Health

All Health

  • Gut check

    Changes in gut microbiome in longitudinal study of infants precede onset of celiac disease.

    INfant in doctor's hands.
  • Researchers identify signaling molecule that may help prevent Alzheimer’s

    New research in humans and mice identifies a particular signaling molecule that can help modify inflammation and the immune system to protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

    3D model of the human brain.
  • Assessing the delta variant

    Coronavirus ultimately not over, says Harvard Chan School’s William Hanage.

    Coronavirus mutation.
  • The omega-3 fatty acid that may improve heart health

    A high dose of a purified ethyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid in patients at elevated cardiac risk significantly reduces cardiovascular events.

    A 3D illustration concept of the human heart
  • Preventing UV-associated cancers by altering skin pigmentation

    An enzyme called nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase plays a key role in the production of melanin.

    UV light.
  • Why returning to ‘normal’ feels so not

    A Harvard Chan School psychologist counseled awareness and flexibility as people return to work, school, or other pre-pandemic activities.

    Illustration about anxiety and COVID.
  • Mapping the developing brain

    Researchers at Harvard University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have created a detailed atlas of a critical region of the developing mouse brain, applying multiple advanced genomic technologies to the part of the cerebral cortex that is responsible for processing sensation from the body.

    Microscopy image of the developing cerebral cortex
  • Eat the chocolate, lose the weight?

    A new study finds postmenopausal women eating a concentrated amount of chocolate during a narrow window of time in the morning may help the body burn fat and decrease blood sugar levels.

    Chocolate.
  • New center seeks to understand any ‘magic’ in mushrooms

    Massachusetts General Hospital’s new Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics aims to better understand psychedelic drugs for therapeutic purposes.

    Jerrold Rosenbaum.
  • One shot at protection

    The COVID-19 vaccine that requires just one shot has been shown to generate a robust immune responses against variants.

    Vaccine.
  • Chipping in to detect stroke

    A clinical trial found that for certain patients, a small chip under the skin may help predict the likelihood of a second stroke.

    Doctor looking at brain scans.
  • Tracking progression of disease through internet searches for symptoms

    A College senior’s research project has shown a way to more quickly understand the characteristics of emerging diseases, by examining global internet searches for symptoms.

    Tina Lu.
  • A community health worker intervention reduces hospital readmissions

    The results indicate that CHW interventions may help reduce hospital readmissions and improve preventive care.

    Stethoscope and blood pressure cuff.
  • A key to the next pandemic: An early-warning system

    How to stop a pandemic? Spot it early, let the pros spread the news, and engineer the heck out of it.

    Illustration of blood types and the world.
  • When 45 is the new 50

    An independent expert panel has recommended that individuals of average risk for colorectal cancer begin screening exams at 45 years of age instead of the traditional 50.

    A doctor studying diagnostic data of patient.
  • How unjust police killings damage the mental health of Black Americans

    Harvard Chan’s David Williams, whose research looks at how discrimination affects Black people’s health, talks about his pioneering work to assess the toll that police killings are having on Black mental health.

    David R. Williams.
  • Brainstorming a cure

    Regulatory T cells in the brain can be reprogrammed from guarding glioblastoma tumors to attacking them from within.

    Plastic brain model.
  • When you dream of feeling naked in public — without a mask

    The data gathered by Deirdre Barrett shines a light on how our subconscious is grappling with a time like no other.

    Illustration of dream about covid.
  • Unraveling medical racism

    On April 5, a group of historians tried to unravel that disturbing and familiar story of a lack of trust in the U.S. health care system in communities of color during the virtual talk “Medical Racism from 1619 to the Present: History Matters.”

    Zoom panel with Jim Downs, Susan Reverby and Evelynn Hammonds.
  • Asian Americans more worried about racist Americans than coronavirus

    A new survey shows that Asian Americans are more worried about the possibility of being a victim of pandemic-related racism than the virus itself

    Woman holding I am not a virus sign.
  • ‘Very strong degree of normality’ likely by year’s end

    Though the so-far-successful U.S. vaccination drive is likely to deliver an approximation of normal life by year’s end, Anthony Fauci and a panel of heath care experts cautioned that the global battle against COVID-19 is far from won.

    Anthony Fauci in a panel event.
  • With COVID spread, ‘racism — not race — is the risk factor’

    Since the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak, public health experts have noted the disproportionate toll on Black and brown Americans. Those groups are at much greater risk of getting infected than white people; they are two to three times likelier to be hospitalized, and twice as likely to die, according to recent estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

    Man in mask.
  • Salad or cheeseburger?

    People in our social networks influence the food we eat — both healthy and unhealthy — according to a large study of hospital employees.

    Salad.
  • Sleep easy

    Research reveals distinct types of cells that may be involved in breathing-related diseases in infants.

    Sleeping baby.
  • Untangling a young patient’s autoimmune mystery

    The Complex Care Service was created for patients like Emily Hedspeth who are, as Thompson described, “the sickest 1 percent of the sickest 1 percent.”

    Medical team at MGH.
  • A pandemic that endures for COVID long-haulers

    The health care system is seeing more “long COVID” patients, those whose often mild initial illness is followed up by months of severe, sometimes debilitating symptoms.

    Jason Maley,
  • High standards

    A study of metabolites in the urine of patients taking medical cannabis products shows that the actual THC or CBD content is often different from what they expect.

    CBD.
  • How spanking may affect brain development in children

    Spanking may affect a child’s brain development in ways similar to more severe forms of violence, according to a new study led by Harvard researchers.

    Illustration with a maze representing a child's brain.
  • Telehealth works, but upgrade is still needed, say experts

    Telehealth is experiencing a pandemic-induced boom that experts say has helped patients maintain contact with their doctors and lowered barriers to access for many. It’s important, should the change become permanent, to ensure equal access to all communities.

    Panel discussion on Zoom.
  • Approval of at-home tests releases a powerful pandemic-fighting weapon

    FDA approval of two over-the-counter rapid antigen tests promises to transform the testing landscape around COVID-19, lowering cost and giving the certainty of knowing when you’re infected to the individual, a Harvard epidemiologist said.

    Abbott BinaxNOW self test for COVID.