Health

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN (CNN) — Over-the-counter protein powders may contain disturbing levels of lead and cadmium, with the highest amounts found in plant-based, organic and chocolate-flavored products, according to a new investigation. There is no level of lead that is safe for humans, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Cadmium is a carcinogen

By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — With reports of the first human death from bird flu in the US, some Americans are feeling an uncomfortable flashback to the early days of Covid-19, when infectious disease experts were talking about a new virus that was sending people to the hospital with respiratory infections. Although both viruses

By Katia Hetter, CNN (CNN) — Welcome to winter virus season. Cases of acute respiratory illness, Covid-19 and seasonal flu are increasing in most parts of the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Emergency department visits for flu and the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, are very high. Although

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN (CNN) — As China experiences a rise in respiratory infections this winter, one little-known virus has gotten a lot of attention – and some people may worry whether the rise in cases could be felt more broadly around the world. Human metapneumovirus, also known as HMPV, can cause upper and lower

By Julianna Bragg, CNN (CNN) — If you asked me what makes my heart sing, I’d immediately say words of affirmation. Few things bring me greater joy than hearing or reading heartfelt expressions of endearment from others. Sharing kind words is also one of the ways I show love to those around me, but I

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN (CNN) — As US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy nears the end of his second term as the nation’s doctor, a final diagnosis of his patient suggests that a great deficiency of connectivity has led to a poor prognosis for America’s overall health and well-being. To treat the “widespread pain and

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