Health & Medicine
- Health & Medicine
HDL ‘good’ cholesterol isn’t always good for heart health
High levels of HDL cholesterol don’t appear to protect against heart disease, while harm from low levels may depend on race, a study reports.
- Health & Medicine
Why it’s easier to catch a cold, the flu or COVID in the winter
Low humidity protects viruses and cold temperatures may blunt some immune responses, making viral infections like colds, flu and COVID-19 more likely.
- Health & Medicine
4 key things to know about lung infections caused by fungi
News that three kinds of fungi are more widespread than previously thought prompted reader questions about risk, symptoms and more. We answer them.
- Genetics
50 years ago, scientists sequenced a gene for the first time
Within five decades, scientists went from sequencing a single gene to sequencing the entire human genome.
- Health & Medicine
Fungi that cause serious lung infections are now found throughout the U.S.
Doctors should be on the lookout for three types of fungi that, when inhaled, can lead to serious infections, researchers say.
- Health & Medicine
Brain scans suggest the pandemic prematurely aged teens’ brains
A small study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may have aged teen brains beyond their years.
By Freda Kreier - Health & Medicine
These 5 biomedical advances gave 2022 a sci-fi feel
Big steps in biology and medicine include pig to human organ transplants, synthetic embryos and a fully complete human genome.
By Meghan Rosen - Health & Medicine
Medical racism didn’t begin or end with the syphilis study at Tuskegee
Racism that fueled the syphilis study still permeates the U.S. health care system, causing disparities in access to medical care and health measures.
- Health & Medicine
2022 was the year long COVID couldn’t be ignored
Long covid’s heavy toll grew clearer as millions of people reported lingering symptoms, and scientists and doctors looked for treatments.
- Health & Medicine
Some common medical terms may be more confusing than doctors think
Got ‘bugs in your urine’ or an ‘impressive’ X-ray? Doctors’ jargon can be confusing, especially terms with different everyday and medical meanings.
By Meghan Rosen - Health & Medicine
How 4 major coronavirus tools impacted the pandemic in 2022
During the third year of the pandemic, young kids got vaccines, a new booster shot came along, the use of at-home tests soared and Paxlovid became widely available.
- Health & Medicine
Viruses other than the coronavirus made headlines in 2022
Here’s the latest on monkeypox, Ebola, bird flu and other outbreaks that hit this year.