A new genetic test may help determine which people with breast cancer can safely skip radiation after breast-conserving surgery to remove their tumor. Individuals with invasive breast cancer who had low scores on an investigational gene panel were just as likely to experience a recurrence if they received radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery or not,…  read on >  read on >

Stiff-person syndrome: Superstar singer Celine Dion announced Thursday that she is living with this rare neurological condition and has canceled and postponed tour dates to deal with her health issues. “Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the stiff-person syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people,” Dion, 54,…  read on >  read on >

Owners whose cats have diabetes now have a new option to care for the condition in their otherwise healthy pets. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first pill to improve control of diabetes in some cats. The drug, called Bexacat (bexagliflozin tablets), is not insulin and is not meant for cats…  read on >  read on >

Former elite football players may age faster than their more average peers, a new study suggests. NFL players, especially former linemen, had fewer disease-free years and earlier high blood pressure and diabetes diagnoses. Two age-related diseases, arthritis and dementia, were also more commonly found in former football players than in other men of the same…  read on >  read on >

Is your pooch a herder or a hunter? You can try taking them to a trainer, but new research shows much of their behavior is hardwired in their DNA. For the new study, researchers analyzed DNA samples from more than 200 dog breeds and surveyed 46,000 pet-owners to try to suss out why certain breeds…  read on >  read on >

Folks who follow a handful of healthy habits can dramatically reduce their risk of developing an inflammatory bowel disease, a new study reports. Adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can prevent up to 60% of cases of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, according to research published Dec. 6 in the journal Gut. “To our surprise,…  read on >  read on >

Liver disease can affect heart health and that includes even early forms of the disease, a new study reveals. While it had previously been known that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was associated with cardiovascular death, the relationship was poorly understood, said researcher Dr. Alan Kwan. He is a cardiologist and cardiac imaging researcher in Cedars-Sinai…  read on >  read on >