Health
Discover facts about health. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Health
A single psychedelic session eased end-of-life fear
In a small Johns Hopkins study, a supervised high-dose psilocybin session, combined with psychological support, brought lasting relief from anxiety or…
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An electrical implant can help treat rheumatoid arthritis
A vagus-nerve implant sends pulses into a pathway that helps regulate inflammatory signaling. In 2025, the FDA approved the SetPoint System for certain adults…
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A bone-marrow transplant gave one man HIV-resistant immune cells
Leukemia treatment replaced Timothy Ray Brown’s blood-forming cells with marrow from a donor whose rare CCR5-delta32 mutation left many immune cells without a…
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How smartwatch sensors can flag silent atrial fibrillation
Green light from a smartwatch enters the skin, and the watch measures how much bounces back as blood moves through tiny vessels. Atrial fibrillation can make…
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What your stool can reveal about Crohn's disease
Gut microbes make chemicals as they break down food, and fecal metabolomics measures those chemicals in stool. Researchers have found less butyrate—a…
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A chemical can interfere with the body’s messaging system
BPA is studied as an endocrine disruptor because it can interact with hormone-signaling pathways. Hormones work as messages at very low concentrations, so…
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A tattoo can trigger an allergy years later
Ink stays in your skin long after the needle leaves, so an immune reaction does not have to start on tattoo day. Red ink is a frequent culprit: itching,…
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Why some delivery rooms are being redesigned for trauma survivors
For someone with a history of sexual trauma, bright lights, exams, and having decisions made for them can bring back the feeling of being unsafe.…
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Dengue can spread locally when travelers and mosquitoes complete the chain
A traveler carrying the virus can arrive somewhere with mosquitoes capable of transmitting it. If local conditions allow those mosquitoes to thrive, they can…
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A diet trial treated food as part of depression care
In the small SMILES trial, adults with depression received either dietary support or a social-support comparison for 12 weeks. About a third in the diet group…
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Temple Grandin designed a hug she could control
Her squeeze machine applies broad, adjustable pressure with padded panels, allowing the user to control the contact. That predictability matters when another…
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Why long bike rides can cause shocking pelvic pain
That shocking pelvic pain can start where the bike seat presses, not where it seems to hurt. Pressure may irritate the pudendal nerve, whose branches serve…
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How strength training helps fight muscle loss in old age
Resistance exercises give muscles a reason to rebuild and grow stronger. With training that gradually increases the challenge, older adults can regain…
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A cooling glove uses the palm as a heat-exchange window
Stanford researchers developed a device that draws heat from blood flowing through specialized vessels in the palm. Cooling that blood during exercise…
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Blood tests reveal how widely PFAS exposure has spread
U.S. biomonitoring has detected several PFAS chemicals in most people tested. Their persistence and widespread use let exposure accumulate across sources such…
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Your phone may spot mood changes before you do
Your phone doesn’t read your mood directly; it can reveal changes in the routines that often travel with it. A person might move around less or type…
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A cranberry experiment changed gut microbes in four days
In a small human study, volunteers took cranberry extract twice daily before researchers compared their samples. The team reported changes in gut bacteria,…
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A concussion trial tested what happens when screens go dark
In a randomized study of patients aged 12 to 25, avoiding screens for the first 48 hours was associated with faster symptom recovery than being allowed screen…
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Why standing up can feel like a marathon after illness
After some viral infections, dysautonomia can disrupt the nervous system’s control of blood pressure. When you stand, blood shifts downward; if your body…
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Why codeine can affect people so differently
The liver uses an enzyme called CYP2D6 to turn codeine into morphine, which provides much of the drug’s pain-relieving effect. Genetic differences can make…
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Why Ehlers-Danlos can take years to diagnose
Ehlers-Danlos syndromes affect connective tissue, which supports structures throughout the body. So joint instability and digestive problems can show up as…
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A pacemaker-like implant can treat treatment-resistant depression
A device placed in the chest delivers pulses to the vagus nerve, which carries signals between the body and the brainstem. The stimulation can affect brain…
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An immune response can send signals beyond the infection
In mouse studies, influenza infection during pregnancy affected offspring development even when researchers could not detect the virus in fetal brains. That…
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Why a sauna sends your heart rate soaring
The sauna makes your heart race because your body is trying to cool itself. It widens blood vessels and routes more blood to the skin, where heat can escape;…
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