CNN – Health

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — Perched at the pinnacle of achievement, Olympians have trained their entire lives to reach their goal of standing on the winner’s podium. Not only do Olympic athletes tone their bodies into near perfection; they hone their minds as well. “A winner’s brain is not about a quick fix. You

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — A growing set of evidence suggests that using semaglutide could lead to decreased substance use, and a large new study shows a promising link between the medication and tobacco use. But experts emphasize that much more research is needed before using the medications off-label for smoking cessation. In a

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN (CNN) — The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a blood test to be used for colorectal cancer screening among average-risk adults 45 and older. The maker of the test, Palo Alto, California-based biotechnology company Guardant Health, announced Monday that this is the first blood test to be approved by

By Kristen Rogers, CNN (CNN) — As if people with anxiety don’t have enough to worry about, a new study is adding to that list  — suggesting the disorder may nearly triple the risk of developing dementia years later. The research, to the authors’ knowledge, is the first to look into the association between different severities

By Andrea Kane, CNN (CNN) — Can money buy happiness? It’s an age-old question with which many — including philosophers, economists and psychologists — have wrestled. Even rappers have gotten in on the act. “Mo Money Mo Problems,” a 1997 song by the Notorious B.I.G., contains the chorus “It’s like the more money we come across/

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — A combined blood test for cognitive decline has a 90% accuracy rate in determining whether memory loss is due to Alzheimer’s disease, a new study found. In comparison, neurologists and other memory specialists correctly diagnosed Alzheimer’s in 73% of their cases. Primary care doctors had even less success, with

By Maya Davis, CNN (CNN) — Just outside the perimeter of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Village was a special room, the only space near the village where athletes with young children were directed to care for their babies. The room had a few chairs and offshoots for breastfeeding mothers, according to Greg Polychronidis and Katerina

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — Brittany Yeager was leading a troop of girls at Girl Scout camp in Idaho last summer when a mosquito bite upended her life. Once a runner, hiker and math wiz, Yeager, 30, now takes 23 pills a day to manage symptoms that include paralysis, pain, seizures, muscle spasms, depression

By Katia Hetter, CNN (CNN) — I’m riding a recumbent bicycle while wearing my smartwatch, hoping that tracking my fitness and health metrics will inspire me to exercise more. The smartwatch is no longer just for texting, music and the time (how old school) but instead has become an integral part of some people’s health

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — Becky Hayden and her husband, Seth, have spent 21 years of marriage being fully active members of their community in California. The Haydens have run a local scholarship program, they have kept a closetful of prom dresses to loan out to students in need, they are mentors in their

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — More Americans own guns for personal protection than ever before, a new survey shows. Gun sales surged during the Covid-19 pandemic, as did gun-related deaths. In 2021, 48,830 people died from gun-related injuries in the US, the highest number on record. Roughly 7.5 million American adults became new gun owners during

By Taylor Nicioli, CNN (CNN) — When she leaves Barbie Land for the real world, Barbie must keep up with her regular health maintenance, which includes seeing her gynecologist. A new study published Thursday in the journal JAMA Network Open has found that the ending in the 2023 blockbuster film “Barbie” had an influence on online search interest

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — Many people will watch this year’s Olympics from the comfort of their couches — and some may think, “Why don’t I look like that?” or “Am I so much worse because I’m not that athletic?” People are prone to comparing themselves with others, said Jennifer Rollin, founder of The

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — The infant mortality rate in the United States rose in 2022, the first jump in 20 years, according to data released Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 20,500 babies died in 2022 before the age of 1, final records show. Overall, there were