Health A-Z News
- Mpox Virus Can Replicate on Surfaces for Days
May 18, 2023 — While most cases of mpox are spread via skin-to-skin contact, a new study reveals it's possible to catch the virus by touching a contaminated surface in a house or a hospital room.
- Black Americans Face Much Higher Rates of Early Death, Study Says
May 17, 2023 — African-Americans have a starkly higher rate of early mortality than whites, with 1.63 million “excess deaths” occurring among Black people over two decades, according to a new study published in JAMA.
- CDC Warns of Mpox Resurgence This Summer
May 16, 2023 — A resurgence of mpox (formerly called monkeypox) this summer could be larger than last year’s caseload, the CDC said in a warning to public health officials this week.
- Will AI Perpetuate or Eliminate Health Disparities?
May 15, 2023 — As AI algorithms ramps up, should patients be raging against the machine or encouraged that they might eventually be treated equally?
- CDC Looking into New Cases of Monkeypox
May 11, 2023 — The CDC said this week it is investigating several new cases of mpox, formerly called monkeypox. Most of the people infected had been previously vaccinated.
- CDC Says Walensky Will Step Down as Director in June
May 5, 2023 — CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, will step down from her position at the end of June, 2 ½ years after assuming the role during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Shortage of Research Monkeys Puts U.S. at Risk for Health Emergencies
May 5, 2023 — Experts say the breeding programs should be expanded while also developing alternatives to monkey testing.
- The Amazing Things We Can Learn From Hospital Clowns
May 4, 2023 — Research shows that hospital clowns, aka medical clowns, therapeutic clowns, or clown doctors, can enhance patients’ quality of life and healing. We found a clown to show us how it’s done.
- Cleaning and Personal Products Contain Dangerous Chemicals
May 4, 2023 — Dangerous chemicals are found in dozens of everyday consumer products, according to a new survey. The chemicals were found in more than 100 products commonly used in homes and workplaces.
- Is ChatGPT in Your Doctor’s Inbox?
May 3, 2023 — What happens when a chatbot slips into your doctor’s direct messages? Depending on who you ask, it might improve outcomes. On the other hand, it might raise a few red flags.
- The Doctor’s Visit of the Future: Less Touching, More Tech
April 27, 2023 — The COVID-19 pandemic helped untether the primary care visit from the doctor’s office, empowering patients to demand access to their primary care doctors via video or other virtual means. Experts took notice.
- Turns Out Cranberries Really Can Prevent Some UTIs, Research Shows
April 25, 2023 — Researchers have determined that cranberries in juice, tablet or powder form may lower the risk of repeated, symptomatic urinary tract infections based on the results of 50 trials involving almost 9,000 people.
- Chronic Drinking Can Increase Pain Sensitivity, Study Says
April 24, 2023 — Research on mice led scientists to conclude that chronic alcohol consumption can make people more sensitive to pain in two ways – through alcohol intake and alcohol withdrawal, says a study just published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.
- Is This a New Era of Medical Marijuana Breakthroughs?
April 20, 2023 — For years, research into cannabis’s health effects has been severely limited. That’s finally changing, slowly. The results could alter the future of medicine and improve public health.
- Strep Throat Cases Up 30% This Season
April 20, 2023 — Cases of strep throat surged this past winter, breaking a pre-pandemic trend that had been predictable since 2017, a new report says.
- Study Calls Poverty a ‘Major Risk Factor for Death in the U.S.’
April 19, 2023 — Poverty rates may help explain lower life expectancy, according to a research letter.
- Ozzy's Wearable Cyborg May Be The Future of Physical Therapy
April 17, 2023 — Hybrid assistive limb technology, which senses the movement you want to perform and then helps you do it, is starting to catch on in the U.S.
- Bird Flu in Chilean Man Shows Virus Adapting to Human Spread
April 17, 2023 — While the virus has partially adapted to spread between mammals, officials say the public health risk still remains low.
- CDC Warns U.S. Doctors of Marburg Virus Amid Outbreaks in Africa
April 7, 2023 — The CDC has issued a health advisory about an outbreak of the Marburg virus disease in two African nations, saying U.S. doctors should be aware of the chance of imported cases.
- Devastating Tornadoes Leave Hazards in Their Wake: Tips to Stay Safe
April 4, 2023 — Carbon monoxide (CO) from generators used to temporarily restore power can be dangerous and can kill in minutes.
- Fatigue Is Common Among Older Adults, and It Has Many Possible Causes
April 4, 2023 — Persistent fatigue — the feeling of having no energy — can contribute to frailty and affects 40% to 74% of older patients with chronic illness. Yet its causes can be elusive.
- Iguana Bite Left Vacationing Toddler a Medical Issue Months Later
April 3, 2023 — While visiting Costa Rica with her family, the little girl was on the beach eating cake when an iguana ran up and bit her left hand.
- Half of U.S. Drivers Say They Often Use Cellphones Behind the Wheel
April 3, 2023 — A new survey finds that about half of all respondents still use an electronic device most or every time they drive.
- Vaccine Trial Shows Promise Against Candida Fungal Infection
March 29, 2023 — Although relatively rare, C. auris infections can lead to death for between 30% to 70% of those at higher risk.
- Most Retailers Give Receipts Containing Chemicals Like BPA
March 26, 2023 — Most major chain stores still give receipts that have potentially toxic chemicals on them that can easily transfer to people’s skin, a new study shows. Studies have shown possible effects on the brains of fetuses, infants, and children, plus potential links to blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and childhood behavior.
- New Study Links Eating Meat to Urinary Tract Infections
March 24, 2023 — At least half a million urinary tract infections are caused by eating meat contaminated with E.coli bacteria, a new study reports.
- Cases of Invasive Group Strep A Rising in Parts of Country
March 23, 2023 — The CDC says cases of invasive group A strep infections, which rose in December after a pandemic lull, have remained high so far this year, ABC News reports.
- DNA From Beethoven’s Hair Offers Clues on Composer’s Ailments
March 23, 2023 — Nearly 200 years after his death, researchers continue to try to grant a dying wish of composer Ludwig Van Beethoven to study his health problems. Progressive hearing loss beginning in his early 20s left him deaf at his time of death, and he complained of chronic stomach problems.
- Cases of Potentially Deadly Fungus Jump 200%: CDC
March 21, 2023 — Cases of a potentially deadly and increasingly treatment-resistant fungus called Candida auris have skyrocketed 200% since 2019, prompting the CDC to issue a warning to healthcare facilities about the rising threat.
- Old-School Printer Helps Scientists Spot Bacteria in Blood
March 20, 2023 — A faster way to identify bacterial infection in blood combines nanoparticles, AI, and ink-jet printer technology.
- Frozen Strawberries Recalled Due to Hepatitis A Outbreak
March 19, 2023 — A nationwide recall of organic frozen strawberry products is underway. The FDA is advising people who ate the products to get vaccinated against hepatitis A to prevent liver infection and symptoms like nausea and jaundice.
- New Proposal to Limit 'Forever Chemicals' in Drinking Water
March 15, 2023 — The EPA on Tuesday announced the proposal for six substances commonly known as PFAS, which are human-made chemicals that are used as oil and water repellents and coatings for common products including cookware, carpets, and textiles.
- Zombie Viruses: Fascinating and a Little Frightening
March 10, 2023 — As researchers revive 48,000-year-old “zombie” viruses and other microbes from Siberian permafrost, what does it mean for pandemic-weary humans encountering things our modern immune systems have never seen?
- Virtual or In Person: Which Kind of Doctor’s Visit Is Better, And When It Matters
March 6, 2023 — While there are no hard-and-fast rules about when to opt for a telehealth visit versus seeing a doctor face-to-face, physicians offer guidance about when it may make more sense to choose one or the other.
- Florida Man Dies from Brain-Eating Amoeba Infection
March 3, 2023 — The man may have acquired this very rare infection after rinsing his sinuses with tap water.
- FDA Considers Two Drugmakers for First RSV Vaccine
February 28, 2023 — An FDA advisory panel is considering two drugmakers to make the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. Pfizer and GSK seek to lead the market that could be worth between $5 billion and $10 billion.
- Controlled Substance Prescriptions to be Limited Using Telehealth
February 26, 2023 — The DEA plans to make changes to the prescribing criteria for ADHD medications and highly addictive drugs like opioids, the agency announced.
- Former President Jimmy Carter, 98, Enters Hospice Care
February 19, 2023 — Former President Jimmy Carter will forgo further hospital care and will enter hospice care at his home in Georgia, the Carter Center in Atlanta announced.
- Bruce Willis Now Diagnosed With Dementia, Family Says
February 16, 2023 — Bruce Willis, who rose to stardom in the 1980s on the TV series “Moonlighting” and in movies such as “Die Hard,” has frontotemporal dementia, the actor’s family announced in a statement Thursday.
- Bird Flu Is Infecting More Mammals. What Does That Mean for Us?
February 16, 2023 — The bird flu currently poses a low risk to the public, but experts worry that the virus could gain mutations that help it more easily spread among humans.
- Is $3.5 Million a Fair Price for a Lifesaving Gene Therapy?
February 15, 2023 — Here's why gene therapies are the most expensive drugs in the world —and how these groundbreaking treatments could severely strain our health care system.
- Expelled From High School, Alister Martin Became a Harvard Doc
February 13, 2023 — It’s not often that a high school brawl with gang members sets you down a path to becoming a Harvard-trained doctor. But that’s exactly how Alister Martin’s life unfolded.
- New Report Says Suicide Rates Rising Among Young Black People
February 12, 2023 — The rising national suicide rate is being driven by increases among younger people and among people of color, according to a new report. Significant increases in suicide occurred among Native American, Black and Hispanic people, with a startling rise among young Black people.
- Norovirus Cases Are on the Upswing, CDC Says
February 10, 2023 — There were 225 norovirus outbreaks reported to the CDC between Aug. 1, 2022, and Jan. 8, 2023, compared to 172 outbreaks during the same period the previous season, according to CDC data.
- U.S. to Test Vaccine in Poultry as Bird Flu Deaths Rise
February 10, 2023 — Every state has found bird flu in wild birds and 47 states have found it in poultry flocks, including 18 states in the last 30 days, the USDA said.
- Black, Hispanic Dialysis Patients Have Higher Infection Rates
February 7, 2023 — Black and Hispanic people on dialysis have higher rates of staph bloodstream infections than White people, with Hispanic patients having a 40% higher risk of staph bloodstream infections, a report released by the CDC said.
- Pill for Postpartum Depression Submitted for FDA Review
February 6, 2023 — A pill that could change the way postpartum depression is treated has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for priority review, pharmaceutical companies Sage Therapeutics and Biogen announced.
- Warmer Temperatures Could Be Helping Dangerous Fungi Spread
February 4, 2023 — Scientific evidence suggests “dangerous fungal infections are on the rise.” As temperatures have risen, some fungi are adapting to higher heat, including within people, the newspaper wrote.
- Avian H5N1 Flu Outbreak Now Spreading to Mammals
February 3, 2023 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture and its counterpart in the United Kingdom say the bird flu has been detected in mammals such as raccoons, foxes, bears, skunks, and even a cat in France.