CNN – Health

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN (CNN) — Years of research have showed that pulse oximeters yield less accurate readings for people with darker skin tones, and now the US Food and Drug Administration is proposing guidance to help make these devices more reliable and less biased. Pulse oximeters are small finger-clamp devices that estimate how much

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — For the first time in history, the US Food and Drug Administration has established guidance for levels of lead in processed baby foods that are sold on supermarket shelves and online. The agency’s action, announced Monday, only provides guidance to industry and is not enforceable. Under the new guidelines,

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN (CNN) — Sugary drinks may leave a sour taste given their possible impact on mortality, according to a new study. “This is a public health crisis, requiring urgent action,” said the study’s senior author, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University. The

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — A rigorous nine-year research review looking at the relationship between fluoride and intelligence in children concludes that as fluoride levels rise, IQ drops. Every 1 part per million increase in fluoride in urine — a way of measuring all the sources of fluoride a person consumes — was associated

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — Sex just isn’t the same with your partner anymore. When you confide that sad reality to a friend, what’s the first culprit you discuss? Overwork? Young children? Relationship problems, or even the worst-case scenario — an affair? You may want to start by looking at your sleep habits as

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — What are you focusing on in the new year to improve your health? Regular exercise, of course, is a proven winner, as is eating plant-based meals. Getting more high-quality sleep, reducing stress, limiting alcohol and connecting with other people in meaningful ways are also key ways to boost well-being.

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — Lead and other toxic heavy metals have been found in dangerously elevated amounts in some commercial baby foods sold in the United States, yet parents have had no way to know if the baby foods they purchase contain those higher levels. Enter a California law that requires baby food

By David G. Allan, CNN (CNN) — I found another person who hates running, and I’m not surprised. “I find it tedious and boring, and I feel like I’m failing at it all the time because I’m so slow and out of breath.” That’s how my colleague Madeline Holcombe articulated how it’s going as she’s

CNN By Ben Tinker, Meg Tirrell and Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory Friday warning Americans that alcohol consumption can increase their cancer risk and called for an updated health warning label on alcoholic beverages. Surgeon general’s advisories are strongly stated warnings meant to deliver clear messages

By Upasna Gautam, CNN (CNN) — I used to be a productivity app junkie. If an app promised to make me smarter, faster or more efficient, I downloaded it. Time trackers, digital planners, habit trackers — you name it. I spent hours setting them up, convinced this one would fix my time management problems. Spoiler

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — The award-winning Mediterranean diet has done it again, capturing 2025’s “best of the best” award from U.S. News & World Report, which puts out a yearly list of the most and least beneficial diets as ranked by nutrition professionals. The Mediterranean diet — which is more of a lifestyle

CNN By Ben Tinker, Meg Tirrell and Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory Friday warning Americans that alcohol consumption can increase their cancer risk and called for an updated health warning label on alcoholic beverages. Surgeon general’s advisories are strongly stated warnings meant to deliver clear messages

By Ben Tinker, Meg Tirrell and Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory Friday warning Americans that alcohol consumption can increase their cancer risk and called for an updated health warning label on alcoholic beverages. Surgeon general’s advisories are strongly stated warnings meant to deliver clear messages about

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — In the summer of 1983, Katy Golden’s mom had stocked their kitchen in the suburbs of Detroit with Popsicles and bubble gum. Golden was 5 years old and about to have her tonsils removed to help with some ear issues she’d had since she was an infant. The procedure

By Karla Walsh, CNN (CNN) — Justine Doiron used to fall into the 49% of young adults who reportedly set a New Year’s resolution — specifically about food — something she now views as “enticing yet toxic.” “During my teenage years, I struggled with an eating disorder. I was a perfectionist in a larger body,

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — There are lots of great reasons to decide to go “dry” in January and give up alcohol. Perhaps you imbibed a bit too much over the holidays or want to start a healthy routine and can’t afford the calories or the zap in energy and motivation that drinking can

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN (CNN) — If you’re thinking about making a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking, it might help to know that new research says it could extend your life expectancy. Each cigarette someone smokes, on average, can take about 20 minutes off their life expectancy overall, according to new research based on

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — Most human cases of bird flu in North America have been mild, a fact that’s underscored by a new study of the first 46 confirmed human H5N1 infections in the United States this year. But the case of an ill Canadian teen stands out because of its severity and