Asthma Kills Black Americans at Twice the Rate. Here’s why
Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory conditions in the United States, affecting more than 24 million people according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It narrows the airways, produces inflammation, and generates symptoms that range from mild wheezing to episodes severe enough to require emergency care. For most patients, the […]
Moderate drinking can reduce blood flow to your brain
What a new study found about alcohol and the brain For decades, moderate alcohol consumption has been viewed as a relatively harmless habit a glass of wine with dinner, a beer after work. But a new study published in the journal Alcohol is raising serious questions about whether any amount of drinking is truly safe, […]
Shingles vaccine linked to 20% lower dementia risk in landmark study
A Stanford Medicine study tracking 296,000 people in Wales found vaccinated individuals were 20% less likely to develop dementia over a seven-year period. The shingles vaccine has long been recommended for older adults as protection against a painful viral flare-up. Researchers did not set out to study dementia. The data led […]
The alarming rise in STIs and the myth putting more people at risk
STIs have been climbing to record levels across multiple countries and demographic groups for several consecutive years, a trend that public health researchers describe as one of the most significant and most preventable health crises currently unfolding in plain sight. The infections involved range from bacterial conditions that are readily treatable to viral ones that […]
Dangerous hearing loss habits that may raise dementia risk
A growing body of research is drawing a clearer line between how well people hear and how well their brains age. A new study found that two specific middle ear conditions cholesteatoma, an abnormal skin growth in the ear, and eardrum perforation are both associated with a meaningfully higher risk of developing dementia. While researchers are […]
Understanding Chlamydia reveals hidden pregnancy risks
Chlamydia is one of the most widespread sexually transmitted infections, yet it often moves unnoticed. During pregnancy, that silence can carry weight. The infection may develop without clear symptoms while still affecting both the pregnant individual and the baby. Health experts continue to stress awareness, not because the infection is rare, but because it is […]
Shigella infections are growing and drug resistance is why
Shigella has been making people sick for thousands of years. Reports of the violent diarrheal illness it causes appear in ancient records, and the bacterium itself was formally identified in 1897 during a devastating outbreak in Japan that killed 20,000 people in just six months. The scientist who isolated it, Dr. Kiyoshi Shiga, gave the […]
How the HPV vaccine cut cervical cancer cases by 90%
Human papillomavirus, more commonly known as HPV, is not a single virus but a group of more than 200 related viruses. It is also one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world. Most sexually active people will contract some form of HPV at least once during their lifetime, often without ever knowing […]
Pesticides and colon cancer. The connection no one expected
Colorectal cancer is no longer a condition that primarily affects older adults. It is now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among people under 50, and the numbers have been climbing steadily. Globally, early-onset colorectal cancer has increased at a rate of 1.4% annually, and roughly 1 in 5 diagnoses now occur in people under […]
Childhood abuse and its toll on adult health can be eased by something money cannot buy
The presence of a single, consistently supportive adult during childhood can meaningfully reduce the long-term physical and mental health consequences of abuse, according to new peer-reviewed research published in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma. The study examined health outcomes among more than 2,100 American Indian and Alaska Native adults across the United States, […]