Health Headlines
COVID vaccines found to cut risk of heart failure, blood clots following virus infection: Study
Morsa Images/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- COVID-19 vaccines were found to cut the risk of heart failure by up to 55% and blood clots by up to 78% following COVID infection, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal.The positive health effects lasted for up to a year and were more pronounced right after getting vaccinated.Researchers looked at over 20 million people in Europe; half of them were vaccinated against the virus, and half were not. Vaccines included in the research were Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.During the period of study, researchers looked at the original strain of the virus and the Delta variant.COVID vaccines reduced the risk of blood clots in the veins by 78% ... Read MoreMedication abortion accounted for 63% of US abortions in 2023, new study finds
fstop123/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Medication abortion accounted for 63% of all the abortions performed in the U.S. in 2023, according to a new study from the Guttmacher Institute.In the first full calendar year following the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in July 2022, approximately 642,700 medication abortions took place within the health care system, according to Guttmacher's Monthly Provision Study. Since the court's decision, 14 states have ceased nearly all abortions.By comparison, medication abortions accounted for 53% of abortions in the U.S. in 2020, according to the study.One of the pills used in the medication abortion regimen, mifepristone, is at the center of a legal challenge before the Supreme Court which could restrict nationwide access to the ... Read MoreWhat to know about President Biden’s executive order on women’s health research
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Joe Biden signed a sweeping executive order Monday promoting women's health research as the country continues to celebrate Women's History Month.The White House described it as the "most comprehensive set of actions" taken by a president to advance women's health research, which will focus on diseases and conditions that disproportionately affect women.Biden has previously hinted to the initiative during his State of the Union address earlier this month, describing women's health as chronically underfunded and calling on Congress to approve $12 billion to support a women's health fund for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).Here are some of the women's health issues Biden said he wants to tackle in his executive order:Research focusing on women's ... Read MoreMIS-C cases in 2023 were mostly among unvaccinated children: CDC
ER Productions Limited/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Cases of MIS-C are still occurring in 2023 and children who are unvaccinated or have waning immunity from previous vaccination are at the highest risk of developing the condition, according to a new federal report published Thursday.MIS-C, or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, is a rare but serious condition in which different body parts can become inflamed -- such as the heart, lungs, brain and kidneys -- and is often seen in children after they are diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.It typically occurs between two to six weeks after infection and many children can be hospitalized with serious complications.To better understand MIS-C, CDC investigators and partners from ... Read MoreChristie Brinkley reveals she ahad surgery to remove skin cancer
Christie Brinkley attends the American Humane Hero Dog Awards at The Breakers on Nov. 10, 2023 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Mireya Acierto/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- Actress and model Christie Brinkley revealed she has been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer, in an Instagram post featuring photos of her recovery from surgery."The good news for me is we caught the basal cell Carcinoma early," said Brinkley, 70, in the post on March 13. "And I had great Doctors that removed the cancer and stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior."Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, and is diagnosed in at least ... Read MoreMan, 25, diagnosed with cancer shares his journey on social media to help others
Courtesy of Jace(NEW YORK) -- What began as symptoms of fatigue for one Florida man became a life-changing cancer diagnosis at age 25.Jace, who asked that his last name not be used to protect his privacy, told ABC News' Good Morning America he attributed the fatigue he experienced in early 2023 to being a workaholic.The 25-year-old is the co-founder of a marketing company and an entrepreneur in the health and wellness industry."I'm very passionate about what I do, and I love what I do," he told GMA. "And for that reason, you know, I tend to push the limits of my energy a little bit."Prior to his cancer diagnosis, Jace said he had no serious health issues and led an ... Read MoreNew Mexico man dies of plague in state’s 1st fatality since 2020: Health officials
Getty Images - STOCK(SANTA FE, N.M.) -- A New Mexico man has died from plague in the state's first human fatality since 2020, according to health officials.The man lived in Lincoln County -- located in the southeastern part of the state -- and was hospitalized from the disease before dying, the New Mexico Department of Health said in a press release last week.No other identifying information about the man was available, including his name, age or race/ethnicity.Plague is treatable with commonly available antibiotics and the odds of full recovery are higher if a patient seeks medical care early, according to the CDC.The NMDOH said staff members are reaching out to residents of the area and will be conducting an environmental ... Read MoreCDC helping Chicago officials respond to city’s 1st measles cases since 2019
Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images(CHICAGO) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reportedly sending a team to Chicago to help health officials respond to the first measles cases detected in the city since 2019.Over the last week, three cases of the highly infectious virus have been confirmed.The Chicago Department of Public Health announced Sunday a second case of measles had been identified at a new arrivals shelter in Pilsen.The two cases are among young children. The first patient recovered and is no longer infectious while the second patient is hospitalized in good condition, according to CDPH.The third, unrelated case occurred in a Chicago resident whose source of infection is unknown but whose contagious period ended March 6, ... Read MoreChristina Applegate says she lives ‘kind of in hell’ battling multiple sclerosis
PHOTO: Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts speaks with actresses Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Christina Applegate. Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts speaks with actresses Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Christina Applegate. Eric Mccandless/ABC(NEW YORK) -- Actresses Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler are opening up for the first time together about the health battle they both share: multiple sclerosis."I live kind of in hell," Applegate, 52, told Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts about her battle with MS. She was diagnosed with the disease in 2021."I'm not out a lot, so this is, like, a little difficult, just for my system," Applegate said. "But, yeah, of course, the support is wonderful, and I'm really grateful."Applegate received a standing ovation in January when she ... Read MoreCOVID-19 timeline: How the deadly virus and the world’s response have evolved over four years
SONGPHOL THESAKIT/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Monday marks four years since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.Since the first cases in Wuhan, China, in 2019, there have been millions of infections and deaths around the world.There have also been major successes including vaccines for nearly all age groups, the development of antiviral drugs to treat those at risk of severe illness and the proliferation of at-home tests.ABC News takes a look back at the some of the most important moments over the last four-plus years:Dec. 31, 2019The World Health Organization office in China is notified about a mysterious pneumonia-like illness that originated in Wuhan and has been spreading.Jan. 7, 2020Chinese public health officials identify a new ... Read MoreMelinda Gates says using artificial intelligence in pregnancy could help save women’s lives
Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, speaks with people in Malawi. -- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation(NEW YORK) -- Each day, almost 800 women around the world die due to preventable pregnancy and childbirth-related causes, according to the World Health Organization.Using artificial intelligence, or AI, to provide maternal health care to women, especially those in rural and low-income areas, could be a "game-changer" in saving the lives of pregnant women, Melinda Gates, chairperson of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, told ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton.Gates highlighted a specific tool, AI-enabled ultrasound, that is revolutionizing pregnant women's access to ultrasounds, or sonograms, a prenatal test that uses sound waves to check a baby's ... Read MoreAlabama bill to protect IVF signed into law by governor
The Good Brigade/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- After two weeks of agonizing limbo for families in the midst of fertility treatment in Alabama, the state legislature on Wednesday night passed the final version of a bill to restore halted access to in-vitro fertilization in the state.Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill quickly after the legislature passed it. Lawmakers passed similar legislation last week, kicking off the process, but the state’s process requires a series of votes.The legislation comes weeks after the Alabama state Supreme Court issued a decision that embryos are children, causing three of the state's largest IVF treatment providers to halt care for fear of wrongful death lawsuits when handling embryos.The ruling led to immense public outcry and ... Read MoreFour children surpass a year of HIV remission after treatment pause: Study
Jasmin Merdan/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Four children born with HIV were able to live virus-free for more than a year after their HIV medication was paused, according to results of a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.The results of the P1115 study were announced on Wednesday at the 2024 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), in Denver, Colorado.The study explored the effects of early intensive antiretroviral therapy on achieving HIV remission in babies who acquired the virus before birth.HIV hides inside the body, meaning their HIV eventually returned. However, the fact that they were able to live for more than one year medication-free and without detectable virus is offering scientists fresh hope that eventually, there may be ... Read MoreWhat to know about Missouri’s law on divorce and pregnancy
LWA/Dann Tardif/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- A longstanding law in Missouri that, in some cases, may prevent a pregnant woman from getting divorced is gaining national attention.Headlines about the law, in place since the 1970s, went viral in recent weeks due to interest in women's reproductive rights after the fall of Roe v. Wade, and because of newly introduced legislation that would make changes to the current law.Here are five questions answered about the law in Missouri and how it impacts women:1. Does the law specifically state that pregnant women cannot get legally divorced?No, the current law states that "whether the wife is pregnant" is one of eight pieces of information that must be presented in the divorce petition, along with ... Read MoreAndrew Cuomo subpoenaed by congressional subcommittee investigating COVID-era handling of nursing homes
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty ImagesThe House subcommittee tasked with investigating the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday subpoenaed former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in relation to his administration's handling of nursing homes during the pandemic, according to documents first obtained by ABC News.Specifically, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is seeking to question Cuomo about one of his administration's most controversial COVID-era directives: instructing nursing homes to admit recovering COVID-positive patients from hospitals, a move that has faced criticism that it led to increased deaths in nursing homes.The subpoena and letter from the Republican-led subcommittee is the latest development for the former New York governor, who has faced intense scrutiny into his administration's handling ... Read MoreTop of page