Tag: health
HIV, Trans Health, and Covid Research Targeted by Trump Cuts to NIH
The Science Fields and State Hit Hardest by Trump NIH Cuts, in 4 Charts An analysis reveals which fields of science and U.S. states are being hit hardest by National Institutes of Health grant terminations By Max Kozlov, Chris Ryan & Nature magazine Scientists and others have been protesting the massive cuts to research at…
Teddi Mellencamp Shares Mental Health Update Amid Cancer Battle
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Teddi Mellencamp got real about the impact that her ongoing cancer battle has had on her mental health. Teddi Mellencamp is getting real about her mental health. While sharing an update on how she’s feeling amid her increasingly fraught cancer journey, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum—who is mom…
Health secretary RFK Jr. endorses the MMR vaccine — stoking fury among his supporters
Geoff Brumfiel An endorsement of the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has provoked an angry outcry from anti-vaccine activists. “The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy said in the third paragraph of a lengthy post on…
What Happens When USAID’s Global Public Health Programs Go Away?
Losing USAID’s Public Health Programs Imperils the World USAID is responsible for global health efforts that have saved the lives of millions of children. What happens when those programs are cut? By Rachel Feltman, Tanya Lewis, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Last Friday the U.S.…
Myanmar earthquake death toll tops 2,000, as health system ‘overwhelmed’
WHO warns there is urgent need for care capacity, while US agency says number of dead could eventually exceed 10,000 The fallout from Myanmar’s earthquake has overwhelmed parts of the healthcare system, the World Health Organization has said, as the official death toll rose to more than 2,000, with many more missing. “The earthquake’s devastation…
The Trump administration restructures federal health agencies, cuts 20,000 jobs
By Selena Simmons-Duffin , Diane Webber The Trump administration Thursday announced a major restructuring of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that will cut 20,000 full-time jobs. The cuts include employees who have taken the Trump administration’s Fork in the Road offer and early retirement, plus an additional reduction in force of 10,000…
Celebrity Health Scares: Tracy Morgan, Matt Kirschenheiter and More
The same day Tracy Morgan spoke out about falling ill at a Knicks game, Gina Kirschenheiter shared her ex Matt had a heart attack. Here is what more celebs have shared about their health scares. Tracy Morgan had to call a time-out. After the 30 Rock alum threw up at a New York Knicks Game,…
Mental health conditions are overdiagnosed, Streeting says
There is an “overdiagnosis” of mental health conditions with “too many people being written off”, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said. Streeting told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme the welfare system had to be “sustainable”, as he defended the government’s forthcoming reforms aimed at cutting the benefits bill. Mental health charity Mind has…
NHS England to be brought under government control in major health overhaul
NHS England will be abolished and brought under “democratic control” in an attempt to cut bureaucracy and duplication, Sir Keir Starmer has announced. The organisation, which oversees the country’s health service, will be brought into the Department of Health, and the PM said the move would free up money for frontline services. The government said…
Kansas Tuberculosis Outbreak Emphasizes the Importance of Public Health Infrastructure
On COVID’s Fifth Anniversary, the U.S. Remains Vulnerable to Infectious Disease On COVID’s fifth anniversary, the U.S. is facing an outbreak of tuberculosis in Kansas that makes strong public health systems as important as ever. By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Jeffery DelViscio Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. This week…
How COVID Shaped Education and Mental Health Outcomes for Kids
How COVID Shaped a Resilient Generation of Kids COVID’s emotional and educational strain on children still lingers, but educators and mental health specialists say they are far from a “lost generation” By Lauren J. Young edited by Dean Visser As COVID surged and schools across the U.S. shuttered in March 2020, Jamie Wyss, an elementary…
Hilaria Baldwin Says How Alec Baldwin’s Age Affects His Mental Health
Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria Baldwin discussed his hesitance to seek help for his mental health in an exclusive preview clip of their TLC reality series, The Baldwins. Alec Baldwin is getting candid about his mental health. In E! News’ exclusive preview clip of TLC’s The Baldwins, the actor told wife Hilaria Baldwin how he’s…
Trump’s CDC Firings Will Gut Public Health at the State and Local Level
Trump’s CDC Firings Will Gut Public Health at the State and Local Level The Trump administration’s sudden dismissals have stripped training programs across the nation that bolstered state and local public health departments By Rachana Pradhan & KFF Health News A sign outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. The Trump administration’s sudden firing…
Does Stopping Ozempic Cause Rebound Weight Gain and Health Problems?
Most People Stop Ozempic after Two Years. What Happens to Weight and Health? Ozempic and similar GLP-1 weight-loss medications are designed to be a lifelong treatment. But a new study finds the majority of people who use these drugs quit after just two years By Lori Youmshajekian edited by Lauren J. Young The class of…
Mental health crisis ‘means youth is no longer one of happiest times of life’
UN-commissioned study in UK, US, Ireland, Australia, Canada and New Zealand finds satisfaction rises with age For more than half a century, the midlife crisis has been a feature of western society. Fast cars, impulsive decisions, and peak misery between the age of 40 and 50. But all that is changing, according to experts. In…
Africa’s medical system risks ‘collapse in next few years’, warns health leader
Focusing foreign aid on infectious diseases has allowed a rise in cancer and diabetes that African governments don’t have resources to fight, says Dr Githinji Gitahi Health services in Africa are at risk of “collapse in the next few years” due to soaring chronic diseases, a senior public health leader has warned. Foreign aid to…
Transgender Youth Have Better Emotional Health after Taking Hormones, New Study Finds
Transgender Youth Have Better Emotional Health after Taking Hormones, New Study Finds Hormone therapy improves transgender young people’s well-being and social relationships, but Trump’s recent executive order and state bans threaten to take it away By Tyler Santora edited by Tanya Lewis A demonstrator at the Rise Up for Trans Youth rally against President Donald Trump’s executive…
Health care workers are rushing to learn about immigration law in case of ICE raids
From By Jackie Fortiér The lobby at the St. John’s Community Health clinic in South Los Angeles bustles with patients. But community health worker Ana Ruth Varela is worried that it’s about to get a lot quieter. Many patients, she said, are afraid to leave their homes. “The other day I spoke with one of…
Trump Denied Knowledge of Project 2025—Now His Health Care Plans Follow It Closely
Trump Denied Knowledge of Project 2025—Now His Health Care Plans Follow It Closely During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump distanced himself from the conservative governing plan Project 2025. But it’s increasingly viewed as a blueprint for his administration’s plans for federal health programs By Stephanie Armour & KFF Health News Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of…
Carl Zimmer on His New Book Air-Borne and What Public Health Experts Learned from the COVID Pandemic
The Air around Us Is Full of Life By Rachel Feltman, Naeem Amarsy, Jeffery DelViscio & Fonda Mwangi [CLIP: Theme music] Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. You probably don’t spend too much time thinking about the air you breathe—at least relative to the amount of time you spend actually breathing…
Pope Francis in Critical Condition After Suffering Health Crisis
Pope Francis, 88, in Critical Condition Pope Francis‘ health has taken a turn for the worse. The 88-year-old experienced an “asthma-like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity, which required the administration of high-flow oxygen,” and his condition “continues to be critical,” the Vatican said Feb. 22, more than a week after the pontiff of the Roman…
Why Is the Trump Administration Villainizing Mental Health Meds for Kids?
Opinion Cross CurrentsFridays Why Is the Trump Administration Villainizing Mental Health Meds for Kids? A federal commission to examine U.S. chronic disease could undercut real treatment for kids with depression, ADHD and other mental health challenges By Megha Satyanarayana edited by Dan Vergano Keep in touch with Cross Current: Get email alerts for this weekly…
Feeling Overwhelmed by the News? Here’s How to Protect Your Mental Health
Why the News Feels Overwhelming—And How to Cope An explanation of the science behind news fatigue, plus expert advice to take control and protect your well-being while staying engaged By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson It’s February 2025. The world feels like complete chaos, and it’s hard to step away from the news. Maybe…
Health agencies lose staff in key areas as Trump firings set in
By Will Stone , Pien Huang Termination letters landed in the mailboxes of hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health over the weekend, as the Trump administration moved ahead with firings announced verbally Friday. That’s according to more than half…
Fears grow for health of social media influencer arrested on live TV in Sierra Leone
Hawa Hunt’s detention a month ago was politically motivated, say daughter and rights groups, who also raise concerns about her treatment in jail Fears are mounting over the mental and physical health of a social media influencer who has been in prison in Sierra Leone for more than a month after she was arrested on…
Expert: Rollbacks of environmental protections imperil nature — and human health
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, countries around the world have been shrinking or eliminating areas set aside to protect nature — some to drill for fossil fuels, others for urban development. Yet the environmental rollbacks that some governments claim could help humanity recover economically from the coronavirus could put humanity more at risk of future…
Trump Executive Orders Create Confusion for Science and Health Agencies
Funding Freeze and Communications Hold Create Confusion for U.S. Researchers Researchers in the U.S. are grappling with Trump administration executive orders around health and science agency funding and communications. By Rachel Feltman, Max Kozlov, Lauren J. Young, Fonda Mwangi & Madison Goldberg [CLIP: Theme music] Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman.…
Senate Democrats call for answers on health communications freeze and funding delays
Carmel Wroth In a letter sent Wednesday night to Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Dorothy Fink, a group of 34 Democratic senators called for the federal health agency to end its freeze on “external communications and funding.” “We write to express our deep concern over the Administration’s recent decision to freeze external communications…
Trump Administration Closes Climate Health Office
Trump Administration Shutters Climate Health Office A climate office at the Department of Health and Human Services has been shuttered, and its staff was placed on administrative leave By Ariel Wittenberg & E&E News An elderly man faints in front of the Supreme Court in June 2024 as temperatures in Washington, D.C., rose into the…
Trump administration purges websites across federal health agencies
By Will Stone , Selena Simmons-Duffin At the direction of the Trump administration, the federal Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies are purging its websites of information and data on a broad array of topics — from adolescent health to LGBTQ+ rights to HIV. Several webpages from Centers for Disease Control and…
The Health Effects of FDA-Authorized ZYN Nicotine Pouches
What’s in ZYN, the FDA-Authorized Nicotine Pouch? Is It Harmful? ZYN, the popular brand of flavored nicotine pouches, recently earned FDA authorization for reducing smoking, but some questions linger. Experts explain the efficacy and potential health risks of nicotine pouches By Lauren J. Young edited by Dean Visser ZYN smokeless nicotine pouch containers for sale…
The Health Risks of Alcohol, a Red Dye Ban and Commercial Space Launches
A Mixed Bag for Private Spaceflight, a New Spider Species and the Health Risks of Alcohol We discuss a big week for commercial spaceflight, a red dye ban and a scary spider species in this news roundup. By Rachel Feltman, Madison Goldberg & Fonda Mwangi [CLIP: “It Doesn’t End Here (Instrumental),” by Nehemiah Pratt] Rachel…
BMI Sidelined in New Obesity Definition That Favors Health Evaluation
BMI Sidelined in New Obesity Definition That Favors Health Evaluation Instead of using the controversial body mass index, or BMI, to assess weight, an international group of scientists proposes an approach that looks at how excess body fat affects health By Giorgia Guglielmi & Nature magazine Amid the rising buzz around Ozempic and similar weight-loss…
The Supreme Court’s Trans Health Case Shows Why Patients Should Make the Decisions
Opinion The Supreme Court’s Case on Trans Health Shows Why Patients Should Make the Decisions Supreme Court arguments over trans health care makes plain how badly we need personalized health care in all of medicine By Meredithe McNamara & Dan Murphy edited by Dan Vergano A transgender rights supporter takes part in a rally outside…
When the power goes out, health risks rise
Maria Godoy Tens of thousands of people are currently without power in California, Texas and Arkansas, as wildfires ravage the West and a winter storm hits the South. Research shows when the power fails, it also raises the risk of a host of health concerns — from gastrointestinal illness to heart attacks and even burns.…
Cold weather health alert extended for England with -20C possible
Officials say impact of freezing temperatures likely to be felt across health service and amber alert to stay until Tuesday An England-wide amber health alert has been extended to Tuesday as temperatures are expected to continue to fall over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency extended the alert, which was previously in place until…
Bird Flu, Salmonella and Other Health Risks from Raw Eggs, Explained
Can You Get Bird Flu from Eggs? Your Egg Safety Questions Answered Eggs can carry nasty viruses and bacteria. Here’s how to store and eat them safely By Tanya Lewis edited by Jeanna Bryner Eggs can be eaten in many different forms: scrambled, poached, fried, boiled or in omelets, soufflés, custards or meringues. But one…
Hey, meat eaters. Your gut health can rival a vegan’s. Here’s how
Maria Godoy Our guts are home to trillions of microbes that have a profound influence on our overall health. Now, a new study finds that — whether you’re vegan, vegetarian or omnivore — the key to a healthy gut microbiome is the same: Eat lots of different plant-based foods. Gut microbes break down food that…
World Health Organization head on bond with Jimmy Carter: ‘I consider him my mentor’
By Gabrielle Emanuel The late President Jimmy Carter and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus — the director-general of the World Health Organization — knew each other for 20 years. And they clearly had deep respect for each other. In 2011, Tedros was the first non-American recipient of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award. In 2023, Rosalynn…
Lily Allen to take podcast break over mental health
Lily Allen has said she is taking a break from her podcast for “a few weeks” because her mental health is “spiralling” and she is not “in a good place”. Speaking on the latest episode of Miss Me?, the BBC Sounds show she hosts with Miquita Oliver, the pop star-turned-actor said she had been going…
A record 24 million people now get Obamacare health plans. Will it last under Trump?
Selena Simmons-Duffin Nearly 24 million Americans are buying their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act – and there’s still a week to go for open enrollment signups. “We’ve once again set a new all-time record for marketplace enrollment,” Neera Tanden, Domestic Policy Advisor to President Biden, said on a press call Tuesday. “In fact,…
American Global Health Leadership in a Second Trump Administration
Opinion American Global Health Leadership in a Second Trump Administration The Trump administration may undermine U.S. leadership and the international system of global health cooperation. Pandemic preparedness, resilient health systems and reproductive rights will suffer worldwide By Lawrence O. Gostin & Eric A. Friedman edited by Dan Vergano Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.…
‘Extensive’ inquiry after police shoot and kill man in Adelaide during mental health incident
South Australian police commissioner says officers allegedly threatened by man at Craigburn Farm took ‘action necessary to protect themselves’ Police have shot and killed a 40-year-old man in Adelaide after they said he confronted officers with a knife during a mental health episode. South Australian police shot the man at his home in the suburb…
Child mental health crisis: Better resilience is the solution, say experts
She has seen a surge in schoolchildren struggling. “It really impacts pupils at secondary school, but some are as young as seven,” she explains. “We’re seeing children with depression, anxiety and stress – and that’s leading to panic attacks, self-harm and eating disorders. They’re not making it to school or are so anxious they cannot…
Night owl or early bird? Here’s how your inner clock impacts your health
Tonya Mosley Did the holidays mess up your sleep patterns? Maybe you stayed up late ringing in the new year, or changed time zones while traveling. Science journalist Lynne Peeples says the body’s circadian rhythms are sensitive to many different types of changes — but especially to sunlight. In her new book, The Inner Clock:…
UK cut health aid to vulnerable nations while hiring their nurses, research finds
Royal College of Nursing says Labour has a duty to fix health ‘double whammy’ by raising aid and funding for UK nursing The UK cut health aid to some of the world’s vulnerable countries at the same time as recruiting thousands of their nurses, in a “double whammy” for fragile health systems, new analysis has…
Expanded seven-day health hubs to help tackle NHS waiting times in England
Proposals to be outlined by Keir Starmer will offer patients 500,000 more appointments a year, as health secretary says without reforms NHS could collapse ‘like Woolworths’ Patients in England will be offered 500,000 more appointments a year via seven-day health hubs under plans to tackle lengthy waiting times, as ministers warned the NHS could collapse…
Tish Cyrus Shares How Quitting Weed Has Affected Her Mental Health
Seven months after she stopped smoking weed, Tish Cyrus—who managed the careers of daughters Miley Cyrus and Noah Cyrus—shared insight into how quitting marijuana has affected her anxiety. Tish Cyrus is getting candid about cannabis. The podcast host—who has managed the careers of her daughters Miley Cyrus and Noah Cyrus—shared insight into why she…
Grenfell firefighters exposed to toxic smoke developed health disorders, study finds
Exclusive: Data from 524 firefighters who risked their lives showed 136 reported life-changing conditions More than a quarter of firefighters exposed to toxic smoke during the Grenfell Tower fire have had long-term health disorders, a study shows. Prof Anna Stec, a world-leading expert in toxicity who co-authored the report, found that most of the firefighters…
Health innovation centre looks to future of NHS while celebrating its past
First building to open at Huddersfield’s National Health Innovation Centre is named after NHS’s first black matron In a full-scale model of a house, a £50,000 mannequin that can breathe, blink and cough waits for the replica of an ambulance. “We can inject them and they will react. We can collapse lungs and intubate them,…
9 unexpected things we learned about mental health and our brains in 2024
By Kathleen Masterson , Andrea Muraskin “Brain rot” is the Oxford word of the year for 2024, and it’s pretty much what it sounds like: a perceived mental decline from consuming too much online media. If just reading that definition has you worried about your gray matter, never fear! Researchers are finding promising — and…
Jimmy Carter’s Quiet but Monumental Work in Global Health
Jimmy Carter (1924-2024) In his decades as a former president, he and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, helped bring lifesaving treatments and sanitation to poor people around the world. By Stephanie Nolen Stephanie Nolen, who covers global health, has observed the Carter Center’s health and aid projects in more than a dozen countries. Jimmy Carter’s five…
Share Covid data, World Health Organization tells China
The World Health Organization has urged China to share data on the origins of the Covid pandemic, five years on from its start in the city of Wuhan. “This is a moral and scientific imperative,” the WHO said in a statement to mark what it called the “milestone” anniversary. “Without transparency, sharing, and co-operation among…
Doctors without biodiversity? New plan prescribes actions linking human health, nature
If you read only the news headlines, you’d have learned that last month’s global summit on biodiversity — known as “COP16” — was not a success: “COP16 fizzles out as rich countries block global nature fund” “The COP16 biodiversity summit was a big flop for protecting nature” “COP16 ends in disarray and indecision despite biodiversity breakthroughs”…
Trump’s Pick for NIH Director Could Harm Science and People’s Health
Opinion Trump’s Pick for NIH Director Could Harm Science and People’s Health With a possible bird flu outbreak looming, Donald Trump’s choice of Jay Bhattacharya, a scientist critical of COVID policies, for the NIH is the wrong move for science and public health By Steven M. Albert edited by Tanya Lewis Jay Bhattacharya speaks during…
Five Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza as Israel also strikes Yemen
Head of the World Health Organization and other UN staff reportedly safe after strikes on Sana’a airport in Yemen Five Palestinian journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike on their vehicle in central Gaza, their employer has said, while Israel has also struck several areas in Houthi rebel-controlled Yemen in air raids. Faisal Abu al-Qumsan,…
Vladimir Putin’s Health:
The health of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been the subject of speculation for years.