New Sunscreen Ingredient Could Soon Be Allowed in the U.S.

Americans may soon have access to a new sunscreen ingredient already used around the world.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Dec. 11 that it is reviewing a proposal to allow bemotrizinol in sunscreens sold in the United States. 

The ingredient is already approved and widely used in Europe, Australia and part...

South Carolina Places 254 in Quarantine as Measles Cases Surge

South Carolina health officials say a measles outbreak is growing amid holiday travel and low vaccination rates, and they warn the spread could continue for weeks.

As of Dec. 10, the state’s Department of Public Health has confirmed 114 cases, nearly all in the state’s upstate region. Of 111 cases recorded there, 105 were in pe...

FDA Clears Home Brain-Stimulation Device to Help Treat Depression

An at-home device that sends a gentle electrical current to the brain to help treat depression has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Experts say the move could expand access to care for many folks.

The prescription headset, made by Sweden-based Flow Neuroscience, delivers low-level electrical stimulation to...

Smokers Who Vape More Likely To Quit Or Cut Back, Study Argues

Smokers who use cigarettes and vape devices interchangeably might not be doing themselves as much of a disservice as once feared, a new study says.

These "dual users" are more likely to eventually quit smoking than people who smoke without vaping, researchers reported Dec. 10 in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

D...

Virtual Nursing Doesn't Deliver, Hospital Nurses Say

Virtual nurses aren’t an effective way to help hospitals deal with a lack of staffing, a new study says.

Hospitals struggling to attract and retain nurses are trying out virtual nursing programs, in which nurses in remote locations rely on video and messaging technologies to keep tabs on patients, researchers said.

But these vi...

Improved Bionic Hand Has A Mind Of Its Own, Researchers Say

The best way to improve amputees’ control over a bionic hand is to give the hand a mind of its own, a new study argues.

A bionic hand that’s controlled by an artificial intelligence (AI) program, but under the direction of the amputee, provides the best approximation of normal hand dexterity, researchers said Dec. 9 in the jour...