Flu season is in full swing, making it more important than ever to take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. Dr. Priya Soni, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s Health Center in Los Angeles, shares what to expect this season and how to stay healthy. What type of flu activity…  read on >  read on >

In the first 18 months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, most states with abortion bans saw a rise in infant deaths, new research reveals. Two studies, published Feb. 13 in JAMA, show that states that enforced complete or near-total abortion bans after six weeks of pregnancy saw a 6% overall rise…  read on >  read on >

There appears to be limited evidence supporting the use of epidural steroid injections for certain types of chronic lower back pain, new guidance from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) finds.  Epidural steroid injections are treatments in which a steroid or corticosteroid medication is injected into the spine.  In a systematic review published Feb. 12…  read on >  read on >

FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) – When it comes to testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), many young adults prefer the privacy and convenience of at-home testing, a new survey suggests. Fully 91% of survey participants aged 14-24 said they would use free STI self-collection kits, the survey showed. STI home kits involve collecting a urine…  read on >  read on >

Most people who are working after age 50 say staying on the job boosts their health and well-being, and those over 65 report the most benefit, a new University of Michigan poll finds. The poll of 3,486 U.S. adults aged 50-94 found that 67% of those who continue to work report that their jobs have…  read on >  read on >

Zoo workers and volunteers often grieve when animals die, and zoo managers can do a better job of supporting them, a new study finds. “Zoo professionals and volunteers frequently face significant emotional strain due to animal losses, yet structured organizational support for processing grief remains limited,” lead author Nichole Nageotte, adjunct instructor at Unity Environmental…  read on >  read on >

Depression hits the whole body, speeding the onset of long-term physical ills as people age, new research contends. “People who’ve experienced depression are more likely to develop long-term physical health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes,” noted a team led by Kelly Fleetwood, a statistician at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.  Their study…  read on >  read on >

Love doesn’t fade when one member of a family develops Alzheimer’s disease, but times of intimacy like Valentine’s Day can become tougher. Experts at the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) acknowledge that a loved one living with dementia can have trouble expressing their feelings or remembering things as they did in the past.  However, if…  read on >  read on >

Yet another study is supporting the notion that the blockbuster GLP-1 drug Ozempic can help problems drinkers curb their intake. The research found that, compared to placebo, weekly injections of semaglutide (also marketed for weight loss as Wegovy) helped reduce cravings in people with alcohol use disorders. The drug also seemed to reduce the quantity…  read on >  read on >