Health A-Z News & Features

October 24, 2023 — A limited supply of a drug to protect infants from the respiratory disease RSV has led the CDC to advise pediatricians to use certain doses of nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody sold by the brand name Beyfortus, for infants with the greatest danger of developing severe respiratory syncytial virus.

October 24, 2023 — The heart-healthy DASH diet has been linked with a lower risk of cognitive decline among women over 40 in a new study.

October 23, 2023 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Pfizer’s application for Penbraya, a vaccine for people 10 through 25 that will offer protection against the five main kinds of bacteria that cause meningitis and blood poisoning.

October 19, 2023 — Medical experts are worried that yellow fever and its feared “black vomit” may re-emerge in the American South in the near future.

October 16, 2023 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering banning chemicals that have been linked to cancer from use in hair straightening products.

October 11, 2023 — Heading to work after the sun sets has become very common in the U.S. – but what does that mean for the health of night shift workers?

October 6, 2023 — Heart disease and cancer have been at the top of the list for more than a decade and caused more than 37% of U.S. deaths in 2021, the most recent data available. COVID-19 has climbed into the top rankings since the pandemic began in 2020.

October 2, 2023 — A new study helps address a longstanding question: What’s more important for our health, physical fitness or body weight?

September 26, 2023 — Driving the technology forward are advances in materials science and AI, plus patient benefits like shorter recovery times and less pain.

September 26, 2023 — Non-menstruating women were more likely to experience unexpected vaginal bleeding after receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, according to a new study.

September 18, 2023 — The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria says it may not reach its goal of ending those three diseases by 2030 because of climate change, conflict, deepening inequalities, and growing threats to human rights.

September 14, 2023 — Common household cleaning and air freshening products may emit hundreds of dangerous chemicals, but those with “green” features that are fragrance-free are potentially less harmful than their conventional counterparts, according to a new study.

Climate change helps drive the spread of deadly new organisms.

A growing number see organized labor as a path to improved working conditions – and better care for their patients.

September 1, 2023 — Popular smartwatches and other wearable devices are giving research an upgrade.

Get information on DNA ancestry tests and other genealogy tips.

August 18, 2023 — Although no official definition exists, chronic appendicitis happens when that finger-like pouch at the end of your colon becomes inflamed and causes belly pain in regular on-and-off episodes that can span weeks, months, or years.

August 14, 2023 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning patients not to use certain tests made by Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI), including tests for pregnancy, ovulation, and urinary tract infections.

August 4, 2023 — A new study indicates that systemic racism continues to result in preventable deaths of people of color. Nationwide, Black people, American Indian people, and Alaska Native people were more likely to die of any cause, compared to white people.

August 3, 2023 — Over-the-counter hearing aids are more accessible and cheaper, but for some the option to bypass an audiologist makes the process more overwhelming and confusing.

July 24, 2023 — No immediate drug shortages are expected following the destruction by a tornado of a Pfizer warehouse in North Carolina last week.

July 21, 2023 — Do some people just have the ability to cope with sizzling temperatures and some don’t? It’s debated among experts, with some saying people may tend to have a better or worse tolerance to heat.

July 20, 2023 — As heat waves become more common, hospitals and emergency rooms in the U.S. will see thousands more cases of people who pass out from heatstroke or have potentially deadly heart problems, a new report warns.

July 19, 2023 — The city of Phoenix set a pair of heat records on Tuesday, and was on track for a third record today.

July 19, 2023 — An estimated 795,000 people in the U.S. die or are permanently disabled each year due to misdiagnosis. Stroke topped the list of misdiagnosed medical problems that result in serious harm.

July 17, 2023 — Illnesses spread by ticks and mosquitos are on the rise, prompting warnings from doctors and scientists to take precautions and watch out for any tell-tale symptoms. Here's what to know.

July 14, 2023 — Having patients give themselves injections, when possible, not only saves clinic time and expense, but also spares the patients a trip to the clinic, of course, and often a copay.

July 7, 2023 — It’s hot as Hades and the power’s out. Now what?

July 7, 2023 — Humans have reached the peak of their ability to adjust to extreme heat conditions. What comes next is not pretty.

July 7, 2023 — A report from an environmental group says about half the beaches in the United States had at least one day when water contamination levels hit potentially unsafe levels in 2022.

July 6, 2023 — A new government estimate says at least 45% of the tap water in the U.S. contains PFAS, which are substances also known as “forever chemicals.”

July 5, 2023 — Smoking too much marijuana increases major health risks, after elective surgeries. a new study reports.

July 3, 2023 — Researchers have discovered that ticks can defy gravity in their quest to latch onto people and animals. The key is static electricity, just like when someone rubs a balloon and things stick to it.

June 29, 2023 — Poor air quality across numerous states because of Canadian wildfires and high heat across the South have millions of Americans struggling.

June 28, 2023 — New technology that tracks markers in your “interstitial fluid” – fluid found under your skin – could be as good as a blood test, no doctor’s visit or needle stab required.

June 27, 2023 — The first cases since at least 2003 of people getting malaria from a mosquito bite within the U.S. have occurred in Florida and Texas.

June 21, 2023 — Lab-grown chicken meat can be sold in the United States after two companies said they gained final Department of Agriculture approval for their products Wednesday.

June 19, 2023 — According to the CDC, which compiles local reports, there have been 13 human cases of West Nile virus in 2023. In 2022, there were 1,126 cases, including 90 deaths.

June 19, 2023 — A new study challenges the widely held assumption that people who regularly drink to excess can “hold their liquor” better than people who don’t drink as much.

June 16, 2023 — Gas stoves emit the cancer-causing chemical benzene at levels higher than those found in secondhand tobacco smoke, according to a new study.

June 16, 2023 — People who stay up late have a 9% increased risk of early death, mainly because they are more likely to smoke or drink alcohol, according to a new study.

June 8, 2023 — Exposure to toxic “forever chemicals” during pregnancy can lead to a lower birth weight followed later by obesity -- similar to the results of prenatal exposure to tobacco.

June 7, 2023 — People with tinnitus may be able to find relief with a new kind of treatment, according to a new study.

June 2, 2023 — A 5,000-mile-long seaweed blob heading toward the east coast of Florida contains “flesh-eating” bacteria,” researchers from Florida Atlantic University said.

June 2, 2023 — Whole-body MRI scans may lead to unnecessary follow-up tests that are not only expensive, but also anxiety-inducing, experts say.

June 2, 2023 — The former health secretary of North Carolina, Mandy Cohen, MD, is expected to be named the next director of the CDC.

May 30, 2023 — AI’s potential depends on how it’s used, Robert Califf, MD, said. “It could be used for tremendous gain or it could be used for tremendous harm.”

The corporate takeover of health care and why it matters.

May 22, 2023 — Researchers have found that mosquitoes are attracted to human scent that contained a high level of carboxylic acids, which are secretions that protect the skin, said the study published in Current Biology. Some of those carboxylic acids are also found in “stinky” cheeses.