CNN Health

By Andrea Kane, CNN Editor’s note: The podcast Chasing Life With Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the medical science behind some of life’s mysteries big and small. You can listen to episodes here. (CNN) — Take a walk down the supplement aisle of any local drugstore, and you will be confronted with a floor-to-ceiling wall of

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN (CNN) — An estimated 14.3 million children globally remain completely unvaccinated, according to a new report, and public health experts point to conflict zones as threatening childhood vaccination efforts worldwide. Each year, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund publish a comprehensive report on estimates of national immunization

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — Taping your mouth shut for sleep has gone mainstream. Spurred on by celebrity endorsements and social media influencers, it’s now a billion-dollar industry. On TikTok, for example, the endorsements are widespread. One influencer claims mouth tape is the “beauty tip of life” that has changed the appearance of her

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — There was a rare and brief moment of stillness on Saturday –– after the last child waiting in the church was reunited with his parents –– when Rev. Jasiel Hernandez Garcia could sit with his staff and ask them: What do we say to the congregation? The leadership at

By Sarah Owermohle, Meg Tirrell, Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — The US Department of Health and Human Services called off an upcoming meeting of expert advisers on preventive health care, raising questions about the future of the longtime, nonpolitical advisory group. An HHS spokesperson confirmed to CNN that the US Preventive Services Task Force —

By Olivia Kemp, CNN (CNN) — The approval of the first malaria treatment for newborns and young infants could lead to imminent widespread use in Africa, drugmaker Novartis said Tuesday. The drug, known as Coartem Baby or Riamet Baby in some countries, has been approved by Swiss authorities for use in babies weighing between 2

By Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — Medical associations representing hundreds of thousands of doctors, medical professionals and scientists in the United States are suing the leaders of US health agencies for limiting who can get Covid-19 vaccines and for undermining overall vaccine confidence. The lawsuit, filed Monday in US District Court in Massachusetts, was brought

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — Maybe you’d like to spend time on hobbies or hang out with friends, but nothing feels as exciting and engaging as it used to –– so you just squander another hour on social media. Your problem may have to do with your dopamine levels. In many parts of the

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — Falling childhood vaccine coverage and a large, smoldering outbreak that was kindled in an undervaccinated pocket of West Texas have driven the United States to a troubling new milestone: There have been more measles cases in the US this year than any other since the disease was declared eliminated

By Dana Santas, CNN (CNN) — If you’ve been dealing with persistent tension, poor posture or nagging pain, it’s worth checking in on your breathing. How you breathe not only reflects your movement quality — it also holds the power to change it for the better. Most people understand breathing’s role as a life-sustaining function

By Katia Hetter, CNN (CNN) — We all know that regular exercise has many benefits, including reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Exercise also improves outcomes in patients with cancer, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Patients with cancer who participated in

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — You don’t have to sacrifice style for sustainability. Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright, called The Sorry Girls online, are proving you can go green without losing style cred with the content they create. MacDermaid envisioned her ideal wedding outfit and then sourced it preloved on Facebook Marketplace. Wright designed

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — There is strong evidence that there is “no safe amount” of processed meat to eat, nutrition experts say in response to a new study on the connection between diet and the risk of major diseases, including cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The researchers also found elevated risks

By Kristen Rogers, CNN (CNN) — Scientists have detected microplastics — the tiny and pervasive fragments now found in our seas, drinking water, food and, increasingly, living tissue — in human semen and follicular fluid, according to new research. A small group of 25 women and 18 men participated in the research, published Tuesday in

By Kristen Rogers, CNN (CNN) — After working from home all day, your takeout order arrives and you start binge-watching your favorite show alone. Sounds ideal, right? Except doing this routinely could shorten your life. And that’s not because of the nutritional content of your dinner. It’s because having strong, positive relationships is one of

Personal essay by Mary Frances Ruskell, CNN Haarlem, the Netherlands (CNN) — The summer before sixth grade, my friend Lou and I discovered an empty lot with an abandoned dock on the lake in her neighborhood in Columbia, South Carolina. It was always magical there. We only went in the late afternoon to avoid the

By Brenda Goodman, Asuka Koda, Katherine Dillinger, Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN (CNN) — A startling new vision of vaccination in America is becoming clearer — one likely to involve fresh scrutiny of established science and practices, and limits on vaccines that have been studied for decades. The first meeting of new vaccine advisers to the US

By Karla Walsh, CNN (CNN) — Whether it’s stems and skins or past-their-prime protein and produce, you’re probably throwing a lot of perfectly good food in the trash. Such waste doesn’t come cheap. The average American throws away $728 worth of food per year, which adds up to nearly $3,000 for a family of four,

By Brenda Goodman, Meg Tirrell, CNN (CNN) — A new slate of vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted Thursday to recommend that Americans receive influenza vaccines that are free of thimerosal even though there is no evidence of harm from the preservative. The closely watched vote was among the

By Kristen Rogers, CNN (CNN) — In the crusade to reduce chronic disease and neurobehavioral issues in the United States, synthetic food dyes are a hot target. California began paving the way for legislation against petroleum-based synthetic dyes a few years ago, based on health concerns including a potentially increased risk of cancer and neurobehavioral

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — At the start of an unprecedented meeting of vaccine committee of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency scientists who normally generate and interpret data to inform this group’s votes were in an unusual position: answering questions and countering statements that cast doubt on the safety

By Gina Park, CNN (CNN) — Now that it’s summer, I need to go to the gym and eat healthy — and I should probably add meditation to the list, too. Not only do I need to start these habits; I need discipline to stick to them. Every time I check my phone, I see

By Meg Tirrell, CNN (CNN) — A century ago, one of the biggest safety concerns about vaccines involved bacterial contamination. In 1916, four young children died in South Carolina after receiving typhoid vaccine that had been contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Twelve years later, 12 children in Queensland, Australia, died from tainted immunizations against diphtheria.

By Meg Tirrell, CNN (CNN) — At the first meeting of a controversial new group of vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the committee announced new plans to study established vaccine guidelines. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will create new work groups to study the cumulative effects of the

By Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — Routine vaccines have prevented the deaths of about 154 million children around the world over the past 50 years, a new study shows, but efforts have been slowing recently, allowing for the growth of some vaccine-preventable diseases. This backslide could lead to many more unnecessary illnesses and deaths without

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — When it comes to measuring weight, BMI is the acronym everyone loves to hate. Health professionals have long used body mass index as a quick screening tool to fast-track certain patients into a “code red” management plan — people whose weight puts them in danger of future health problems.

By Sarah Owermohle, Meg Tirrell, CNN (CNN) — Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday launched a fresh interrogation into federal health officials’ decision to dismiss more than a dozen appointed vaccine experts, amid building concern over a meeting this week that could see Covid-19 and influenza vaccines thrown into question. The Massachusetts Democrat dispatched a letter

By Lisa Drayer, CNN (CNN) — When you’re thirsty and in need of a drink, which beverages are best at keeping you hydrated? Sure, you can always reach for a glass of water — but plain H20 isn’t the most hydrating beverage around, according to a study from Scotland’s St. Andrews University that compared the

By Sarah Owermohle, CNN (CNN) — Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy on Monday night called for federal health officials to postpone this week’s meetings of outside vaccine advisers, citing a small, newly appointed panel and concerns about biases against vaccines. Cassidy’s push to delay the meeting comes after multiple efforts from the Louisiana doctor to ensure

By Brenda Goodman, Meg Tirrell, CNN (CNN) — A former leader of the anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense will present this week on thimerosal in flu vaccines at a meeting of the newly appointed vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a CDC official with knowledge of the decision