CNN – Health

By Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — The US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing that it will label nine of the thousands of PFAS “forever chemicals” as hazardous. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, are considered a “forever chemical” because it takes a long time to break down in the environment and in the human body.

By Katia Hetter, CNN (CNN) — Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, where one person dies every 33 seconds from cardiovascular disease. In total, heart disease claims the lives of 1 in 5 people. February is American Heart Month, so it’s worth the reminder that taking care of your heart can

By Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — The rate of preterm births in the United States has been rising, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, potentially creating more health problems for infants and mothers. The report, published this week, found that the rate

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN (CNN) — The longstanding problem of pulse oximeters providing less-accurate readings for people with dark skin tones got another look Friday from a panel of experts for the US Food and Drug Administration. The agency’s Anesthesiology and Respiratory Therapy Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee held a meeting to

By David G. Allan, CNN (CNN) — “It’s not true that life is one damn thing after another – it’s one damn thing over and over.” — Edna St. Vincent Millay I’ve seen the 1993 film “Groundhog Day” again and again and again, but only once on the big screen, a few years after it

By Mira Cheng, CNN (CNN) — Novo Nordisk, maker of the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, says it has started to increase the availability of the drug for people in the United States. Demand-driven supply shortages forced the company to limit the availability of Wegovy starter doses in May. “I’m very pleased to state that we

By Amanda Musa, CNN (CNN) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is linking a “cluster of severe illness” to products with the unapproved drug tianeptine, also known as “gas station heroin,” that could also contain synthetic cannabis. Neptune Resources, which makes some tianeptine products, has issued a nationwide recall, according to an

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — A shot of the latest Covid-19 vaccine can help cut the chances of getting a symptomatic infection by half, early data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests. Vaccine manufacturers updated their formulations to target the Omicron variant XBB.1.5, which was the predominant circulating strain for

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — Why do many people overeat chips, cereals, cakes, puddings and other ultraprocessed foods despite knowing those foods may not be healthy? According to emerging science, it may be due to manufacturing processes that “predigest” raw food ingredients — creating ultraprocessed foods that bypass the body’s signals of fullness. You

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN (CNN) — Some people being treated for opioid use disorders can soon take home doses of their methadone medications or schedule telehealth appointments in ways they haven’t always been able to do before. For the first time in more than two decades, the US Department of Health and Human Services is

By Amanda Musa, CNN (CNN) — A year ago, Corrina Montejano decided to take part in Dry January and completely remove alcohol from her life for a month. She had attempted the challenge in the past but would typically throw in the towel after about a week. But in 2023, Montejano became aware of the

By Mira Cheng, CNN (CNN) — The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning against buying or using South Moon, Rebright and FivFivGo eye drops because of a potential risk of infection. The agency said in an announcement Wednesday that these unapproved copycat products can be easily mistaken for Bausch + Lomb’s Lumify

By Kristen Rogers, CNN (CNN) — Polycystic ovary syndrome, known as PCOS, has long been known for symptoms such as missed periods or excess body hair. Now, new research has revealed another potential effect: cognitive dysfunction later in life. The scientific report “is one of the few studies to investigate cognitive functioning and brain outcomes

CNN By AJ Willingham, CNN (CNN) — Generally, when someone asks “How are you doing,” you don’t actually tell them how you’re doing. Without this piece of common etiquette, we would be pinned in place for hours by vague acquaintances spinning monologues of crushing ennui. We would entrap cashiers, bank tellers, parking attendants and coworkers

By AJ Willingham, CNN (CNN) — Generally, when someone asks “How are you doing,” you don’t actually tell them how you’re doing. Without this piece of common etiquette, we would be pinned in place for hours by vague acquaintances spinning monologues of crushing ennui. We would entrap cashiers, bank tellers, parking attendants and coworkers with

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — Military and civilian personnel who lived and worked at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina in the mid-1970s and ’80s are more likely to be diagnosed with certain cancers compared with those stationed at a similar military base in California during the same period, a highly anticipated new government study

By Carma Hassan and Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — The Alzheimer’s medication Aduhelm is being discontinued by drugmaker Biogen as it shifts resources to its other Alzheimer’s medication, Leqembi, and developing other treatments, the company said in a statement Wednesday. “As a pioneer in Alzheimer’s disease, Biogen is reprioritizing resources to build a leading franchise

By Jessica DuLong, CNN (CNN) — Does the number of unread messages in your inbox leave you lightheaded? Do your thumbs ache from tiny-keyboard typing? Have you forgotten what your real-life friends look like without an Instagram filter? It’s time for an intervention, and Julio Vincent Gambuto has just the remedy: unsubscribe. Thirty-one percent of

CNN By Alexandra Banner, CNN (CNN) — Rent is unaffordable for over half of US tenants following years of surging prices. However, many analysts are optimistic that the increase in the construction of multiple-unit buildings and apartments will soon help boost the supply of attainable housing. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up

By Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — Elon Musk’s startup Neuralink implanted a computer chip in a person’s brain on Sunday, he said in a post on his X platform Monday, although he offered few details. Other companies doing similar work are farther along in the research process – for example, Synchron has been enrolling and implanting people