Laura Kelly

Fares Fayyad’s ‘Last Men in Aleppo’ Syria documentary up for Academy Award

The tragedy of civilians trapped among the fighting in Syria's nearly 7-year-old civil war is recorded in stark detail by film director Fares Fayyad, a Syrian native and opposition activist who spent three years on the ground in Aleppo closely following and intimately involved with his subjects.

February 27, 2018

Pediatric obesity sharply increases over two-year period: study

Obesity rates among two to five-year-old children increased significantly between 2015 and 2016, according to a study monitoring obesity trends in the U.S. over a 17-year-period.

February 26, 2018

N.Y. Health Department fears measles outbreak from Australian traveler

Patient Zero in a potential measles outbreak in New York is an Australian tourist who visited the city on a Bible study tour, according to a public announcement by the state's Department of Health warning visitors to hotels and tourist sites in Manhattan, Orange and Putnam counties of possible contamination.

February 26, 2018

Heart disease: Women less likely to be diagnosed early

Women and their health care providers are less likely to identify a heart attack based on their symptoms compared with men, according to research published in a journal associated with the American Heart Association.

February 19, 2018

Women who clean at home and work have more risk for lung decline: Study

Women who regularly use cleaning sprays or products will likely have a decrease in lung function similar to that of a cigarette smoker with a pack-a-day habit for up to 20 years, according to a wide-ranging Norwegian study that followed more than 6,000 adults for over two decades.

February 19, 2018

Biological test for autism shows promise: Study

Preliminary results from a biological test on children with autism spectrum disorder found differing chemical levels in their blood and urine than those without the syndrome, although doctors say the results need to be replicated among a larger sample size.

February 19, 2018

Pediatric flu deaths rise to 84

At least 22 more children are known to have died from the flu, according to the latest report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which brings the total number of pediatric deaths from the virus up to 84 this season.

February 16, 2018

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders more widespread in U.S. than thought

More children are suffering from fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) than previously thought, according to a new study shedding light on vast numbers of undiagnosed youth with symptoms ranging from stunted growth, organ and brain damage to cognitive and behavioral issues.

February 14, 2018

Report details harm to Cuba diplomats but offers no cause

Doctors say a "novel mechanism" was used in attacks against American diplomats in Cuba, but they do not know what device could cause symptoms that mimic a concussion but occur without any head trauma, according to a report published Thursday in a scholarly medical journal.

February 14, 2018

Valentine’s Day romance disrupted by technology, social scientists say

Cards and roses have given way to tweets and emoticons on Valentine's Day, as modern behaviors increasingly lead to a more isolated and depressed society, social scientists say.

February 13, 2018

Flu season becomes worst since records first kept

This flu season is the worst since health officials started keeping records on infections in 2004, surpassing all metrics from the previous worst outbreak of 2014/2015 as illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths keep rising across the nation.

February 12, 2018

Blood-pressure drug failed to treat veterans’ PTSD

A popular blood-pressure medication prescribed to patients with post-traumatic stress disorder failed to treat PTSD symptoms in military veterans, a new study reports.

February 8, 2018

Herpes infection rates drop, says study

Federal health officials are reporting a significant decrease in herpes infections over the past 15 years, even as researchers are still stymied in trying to create a vaccine against the lifelong sexually transmitted disease.

February 7, 2018

Researchers use testing strips to detect fentanyl in street drugs to combat overdoses

In a new approach to curb drug overdose deaths from the opioid crisis, researchers are proposing arming users with testing strips that can detect the presence of the potent and deadly opiate fentanyl.

February 6, 2018

62.1% of transgender youth report mental health woes, study says

Transgender and gender nonconforming youth are more likely to report mental health issues and less likely to seek help, according to a new study that evaluates risks for adolescents who don't identify along typical gender norms.

February 5, 2018

Hot tea combined with smoking, alcohol increases cancer risk: study

A new report raises alarm that drinking hot tea increases one's risk for developing esophageal cancer, but with an important caveat: if the beverage is accompanied with heavy alcohol consumption and cigarette use.

February 5, 2018

High cell-phone radiation causes tumors in rats, but humans should be safe: Researchers

Scientists studying the effects of radiation from cell phone frequency emissions say there's evidence that the technology can cause cancerous tumors in the heart, but that the needed levels of radiation are much higher than what people are currently and frequently exposed to.

February 2, 2018

Women wear red for heart health awareness

People around the country are wearing red on Friday and while it's not to an early Valentine's celebration, it is to raise awareness about our hearts, women's heart health to be exact.

February 2, 2018

USDA releases guidelines for proper Super Bowl party food handling

Food safety and health officials are alerting the public to potential hazards that could turn Super Bowl parties on Sunday into hospital visits on Monday.

February 1, 2018

Red Cross confident U.S. still top donor under Donald Trump

A top International Committee of the Red Cross official expressed confidence Thursday that the United States will remain its top donor, saying the organization is working well with the administration despite President Trump's push to dramatically cut the budgets for the State Department and foreign aid.

February 1, 2018