CNN – Health

Story by Kristen Rogers. Photographs by Carolyn Fong for CNN (CNN) — Summer passed Valerie Zeko by when she was 27, as she vegged out on the couch watching TV instead of seeing friends or exploring the overcast beach near her house. She later learned that period was her first episode of depression. “I felt

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — The United States reported a record number of measles cases in 2025, and the virus continues to spread rapidly in the new year. At least ​171 measles cases have been reported in the first two weeks of 2026, according to data published Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease

By Jen Christensen, John Bonifield, CNN (CNN) — Seven prominent medical associations on Monday sued to reverse changes to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s childhood vaccine recommendations. The lawsuit was brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Public Health Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of

By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — Whole milk could be coming to your local school cafeteria for the first time in more than a decade. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a bill that allows schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to serve whole and 2% milk alongside fat-free and low-fat versions. The

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — Opting out of childhood vaccines is becoming more common across most of the United States, leaving larger shares of the population vulnerable to preventable diseases like measles, which is continuing its record-breaking spread across the country. Exemption rates for vaccines that are typically required to attend school have increased

By Dana Santas, CNN (CNN) — Many people approach fitness with the same assumption: If they just train harder, stay consistent and push through discomfort, results will follow. But for countless exercisers, effort isn’t the issue. Stress is. Chronic stress keeps the nervous system stuck in a fight-or-flight state that quietly undermines physical progress before

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — Small changes in diet, exercise and sleep may extend life by a year when put into practice together, while making larger changes could provide more than nine additional years of life, according to a new study. Combining changes in diet, sleep and exercise also increased “health span,” or the

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN (CNN) — Five-year-old Mikko’s eyes lit up with glee when she noticed something familiar about her Barbie: The doll held a fidget spinner and wore oversize headphones, just like hers. The moment was “almost magical,” said Mikko’s mother, Precious Hill, who’s based in Las Vegas. The doll, launched Monday, is the

CNN By Jacqueline Howard, CNN (CNN) — Five-year-old Mikko’s eyes lit up with glee when she noticed something familiar about her Barbie: The doll held a fidget spinner and wore oversize headphones, just like hers. The moment was “almost magical,” said Mikko’s mother, Precious Hill, who’s based in Las Vegas. The doll, launched Monday, is

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — After a record week of flu activity in the US, hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise. About 40,000 people were admitted to the hospital with flu during the week ending January 3, according to data published Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ​about 10% more

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — Researchers came to Dr. Chris Knowles’ school in England when he was 18 years old to run an experiment. They wanted to see which novice drinkers responded the most to alcohol and who would later go on to develop a drinking problem. They placed two double vodkas in front

By Jack Guy, CNN (CNN) — Many people who stop using weight loss drugs will return to their previous weight within two years, a new review of existing research has found. This rate of weight regain is significantly faster than that seen in those who have lost weight by changing other lifestyle factors, such as

By Kristen Rogers, CNN (CNN) — If you’re eating several servings of fruits and vegetables daily, avoiding ultraprocessed foods and baking your chicken instead of frying it, you’re already following some of the newly updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The guidance released Wednesday largely retains some of the previous advice while also making room for

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — As measles outbreaks flared up across the US last year, causing a record number of cases, Scott Thorpe kept a wary eye on Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in South Carolina’s upstate region, it’s a community with pockets of residents who have

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — Common preservatives used to keep food safe and extend shelf life may be linked to a higher risk of several cancers and type 2 diabetes, according to two new studies from France. “These are very important findings for preservatives that are not only widely used in the French and

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — Flu is making people miserable from coast to coast, thanks in large part to a new strain called subclade K. That’s why infectious disease experts are telling people to run, not walk, to get this season’s flu shot if they haven’t yet. But you may be wondering whether getting

By Jacqueline Howard, Katherine Dillinger, Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — New US dietary guidelines released Wednesday echo past advice, but also include nods to US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement — urging Americans to prioritize protein and “healthy fats” and limit their consumption of ultraprocessed foods

By Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — After the Trump administration announced sweeping changes to the US childhood vaccine schedule this week, parents and pediatricians are trying to make sense of what’s driving the change and how it will affect families. Here’s what’s known so far: How is the updated childhood vaccine schedule different? The US

By Tami Luhby, Meg Tirrell, CNN (CNN) — Americans seeking to lose weight now have a new option – taking Wegovy as a daily pill, rather than a weekly injection. Patients with a prescription could obtain the starter 1.5 mg dose of the tablet as of Monday, with the higher doses becoming available by the

By Katia Hetter, CNN (CNN) — Was that you I spotted at that New Year’s Day group class at my local YMCA? If not, don’t worry. It’s not too late. The start of a new year is a natural time to think about health and make resolutions for science-backed habits that make a difference over