The ancient Japanese practice of reiki “energy healing” might help some cancer patients deal with the pain that can come with infusion therapies, new research shows. “Outpatients receiving reiki during infusion reported clinically significant improvements in all symptoms, high levels of satisfaction and a qualitatively positive healing experience,” reported a team led by Natalie Dyer,… read on > read on >
Despite decades of campaigns highlighting the “baby on back” recommendation for safe infant sleep, 12% of 4-month-old babies in the United States are still put to bed lying on their sides or tummies, a new report finds. That number rises to 19% among infants aged 9 months and 23% among 1-year-olds. Putting an infant to… read on > read on >
Too much screen time can sabotage preschoolers’ sleep, potentially turning them into terrors around the house, a new study warns. Bad sleep can exacerbate children’s struggles with poor attention, hyperactivity and moodiness, researchers reported Dec. 12 in the journal Early Child Development and Care. Worse, kids can wind up in a downward spiral, with screen… read on > read on >
In news that suggest the U.S. opioid epidemic may be easing, drug overdose deaths fell 17% between July 2023 and July 2024. Per new data released Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 94,000 people died from drug overdoses (ODs) during that 12-month period, down from more than 113,000 deaths between… read on > read on >
Picture this: a beloved cat, playful and healthy one day, falls mysteriously ill the next. Soon after, the shocking culprit is revealed — bird flu, a virus that most people associate with poultry and wild birds. Now, scientists are warning that domestic cats could potentially prompt a public health crisis. According to a new study… read on > read on >
Despite a record number of American children dying from the flu last year, the percentage of kids getting their flu shots keeps falling. In new data posted this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 37% of kids had received the vaccine as of Nov. 30 — down from 43% at… read on > read on >
There’s early evidence that a mysterious flu-like illness that has sickened 416 people and left 75 dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo over recent weeks may be malaria. Laboratory samples taken from infected people are suggestive of malaria, although more research is needed to confirm that, health officials said. “Of the 12 samples taken,… read on > read on >
In what appears to be a last-ditch effort to limit the harms of smoking before its term ends, the Biden administration has proposed a rule that would significantly lower the amount of nicotine in tobacco products. The agency’s efforts to counter the dangers of the addictive chemical stretch back to 2018, when it first proposed… read on > read on >
Keeping your blood pressure in check is important for more than just heart health — it can also keep your brain sharp as you age. A new study published Dec. 11 in the journal Neurology shows that seniors whose blood pressure spikes and drops over time might be more likely to suffer a decline in… read on > read on >
Unhealthy ultra-processed foods have wormed their way into American kitchens, likely harming people’s health for decades, a new study warns. More than half of the calories adults eat at home now come from ultra-processed foods, which contain high levels of sugar, salt, fat and other additives, and have been linked to heart disease, obesity and… read on > read on >
