CNN – Health

By Taylor Nicioli, CNN (CNN) — “There’s a woodpecker over there!” Alyssa Caribardi watched as her friend whipped her head around to look out the window and seek out the bird. And with that simple gesture, Caribardi knew their friendship would last. In what may seem like a small, everyday exchange, her friend’s reaction was

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — When US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy pushed last week for a tobacco-style warning on social media, he called the mental health crisis in young people an emergency that demanded action without waiting for “perfect information.” Even among experts, questions remain about the exact role that social media plays in the

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — A new ketamine pill may help hard-to-treat depression with fewer side effects than other forms of the treatment, early research suggests. Technically, no form of ketamine has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat any psychiatric disorder, including depression. A derivative of ketamine, called esketamine,

By Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN (CNN) — With summer officially here, many people are excited to go hiking along their favorite local trails or tackle an out-of-town bucket-list hike. But before you grab your backpack and race out the door, hiking and safety officials urge caution. Temperatures are already soaring in many parts of the

By Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — Four menthol vaping products were authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration on Friday, the first non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarette products to get the agency’s sign-off. The decision drew harsh criticism from pediatricians and anti-tobacco groups, which called it “a blow to public health” and warned of potential for “disastrous

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — As our planet endures what may be the hottest year on record, social media influencers are spawning messages about the sun and sunscreen that are not only false, but dangerous, say experts. “Stop wearing sunscreen,” says a TikTok influencer with 1.6 million followers and 36 million likes. “The more

By Katia Hetter, CNN (CNN) — For people in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s summer and you might be inspired to get outdoors to move more. But the weather is getting too warm in some places for people to exercise safely outside. We know that adults should aim for at least 150 minutes  of moderate-intensity physical activity weekly.

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — Having grown up with food insecurity, Kimi Ceridon and her sister see how their childhood experiences continue to leave their mark on their lives. Ceridon looks back on how she would sneak off to her room with any extras she could come by. And now, she is protective of

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — Obesity isn’t just a matter of food and exercise — it may be in your genetic code, according to new research. “Obesity’s causes are very complex and in the majority of cases, the combination of many factors. In this study, however, we found a clear genetic trigger for obesity,”

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN (CNN) — The US Food and Drug Administration has given the green light for the first gene therapy that treats a rare form of muscular dystrophy to be used in most people who have the disease and a certain genetic mutation. Last year, the drug – Elevidys, from the biotech company

By Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — Rates of emergency medical services encounters for firearm injuries spiked in 2021 to more than 25% over 2019 levels, but they began to fall in the following years. However, rates were still higher in 2023 than before the Covid-19 pandemic began, a new study says. Young Black men who

By Kristen Rogers, CNN (CNN) — For some people with depression, finding the right medication can be a process of trial and error lasting for months or even years, which can worsen symptoms. But what if doctors, when diagnosing someone with depression, could assess exactly how depression is affecting a patient’s brain and prescribe a

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — Low back pain affects at least 619 million people worldwide, and that number is expected to increase to 843 million people by 2050, according to research estimates. Unfortunately, nearly 70% of people who recover from an episode of low back pain have a recurrence within a year, experts say.

By Jack Guy, CNN (CNN) — Scientists have found microplastics in human penises for the first time, as concerns over the tiny particles’ proliferation and potential health effects mount. Seven different kinds of microplastics were found in four out of five samples of penis tissue taken from five different men as part of a study

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — In the last couple years, Houston Women’s Reproductive Services scaled down from nearly 5,000 square-feet to an 800-square-foot location. The Texas clinic cut more than a dozen full-time employees down to a medical director and three part-time staff members. It’s no longer able to provide abortions, but it changed

By Matt Villano, CNN (CNN) — The intersection of kids and screen time is causing quite a stir among parents, experts and even the US Surgeon General (who wants social media apps labeled) these days. Earlier this year, a New York University social psychologist published a best-selling book about the supposed dangers of smart phones

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — Retirement should be filled with time with loved ones, relaxation and—according to new research—heavy lifting. As people get older, their skeletal muscle function declines, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. “If you do resistance training at this age, benefits in

By Maya Davis, CNN (CNN) — The US Food and Drug Administration is reporting increases in the number of illnesses associated with Diamond Shruumz edible products, with at least 16 hospitalizations and 26 total illnesses reported in 16 states as of Monday. Symptoms have included seizures, muscle rigidity, abnormal heart rate and blood pressure, and

CNN By Andrea Kane, CNN (CNN) — “Don’t let the bastards wear you down.” That phrase, instilled in Dr. Anthony Fauci when he was a student at the Jesuit-run Regis High School in New York City, might as well be the motto of his professional life. Even though he chose a career centered in science,

By Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — The US Preventive Services Task Force updated its final recommendations Tuesday for how primary care clinicians can best help children with a high body mass index, the measure most practitioners use to determine whether a person has obesity. The task force suggested that extensive and intensive behavioral interventions are