The key to a long life may be your attitude. Researchers at Harvard studied the impact of optimism on women’s lifespans, finding that optimism was associated with greater longevity, such as living past age 90. Lead study author Hayami Koga, a PhD candidate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, decided…  read on >  read on >

There was a significant rise in both the number and rate of abortions in the United States between 2017 and 2020, the Guttmacher Institute reported Wednesday. The research group, which supports the right to abortion, said there were more than 930,000 abortions nationwide in 2020, compared with about 862,000 in 2017, which was the fewest…  read on >  read on >

An emergency committee of independent experts will meet next week to determine whether the growing monkeypox outbreak that’s spread to dozens of countries should be declared an international health emergency, the World Health Organization announced Tuesday. That’s the highest level of alert for viral outbreaks and doing so would mean that WHO views the normally…  read on >  read on >

Cancer clinical trials in the United States appear to be rebounding after a significant slowdown during the pandemic, researchers say. For the study, the investigators analyzed data from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City on more than 4,700 new patients enrolled…  read on >  read on >

Overall use of insulin pumps among U.S. youngsters with type 1 diabetes has climbed in recent decades, but those who are poor or from minority groups are less likely to have the devices, a new study finds. Insulin pumps, which do away with the need for numerous painful injections, have been shown to improve control…  read on >  read on >

Many people think they make healthy food choices, but they may be viewing their diet through rose-colored glasses. That’s the main finding of a new study that aimed to identify disconnects between how healthfully Americans think they eat and how they actually do. “It appears difficult for adults in the United States to accurately assess…  read on >  read on >

The expression “plays well with others” is often tossed around to describe people who are less likely to ruffle feathers, and new research shows these sandbox skills really matter. It turns out that kids who play well with others in preschool are less likely to experience mental health issues as they grow up. The findings…  read on >  read on >