CNN – Health

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — A low-calorie sweetener called xylitol used in many reduced-sugar foods and consumer products such as gum and toothpaste may be linked to nearly twice the risk of heart attacks, stroke and death in people who consume the highest levels of the sweetener, a new study found. “We gave healthy volunteers

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — Even as the United States grapples with an outbreak of H5N1 flu in dairy cattle, the World Health Organization has announced the first known human infection with a different strain, H5N2, in a person in Mexico who died of complications of their infection. Both of these strains of the

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — Results from recent wastewater testing across the US suggests that H5N1 bird flu may not be as widespread as first feared. The data, released Monday by the nonprofit WastewaterSCAN network, showed detections of the H5 protein portion of the flu virus in sewage from 14 water treatment plants in

By Kristen Rogers, CNN (CNN) — Antidepressants can do wonders for persistent mental health problems. But some people may be reluctant to take the medications, fearing what could happen if they want to stop taking them one day. That risk has now been quantified, thanks to a new review of 79 studies — known as

By Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN (CNN) — Recalled cucumbers might be linked to a multistate salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 160 people. The US Food and Drug Administration, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Africana that has led to 162 illnesses in 25

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at avian flu. Avian influenza, also called avian flu or bird flu, is an illness that usually affects only birds. There are many different strains of avian flu: 16 H subtypes and 9 N subtypes. Only those labeled H5, H7 and H10 have caused deaths in humans.

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here is some background information about stem cells. Scientists believe that stem cell research can be used to treat medical conditions including Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. About Stem Cells Sources: National Institutes of Health, Mayo Clinic Stem cell research focuses

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — With hotter weather often comes more skin showing—and for many that means increased sense of pressure to get rid of body hair. Diet culture already makes summer a tricky time, with advertisements and headlines about celebrities emphasizing the importance of a “bikini body.” Adding a social expectation to remove

By Shannon Carpenter, CNN (CNN) — I know I’m not the only parent who has lost sleep worrying about the future of my sons. My 16-year-old has begun to drive, and I have concerns about his ability to navigate curbs. My 11-year-old son loves to play video games, but I have to be careful about

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — A federal advisory committee on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly against of the use of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. The novel treatment has the potential to transform a field with significant need, but the committee had concerns about the integrity of the particular

By Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — About 61% of US adults will have cardiovascular disease by 2050, new research from the American Heart Association predicts. The biggest driver of this trend will be the large number of people who have or will develop high blood pressure, which makes them much more likely to develop dangerous

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN (CNN) — The United States continues to have a higher rate of women dying in pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum compared with all other high-income nations, even despite recent declines in the US maternal death rate, a new report shows. There were about 22 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — The “fasten seat belt” sign is off, and the time for a nap on your flight is on. You grab your neck pillow, eye mask and a glass of wine to make sure you are well-rested on the other side. That tactic isn’t such a good idea, according to

By Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN (CNN) — Fresh cucumbers sold in 14 states have been recalled due to possible contamination with salmonella. Florida-based Fresh Start Produce recalled the cucumbers, which shipped from May 17 through May 21. The cucumbers were sent to retail distribution centers, wholesalers and food service distributors in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland,

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — Her breath reeked of alcohol. She was dizzy, disoriented and weak, so much so that one day she passed out and hit her head on a kitchen counter while making lunch for her school-age children. Yet not a drop of liquor had passed her lips, a fact that the

By Andrea Kane, CNN (CNN) — Tossing and turning in the wee hours. A low but constant buzzing in the brain that thwarts concentration. A feeling of tense restlessness. Most have experienced this sort of anxiety — not clinical anxiety, which might result in a full-on panic attack, but the run-of-the-mill kind that leaves you