A federal judge has stopped the Trump administration from cutting $11 billion in public health funding — at least for now. U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019, said Thursday that she would grant a temporary restraining order. The request came from 23 states and the District of…  read on >  read on >

Common chemicals used in plastic and personal care products may interfere with brain development in babies, a new study says. Phthalates are found in many everyday items, like food packaging, shampoo, toys and vinyl flooring. They help make plastics soft and carry scents in products. But they may also harm unborn babies’ brains when mothers…  read on >  read on >

Antidepressants appear to increase people’s risk of sudden cardiac death, a new study says. People taking the mood meds are more likely to die suddenly from heart problems, and their risk rises the longer they’re on the drugs, according to findings presented Monday in Vienna at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology. “Exposure…  read on >  read on >

Health experts are warning that whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is making a dangerous comeback. Cases are rising across the country, and Louisiana recently reported that two infants have died — the state’s first deaths from the illness since 2018. “For infants, it’s really rather terrifying,” Dr. John Schieffelin, an associate professor of pediatrics…  read on >  read on >

Thinking of splurging on a whole-body MRI or CT scan, based on the latest health fad? Just keep in mind that you’ll be contributing to climate change, a new study says. Unnecessary imaging scans for Medicare recipients alone create up to 129 metric kilotons of carbon dioxide emissions a year – equivalent to powering a…  read on >  read on >

Strokes caused by an artery tear are landing five times as many Americans in the hospital these days, a new study says. Cervical artery dissection involves a small tear in the inner lining of an artery in the neck that supplies blood to the brain. Blood can clot at the site of the tear. If…  read on >  read on >

The shingles vaccine can do more than protect seniors from painful, blistering rashes. It also appears to protect older folks from dementia, researchers say. Seniors who got the shingles vaccine when it became available in the U.K. were 20% less likely to develop dementia than those who did not take the jab, according to research…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) top tobacco regulator, Brian King, has been placed on leave as part of a large wave of cuts across federal health agencies.  King, who led the FDA’s tobacco control efforts, told his staff Tuesday that he was removed with “a heavy heart and profound disappointment.” “If you make…  read on >  read on >

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. The eyes also might help detect seniors at risk for a common syndrome in which they emerge from surgery in a state of delirium, new research suggests. Seniors who have thicker retinas are about 60% more likely to develop post-surgical delirium, researchers reported April 1…  read on >  read on >