Health

The Department of Veterans Affairs has linked the recent deaths of at least 19 vets diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and 2011 to appointment backlogs and delays at VA hospitals and clinics and resulting hindrances in care, according to an internal document. Specifically, those 19 deceased veterans are reportedly part …

An herbal supplement billed as a “feel-good tonic” is sparking concerns about potentially dangerous health effects. Some users claim that Feel Free, a plant-based product made by Botanic Tonics in Oklahoma, is highly addictive. The tonic, which is also available in capsule form, is sold at many gas stations and …

A woman in California gave birth to a baby boy weighing 15 pounds, 2 ounces – making him one of the biggest babies to be born in the U.S. in 2014. According to the Victorville Daily Press, 28-year-old Vanessa Cervantez gave birth to Andrew Jacob via cesarean section at Desert …

Nearly one in five high school students who said they used electronic cigarettes to vaporize nicotine also used them to vaporize pot, according to a survey of nearly 4,000 Connecticut teens. The study, published on Monday in the journal Pediatrics, is the first evidence that teens are using electronic cigarettes …

Four American families are desperate to save their children from a devastating genetic disease. The cure exists — but it’s up to them to raise $1.15 million to fund a clinical trial. Each of these families has a child with spastic paraplegia 50 (SPG50), a rare neurological disorder that affects …

Sophia Forchas, who was shot in the head during the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, is making a steady recovery. On behalf of the Forchas family, Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis released a statement on Monday with an update on the 12-year-old’s progress. “Sophia is …

Experts agree that exercise is vital to longevity and helps to preserve muscle mass, bone density and joint health as we age. But it’s important to approach workouts in the right way to ensure safe, optimal results. The general guideline is for healthy adults to get 150 minutes of moderate …

Levels of iron in the brain could be a warning sign of future Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests. High levels of the chemical element have been shown to increase brain toxins and trigger neurodegeneration, resulting in cognitive decline — especially when they interact with theabnormal amyloid and tau proteins …

A common vitamin could help prevent the development of skin cancer, new research suggests. The study, published in JAMA Dermatology, found a decreased risk of three types of skin cancer associated with the use of nicotinamide, which is a form of vitamin B3. The research examined the health data of …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new treatment for advanced breast cancer. Drugmaker Eli Lilly announced Sept. 25 the approval of Inluriyo, an oral estrogen receptor antagonist, to treat adults with specific types of the disease. Those types include estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor receptor …