Health, medicine, wellness, and the science of living well.
Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration are backing popular peptide therapies. They voted to allow specialized pharmacies to make them despite agency scientists' recommendations against it.
Fifteen years ago, the FDA overhauled its safety rules for fruits and vegetables, hoping to prevent outbreaks of foodborne illness. How's that system working today?
Japan's prime minister says she gets just "zero to three hours" of sleep per night. NPR's Michel Martin asks Johns Hopkins' Dr. Sara Benjamin how much sleep most people need to get through the day.
The longevity-linked APOE2 gene appears to protect brain cells by reducing DNA damage and helping neurons recover from stress. The finding could open a new path toward treatments that mimic APOE2’s de
A large study suggests that GLP-1 drugs including Ozempic and Mounjaro may slightly increase the risk of hair loss in people with type 2 diabetes. Compared with two other common classes of diabetes me
A massive genetic study has identified nine new genes linked to hyperemesis gravidarum, the most severe form of pregnancy sickness, bringing the total number of known risk genes to ten. The discoverie
A global shift toward healthier diets could sharply reduce livestock farming, free up agricultural land, and cut emissions from land-use change by 85% by 2050. At the same time, fruit, vegetable, nut,
A 25-year study found that frequent consumption of soda, sports drinks, and fruit juice beginning in childhood was linked to a higher risk of high blood pressure in adulthood. Swapping one daily drink
It can take weeks to confirm a single case of intestinal illness caused by the cyclospora parasite, but the CDC's tally for this year now stands at over 4,100.
Congo's Ebola outbreak has crossed the grim 1,000-death threshold, marking the fastest fatal surge in recorded history of the virus.
Researchers have developed a fluoride-free gel that could help rebuild damaged tooth enamel, something the body cannot naturally replace once it is lost. Inspired by the proteins that guide enamel for
A plant-derived compound reduced swelling, inflammation, and joint damage in rats with rheumatoid arthritis. It also helped rebalance immune activity and improve the way certain fats were processed in
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death among people under 50, and cases in younger adults continue to rise. Warning signs can include persistent bowel changes, recurring rectal ble
Miniature brain models grown from patients’ cells revealed striking differences in how Alzheimer’s-related tissue responds to an antidepressant. The organoids and the particles they release could even
Public health officials acknowledge they need to shed paternalistic messaging if they want to reach more people. The nominee to run the CDC says she will strike a new tone.
Scientists have found a way to revive vancomycin, a powerful antibiotic that some dangerous bacteria have learned to resist. Instead of creating an entirely new drug, researchers paired vancomycin wit
Researchers are applying evolutionary theory to cancer by changing treatments before tumors have time to develop resistance. Mathematical models suggest that rapid, carefully timed switches between mu
A single dose of psilocybin produced measurable changes in brain activity and possible changes in brain structure that lasted for up to a month. Participants who experienced the greatest increase in f