Health

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — Residents of 12 states in the South and Midwest are more likely to smoke – and to smoke more – than people living in the rest of the United States, according to a new report. Truth Initiative, a nonprofit focused on ending tobacco use, has dubbed that group of

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — If TikTok and Reddit influencers are to be believed, the plant-based compound called berberine can be a replacement for such popular diabetes and weight loss drugs as Ozempic and Wegovy. Using berberine as a supplement has become so trendy, in fact, that it has been dubbed “Nature’s Ozempic” by

By Casey Barber, CNN (CNN) — No disrespect to s’mores and hot dogs, which have earned their spot at the top of the “food you eat around a campfire” pyramid. But they’re not the only foods (sweet or savory) you could cook and enjoy in the great outdoors — or in your backyard. I’m a

By Katie Hunt, CNN (CNN) — Australia is set to become the first country in the world to legalize clinical prescribing of MDMA, better known as ecstasy, and psilocybin — the main psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms — for certain mental health disorders. Starting July 1, authorized psychiatrists will be able to prescribe MDMA for

By Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — Days after a national alert about cases of locally acquired malaria in Texas and Florida, public health officials in those states said they continue to monitor for further illness and to conduct mosquito surveillance but have found no further cases. The Texas Department of State Health Services said Friday

By Giri Viswanathan and Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN (CNN) — Decades after aspartame was approved for use in the United States, the sweetener’s safety is getting another look by global health bodies assessing its potential links to cancer. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer analyzed the potential carcinogenic effects of the sweetener

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday gave the green light to two new RSV vaccines for older adults and expects them to be available in the fall. The endorsement from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky follows recommendations from the agency’s independent vaccine advisory committee and

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists voted Thursday to add Cronobacter sakazakii infections to the list of nationally notifiable conditions that health departments count and report to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The council partners with the CDC to develop the list, which includes more

By Elizabeth Cohen and Carma Hassan, CNN (CNN) — Seven people have died in connection with a fungal meningitis outbreak linked with certain surgical procedures in Mexico, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Investigators have identified 161 US residents who might be at risk of illness because they received epidural anesthesia at one of two clinics

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — For a decade now, the world has had highly effective medications for hepatitis C infections. In the United States, they’ve mostly been sitting on the shelf, according to a new study. These drugs, called direct-acting antivirals because they block proteins the virus needs to copy itself, have been hailed as

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — The risk of getting sick from E-coli, salmonella, listeria and other foodborne germs rose to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. “Progress in reducing (intestinal) infection incidence was not observed during 2022, as influences of the COVID-19 pandemic subsided,” the CDC

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — Beans, beans, the magical … longevity food? True, these tiny, unassuming morsels are filling and nutritious, and as a basis of a plant-based diet, good for the planet as well. But how could the family of legumes — which includes beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas — help us live