The rate of colon cancer among Americans spikes sharply between the ages of 49 and 50, a new study finds — supporting the case for earlier screening for the disease. Researchers say the uptick between those two ages does not reflect an actual increase in the occurrence of colon cancer but the fact that screening…  read on >

Allowing pharmacists to provide the opioid overdose drug naloxone without a prescription led to a huge increase in dispensing of the lifesaving drug in Ohio. Ohio state lawmakers gave that permission in 2015. Since then, there’s been a 2,328% increase in naloxone dispensing, according to University of Cincinnati researchers. The study also found that counties…  read on >

The Affordable Care Act might have done more than provide more Americans with health insurance: New research suggests accompanying expansions in Medicaid may be linked to higher numbers of low-income people having jobs or going to school. That’s what happened after Michigan expanded its Medicaid under new rules from the Affordable Care Act. Researchers surveyed…  read on >

Despite spending far more on health care than other wealthy nations, the United States has the lowest life expectancy and the highest suicide rate, new research shows. For the study, researchers at The Commonwealth Fund compared the United States with 10 other high-income nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) — Australia,…  read on >

Your Super Bowl party this Sunday may leave you feeling beat on Monday morning, a new survey finds. A survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that nearly 40% of U.S. adults are more tired than usual the day after the Super Bowl. “It’s easy to stay up too late after enjoying a…  read on >

Don’t get tackled by the flu if you go to a Super Bowl party this weekend. Some simple precautions can protect you and others, said Libby Richards, an associate professor who specializes in public health at Purdue University School of Nursing in West Lafayette, Ind. “If you are sick or a family member or friend…  read on >