Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a plethora of tough questions on vaccines, abortion and public health policy during his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday as President Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Lawmakers pressed Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic and former Democrat-turned-independent, on his qualifications to oversee HHS, a $1.7 trillion agency that… read on > read on >
People still see COVID-19 as an ongoing public health threat, even though the pandemic officially ended in 2023, according to a new HealthDay/Harris Poll. Nearly 3 in 4 people (72%) agree COVID is still a serious public health issue, including more than a third (35%) who strongly agree, the poll found. COVID has settled into… read on > read on >
Most community crisis services did not expand following the launch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, potentially blunting the effectiveness of the hotline, a new study says. Walk-in psychiatric services, mobile crisis response units and suicide prevention programs all declined following the launch of the 988 line in July 2022, researchers reported in a… read on > read on >
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People of color now have less access to prescription opioid painkillers than white patients, an unintended consequence of efforts to stem America’s opioid epidemic. Communities of color have a 40% to 45% lower distribution of commonly prescribed opioids, compared to majority white communities, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 23 in the journal Pain.… read on > read on >
Seniors whose cholesterol levels spike and plummet year-to-year could be at increased risk of dementia and failing brain health, a new study suggests. Those whose cholesterol fluctuated the most had a 60% increased risk of dementia, researchers report in findings published Jan. 29 in the journal Neurology. They also had a 23% increased risk of… read on > read on >
“Hidden hunger” — low levels of essential vitamins or minerals — is common among people with type 2 diabetes, a new evidence review says Overall, as many as 45% of type 2 diabetics are suffering multiple deficiencies in vitamins, minerals and electrolytes, researchers reported Jan. 28 in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health. The… read on > read on >
Four in every 10 cancer patients treated with chemotherapy develop severe peripheral nerve pain, a new evidence review suggests. These patients might experience loss of balance and coordination, weakness or sensations of numbness, tingling, “pins and needles,” or burning, researchers said in a study published Jan. 28 in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.… read on > read on >
Daily low-dose aspirin can help prevent cancers from returning in about a third of colon cancer patients, a new study says. Taking 160 milligrams of aspirin a day cuts the risk of cancer recurrence in half among colon cancer patients with a mutation in their PI3K genes, researchers reported at the 2025 American Society of… read on > read on >
COVID-19 continues to be a threat to America’s health, causing more illness and death than either influenza or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a new study suggests. COVID accounted for 3 of 5 (60%) respiratory illnesses among military veterans treated by the U.S. Veterans Health Administration during the 2023-2024 cold and flu season, researchers reported Jan.… read on > read on >
Staff at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been told to stop communication with the World Health Organization (WHO), in the wake of President Donald Trump’s order withdrawing from the health agency. The memo was sent late Sunday from the CDC’s deputy director of global health, Dr. John Nkengasong. “Effective immediately… read on > read on >
