Health News

Happiness, it’s been said, is the goal of all human endeavor. Why else do we strive to improve medicine, strengthen economies, raise literacy, lower poverty, or fight prejudice? It all boils down to improving human well-being. Psychologists have conducted hundreds of studies about the correlates of well-being. You might think well-being is determined by your […]

More than 3 million people died in 2016 due to drinking too much alcohol, meaning one in 20 deaths worldwide was linked to harmful drinking, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sept. 21, 2018. More than three-quarters of these deaths were among men, the U.N. health agency said. And despite evidence of the health […]

A new type of “heat-not-burn” cigarette may lead to just as much lung damage as traditional cigarettes, a recent study suggests. So-called “heat-not-burn” devices are designed to heat disposable tobacco sticks and give users the taste of tobacco without the smoke or ash. For the study, researchers analyzed data submitted by Philip Morris International to […]

In just four months, you could be tossing your blood pressure medication in the trash. A new study presented at the American Heart Association’s annual Joint Hypertension Scientific Sessions highlights just how important lifestyle changes are for improving heart health—and how impressive the results can be. Researchers studied 129 overweight or obese men and women to see […]

Ryder was eleven when he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). “One way he was coping with his busy mind was playing games,” his mother, Charlie, told Healthline. Ryder would run to the computer the moment he came home and even enjoyed watching videos of other people gaming. But Charlie noticed that as […]

People with the scaly skin condition psoriasis are often faced with people who don’t want to shake hands with them and who see them—incorrectly—as contagious, according to a new study.   “Patients with psoriasis often express frustration to me that they experience discrimination in public places and the work environment,” study coauthor Dr. Joel Gelfand […]

Behind the curtain, our gut is responsible for putting our body into working order. As it breaks down the foods we eat, our gut absorbs nutrients that support our body’s functions—from energy production to hormone balance, skin health to mental health, and even toxin and waste elimination. In fact, about 70 percent of the immune system is housed […]

Senate Democrats are trying to force a vote on a resolution to overturn a Trump administration rule, which went into effect at the beginning of this month, allowing for the expansion of short-term health insurance plans. The joint resolution would invalidate the rule that the Trump administration finalized at the end of August to expand short-term […]

Adults who have a regular bedtime are likely to weigh less than those who don’t, to have lower blood sugar, and to face a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to a U.S. study. Although scientists have talked about the importance of getting enough sleep and getting quality sleep, it matters how regular […]

If you were drinking too much, what would you be concerned about? It might seem that health risks would be viewed as the biggest issue. However, a recent study of middle-aged drinkers found that overall, they’re far more concerned about social stigma than potential health problems. Researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia looked at a […]

Right now, you or one of your close friends or family members could have diabetes and simply not know it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that more than 30 million Americans now have diabetes, and more than 7 million of them haven’t received a proper diagnosis. And undiagnosed diabetes will catch up […]

Therapy dogs can bring more than joy and comfort to hospitalized kids. They can also bring stubborn germs. Doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore were suspicious that the dogs might pose an infection risk to patients with weakened immune systems. So they conducted some tests when Pippi, Poppy, Badger, and Winnie visited 45 children getting […]

OXFORD, England—A new method of analyzing images from CT scans can predict which patients are at risk of a heart attack years before it occurs, researchers say. The technology, developed by teams at Oxford University and institutions in Germany and the United States, uses algorithms to examine the fat surrounding coronary arteries as it shows […]

Cannabis use causes long-term damage to the developing brains of teenagers, a new study suggests. The study by Canadian scientists found that the impact of cannabis use on skills, memory, and behavior is worse than alcohol. The research also suggests cannabis works as a “gateway drug” by reducing the mental capacity to control the impulses associated […]

Researchers have developed a way to reliably predict which chronic pain patients will respond to a sugar placebo pill based on brain anatomy and psychological characteristics. Doctors may one day prescribe placebos that work as effectively as any painkiller for certain patients, the researchers’ new study suggests. “Their brain is already tuned to respond,” said senior […]

College students who want good grades may want to skip the all-nighters and avoid picking early-morning classes because a new study suggests lack of sleep is at least as bad for academic success as binge drinking or doing drugs. Each night of the week that college students have sleep problems was associated with a 0.02-point […]

Fertility challenges can be tough. On top of the emotions and impact on your relationship, sperm health has historically been tied to the concept of male virility, or “manliness.” Even though that isn’t the case, it can make sperm health a difficult subject to bring up. But being proactive about your sperm health is more […]

The commonly used painkiller diclofenac may be linked with an increased risk of heart problems, a large Danish study suggests. Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that’s often used to treat arthritis and other painful joint conditions. In many countries, it’s available without a prescription. Researchers found that the rate of first-time cardiovascular events […]

Practicing mindfulness meditation for ten minutes a day improves concentration and the ability to keep information active in one’s mind, a function known as “working memory.” The brain achieves this by becoming more efficient, literally requiring fewer brain resources to do these tasks. Many big claims have been made about the effects of meditation, but […]

CHICAGO—When emergency tests showed the telltale right-sided pain in Heather VanDusen’s abdomen was appendicitis, she figured she’d be quickly wheeled into surgery. But doctors offered her the option of antibiotics instead. A new study from Finland shows her choice is a reasonable alternative for most patients with appendicitis. Five years after treatment with antibiotics, almost […]