Health
Do you need to control your cortisol? Probably not, doctors say
Cortisol, what is known as the stress hormone, is the talk of the internet. Wellness influencers warn about the various symptoms of chronically high cortisol: waking up at 3 a.m., swollen “cortisol face” and accumulating belly fat. And many offer diet and exercise routines that they claim will help. But… Read
Malaria researchers are getting closer to outsmarting the world’s deadliest parasite
Every year, malaria kills more than 600,000 people worldwide. Most of them are children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa. But the disease isn’t confined to poor, rural areas – it’s a global threat that travels with people across borders. For decades, the fight against malaria has felt like running in… Read
Doctors share best ways to get the most from a bidet
Once considered an oddity in American homes, bidets are becoming increasingly common as more people seek a hygienic and sustainable alternative to toilet paper or a hand managing certain physical conditions. Toilet paper shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic helped demystify the devices for U.S. consumers, although Italy, Japan and some… Read
Being a night owl may not be great for your heart but you can do something about it
Being a night owl can be bad for your heart. That may sound surprising but a large study found people who are more active late at night — when most of the population is winding down or already asleep — have poorer overall heart health than the average person. “It… Read
U.S. exit from World Health Organization – here’s what the U.S. and world will lose
The U.S. departure from the World Health Organization became official in late January, according to the Trump administration – a year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on inauguration day of his second term declaring that he was doing so. He first stated his intention to do so… Read
How to assess microplastics in our bodies? Scientists have a plan
How many tiny pieces of plastic are currently inside your body? A series of headline-grabbing studies in the last few years have claimed to have found microplastics throughout human bodies -- inside blood, organs and even brains. However, some of this research has recently come under stinging criticism from scientists.… Read
AI helps doctors spot breast cancer in scans: world-first trial
Artificial intelligence helps doctors spot more cases of breast cancer when reading routine scans, a world-first trial found Friday. The results suggest countries should roll out programs taking advantage of AI's scanning power to ease the workload of short-staffed radiologists, the Swedish lead researchers said. Well before the release of… Read
What to know about breast self-awareness and how it fits into cancer prevention
What does it mean to have breast self-awareness? It's a more general, flexible approach to breast cancer prevention that involves staying familiar with how your breasts look and feel. It goes along with other early detection measures like getting regular mammograms. Doctors suggest breast self-awareness as an alternative to self-exams… Read
Sleep-tracking devices have limits. Experts want users to know what they are
Your watch says you had three hours of deep sleep. Should you believe it? Millions of people rely on phone apps and wearable devices like rings, smartwatches and sensors to monitor how well they're sleeping, but these trackers don’t necessarily measure sleep directly. Instead, they infer states of slumber from… Read
Your brain can be trained, much like your muscles – a neurologist explains how to boost your brain health
If you have ever lifted a weight, you know the routine: challenge the muscle, give it rest, feed it and repeat. Over time, it grows stronger. Of course, muscles only grow when the challenge increases over time. Continually lifting the same weight the same way stops working. It might come… Read
