Health

Watch the latest in AP’s health and medicine coverage

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1:39
Duo whose work led to COVID vaccines react to Nobel win

Two scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for discoveries that enabled the creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 and whose technology could be used in the future to develop shots against other diseases. (Oct. 2)

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0:45
MRNA discoveries win Nobel Prize

MRNA discoveries win Nobel Prize

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6:16
Putting pig organs to a key test in donated bodies

Surgeons at NYU transplanted a pig’s kidney into a brain-dead man and for over a month it’s worked normally. It’s a critical step toward eventually trying in living patients. (Aug. 16) (AP video/Shelby Lum)

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4:19
Inside a family’s choice to test a pig kidney in the dead that might one day help the living

A sister’s decision to donate her brother’s body to science is helping doctors in the quest to one day ease the nation’s transplant shortage with organs from animals. (Aug. 18) (AP video/Shelby Lum)

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3:42
Historic pig kidney transplant experiment ends

For a history-making two months, a pig’s kidney worked normally inside a brain-dead man. And while the dramatic experiment ended this week, it’s raising hope for testing pig kidneys in living patients. (Sept. 14) (AP Video/Shelby Lum)

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2:31
US approves meat grown from animal cells

For the first time, U.S. regulators Wednesday approved selling meat grown from animal cells, not from slaughtered animals. (June 21) (AP Video: Terry Chea; Production: Shelby Lum)

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2:12
Paleoartist brings back faces from the ancient past

John Gurche helps people understand what ancient humans looked like by creating lifelike models based on archaeological finds. The work requires a mix of artistic skill and scientific knowledge. (Sept. 24) (AP Video: Michael Hill)

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1:51
Maryland surgeons for the second time have transplanted a pig’s heart into a dying man

Surgeons have transplanted a pig’s heart into a dying man in a bid to prolong his life. He’s only the second patient to undergo such an experimental feat. Maryland doctors said Friday that the man was cracking jokes and able to sit in a chair two days after the transplant. (Sept. 22)

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1:13
Japan approves its first Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi developed jointly with U.S.

Japan’s health ministry has approved Leqembi, a drug for Alzheimer’s disease that was jointly developed by Japanese and U.S. pharmaceutical companies. It’s the first drug for treatment of the disease in a country with a rapidly aging population.

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1:49
A patient battling long COVID learns how his heart handles a simple walk

Firefighter and paramedic Mike Camilleri once had no trouble hauling heavy gear up ladders. Now battling long COVID, he gingerly steps onto a treadmill to learn how his heart handles a simple walk.

More news
Fall vaccination season is in full swing, with health officials urging both an updated COVID-19 shot and flu vaccine for most everyone.
Federal health advisers have voted overwhelmingly against recommending approval of an experimental treatment for Lou Gehrig’s disease, the fatal muscle-wasting disease.
The Biden administration is moving to make it easier for caregivers to take in family members in the foster care system, requiring states to provide them with the same financial support that any other foster home would receive.
Police in Canada say they will not pursue a criminal investigation into a recent case in which a doctor sterilized an Inuit woman without her consent.
The Food and Drug Administration meets this week to consider a much-debated treatment for Lou Gehrig’s disease.
More research is showing that we carry genes from other kinds of ancient humans, and their DNA affects our lives today.
The science of human evolution has made big leaps in recent years, and it’s painting a new picture of our origins.
Nearly a day after being downgraded from a tropical storm, Ophelia is still threatening much of the Northeast with coastal flooding, life-threatening waves and heavy rain from Washington to New York City.
U.S. health officials are recommending RSV vaccinations for moms-to-be as a second option to protect newborns.
Surgeons have transplanted a pig’s heart into a dying man in a bid to prolong his life. He’s only the second patient to undergo such an experimental feat.
Pfizer and Moderna say they have sent out millions of doses of the new COVID-19 vaccines in the past week. But availability depends on where you live.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve a nasal spray to treat severe allergic reactions, calling for more research on what would have been the first alternative to injections using devices such as an EpiPen.
Fewer than half of rural hospitals have labor and delivery units and the number keeps dropping. It’s forcing pregnant women to travel longer distances for care or face giving birth in an emergency room.
Supply problems and insurance complications have made it difficult for many patients to start and stay on new prescription medications used to treat obesity.
A study has found that the psychedelic drug MDMA, combined with talk therapy, can reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
For a history-making two months, a pig’s kidney worked normally inside a brain-dead man. And while the dramatic experiment ended this week, it’s raising hope for eventually testing pig kidneys in living patients.
Johnson & Johnson is signing off on a new logo, more than 130 years after creating the old one. The health care giant said Thursday that it will replace the well-known signature script with a modern look that reflects its sharpened focus on pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Americans can now get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday endorsed the new shots for everyone 6 months and older.
Government advisers say the leading decongestant used by millions of Americans to treat nasal congestion doesn’t actually work.
U.S. regulators have approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, shots aimed at revving up protection this fall and winter.
Recent food recalls have been spurred by foreign objects like rocks, insects and plastic. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says this type of contamination is one of the top reasons for food recalls.
Updated COVID-19 shots are coming soon, part of a trio of fall vaccines that doctors hope will help avoid another “tripledemic.”
Bruce Springsteen says he needs to postpone concerts this month because of peptic ulcer disease. That’s a condition marked by open sores that develop on the inside lining of the stomach.
Health officials are investigating an outbreak of E. coli food poisoning tied to the University of Arkansas.
President Joe Biden is touting his administration’s efforts to lower medical costs. Officials on Tuesday announced the first 10 drugs that would be targeted for Medicare price negotiations.
A new study says Alexa, Siri and other voice assistants could do a better job giving instructions on CPR to help bystanders respond in emergencies.
A recent study showed that tests for sick newborns that look at their full genetic blueprints are nearly twice as good at finding genetic problems as narrower, more commonly used tests.
Three studies show smoke from Canadian wildfires led to a spike in people with asthma visiting emergency rooms in the United States.
Gun violence prevention research has experienced a small boom in the wake of mounting shooting deaths, expanded funding and burgeoning advocacy.
A new study finds the number of gender-affirming surgeries in the United States nearly tripled from 2016 to 2019.