Health
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Researchers ID 17 risk factors shared by age-related brain disease
Study finds that modifying one factor can reduce risk of stroke, dementia, and late-life depression
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Mortality rates between Black, white Americans narrow — except in case of infants
70-year study finds widening gap despite longer life expectancy for both racial groups
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More evidence for power of exercise in study of colon cancer survival
Post-treatment physical activity narrows gap between patients and general population
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Is your shirt making you sick?
ChemFORWARD, winner of Belfer Center award, explains how its database of industrial chemicals can help protect human, environmental health
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Sniffing out signs of trouble
Researchers develop at-home test to ID those at risk of Alzheimer’s years before symptoms appear
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Machine healing
Artificial intelligence is up to the challenge of reducing human suffering, experts say. Are we?
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With an eye on climate, a helping hand for health care’s front lines
A new toolkit for community-based health centers offers advice to clinicians, patients, and administrators on how to prepare for and handle climate-related emergencies.
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It’s heart attack season
Circumstances differ person to person, specialist says, but likely culprits include medication lapses and stress.
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Send cash, not goods, and other suggestions for giving
There is no shortage of global suffering and need, says the director of Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, but you can still help.
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When pollinator populations are in peril
New Harvard study finds pollination loss removes healthy foods from global diets, increases chronic diseases causing an estimated 427,000 excess deaths annually.
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Eating more during the holidays? Don’t mistake Oreo calories for olive calories.
David Ludwig discusses the drivers of the country’s obesity crisis and how more people can maintain a healthy weight.
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N.Y. plan to involuntarily treat mentally ill homeless? Not entirely outrageous.
Katherine Koh, a street psychiatrist at Mass. General Hospital, explains the complicating factors behind New York City’s proposal to involuntarily treat mentally ill homeless people.
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Severe COVID-19 linked with brain aging
Researchers have linked the molecular signatures underlying brain aging with the cognitive decline observed in patients with severe COVID-19.
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‘What kind of husband could stand by idly for four years while his wife’s breast cancer grew?’
Barrett Rollins, wife Jane Weeks were Dana-Farber stars who kept her cancer secret nearly to end
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DASH diet’s impact differs based on race and gender
A new study shows that the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially for women and Black adults.
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New CDC guidelines a ‘corrective’ for opioid prescriptions, specialist says
The CDC updates its 2016 opioid prescribing guidelines, to emphasize flexibility over rigid practices and laws whose aim is to reduce addiction.
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Knowing what the doctor knows
Tom Delbanco explains why he supports giving patients greater access to records
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Alcohol, sleep, and politics
A new BIDMC study suggests that divisive political events like elections can negatively affect one’s sleep and emotional well-being.
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New AI tool can predict melanoma recurrence
A new AI tool may help clinicians determine which early stage melanoma patients would likely benefit from aggressive treatment even at the onset of the disease.
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When our cells turn against us
Cells are the building blocks of life, Siddhartha Mukherjee says in his new book, but their vulnerabilities are also our vulnerabilities.
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Study details better outcomes for Omicron BA.2 patients
A team led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital has determined that Omicron BA.2 is weaker than both Delta and the original Omicron variant.
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Siddhartha Mukherjee on Aristotle, COVID, and the ‘new human’
Pulitzer Prize-winning physician-author Siddhartha Mukherjee returns with “The Song of the Cell.”
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Is pandemic finally over? We asked the experts.
Harvard faculty discuss changes to views on school, work, winter’s likely surge, danger of “lethal inflexibility.”
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Building ‘bravery muscles’ to fight rising anxiety among kids
Harvard psychologist says pandemic worsened trend and screening, early intervention key to avoiding bigger problems.
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Late-night eating and weight gain
A new study explains that when we eat significantly impacts our energy expenditure, appetite, and molecular pathways in body fat.
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What makes us human? It’s all in the hips
Study shows how pelvis takes shape and what genes orchestrate the process.
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Parents are so wrong about teenage sleep and health
Harvard-affiliated study upends common myths around melatonin, weekends, school start times.
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Forget the sedatives, I’ll take some VR
Study of hand-surgery patients suggests “immersive experience” can curb need for drugs, cut hospital stay.
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Why are young people so miserable?
A Harvard-led study examining measures of well-being showed younger adults had the lowest scores of any age group.
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Breast cancer findings ‘suggest a new set of criteria for avoiding radiation’
Emerging research suggests following surgery with medication may produce similar results for patients as young as 55.
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Restricted airways, scarred lung tissue found among vapers
Study is first to microscopically evaluate the pulmonary tissue of e-cigarette users for chronic disease.
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Dramatic rise in cancer in people under 50
Altered microbiome, lack of sleep seen as possible culprits in 30-year global increase among under-50 adults
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How to reduce health risks from a gas stove
If you have a gas stove taking a few steps can help protect your household.
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Nurse practitioners fill care gaps amid surge in mental health demand
As demand for mental health care soars, nurse practitioners help offset drop in psychiatrists accepting insurance, study finds.
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Psychological, not physical factors linked to long COVID
Depression, anxiety, worry, perceived stress, and loneliness measured before infection with COVID-19 were associated with up to 45 percent increased risk of developing long COVID.
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Demystifying Parkinson’s
Vikram Khurana discussed recent advances and new, individualized approaches to Parkinson’s, as well as implications of the recent findings.