Health

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Prior to James Van Der Beek's death at age 48, the actor revealed the first warning sign of his colon cancer — and it’s one that did not seem alarming at the time.The "Dawson’s Creek" actor's wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, confirmed his passing in a social media post on Wednesday.Following the announcement of his colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2024, Van Der Beek told Healthline in August that "there wasn’t any red flag or something glaring."COLORECTAL CANCER NOW DEADLIEST TYPE FOR CERTAIN GROUP OF AMERICANS, STUDY FINDS"I was healthy. I was doing the cold plunge," he said. "I was in amazing cardiovascular shape, and I had stage 3 cancer, and I had no idea."The one symptom that he did experience was a change in bowel movements, which ...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused to consider Moderna’s application for a new flu vaccine using mRNA technology, the company announced Tuesday, a decision that could delay the introduction of a shot designed to offer stronger protection for older adults.Moderna said it received what’s known as a "refusal-to-file" (RTF) letter from the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), citing the lack of an "adequate and well-controlled" study with a comparator arm that "does not reflect the best-available standard of care."Stéphane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, said the FDA's decision did not "identify any safety or efficacy concerns with our product" and "does not further our shared goal of enhancing...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Family dinners may play a role in reducing teenage alcohol, drug and vaping use.A new study published in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma suggests that regularly sharing meals as a family may help discourage substance use among many adolescents, news agency SWNS reported.The study found that higher-quality family meals were linked to lower rates of alcohol, cannabis and e-cigarette use for most teenagers.HIGH TAKEOUT PRICES MAKE FEEDING FAMILY OF 9 IMPOSSIBLE AS MOM SHOCKS KIDS WITH AFFORDABLE MEALSFor those with more severe adverse childhood experiences, shared meals alone appeared to offer little protection. Spending time together at family dinners may help protect teens from substance and vaping use. (iStock)To reach t...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! South Carolina health officials are warning of "irreversible" neurological damage in children as measles-related hospitalizations climb in the state.Of the 876 confirmed cases in the state’s upstate outbreak, at least 19 patients have been admitted with serious complications."Some of these complications include measles encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, in children, and pneumonia," state epidemiologist Linda Bell said in a Feb. 4 briefing.MEASLES EXPOSURE RISK IDENTIFIED AT MAJOR AIRPORT AND THEME PARK, HEALTH OFFICIALS WARNBell emphasized that the complication is particularly dangerous for young patients."Any time you have inflammation of the brain ... there can be long-term consequences, things like developmental delays and impac...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Nearly half of cancers could be avoided by cutting out three major risk factors, a new study has revealed.Research published this week in Nature Medicine identified that nearly 40% of global cancer cases are linked to tobacco (15% of new cases), infections (10%) and alcohol consumption (3%).Overall, 7.1 million cancer diagnoses in 2022 were linked to 30 modifiable risk factors, according to the study.DOES CANCER REDUCE ALZHEIMER'S RISK? NEW STUDY EXPLORES THE CONNECTION"The key here is that almost half of all cancers could be prevented by behavioral changes," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News Digital senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.Conducted by the World Health Organization and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), t...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A newborn baby in New Mexico died from a Listeria infection likely tied to the mother drinking raw milk while pregnant, according to state health officials.The New Mexico Department of Health issued a warning Tuesday urging people to avoid consuming raw dairy products following the newborn’s death. Health officials believe the "most likely" source of infection was the mother drinking unpasteurized milk during pregnancy.While investigators said they could not determine the exact cause, they said the "tragic death underscores the serious risks raw dairy poses to pregnant women, young children, elderly New Mexicans and anyone with a weakened immune system."Raw milk has seen a surge in popularity amid the Make America Healthy Again movement led...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The U.S. is in the thick of flu season, with many states reporting "moderate to very high activity" of influenza-like illness, according to the CDC.With influenza A (H3N2), or subclade K, making up a large portion of the circulating viruses, doctors emphasize the importance of getting the most recent flu vaccinations, staying at home while sick and washing hands frequently, among other prevention tactics.If you’ve been exposed to or infected with influenza, here’s what to know about how long the virus is transmissible.CAN THE FLU SHOT ACTUALLY GIVE YOU INFLUENZA? DOCTORS SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT"You are typically contagious with the flu for five to seven days after symptoms start," Dr. Samantha Picking, the Massachusetts-based senior directo...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Adults who consider themselves "night owls" tend to score lower in cardiovascular health assessments and face a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.That’s according to a new study published today in the  Journal of the American Heart Association, which examined how a person’s chronotype — their natural tendency to be active in the morning or evening — is linked to overall heart health.The researchers looked at 14 years of UK Biobank data for around 300,000 adults averaging 57 years old, according to a press release for the study.EASY NUTRITION TWEAK COULD TRANSFORM YOUR SLEEP — STARTING THIS EVENINGAround 8% of the participants described themselves as "definitely evening people," which means they stayed up very late. Another 24% said they...

US issues new guidance on alcohol consumption Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier joins 'Fox & Friends Weekend' to weigh in on new dietary guidance surrounding alcohol consumption as the overall drinking rate hits a new low. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The new federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest simply limiting alcohol intake for better health.The shifted guidance challenges previous standards that listed moderate drinking limits — one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.A standard drink is about 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor, according to experts.HIGHER STROKE RISK LINKED TO CONSUMING CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL, STUDY FINDSHeavy drinking is defined as four or more drinks per day for women...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! America’s heart health is improving in one key way, but a newly defined syndrome is raising alarms.The findings come from the American Heart Association (AHA), which reported improvements in life expectancy and fewer heart attacks and strokes compared to 2023.New to this year’s report is a focus on cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, a framework that examines interconnected risks tied to heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity.HEART STUDY FLAGS DANGEROUS RHYTHM RISK FOR ENDURANCE ATHLETES OVER 50The AHA estimates that nearly 90% of U.S. adults have at least one component of CKM syndrome. A study found U.S. heart health is improving, but overlapping heart, kidney and metabolic risks remain widespread. (iStock)While f...