CNN – Health

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN Exposure in the womb to bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, may increase the risk of asthma among school-age girls, according to a new study of over 3,000 pairs of mothers and children from six European countries. “We believe that the effect may be due to the fact that bisphenols can

By Tasnim Ahmed, CNN The number of deaths in the US involving alcohol jumped 25.5% between 2019 and 2020, the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to research published Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This is a sharp incline from prior years; the average annual percent increase in deaths involving

By Tasnim Ahmed, CNN Continuing to face attacks from Russian forces, Ukrainian hospitals are strained by growing numbers of casualties and finite medical supplies. There are shortages across all types of medication, but limited access to insulin supplies has led to an uptick in conditions related to uncontrolled diabetes. “There’s been significant shortages of insulin

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN Some people with pain, anxiety or depression who obtain medical marijuana cards may overuse marijuana within a short time frame, leading to cannabis use disorder while failing to improve their symptoms, a new study found. Cannabis use disorder, also known as marijuana use disorder, is associated with dependence on the use

By Brenda Goodman, CNN Under experimental conditions, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus survives at least twice as long on surfaces like plastic, paper and skin than the original strain that emerged from Wuhan, China, which may help explain how this variant has become so contagious, two recent studies show. There’s no need to start

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN What are your sleep myths and facts? You know, the things you are absolutely sure you should do — and not do — to get a good night’s sleep. Studies show that most of us are practicing bad sleep habits without knowing it — which can lead to serious health consequences.

By Katherine Dillinger, CNN Moderna announced Thursday that it’s asked the US Food and Drug Administration for authorization for a second Covid-19 booster shot for everyone 18 and older. Moderna is seeking an amendment of the FDA’s emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine to allow a fourth vaccine dose for any adults who’ve gotten

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN Frequent napping or regularly napping for extended periods during the day may be a sign of early dementia in older adults, a new study revealed. Elderly adults who napped at least once a day or more than an hour a day were 40% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who

By Lisa Drayer, CNN Guinness, like other Irish stouts, enjoys a seasonal popularity every St. Patrick’s Day. It has also been touted as being “good for you,” at least by its own advertising posters decades ago. But can this creamy, rich and filling beer really be added to a list of healthy beverages? Or is

By Nadia Kounang, CNN The latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the country lost 105,752 lives to drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending October 2021. And while most of those overdoses involved the illicit synthetic opioid fentanyl, experts say that an adulterated and contaminated drug supply is

By Brenda Goodman and Deidre McPhillips, CNN With a new version of the Omicron coronavirus variant picking up steam in the United States, as many as 28 million seniors remain at risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19, either because they are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, or because it has been more than five months

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN Annual drug overdose deaths have reached another record high in the United States as deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids surge to unprecedented levels. An estimated 105,752 people died of drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending October 2021, according to provisional data published Wednesday by the US Centers for

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN Annual drug overdose deaths have reached another record high in the United States, as deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids surge to unprecedented levels. An estimated 105,752 people died of a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending October 2021, according to provisional data published Wednesday by the US Centers

By Katia Hetter, CNN To many parents’ dismay, a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the Covid-19 vaccine is less effective against the Omicron variant for children ages 5 to 11 than for older children and adults. Two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine reduced the risk of Omicron

By Kristen Rogers, CNN If you’re not familiar with the term “mild cognitive impairment,” you’re not the only one. More than 80% of Americans aren’t familiar with this condition that affects up to 18% of people ages 60 and older and can lead to Alzheimer’s disease, a new survey has found. Mild cognitive impairment is

By Kristen Rogers, CNN If you’re not familiar with the term “mild cognitive impairment,” you’re not the only one. More than 80% of Americans aren’t familiar with this condition that affects up to 18% of people ages 60 and older and can lead to Alzheimer’s disease, a new survey has found. Mild cognitive impairment is

By Amanda Sealy, Carma Hassan and Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN Pfizer and BioNTech submitted an application for emergency use authorization to the US Food and Drug Administration for an additional booster dose of their Covid-19 vaccine for adults 65 and older who have gotten a booster dose of any of the authorized or approved vaccine, the

By Brenda Goodman and Deidre McPhillips, CNN Two weeks after the United Kingdom dropped its last remaining Covid-19 mitigation measure — a requirement that people who test positive for the virus isolate for five days — the country is seeing cases and hospitalizations climb once again. Covid-19 cases were up 48% in the UK last

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN Sleeping for only one night with a dim light, such as a TV set with the sound off, raised the blood sugar and heart rate of healthy young people participating in a sleep lab experiment, a new study found. The dim light entered the eyelids and disrupted sleep despite the fact

CNN Editorial Research Here’s a look at the opioid crisis. Experts say the United States is in the throes of an opioid epidemic. An estimated 9.5 million Americans aged 12 and older misused opioids in 2020, including 9.3 million prescription pain reliever abusers and 902,000 heroin users. Opioids are drugs formulated to replicate the pain-reducing

By Lisa Drayer, CNN Going 100% vegan, cutting carbs or attempting to lose 30 pounds quickly is daunting, drastic and difficult to sustain. And such lofty goals may not be healthy choices for you. Instead, try setting weekly mini-goals, which can help make intentions such as losing weight, lowering your cholesterol or adopting a more

By Kristen Rogers, CNN If you feel like calling it a day and dozing off for a bit, don’t feel bad — Monday, March 14, is National Napping Day. Finding the time to rejuvenate and recover amid daily responsibilities can be hard, but napping has benefits that could help you level up in your overall

By Jen Christensen and Holly Yan, CNN To help fend off another wave of Covid-19, people will need a fourth dose of vaccine, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CBS on Sunday. “Many variants are coming, and Omicron was the first one that was able to evade — in a skillful way — the immune protection

By Jen Christensen, CNN Things seem to be looking up as the US crosses into year three of the Covid-19 pandemic. Vaccines still do a good job of keeping people alive and out of the hospital. There’s increasing access to tests and treatments. The numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths are heading in the right