TV, Movies Offer Flawed Depictions Of Autism, Add To Delayed Diagnosis, Study Says

Stereotypes of autistic men in films and TV could be contributing to delayed autism diagnosis of women and non-binary people, a new study argues.

Characters like Sheldon Cooper in "The Big Bang Theory" and Raymond Babbitt in "Rain Man" are designed to be immediately identifiable to people without autism, researchers said.

But these p...

Super Shoes Might Increase Risk Of Running Injuries, Study Says

So-called “super shoes” have invaded the jogging paths of America, giving runners an extra spring in their step and trimming times posted at races and events.

But this advanced footwear technology (AFT) might have a darker side, a new study says.

The shoes cause subtle changes in running mechanics that have been linked to...

Exposure Therapy Can Successfully Ease Peanut Allergies

Exposure therapy can successfully protect preschool children from peanut allergies, a new study says.

Children ages 1 to 3 fed small amounts of peanut daily slowly became accustomed to them, researchers reported May 6 in The Lancet Regional Health Europe.

“All children who followed the protocol achieved the goal of eat...

New Study Suggests The Brain Can Continue Learning While In An Unconscious State

A new study is challenging what we know about the unconscious brain.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found the brain may continue processing language — even under general anesthesia.

"Our findings show that the brain is far more active and capable during unconsciousness than previously thought," said co-author Dr. Sam...

Every 1,000 Steps After Surgery Cuts Complication Risk, Study Finds

People recovering from surgery have an easy way to boost their odds of a successful recuperation — take a stroll.

Every extra 1,000 steps a patient takes daily after surgery lowers their odds of complications, researchers reported May 6 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

This link between extra steps a...

Class of Migraine Drug Has Added Benefit: Reduced Glaucoma Risk

A class of drugs taken to prevent migraines might help people avoid glaucoma as well, a new study says.

People taking CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) inhibitors had a 25% lower risk of developing glaucoma, compared to those taking other migraine meds, researchers report in the journal Neurology in a study published recently...

Head Impacts May Disrupt Gut Health Even Without Concussion

Hard hits taken by football players jar more than just their brains, a new study says.

Head impacts appear to disrupt players’ gut microbiome, the colony of bacteria and organisms in the GI tract that help regulate inflammation, digestion and many other body processes, researchers reported May 6 in the journal PLOS One.

Bullying and Politics Fuel Suicide Risk for LGBTQ+ Teens and Young Adults, Survey Finds

More than a third of LGBTQ+ young people have seriously considered suicide in the past year, driven by bullying from both peers and politicians, a new survey has found.

About 36% of LGBTQ+ teens and young adults seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including 40% of transgender and nonbinary young people, according to t...

FDA Authorizes Fruit-Flavored Vapes for Adults

For the first time ever, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the sale of fruit-flavored e-cigarettes ("vapes") for adults 21 and over.

The move comes amid news of President Donald Trump reportedly pressing FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary to approve flavored vapes. Trump had previously vowed to "save" vaping, according ...

Edibles + Alcohol Combo Poses Driving Risks Missed by Sobriety Tests

A new study is raising questions about what roadside sobriety tests actually detect -- and what they might miss.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, with support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, studied how marijuana edibles and alcohol affect driving performance.

"We designed this study because people are increasingly c...

VR Training Helps Autistic People Navigate Police Encounters

People with autism find interactions with police officers to be difficult, if not harrowing.

They struggle to read social cues and can behave restlessly, increasing the risk that a police encounter might escalate, researchers say.

But an innovative virtual reality (VR) education program might help teens and adults with autism better ...

Weight Loss Surgeries Fall More Than 20% As Patients Turn To GLP-1 Meds, Experts Say

The number of weight-loss surgery procedures in the United States is dropping rapidly in the face of cutting-edge drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound, a new study says.

These procedures dropped by more than 20% between 2022 and 2024, falling below 200,000 for the first time this decade, researchers reported Tuesday at a meeting of the American...

Children Living Near Gas Stations Have Higher Cancer Risk, Study Finds

Children who live near a gas station are more likely to develop leukemia or other childhood cancers, a new study says.

Living within 250 meters (820 feet) of a gas station raises childhood cancer risk, and the risk increases the closer a child’s home is to the pump, researchers report in the journal Environmental Pollution.<...

First Psych Ward Stay Signals Long-Term Mental Health Struggles For Nearly All Patients

A first-time psychiatric admission usually marks the beginning of a long-term struggle with mental illness, a new study says.

About 95% of patients return to mental health services in one way or another within two decades of their first admission to a psych ward, researchers found.

These patients either needed to be readmitted to the...

HHS' Healthy Food Agenda Puts Hospitals On Notice About Patients' Meals

Complaints about hospital food are certainly not new, and Jell-O and fruit juice are often the butt of related jokes. But the Trump administration has recently upped the ante.

It is urging the public to report hospitals and nursing homes that serve sugary drinks, nutrition shakes or meals that it says don’t meet dietary guidelines es...

Supreme Court Issues Stay, Keeping Abortion Pill Mifepristone Available by Mail For Now

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Jr. issued an order Monday that allows patients to continue accessing abortion pill, mifepristone, by mail, for now.

The one-sentence order pauses a Friday ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans that required an in-person pickup for mifepristone, according to T...