of those who continue to work report that their jobs have…  read on >  read on >

Zoo workers and volunteers often grieve when animals die, and zoo managers can do a better job of supporting them, a new study finds. “Zoo professionals and volunteers frequently face significant emotional strain due to animal losses, yet structured organizational support for processing grief remains limited,” lead author Nichole Nageotte, adjunct instructor at Unity Environmental…  read on >  read on >

Depression hits the whole body, speeding the onset of long-term physical ills as people age, new research contends. “People who’ve experienced depression are more likely to develop long-term physical health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes,” noted a team led by Kelly Fleetwood, a statistician at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.  Their study…  read on >  read on >