Health

The latest news in medicine and wellness: From findings on heart disease, to facts about fitness, to breakthroughs on COVID-19.

Latest in Health

desk with mug and kleenex
Health

It’s already time to get your flu shot (yes, really)

By Sara Chodosh

No, you can’t get the flu from a flu shot
Health

No, you can’t get the flu from a flu shot

By LibRichards/The Conversation

Teen tobacco habits show peer pressure can be a force for good
Health

Teen tobacco habits show peer pressure can be a force for good

By Nicole Wetsman

There are now 805 cases of ‘vaping lung’ and at least a dozen deaths
Health

There are now 805 cases of ‘vaping lung’ and at least a dozen deaths

By Rachel Feltman

Why countries with loads of nutritious fish also have the most malnourished residents
Animals

Why countries with loads of nutritious fish also have the most malnourished residents

By Kat Eschner

Juul’s CEO will step down amid increased public scrutiny of its vaping products 
Health

Juul’s CEO will step down amid increased public scrutiny of its vaping products 

By Grace Wade

DNA databases may deter criminals, but at what cost?
Health

DNA databases may deter criminals, but at what cost?

By Oscar Schwartz/Undark

The weirdest things we learned this week: 10k steps a day is totally made up and Charmin knows exactly how you poop
Fitness & Exercise

The weirdest things we learned this week: 10k steps a day is totally made up and Charmin knows exactly how you poop

By Popular Science Team

Apple Watches may soon decide when to administer medications
Gear

Apple Watches may soon decide when to administer medications

By Nicole Wetsman

Stress and sleeplessness has been a problem since the Victorian era
Health

Stress and sleeplessness has been a problem since the Victorian era

By Sally Shuttleworth/The Conversation

Despite appearances, your cat does love you
Animals

Despite appearances, your cat does love you

By Kat Eschner

three plus-size women take a selfie
Health

Fat-shaming only makes the obesity epidemic worse

By Sara Chodosh

‘Hormone diets’ might work—but not for the reason you think
Health

‘Hormone diets’ might work—but not for the reason you think

By Robert Naughton/The Conversation

182,000 Indians clean sewers largely by hand. These robots could help.
Health

182,000 Indians clean sewers largely by hand. These robots could help.

By Puja Changoiwala/Undark

Your guide to riding a bike again
DIY

Your guide to riding a bike again

By Dan Seitz

man inhaling from vape pen
Health

Everything we know about the outbreak of mysterious vaping-related diseases

By Kat Eschner

sleeping baby
Health

C-section babies have a unique microbiome—here’s why that matters

By Nicole Wetsman

woman eating a sandwich
DIY

So you want to try intermittent fasting. Here’s how to do it.

By Nicole Wetsman

Trying to eat eco-friendly? These charts show how different diets could change the planet.
Climate Change

Trying to eat eco-friendly? These charts show how different diets could change the planet.

By Sara Chodosh

The key to curing the common cold could lurk within our own cells
Gene Editing

The key to curing the common cold could lurk within our own cells

By Kat Eschner

This deadly fungal disease could use climate change to mobilize
Climate Change

This deadly fungal disease could use climate change to mobilize

By Nicole Wetsman

Most people don’t know the true dangers of HPV
Health

Most people don’t know the true dangers of HPV

By Kat Eschner

Fatal car crashes are way more likely with teens behind the wheel—but is inexperience really to blame?
Health

Fatal car crashes are way more likely with teens behind the wheel—but is inexperience really to blame?

By Kat Eschner

Panic might be triggered by signals from your bones
Biology

Panic might be triggered by signals from your bones

By Kat Eschner

A ban on flavored vaping products could help signal to teens that vaping isn’t as safe as they think
Health

A ban on flavored vaping products could help signal to teens that vaping isn’t as safe as they think

By Nicole Wetsman

Why some experts are trying to redefine suicide
Health

Why some experts are trying to redefine suicide

By Temma Ehrenfeld/Undark

Purdue Pharma agrees to pay billions of dollars for the opioid epidemic—and it’s not done yet
Health

Purdue Pharma agrees to pay billions of dollars for the opioid epidemic—and it’s not done yet

By Nicole Wetsman

Evidence shows Juul illegally marketed vaping as safer than smoking
Health

Evidence shows Juul illegally marketed vaping as safer than smoking

By Nicole Wetsman

Motion sickness is proof that your body is functioning as evolution intended
Biology

Motion sickness is proof that your body is functioning as evolution intended

By Spencer Salter/The Conversation

Shiny tongues, leaky bladders, and the other strange symptoms of vitamin deficiencies
Diseases

Shiny tongues, leaky bladders, and the other strange symptoms of vitamin deficiencies

By Sara Chodosh

Why do clowns creep us out?
Health

Why do clowns creep us out?

By Frank T. McAndrew/The Conversation

You can’t do a sexual assault exam at home, despite what this startup says
Health

You can’t do a sexual assault exam at home, despite what this startup says

By Nicole Wetsman

Cancer has now surpassed heart disease as the number one killer in some populations
Diseases

Cancer has now surpassed heart disease as the number one killer in some populations

By Kat Eschner

Having too much time to prepare for a hurricane could actually be a bad thing
Environment

Having too much time to prepare for a hurricane could actually be a bad thing

By Nicole Wetsman

A hanging cluster of pokeweed berries
DIY

10 common plants that can hurt you

By Bill Heavey

When to give up on the food in your pantry
DIY

When to give up on the food in your pantry

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

Stop saving your umbrella for a rainy day
Health

Stop saving your umbrella for a rainy day

By Jonathan Coopersmith/The Conversation

holding pink toothbrush
DIY

How to be a responsible adult and brush your teeth properly

By Harry Guinness

Breaking news: driving an eScooter when you’re drunk is a very bad idea
Health

Breaking news: driving an eScooter when you’re drunk is a very bad idea

By Jessica Boddy

A massive study confirms no one ‘gay gene’ controls sexual preference
Health

A massive study confirms no one ‘gay gene’ controls sexual preference

By Nicole Wetsman

Concentrated cannabis is much stronger than weed and it’s gaining popularity—especially with teens
Health

Concentrated cannabis is much stronger than weed and it’s gaining popularity—especially with teens

By Nicole Wetsman

The banana as we know it is doomed
Diseases

The banana as we know it is doomed

By Ellen Airhart

A mysterious lung disease that strikes vaping teens just caused its first fatality
Health

A mysterious lung disease that strikes vaping teens just caused its first fatality

By Kat Eschner

This new Salmonella ‘superbug’ is probably no scarier than the flu
Food Safety

This new Salmonella ‘superbug’ is probably no scarier than the flu

By Sara Chodosh

Menstrual cups were invented in 1867. What took them so long to gain popularity?
Health

Menstrual cups were invented in 1867. What took them so long to gain popularity?

By Marion Renault

Border detention centers won’t give vaccines, despite flu deaths and potential U.S. outbreaks
Health

Border detention centers won’t give vaccines, despite flu deaths and potential U.S. outbreaks

By Nicole Wetsman

How elite drivers train to endure the punishing conditions of pro racing
Fitness & Exercise

How elite drivers train to endure the punishing conditions of pro racing

By Dan Carney

Running in the snow
Diabetes

Remember brown fat? We may finally know why it’s so darn good for you.

By Kat Eschner

How to avoid summer colds
DIY

How to avoid summer colds

By Dan Seitz

New research links air pollution to increased risk of depression and bipolar disorder
Climate Change

New research links air pollution to increased risk of depression and bipolar disorder

By Nicole Wetsman

Legionnaires’ disease is totally preventable, but surprisingly deadly
Diseases

Legionnaires’ disease is totally preventable, but surprisingly deadly

By Brian Labus/The Conversation

person playing chess
Health

Why the smartest people can make the dumbest mistakes

By David Robson

The UK just lost its measles elimination status. We could be next.
Health

The UK just lost its measles elimination status. We could be next.

By Rachel Feltman

New graphic FDA warnings aim to scare smokers with the consequences of their habit
Health

New graphic FDA warnings aim to scare smokers with the consequences of their habit

By Sara Chodosh

This newly discovered leech lurked in plain sight for decades
Animals

This newly discovered leech lurked in plain sight for decades

By Marion Renault

Your annual checkup could soon include screening for illicit drug use
Health

Your annual checkup could soon include screening for illicit drug use

By Nicole Wetsman

You might be withholding life-threatening information from your doctor without knowing it
Health

You might be withholding life-threatening information from your doctor without knowing it

By Kat Eschner

Eating less gluten could lower a child’s risk of celiac, but at what cost?
Food Safety

Eating less gluten could lower a child’s risk of celiac, but at what cost?

By Sara Chodosh

Ebola hasn’t been cured yet, but two experimental drugs are showing significant progress
Health

Ebola hasn’t been cured yet, but two experimental drugs are showing significant progress

By Nicole Wetsman

This cautionary tale shows how dangerous dentures can be
Health

This cautionary tale shows how dangerous dentures can be

By Marion Renault

hospital food
Health

A new species of superbug is emerging—and it loves when you eat sugar

By Kat Eschner

Some viruses can actually protect our health
Biology

Some viruses can actually protect our health

By Cynthia Mathew/The Conversation

The CDC says more prescriptions of overdose reversal drug naloxone are needed
Health

The CDC says more prescriptions of overdose reversal drug naloxone are needed

By Nicole Wetsman

crispr
Gene Editing

Doctors altered a person’s genes with CRISPR for the first time in the U.S. Here’s what could be next.

By Donavyn Coffey

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