CNN – Health

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN Colon cancer has claimed another life. Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner Kirstie Alley, best known for her roles in the television sitcoms “Cheers” and “Veronica’s Closet,” died Monday at age 71 after battling cancer that was “recently discovered,” according to a family statement. A representative for Alley confirmed to CNN

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN More than 1,200 pregnant and postpartum women died of a drug overdose in the US in 2020, with overdoses involved in more than 1 in 6 pregnancy-associated deaths that year, according to a new study. Drug overdose deaths reached record levels nationwide during the Covid-19 pandemic, and research published Tuesday suggests

By Dana Santas, CNN For many people, back pain can make it difficult to function in everyday life. It affects how you move, feel and think, leaving you with no choice but to take some kind of action to alleviate the pain. But what if, instead of being reactive, you took small daily steps to

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN A chill is in the air, and you all know what that means — it’s time for cold and flu season, when it seems everyone you know is suddenly sneezing, sniffling or worse. It’s almost as if those pesky cold and flu germs whirl in with the first blast of winter

By Brenda Goodman, CNN This year’s flu shot appears to be “a very good match” to the circulating strains, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a news briefing Monday. However, she noted that flu vaccinations are lagging behind the pace of previous years. Through the end of October,

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN Hearing aids might be an important tool in the effort to prevent cognitive decline and dementia, according to a new study. Research has established that hearing loss in an important risk factor in developing dementia, but whether intervening with the hearing loss will also treat the progression of cognitive decline has

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN We all eat them — ultraprocessed foods such as frozen pizza and ready-to-eat meals make our busy lives much easier. Besides, they are just darn tasty — who isn’t susceptible to hot dogs, sausages, burgers, french fries, sodas, cookies, cakes, candy, doughnuts and ice cream, to name just a few? If

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN Pfizer and BioNTech have submitted an application to the US Food and Drug Administration for their updated Covid-19 vaccine to be used as the third shot in the three-dose primary vaccine series for children ages 6 months through 4 years. The vaccine makers announced on Monday that if authorized for emergency

By Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN When the temperature drops and snow begins to fall, many people can’t wait to hit the slopes or ice rink. Winter fun is on their minds, not injury. Yet if you don’t thoughtfully prepare for your favored activity, it’s easy to have a mishap. Nearly 200,000 people were injured in

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN Some people suffering pain from cancer and other chronic diseases turn to marijuana to ease their suffering, but much of that relief may come from simply believing weed will help, a new study found. In research, the tendency to have positive expectations that a dummy pill, procedure or treatment will help

By Jen Christensen, CNN The brains of US teens have physically changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, aging faster than normal, a new study says. The young study participants also reported more severe symptoms of anxiety, depression and what scientists call internalized problems — meaning feelings of sadness, low self-esteem and fear and trouble regulating their